Sunday, May 22, 2011

BUILIDING THE DECK

We did a total remodel of our tiny little house
two years ago.  Gutted the kitchen and bath, 
and put in wood floors though out.
Our last major project left to do was the outside
deck.  It had seen better days and was
ready for a tear down. 

The first step was to tear it down and
see what kind of shape the house
was in behind the deck.  Our little
bungalow was built in the early 40's
and not very well to begin with.


We have used the same contractor
for all of our work and it is nice to
have someone who understands your
likes and dislikes. He can take my ideas 
and fine tune them into something that
makes sense.  After the deck was gone he
discovered that the beam
across the length of the house was
crumbling and needed to be replaced. 
We weren't too surprised and were expecting
the unexpected.  It actually could have been
a lot worse, this was easy to fix.


The lower fence was the first thing 
that had to go up to give us back
a little privacy and to anchor the new deck.
We used redwood for all of our other
wood work.  Fences, garage doors and
car port so that was our natural choice 
for the deck.
There is a lot to be done before the
floor goes down.


The upper fence has been framed and
the floor laid, now it is starting to look
like a deck.
We will keep the redwood unstained so
it will weather naturally and in 6 to 8 
months we will put a sealer on it.
 
We increased the size from the original
a full width of the stairs and a foot longer.
Now it is bigger than our living room.
The railing we used a combination of
redwood and cable to give it a more
open unbusy feel.
A new deck calls for a new grill and I love
this one that has a craftsman look to it 
that goes with the look of the house.
We had shelves built on each side
to give us more working space.  We used
thin aluminum and Brett framed it with
redwood and used scrap redwood 
for the brackets.

 Sometimes it is the little things that
make the biggest difference and one
of those is the new screen door.
I always hated the old white one
and could not wait to get this one installed.
This finished product is better
than our expectations, we could not
be happier.  This is a welcome addition
to our living space and will enjoy
it for years to come. 

Zoe has put her paw of approval on it as well.
Click BRETTS PICTURES and see
the other things he has done.
You can also contact him via email at
brd1217@yahoo.com

 

Monday, May 16, 2011

SOME GIFT IDEAS

If your in retail you are always thinking
ahead to the next holiday or special 
occasion that will hopefully bring a surge
 of business.  I thought I would put
togeother some items that could be
good for graduations, weddings,
and Fathers Day from the various
lines I represent.
SUGARBOO DESIGNS 
This photo album would be a great
wedding present.  The cover is a distressed
leather stamped with "For the ones I love"
Each page has a 4" x 4" opening for
a picture to be inserted and a different
quotation.


These wood boxes that come in
either cream or black have
365 different quotations or inspirational
saying written on parchment paper. 
One for everyday of the year. 
This would be a nice graduation gift.


There are so many nice art pieces that
would be a fitting gift for these
occasions, but these jumped
out at me.
=


 His and Hers pillow cases in
grey and white would be a perfect
wedding or shower present.

Paired with the His and Her's handtowels
would make a lovely gift.

I also could see giving one of these
acrylic/wool throws.  They are
soft and sexy, this one is antique white.

or oyster




I like the idea of giving an assortment
of guest/hand towels as a bridal shower
present.  I think the colors are
bright and happy and they can
also be used for napkins.  So it
is a multi use gift.  There are lots
to select from as well.





The guest towels are also available
in the large 38" x 78" size.

or if you want to play it safe with
color one of the gift sets in white
would be a nice choice. 
If your having a summer wedding these
fun fans would be nice for the guest
to stay cool if it is outdoors.


TRINITATE
There is a lot of things to choose from
in this line.  Almost anything in the
accessory collection would be a
wonderful wedding gift.  The white
ceramics appeal to most peoples taste.
  It is also fun to mix patterns
 when selecting accessories pieces.


Pitchers are always useful and can
double as a vase.


I have to admit I don't have a lot of
things for Father's Day but I do
think one of the keyring bling would
be great.  If my Dad was still alive
I would give him one that said
"Daddy's Girl". 



The bistro table and chairs would
be something for anyone, Dad,
or the bride and groom.




Contact me if you have any questions
regarding the products I have shown here.
 

Sunday, May 15, 2011

WHERE SHELTER AND NATURE CONVERGE

PORCH in Carpinteria, Ca. relocated and I
couldn't wait to see their new store.
Christy and Diana have great taste and
a vision so I knew it would be special.
It is located in a brand new building and the
large windows in front let in the
natural light.
The courtyard helps create an inviting
entrance

 to view the unique blend of rustic-modern furnishings and nature-inspired gift & garden elements that support eco-friendly design and sustainable living.






I like the use of the rough wood to
display the jewelry, it gives a nice contrast.



A feature in the store is showcasing
and selling work from the local
artist in the community.



There is also a touch of whimsy,
either with these big red bugs sitting
on a pretty rock

or these cute animal watering cans that
are found thoughout the store



I like the splash of color that the
scarfs from SCENTS AND FEEL bring

An added bonus to this new location is the
addition of the outdoor garden,
on Christy and Diana's web site
they tell us "Nature is our palette, our store,
 our lives…we believe that all beauty
has nature as its influence. "



These plastic drainage pipes are
a fabulous way of creating an eco-friendly
planter



also these ball bearing feed troughs




The outdoor area adds such a nice
dimension to what they have
created in this new environment.



These pictures were taken only a couple
of weeks after their move, so there
is much more to come. Like PORCH
on facebook and watch them grow.
 
Feed your soul… Buy what you love