July 25, 2009
Yeah, you hear it time and time again. “In this economic climate…” “…when everyone’s looking for a way to save money…” “…we know it’s tough out there right now…” These are the ad blurbs we are fed every day on TV, radio, and the Internet. Well, we at Rosewalker have been scared before. As a matter of fact, in the mid-70s unemployment reached 12%, which was higher than it is now. Gas was rationed by restricting which days you could go to the pump based on whether the last digit of your license plate was odd or even. So really, is our economic situation right now the worst we’ve seen since the Great Depression? We think not.
So let’s get to the good stuff. This is a potentially exciting period if we allow ideas to happen. Creative businesses spring up seemingly overnight in situations like this. Survival dictates that businesses that have done well in the recent past come up with a new way to continue. Historical icons will fall by the wayside unless they recalibrate.
We at Rosewalker intend to emerge anew and thrive as a result of what’s happening. To those businesses that have thrown up their collective hands and cashed in their remaining chips we say “We’ll take your chips!” We’ve got a wager we feel good about. We think our rosy attitude is reflected in our recent products, which are fun, colorful, and about as different as you’ll find. Quoting the Foo Fighters, Rosewalker says “It’s times like these you learn to live again!”
Browsers drawn in by our wild Buttonflowers!
June 16, 2009
Why Can’t I DIY?
Once you’ve decided to re-use, re-purpose, and restore these meaningful pieces, who can blame you for wanting to do the dirty work yourselves?! Just turn on cable TV any Saturday and Sunday morning and hear the call of the workshop! You can smell that stain, hear the woosh-woosh of sandpaper and swell with pride as you compare your “before” with your “after”! Ow… what’s that? A splinter? Why didn’t anyone say it would take 5 hours of continual hand-sanding to get to the point where you could actually begin to stain that table?! What kind of glue did they say to use? How long does it have to dry? Why doesn’t that chair look straight? It’s 11.30pm on Sunday night, and you’ve got a breakfast meeting with a key client at 7.30am. You need to look sharp. But you can’t leave the garage/living room/kitchen like this… It looks like a tornado hit it! So you pack everything up, store it away, and that’s when the resistance sets in. Pretty soon you’re back in the car, headed for the discount store.
Of course there are some of you for whom DIY is a treasured hobby, and we’re the last to try to talk you out of it. But for the rest of you, the ones who are looking to revitalize and enjoy a lost treasure, you need to collaborate with a restoration professional – someone who knows what questions to ask, what techniques are appropriate, how to preserve and in some cases enhance the integrity of a piece. After all, you wouldn’t dream of allowing your firm’s most junior partner to woo your key client on Monday morning.
The photo below is an occasional table that we put together from a salvaged dining table. The scrolled pieces were the pedestal legs which we turned upside down. All the parts in this table were cut down from the original wreck. This is just an example of what can be done by a professional. Do not try this at home.
May 16, 2009
In addition to the carbon footprint issue, when you buy from a discount furniture and accessories store, you are asking to spend more money in a few years (sometimes even one or two) in replacement costs. Why? It’s a simple case of style vs. substance. These stores are interested in attracting buyers with appealing styling and low-low prices. And from far away, some of this stuff can look pretty cool. To revisit the in-law analogy — when you see them once or twice a year for the holidays, you may or may not catch a glimpse of their glaring faults, but chances are you won’t really tap the depths of their neuroses. (At least let’s hope not for your sake!) It’s the same with the new couch you just bought. Nice lines, cool color, and only $399! Plunk it in your living room, stand back, and admire. What’s that you say? You want to flop down in it after a hard day at the office? You have people over? They want to sit in it and watch the game? Your kids like to run around it, climb on top of it, have pillow fights all over it? What happened?! The arm broke off??? It’s leaning to starboard because one of its legs shattered? Off you go, back to the store, of course it’s two days past the warranty, and now you decide to pay $599 to get something that will last longer, and there: you’ve spent almost $1,000 on something that has about as much meaning and sentimental value as a soap dish.
What Does it Mean to You? Furniture Values…
Which brings us to a discussion of furniture values… You recall fondly the time you used to talk about your “belongings.” Not just because these were things that “belonged” to you, but because these were things that helped furnish a sense of “belonging.” In your current desire to simplify and downsize, you have decided to jettison “stuff” in favor of keeping and preserving your “belongings.” Whether furniture, tabletop accessories, or wall art — you are rediscovering the value in pieces with history, memories, and — quite often — room for improvement. Yes, Aunt Rita is a little crazy, but she’s a keeper.
April 16, 2009
Hi, and welcome to our first blog post -
Far from being the “cruelest month,” as T.S. Eliot would have it, April seems to be a month of firsts for Rosewalker Design Project. We sent out our first e-newsletter and are now starting this blog, We will be updating our blog frequently with pictures of our original decorative art pieces, suggestions as to how to approach the restoration of your most treasured pieces, and musings on our philosophy of decorative arts and the place our possessions hold in our lives. To kick things off, we thought we’d answer one of our most frequently asked questions:
What does the name Rosewalker Design Project mean?
We think our name refers to people like you whose feet dance from one pretty blossom to the next, despite the thorns. We hope our designs and services are just such blossoms.
Be a Rosewalker. Avoid the thorns, hang out on the blossoms, and visit us often!
