My Love Affair - wood, customers, stain and all things creative.

Rockling 

I have quite a few customers that comment that they can tell how much I love my job.  I guess my face glows when they meet me or they can hear it over the phone.  I am not sure how they can tell. I love to build.  I love to be creative and the best ego boost that anyone can have is the head nod, look of amazement and the inflection of awe in my customers voices when I show them a technique right in front of them.

Tigerwood finish

I especially like it when a customer brings in a sample of something that I have to match that is not a normal color (veneer) and right then and there I do up a sample that is very close.  Sometimes the customers look scared when I pull out weird colors (a beige for example when I am trying to match something that is an olive green).  I have worked with stains for so long, I know how they behave when mixed or smudged with each other.

Reclaimed barnwood finish

Driftwood Finish

I also have to say that some of my customers trust me enough to allow me 100% creative freedom. They give me an idea of a color they are wanting and a style and as one customer put it "Do your magic and surprise me!".   I love those customers.  It's almost like a grab bag, Backwood Beds style.  They know they are getting  bed, but they trust me enough to design it and color it as I see fit.  I ask about heights, dimensions, rustic or modern etc - get those and then I have a long think on what it will be.  Then I sketch, build and do the finish.  Sometimes these beds are so good, they become part of our line.  (Mondo, Olympian & Shire)

Crown

Crown

I have designed a simple little platform bed that utilizes welded  hairpin type legs at the foot.  Since we purchase all of our material locally, we found a gentleman that welds them for us.  The result of the bed are amazing.  We have not launched the design officially on our site, but did post it to instagram.   So far - the feedback and the few orders are a sign that the bed will do very well in our line. One of my older customers helped to name it - the Crown. 

 I have also designed a bed specially for kids - I haven't built the prototype yet - but I know that this bed is going to be a huge hit.  Let just say when you see it, you will know someone (if not yourself) that will want it.  Adult or child, it will be as cute as can be.  As well as 100% Eco-friendly.  This is the bed that I am going to use my home-made milk paints with.

All in all, no matter how many hours I put in, at home on the PC or at the shop and the fact that I rarely have any down time.  I love what I do.  I don't look it as work and even in the evenings while home with the family - I am always researching or thinking of something that I could do, want to do or at least try.  I have heard "Turn it off" quite a few times from my kids and husband. They are asking me to turn off my design switch.  It really is not that easy.  Sometimes I wish I could turn it off so I could just be.  I have a hard time with staying idle and just being.  Yeh, no, I can't do that.

Mondo

Please note that I only use new wood.  I don't use reclaimed wood on anything.  I make it look that way.  All of my techniques are a multi-step process using, stain, paint, waxes and different odd tools to get these looks.