"Cherish" Room - Day Five!

Today was the first of two big moving days!  I took lots of furniture and wall decor I had been working on into the store and started setting it up in the room, after I finished painting one more wall the blue-gray color.

This antique shabby dresser was the first to be placed and was a temporary home for some accent trees until I can get all the furniture in place.

The little white rocking chair will end up in this grouping shown in front of the newly painted wall.  I didn't hang the large frame, choosing to set it on the little dresser until I have the other furniture in the room placed - I may need to move it a few inches depending on how much room I need!

Next up was this vintage desk.  The top of this desk had some scratches on it so I decided to sand and repaint the top before bringing it into my space.

 I repainted the top with 'Emperor's Silk' red.

 Next, I added a coat of clear wax -

followed by a final coat of dark wax to add depth to the desk top.  The original wood seemed a bit dry, so I added a light layer of dark wax to the rest of the desk as well and it really brought out the cabin details on the front panel!

  I placed the desk under the black metal items and rustic frames so it became the anchor of my 'cabin' wall.  I hung the hand forged iron cross above it and placed the 'Welcome to the Cabin' sign on the desk with a little tinsel tree.

I found this gorgeous chalkboard at the Sacramento Antique Fair at Restore and Rework's booth.  I gave it a fresh coat of chalkboard paint filling in the 'swirls' at each end to make them really stand out, added a fresh coat of white paint and then sanded the dentil molding across the top to make it stand out a little more.

This was just the piece I needed to grab customer's attention when they entered my room the first time.  I wrote one of my favorite sayings on it "Each heart is whispering - Home, home at last!"  Very appropriate for both Thanksgiving and Christmas - it reminds me of being away at college and traveling home for the holidays!

I put my 5 foot round shabby pedestal table in front of the super chalkboard and added a plaid tablecloth.  The red star to the left of the chalkboard repeats the red of the little rocking chair and I left some of my table top decor on the table - tomorrow all the table tops will get decorated.

Next, I hung this fun wire cubby shelf with four hooks - perfect for stockings!  The 'joy' banner and the 3-D metal letter 'm' may not end up here but for now they found a place to settle.

By the end of the day, the view from the doorway into the room changed quite a bit!  I'm bringing in another table tomorrow so depending on how it fits in the space I left for it, I may need to move things around again. The stage will be set for all the Christmas decor.  I can't wait to add ornaments to the tree, banners, twinkling lights, and do all the tablescapes!

Restore and Rework

Who would have thought that in July it would be a perfect 75 degrees at the Sacramento Antique Fair. It's no secret how much I love attending this event!  Last Sunday, I met two friends there, ran into two of my cohorts from Melange, and met vendor Cisco Diaz from Restore and Rework.  One of the best things about the Fair is meeting new people, learning about antiques and networking with other vendors.

Cisco has been "restoring and reworking" for about a year.  After the mortgage business took a turn for the worse,  he told me he had no idea what he was going to do but knew he liked building things from scrap wood and decided to try building a business out of repurposing.  He turned to one of his hobbies and started up his business which includes participating in numerous antique and flea markets throughout California, a website and an Etsy site.  Here, a french end table got a fresh coat of white paint. Spindles and an old mason jar fill a wooden box.  Cisco fashioned the box's handle from a piece of rebar.

An homage to my twelve years in Catholic school, this collection of Mary statuettes caught my eye as I wandered through the aisles and drew me into Cisco's 'Restore and Rework' space.  A brief look over and around and I noticed something different about this vendor.  Rather than mostly frilly and feminine vintage, it was masculine, clean line, industrial chic vintage with just small accents of feminine pieces.

Cisco builds many of his own products from repurposed wood and other materials, and he has a woman who stitches up pillows for him, from burlap he stencils, and satchels made from vintage feed sacks and grain bags.  Cisco often brings along his daughter, Danielle, to help him out during shows.  A bright and personable 17 year old, she often helps her dad with the painting, making the business a family affair.

 Birdhouses were made from old spindles to which he added found hardware.

The economy is responsible for so many people changing life plans. Its interesting to see how people handle speed bumps in the road of life. I loved the surprise of the unexpected in some of his displays.

A man's bust watches shoppers from inside a cloche.

A rusty scale seems to age the abacus sitting next to it.  The shabby step stool could have been used by the same youngster who used the abacus for math homework.

Standing out amidst a cluster of gray index file boxes, this white floral frame pops - a bright spot of soft femininity in a sea of industrial metal.  Cisco also added some variegated coleus in a galvanized pail to add an organic touch.

After visiting flea markets for years now, I've seen suitcase after suitcase filled with linens for display but this was the first time I've seen vintage photographs displayed in one.  Some people say it makes them sad to see photographs at a flea market, like their families just threw them away.  I like to think of it as someone cared enough to salvage them to give them hope at a new life - perhaps added to a shadowbox or in a collage.

Spools of jute rope are displayed in a hanging basket -

a vintage subway sign can be seen in the background.

Hand stencilled letters and numbers find their home in an old drawer.  Clearly, Cisco has a knack for repurposing and creating out of found materials.  I wish him nothing but the best as he continues to build his business, Restore and Rework.  You can contact Cisco by email restoreandrework@att.net, by phone 510-708-6388, his website or etsy site. Check his website to see what show he will be participating in next. As I looked around his space before continuing on, one more display caught me by surprise.

 

 Tucked inside a wooden box was this vintage photograph of a boy holding a rosary.  The boy seems pensive as if he is praying for something, but at the same time he looks relaxed.  Looking at the photo I couldn't help but think of the photo as an iconic symbol of these economic times.  When life throws you a curve, remember to let go and let God.  I believe God has a plan for all of us, whether we know or understand why things happen, a little faith goes a long way - and my faith is something I cherish.