Freedom Reconstructed

Scrap Fabric Donations

2012-02-27T14:42:00.000-08:00

We are sure that by now you are all well aware of the fact that we love turning perceived "nothings" into beautiful "somethings". We are now looking for your unwanted fabric, random scraps from your past projects, no matter the size, we can work with it all. Upholstery grade fabric or other durable varieties are actually what we are most in need of, and if you think that you may be able to part with yours, we would be delighted to offer them a new lease of life.

Donations can be made in our store at 939 Bloor street West.

We thank you kindly in advance

Karen, Marsya and Jelena

Short but killer sweet Clock Video

2012-02-01T13:10:00.001-08:00

Freedom Reconstructed from Freedom Clothing Collective on Vimeo.

Custom Wall Organizer / Cardholder / Letterholder DIY

2012-01-27T07:46:00.000-08:00

fabric chosen for a custom piece - Arctic Animals

Life in the city often means limited living space, so here is a great project that will help you utilize your vertical wall space to its fullest potential. This tutorial will teach you how to make a fabric card or letter organizer that hangs on your wall to keep you organized.

It's decorative, easy, useful and sustainable!

this wood is from a badly stickered up wine crate that we took apart, rearranged glued and screwed into place.

stretched and stapled to board

What you will need:

- a piece of found or left-over wood (ask your friends; someone will have something)
- a piece of fabric larger then the piece of wood
- some ribbon or twill tape or rope or anything you could find
- batting
- staples and staple gun
- a helper (not necessary but it makes things easier and more fun! Mine is the furry little cutie in the pic above; can you spot her?)
- upholstery thumb tacks
- a picture hanger

If you can or are able to find someone that would cut the piece of wood to your desired size, than do so. Cut the batting to the same size as the wood. If you are stapling it by yourself it's a good idea to glue the batting to the wood so it doesn't move around on you. Place the fabric over batting and wood and flip to the opposite side and stretch/staple fabric like you would a canvas. Check out this YouTube Video tutorial (of course, this is showing you the trick on a frame but the same principles apply when stretching). Flip it right side up and place ribbon any way that sparks your fancy, have them criss cross once in a while so you can tack them down with the thumb tacks. Pin them in place and flip over to staple them down, remove pins. If you want a very finessed look on the backside you can mod-podge some beautiful paper or some pretty fabric. Nail in the picture hanger, hang and love it. (For more intense instructions please email us or call us, this is a quick and rough run through.)
If you would like a one-on-one onsite workshop or a custom piece, please contact us!
Some other styles are here >> Etsy

Finished! It doesn't always have to be for letters and cards.

You did a good job!

It's a tough one, but definitely worthwhile. Now, you deserve a good siesta!

Lampshade DIY

2012-01-19T13:18:00.000-08:00

I (Jelena) have wanted to learn to make a lamp shade for a long time, I have followed blogs, online tutorials, talked to people who are really good at it, but every time I got to it, something went wrong and I ended up abandoning the project. As a spirited crafter I found it really annoying that there was a seemingly easy project out there that I was not able to master. So I started looking for ways to make a lampshade and that will guarantee success. And I found it. I armed myself with a pair of scissors, jute twine, and old lampshade and lot of patience.

To start I removed the fabric from the shade and tied a knot at the top of the structure where one of the vertical bars connected with the top ring and started wrapping it with twine as tightly as possible making sure that the metal ring was not showing through. And then continued on to the body. As I reached each one of the spokes I wrapped the twine once around it and proceeded to the next. This way I made sure that each of the spokes was neatly wrapped and that the twine was secure in place without worrying that it will start sliding down.

I was quite happy with the outcome, but thought that some decor would be a welcome addition. So I asked Karen for some left-over fabric and buttons from her sewing projects and little abstract flowers/starbursts were created.
The only remaining thing was to pair the shade up with an equally quirky lamp base.

And there you have it. The lamp is available for purchase at our store or online via Etsy.

If you find this entry inspiring enough to attempt to make your own shade, send us some photos of your work, we will be delighted to share it on our blog.

Upcycled Candle Holders

2011-12-08T05:44:00.001-08:00

I love browsing through AAnthropologie catalogues and looking for inspirations. These guys do things so well. So, browsing through the most recent catalogue I came across these gorgeous candle holders named Trinkets and Treasures, but at the sticker price of $398 per stick you better treasure them for life.
As a maker of things, I studied the picture a bit and decided to make my own version of these lovelies so I headed out and sourced all the goodness that I could find to make an awesome candle stick. I decided that starting off with an old lamp base would be a good way to go, as the middle rod that would normally house the electric cord would offer good support for the body and would allow me to turn it into a lamp should I choose to do so.

I, of course, bought more trinkets than I could use, but building a stand like this is a creative process that takes time, each one of them went through several iterations before I landed on the final concept. Having a few extras helps as drilling through some of them is a tedious task, and they do tend to break from time to time.

So here is the end result - three candle sticks that I am quite proud off and some left over material for the next one. They may not look exactly like the starting point, but that was never the goal. The idea was to give them my own spin and make them unique in their own way. Oh, and the fact that they are made from locally sourced goodness makes them a bit extra special in my mind too. Let me know what you think, would love to hear from you!!

BEER! .... up-cycled fridge on tap

2011-11-27T12:15:00.001-08:00

Anyone drink beer?

Check out this bad-boy-tapped-fridge! With a couple of drill bits, tubing, taps, an old fridge ... and a bunch of other "technical brewing equipment", yes, you too can have your own home made brews on tap.

Brian moved into his new house last year and it was crowded with a bunch of old duds. One such thing was an old fridge that badly needed a cleaning and had several things broken inside. Instead of tossing it he incorporated it into his new home-brewing stash and now it's the envy of all his guests. Perfectly chilled beer all the time whenever you are ready for it.

The basic ingredients necessary to make beer is water, malt, hops and yeast. Experimentation with amounts and flavours allows you to make brews specially suited to your individual taste buds. If you look closely at the first picture you can see that he reused Maple sugar containers for storing different flavour mixtures.

One of his favorite stores to get pre-made mixes at is cachettedubootlegger.ca just on the outskirts of Montreal. He has a couple of favorites from here including Belgian Triple and Irish Cream Ale.

His latest experiment is Cider with Ontario apples that he hand picked himself. Yum!

FYI - Cider doesn't have to be only apples, you can use plums, peaches, pears and many other fruits.

Happy Brewing!

Tea Towel Art

2011-11-10T07:18:00.000-08:00

During my last trip to Australia this past January I came across a beautiful old buss scroll (the kind that is printed on canvas and that the driver had to manually switch for every stop). Well, the one that crossed my path was priced at $1,000 - which was way out of my art buying budget. So instead I bought a tea towel at a local St.Kilda store called Scout. The tea towel listed all the streets surrounding the store with the store's name being featured as final destination. At $18 a towel, I could not pass on it. Back in Canada I started scouting for a frame, and quickly came across an ornate beauty that only lacked the glass pane and some paint. And here you have it, my final art project at a fraction of a cost and just as cool. As the matter of fact, here is the total price breakdown: Tea towel $18 + Frame $5 + Glass $8 = immeasurable happiness!!

All About Mini Shelves

2011-10-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

My mom found this (picture above) beauty on the street, it was in super sad shape and had a couple of loose screws . We had some scrap perforated wood panel (you know the kind to hang your tools on) so we cut it to size and nailed it on the back to make it more sturdy, but it also added a fun decorative touch to the shelf. We then found this fantastic deep eggplant paint at Habitat for Humanity and gave it, not one, not two but three coats.

It's always fun to rummage through old and unwanted things, and there is no better place to do that then your local Goodwill or Value Village store, where we scored this luscious find (picture to the right).

We used spray paint on this guy because of the original finish as well as the size, as applying paint with a roller or a brush would be a bit cumbersome. Prior to painting we sanded it down a bit to make sure that the paint would stick. When using spray paint, make sure you follow directions for use printed on the label.
Then we added some finishing touches only the lovely Jelena can give - antiquing, roughing up, aging, distressing - whatever you wanna call it, I call it stunning! As did someone else, as the matter of fact, since this little gem already has a new home and a new owner to call it their own.

End result?

A thing of Beauty

Just because it was originally a spice rack, doesn't mean it has to be! The women who bought this plans on using it in her washroom to hold toiletries.

Who says that only the outside is worthy of a makeover. If your shelves have mini drawers, you can paper those for extra added cuteness!

This one was in even worse shape, we had to replace several chunks, and then attach narrow beams to make it sturdy. It had an oil varnish on it so I sanded it down a bit and painted it with melamine green which was left over from a previous painting job. We don't recommend this kind of paint, yes it covers over oil well but, it really stinks and needs to dry outside for several days. If left inside it will give you headaches, and who wants that.
We have presented here only a few of the "minies" that passed through our store recently, but are diligently working on sourcing more sharing them with you while at the same time indulging in the thrill of the hunt and saving the planet one bit at a time.

A Teen’s Solution to Cookie-cutter Style

2011-09-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

Piece by Corrine O'Neill >> Etsy page

My generation marvels at the retro styles and technology used by those before us: vinyl records, Polaroid cameras, and – let’s not forget – shoulder pads. The novelty of it all appeals to us as these vintage finds haven’t hit the store shelves in years.
As teens we face the task of establishing an identity for ourselves, and many of us search for a way to make us unique and break free of the generic mold. Upcycling and restyling these retro abandonments are a great way to create for yourself something that carries originality.

Piece by Tweek >> Etsy Page

My first inspiration came from a girl in my weekly ballet classes: her hair was clipped up into what appeared to be the classic Wrigley’s Double Mint Gum package. She had cleverly spruced up a bunch of old flat barrettes by using vintage candy wrappers. Who knew such simple objects could be restyled together to create such a dynamic piece? Fraying from the mainstream standard earns the attention that many adolescents crave.

At this point in my life, hand-me-downs and found objects have the greatest potential in terms of jewelry and accessories. It’s a way to get creative with what you wear. It’s all in how you see things: I like to think that everything has potential. For a recent art project, we had to find a creative medium for a self portrait. I chose to make a necklace (which would be wearable outside the classroom as well!) and compiled it out of objects hunted from around my house. The ribbon from my first pair of point shoes, old silver Barbie heels, a charm buried in the depths of my jewelry box – things I had forgot I had. Restyling it together, the finished project was outright eye-catching! It created an identity for myself and was noticed among the crowd at my school.

Upcycling works as an eco-friendly (and not to mention wallet-friendly) style fix. It feels great making something beautiful out of seemingly nothing. It’s easy, it’s fun, and it challenges your creativity. Our world is a pretty neat place if you choose to keep an open mind about things.

BY MEGAN JANA

Amy's Little Hall Table

2011-09-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

I bought it at Value Village, with no use for it. I just had to buy it (you know the feeling). I got it home and it sat in the corner of my studio for months. I thought it would be nice if someone just took the time to paint it. I decided to try to sell it on Craigslist (to no avail). The one sunny Saturday I decided that i would paint it! I knew where my landlord kept his leftover paint, so I poked around and found this nice blue/green paint (bonus that it was low VOC paint) and a sponge brush. One coat and a touch-up later, it was renewed. Now that it's painted, I LOVE it. It's the perfect 'catch your keys' table by the front door. The shelf is great for my basket of shoe shine, polish, and protector stuff. I'm Still on the hunt for the perfect drawer pull ... any suggestions?
- Amy Snook

Pasta via the Masta!

2011-08-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

I have to admit it, I totally stole that title from one of Jamie Olivers tv series. Love him!
Watch the episode here (made these and they are heavenly) >> Youtube

Where as this post isn’t about up-styling or re-purposing, it is a DIY, and a fun one, especially if you do it with someone else, or as many people as you can find. Besides knowing that homemade anything is better then pre-packaged anything, I stumbled on a glorious fact that homemade pasta has about ⅓ the amount of calories as store bought pasta. That means I get to eat 3 times as much! Whoohoo!

I’m not gonna rehash how to make pasta in this post, there are tons of recipes and instructions out there on the web. But I would love to offer some pointers and lead you to some interesting places.

Pasta Basics:
Rule#1 when making pasta is, don’t fuss with it! It’s much the same as coming into contact with a dog you've never met, show no fear!!
- make sure you have a lot of time, as in there is no appointments looming, this will insure a much more pleasant experience and happier tasting pasta.
- have lots of teatowels or mini table clothes ready and clean to have the pasta dry on.
- have all the ingredients ready
- even though it’s much easier to make with a pasta machine, don’t worry if you dont’ have one, you can still make very rustic looking and equally delicious pasta without it.
- to make pasta that has even less calories and more minerals substitute 1/4 of the all purpose flour/semolina with kamut flour.

How to make pasta video with all the steps and you don't need a pasta machine! >> HERE

Italian pasta diet joke:

1. You walka pasta da bakery.

2. You walka pasta da candy store.

3. You walka pasta da Ice Cream shop.

4. You walka pasta da table and fridge.

You will lose weight!

Now go and make some......... and then invite us over :)

Aprons: For the love of clothes

2011-08-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

My apron project started months ago, after a bloody (coloured) beet accident in my kitchen. I wanted a "full body suit" kind of apron, and it would have to be cute.

I started looking at aprons in shops, at craft shows, and at second-hand stores. KooCooCarrillo makes ADORABLE aprons (with pockets!), but they didn't provide the coverage that an accident-prone cook like myself needs (exclusively sold at freedom :).

So I decided to make one myself. The hunt for the perfect fabric began. It had to be something washable, lightweight enough to wear in a hot kitchen during a Toronto summer, and something that wouldn't look ruined when stained, and it would have to be cute.

After a lot of searching, I decided to mine my own fabric stash (a novel idea!), and selected this bright, paint-splattered-esque cotton that I'd been hording for a few years. I sketched out my design, and within an hour I had a finished apron!

Yesterday I Christened it with a mole sauce explosion; happy to report that my Banana Republic dress was not harmed, thanks to my new cute apron.

by
Amy Jill Snook

The Making of a Plate Clock

2011-07-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

You may have seen the cute vintage plate clocks that have recently landed on Freedom walls and wondered... How they were made? Well, since we are the creators, we are at liberty to share that secret with you. There are really only a few steps involved, and if you are on board you can get yourself a pretty little gem in virtually no time at all.

Here is what you will need:

- Power drill
- Diamond drill-bit
- Goggles (or eye protection)
- Vintage plate
- Clock mechanism
- Clock hands
- Ruler
- Water
- Patience

Turn your plate upside down and find the centre of the plate. This will be the spot to drill. Before you start drilling make sure that you have poured some water inside the rim on the back side of the plate. Drilling creates friction and heat and without the water to cool the drill bit down, you would risk breaking the plate. Drill bits come in different sizes, so make sure you have one closest to the size of the part of the clock mechanism that you will be inserting through the new hole. It is safer to go with a slightly smaller bit and grind the hole edges to the proper size if needed to insure a snug fit. You should be working on a hard surface and insert some sort of padding between the surface and the plate. A folded towel will do just fine.
NOTE-Make sure you are wearing eye protection while drilling, as little particles of china may end up in your eye.

Once the hole has been drilled and sized the majority of the work is already behind you. Just follow the mechanism assembly instructions followed by proper placing of the hands and your work here is done.
Hands traditionally come in black or gold, but you are not limited to those two options alone. A can of spray paint in color of your choice can transform them in matter of seconds. Just make sure that the paint is completely cured before you place them on the clock.

And this is where it ends. Easy-peasy, right?
Now you go do it! :)

Small Table w Great Legs: Part 2

2011-07-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

This table was quite troublesome for us.

After cleaning, sanding and beautiful coats of paint were laid, disaster struck. Accidents happen, and in short, the table top’s paint job was ruined. We spent several hours taking off the remaining paint and sanding down scratches that occurred. We were about to restart the second repaint when... light bulb … inspiration struck.
Having the brilliant Canadian weather to allow us to paint outdoors in the Summer is a privilege we try to abuse as often as possible. So while taking a break we looked over at out little wonder and voila... nature, as always, worked it magic. The brilliant sun beat down a harsh crisp shadow of bush leaves on the table making wonderful and abstract forms. We quickly got some pencil crayons and traced some quick lines. Then filled in the shadows with white paint and left the rest the beautiful original oak wood. A couple of coats of polyurethane to keep it clean and crisp, all the while bringing out the beauty of the natural wood.

It was a struggle but we are very proud of the outcome and will be sad to see this little guy go. It always strikes me as awe inspiring how by making it through rough trials and tribulations one has a deeper bond with both loved ones and … things!

Furniture Painting Tutorial

2011-07-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

No matter how easy a job may seem, if you want to do it right you will need to put some effort into it. The same goes for painting. The secret lies in good preparation. Make sure that you work with quality tools, starting with paint, brushes and sealants. (Bad quality material will make your job far more difficult and the end result may not be up to your standards). Also, don’t forget to take your time, work at your own leisure and most importantly have patience and have fun!

TIP: If you are a novice, chose a smaller project, like a simple chair, desk or a stool. The simpler the lines, the greater chance at success.

For your painting job you will need the following supplies:

- Painter’s tape

- Sand paper

- Tack cloth

- Primer

- Paint

- Paint tray

- Rollers and brushes

- Sealant

- (Patience)

Make sure that the surface is well prepped. Remove all the hardware and if you won’t be putting it back then fill all the holes with the wood filler. Remove any dirt, tape off the areas that you wish to protect, sand the piece, then sand it some more and prime if necessary.

Sandpaper comes in different grit designations – the lower the designation the coarser the paper. For most jobs using 120 grit paper will do, but for surfaces that were covered with several coats of paint I would resort to 100 or 80 grit.

Priming is optional, but if the surface is stained or if you want to achieve even finish throughout, I certainly recommend it. Before priming or painting, make sure that all the dust has been removed and that the surface is clean and smooth. The best way to ensure that the surface is clean is to use a tack cloth that you can find at your local hardware store.

Your surface is ready to receive the first coat of paint now. I usually put two coats of indoor latex paint, but if you think you need one more, go for it. You can use a small foam roller or a variety of brushes for your job. While rollers do a great job on larger surfaces, the brushes are excellent for cutting in all the corners and crevices. When purchasing brushes, talk to the sales people, describe your project and they will be able to give you a good advice.

TIP: In my experience, foam brushes tend to leave less brush marks and cause less drips than their “hairy” alternatives.

Between coats I sand the surface lightly with a 120 grit paper to make sure that the next coat of paint adheres better. Wait for the paint to dry completely before applying the sealant. If you are going for the distressed vintage look, use the sand paper to distress the surface in places where it would get most wear. I would not use a mechanical sander at this point as it does not allow for much control. After you have achieved the desired look, you can proceed with protecting the surface. There is a variety of options out there of which I use the following two:

1. Clear water-based polyurethane finish – it dries quickly and provides good durability
2. Paste finishing wax – protects and adds lustre to any stained or finished wood surface (using wax finish will give your furniture a much softer look)

Once the top coat is dry, clean the surface once more with a lint free rag, remove all the tape and add hardware.

TIP: Wash your brushes, paint trays and rollers thoroughly after use. It will save you some $ and a trip to the hardware store.

Et Voilà!, this concludes our furniture painting tutorial.
If you still believe that this is more than you are willing to cope with send me an email. I will be happy to help you with your next painting job. I can be reached at: Jelena [!at] poppyseedliving.com
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Welcome Mod Pieces, a fellow re-styler to Freedom!!

2011-07-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

"Hi, I'm Lia, the designer behind Mod Pieces, and I'm so pleased to be joining the Freedom Clothing Collective family!

I restyle vintage lighting, that has been cast aside by others, because I see the potential that lies within each piece. Every lamp is rewired for safety and restyled to become a one-of-a-kind, statement piece. Bases that have seen better days, are given a fresh, new colour and shades that lack wow-factor are recovered in new fabric.

Did I mention that no design will ever be repeated? That's right, in order to keep each piece original, unique & exclusive, each lamp receives a design that will never be duplicated. So, if you see something you like, snatch it up!

If you're looking for a custom piece, designed to suit your home, then head on over and check out my Lamp Orphanage. Each lamp is awaiting a custom makeover and a new home.

Thanks to everyone over at Freedom for the warm welcome!"

Check out Lia's great inspiration blog >> HERE!
(it even has a lamp orphanage)

Small Table w Great Legs: Part 1

2011-07-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

before shot of table top in need of some care

As stunning as these legs are, they had some major problems. Neglect made the wood super dry and all the glue, holding this cutie up, brittle and cracked (probably because it was left outside through a harsh winter). It also looked a bit beaten-up.
We had to take the legs completely off, sand down some bits and re-glue it all back together. One leg was somehow shorter then the rest so we had to add a sliver of wood to the bottom of that leg so it would match up with the rest and nothing wobbles.

We then sanded it down and applied several coats of beautiful white paint.

a couple more little additions and details and this little number will be ready to be welcomed home... stay tuned for Part 2

Books and Sharing

On our latest trip to Muskoka we stopped off in a lovely antiques store whose basement was jam packed with slightly-used books (Auntie Doodie’s Antiques). They were all meticulously categorised in fun little sections, and our favorite category was … “Oprah’s Picks”! This sparked a lively discussion that resulted in a book swap amongst us. There is nothing that spreads greater joy my way then word of mouth, and thank you Jelena for finding me two great books I thoroughly devoured! (aka. Water for Elephants and The Namesake).
May we also add how warm and friendly the shop-keeper was, asking us about our trip and telling us about all the various celebs in the area, a great little treasure of a find!

Before and After: Rosseau Clothes Rack

2011-06-30T04:57:00.000-07:00

In our post from yesterday, we have featured the before picture of the antique clothes rack that we picked up on our Muskokan adventure. Since then it has been painted with a beautiful shade of mustard yellow that provides a subtle hint of colour without the chance of overpowering whatever it will display. Clothes display rack may have been its original function, but we already have ideas on how to use it for other items. And there you have it, another project completed with many more to come.

On the Road: Muskoka

2011-06-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

Road trip! It all started at around 10 am on Friday, June 24th. Where were we headed? Rosseau, a small town north of Toronto, located in the heart of the Muskoka. What was the reason for this trip? I, Jelena (a.k.a Poppyseed), joined forces with The Remote Stylist in their most recent makeover project. I contributed 5 of my Poppies (up-cycled furniture) for their complete cottage makeover (www.remotestylist.com). Since both Karen and I are strangers to that part of Ontario, we relied heavily on our iPhones to guide us along the way, and so they did. Some 3 hours and 2 thunder showers later we reached the final destination. The "cottage", which we determined was bigger than the 2 of our houses put together. It stood tall and proud on the shores of lake Rosseau equipped with its own boat house. One week before the official launch of the cottage project it was evident that a lot of work was still to be done, but everything pointed to the fact that this will be one amazing showroom.

After we offloaded all the goodness from the van and as we completed the tour of the property, we set out on a more casual and relaxed part of our journey towards Port Carling. The road lead us past quaint antiques store where we found this amazing clothes rack (below), that will soon be a part of our store. It’s already interesting features will be embellished and brought to life with a coat of paint. (At this point we agree that it should be vibrant yellow milk paint, but who knows....)

We also visited a beautiful ‘Muskokian’ home furnishings and accessories store that offered all the goodness needed for a comfortable cottage living, aka. inspirations!! We’ll be working on bringing all the comforts of the cottage to you. Before heading back we found a sweet little spot by the water to enjoy a late afternoon picnic with some wildlife companions. A perfect way to end a perfect road trip.

We’ll add some pictures of the remade cottage as soon as we get them … and as soon as it’s done!

Oh yes, and pictures of the milky yellow clothes rack.

Half Moon Hall Table: Part 3

2011-06-27T10:43:00.001-07:00

We didn’t know we’d have a part 3 but it kinda came to us, via twitter magic. We love nothing more than to see how others have done their own version of Re-Styling.

Table BEFORE transformation

This post is dedicated to Jessica Bartram, a Toronto artist with a fancy for the whimsical and a talent for the outlandish.
She shares with us images of her fantastic up-cycle of an beaten-up oval table from Value Village into a pair of shining and beautiful half moon tables.

Table AFTER transformation

Table in its new home, utilizing space over a radiator - genius!

Great job Jessica and thanks so much for sharing this with us!

,

Half Moon Hall Table: Part 2

2011-06-27T10:39:00.001-07:00

Fixing.
Lesson learned #1:
“Always fix everything (ie. wobbles, cracks etc.) BEFORE you paint and put the finishing details on”, is what we would have said initially.... but because we were both excited to get started right away, we did just the opposite. The result was a ‘fixed’ crack with some extra distressing that we both consider darling and part of this little guys charm.

This table had a bad crack on the surface, so we decided to take it apart and fix it to make sure it does not fall apart completely in the future. Also, while taking it apart we managed to fix the wobbly leg by using some glue and some mini shams. Re-gluing the table top and using screws made it more secure and stable. Filling in the large crack with wood filler was one option that would have made it look as though the crack was never there, but …. we all have “flaws” and those flaws make us individuals and are special to us. So we left it as is and designed around it.

… and Bob’s your uncle, so here you have it!
We call him Mini Bob.

Half Moon Hall Table: Part 1

2011-06-27T10:38:00.001-07:00

The adventures of two creatives with different backgrounds, different techniques and totally different styles coming together to re-purpose old unloved goods and make them fabulous and cherished once again.
The designer behind PoppySeedliving (Jelena) and KooCoo Carrillo (Karen) are teaming up to share ideas, inspirations and ‘lessons learned’ about their industry in this new collaboration series called Up-Cycled & Re-Styled. What will happen when Poppyseed’s colour theory and “let me get my hands dirty” approach mingle with Koocoo’s “I can fix it” mentality and organic drawing style?

First on the chopping block: Half Moon Hall Table. Part 1
We decided to start off with a small project to get our bearings and give us some ‘starting off’ ease. Here is the lovely BEFORE picture of our latest acquisition.
Problems that need fixing: wobbly legs, huge crack on the table top, and very dirty stain

This particular piece is “Federal Style” which dates back to the late 1700s- early 1800’s United States. It applies a balanced and symmetrical version of a Georgian style with very subtle Neoclassical motifs. Federal Style has also been associated with the re-interpretation of ancient roman architecture because the unearthing of Pompeii that happened in that same era.

This little guy was destined to be bold and turquoise.

Now it's off to the KooCoo Lab for further experimentation....
Check back for finished product in a couple days.
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