Thursday, October 18, 2012

Recycling old recycled stuff, In Other Words... Re-recycling

This is a story about 
Really, Really, Really
recycling.....
When my bidness partner Kris and I first started our
TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL
ENDEAVOR 
(One of these days we'll break even!!!!!)
(I know we will....)
(I'm pretty sure.....)
(OY, OY, OY)
We were in a warehouse type of space in a group antique store.
I wanted to create a display wall to help separate our area.
WELLLLLL.......
Kris was away for a little while......
I was very excited about our new bidness!!!!!
I found a behemoth of a cabinet that I was sure once it was fixed and painted would just do the trick!!!!!
There was a weird wood spindle railing galley type of detail around the top of the crown molding.
We took that off before this shot.
It's too bad we didn't have a picture to show you.
IT WAS HORRIBLE!!!!!
It was an East Lake style and had some nice detailing.....
I accented the carvings with a white detailing....

WELLLLLL.......
We painted it.
This was in 2006.
BEFORE I KNEW ABOUT CHALK PAINT!!!!!

So we sanded, and we sanded, and we primed and we patched......
then we tried a few different colors for the inside....
We finally settled on something I feel was pretty......
Then we were kicked out of the antique store!!!!!!!
The proprietor didn't like that I called a customer and asked for my money.
She had walked out with a little lustre ware pitcher promising to mail the check the next day.
WELLLLLLL.......
When a week went by and I hadn't received my money.....
I simply called and left a reminder message on her answering machine.
WELLLLL.......
The customer was outraged that I felt it necessary to call with a reminder.
She felt insulted, as if I was accusing her of not planning on paying.....
Look, folks.....
Don't say you're going to mail the check, not mail it, and then act all outraged.....
So, I got the boot!!!!!
This was just when my buddy Josh was opening his showroom in the Boston Design Center!!!!!
Next thing I know!!!!!
Kris and I are in the bigtime!!!!
Now we sell out antiques in the Boston Design Center at Studio 534.
And our display cabinet looked great there, for a time.....
After a couple of years, Josh wanted to change things up in his showroom, so this cabinet went to summer camp in my parents garage.....

Then Amy Chalmers got a store in Boston!!!!!
The cabinet could have a new purpose!!!!!
It could have a new life!!!!!
It could feel popular again!!!!!
She took the doors off and now it holds all her Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, that I didn't know about when I painted this monster.
Here it is in the center of a class.....
Amy's given it a new purpose, I look like I'm really generous, and Kris is just glad to get it out of the garage!!!!!

So that's my story 
Latah, Gatah
Photobucket

4 comments:

Connie@Connie Nikiforoff Designs said...

You got kicked out cuz you asked for your legitimate money? Yikes! Well as it turned out, it was serendipitous for you!

I know about customers not paying :-( I had to wait 5 months for my payment and then the customer refused to pay me for all my labor fee! She said I shouldn't have charged for the time I came to make sure the paint color was OK on the walls?!!?!?! Yeah...so how was I supposed to see it over the phone? LOL!

All in a day's work :-)

Amy Chalmers said...

Yeah I love that cabinet! Its a big beauty that looks wonderful loaded with the paint! Great seeing it in its before life too...thank you and Kris for letting it come to Boston for a stint!! ( a long stint I hope)

Cynthia said...

Betsy,

I love this cabinet it is so beautiful and you did a wonderful job. It turned out to work well for your needs.

Cynthia

The White Pear Tree said...

The circle of furniture life...

There was a reason you got kicked out of that lame place, something better was waiting for you in the wings!

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