Merry Christmas from Rosewalker Arts

Here’s a picture of our Expediting Manager, Steve, admiring the Rosewalker Christmas Tree… We wish everyone the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of holidays!

Steve admires the Rosewalker tree

The Old Oak Tree on the Old Oak Road

The view outside the Rosewalker Studios

This is one of the oldest trees on our property – and one of our favorites. We have been taking pictures of this at various intervals for the past 15 years. Here it is as of Autumn, 2011!

The Little Antique Shop – a treasure trove of European charm

One of our favorite clients  is The Little Antique Shop, 6608 Hwy 100, Nashville, Tennessee 37205 (615 352 5190). We have done lots of jobs for them — including one piece that came from the estate of Hollywood actress Janet Gaynor (the original “A Star Is Born”)! Terry Oaks gets some pieces you just won’t find anywhere else.

Jam-packed as it is with European furnishings,  you can’t beat the Little Antique Shop for a lazy afternoon browse. Be sure to say hello to Terry and tell him Rosewalker sent you!

Rosewalker is pleased to introduce e-Consulting

Rosewalker’s e-Consulting option allows you to email us photographs (preferably in bright lighting, showing several viewpoints) of a piece you’re considering restoring or re-purposing. We will examine the photos, ask questions, and make a recommendation as to how to proceed. After the initial e-consultation (usually consisting of one or two “back & forth” threads) you have several choices:

• Make an appointment to bring the piece to our studio for further consultation and quote
• Request design drawings (fee-based service) to examine possible re-purposing options
• Request an on-site consultation and quote

Below is a before and after example of a simple oak table we refinished in stark black, with careful highlighting of wood grain and angles. You can imagine how this new look enlivens the client’s decor.

A plain oak table that needed a change

Now this table has impact!

E-mail us today and let us help transform the things you love!

Buttonflowers in their Environment

Many thanks to our clients who send us pictures of their Buttonflowers on display in their homes! Here’s just one example:

A Buttonflower in its new home!

Keep those cards & letters coming!

RDP Tip Sheet: Restoration Relationships

Here’s a visual representation of our overall philosophy… (click on the tip sheet to enlarge it)

What relationship do you have with your piece?!

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…

A big shout out to Jean from Summers Lumber for alerting us to a big chain discount store’s take on our original Buttonflower design! We won’t name names, but the store in question is selling a large metal flower wall decor piece. When we went to check it out in person, the helpful gal told us they’re flying out of the store – people are using them as seasonal decor in their dens, bathrooms, etc.

Here’s a picture of said item:

Want a mass-produced, no-two-different wall flower?

 

...or a hand-crafted, no-two-alike, original BUTTONFLOWER?!

Of course, we wouldn’t dream of taking credit for the entire “flower” concept – nature did get there a little before us – but we’re (a) happy to see a trend towards flower-based design in wall decor, and (b) inspired to keep making our Buttonflowers the coolest flowers on the block!! Accept no imitations! Insist on the real thing!

**NEWS FLASH** Rosewalker will appear at the Home Decorating & Remodeling Show at the Nashville Convention Center, September 10-12, 2010. Stay tuned for how you can receive free tickets from us!

A Bespoke Furniture Project

Here at Rosewalker we have several “signature” design elements. We invite our clients to mix and match, combine with ideas of their own, and in so doing come up with a piece of bespoke furniture or that exactly fulfills their expectations.  Inspired by some console tables we displayed at the Antiques & Garden Show, one of our clients and her designer did just that. They took a look through the catalogue on our Website (see the link in our sidebar) and chose the details and dimensions that would fit their vision.

We married the proportions of our Lilybelle console table

Black & Gold Lilybelle Console Table

with the legs from our Latte Table

Map of the World Latte Table

and came up with this one-of-a-kind piece:

Console table w/inset limestone top (provided by client)

…the possibilities are endless…!

Read our April Nashville Lifestyles article here!

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Some Things to Consider When Planning Any Restoration Project

Look for us on page 84!

Roswalker Design Project appears in the April issue of Nashville Lifestyles magazine. This companion piece outlines some helpful tips for anyone considering a restoration project:

Know Thyself
How do you categorize your relationship with the item in question?
-It has personal/sentimental value
-It’s aesthetically pleasing to me
-It’s a collectible

Do you want this restoration to be the focal point of a new look, or to blend in with your current decor?

Are you willing to consider an alternate use/configuration for this piece if it is no longer capable of serving its originally intended purpose after repair/restoration?

Know Thy Restorer
Are they willing to engage in a give-and-take of ideas and strategies for achieving a successful end result?

Are they saying “yes” to all your questions in order to get the job?

Are they providing a satisfactory explanation of the procedures they’ll perform?

Are they showing more interest in what you have to say, or in the piece itself? (Beware the restoration geek!)

What questions are they asking you? For example:
-Do you use this treasure in the course of daily life, or has it become mainly a decorative element (e.g. an antique corner chair)?
-Do you want this to look new or vintage-appropriate?
-What is your ultimate vision for this project?