if you had.......

[greenoak]

if you had a pile of old doors, paned windows, nice porchposts and old beds and a carpenter , a willing carpenter, what would you make? would love to hear your ideas..i sell rehabbed stuff to shops for their displays and also to homeowners..and would like to suprise them with something a little different....
any ideas for me?
...ann
www.greenoakantiques.com

[Jenny]

Ann:

I have tucked away five windows to use as the sides and top of an arbor -- assuming I ever get my garden in order and my fence repaired.... but that's the plan.

Also, I have cut down a four panel door in preparation to build a buffet. The short panels are the sides, the long panels are the top and a lower shelf. I will need one more board to fit about ten inches under the top piece which will hold four shallow baskets for untensils, napkins and assorted dining room accoutrements.

A friend cut an old four panel door into a corner cabinet....

And I think once upon a time I mentioned to using a door as a hall tree with a bench.

I've seen doors used to make kitchen islands. I'm trying to think how to best describe a headboard being used as a wall-mounted hall tree -- shelf, hooks, mirror.

Porch swings, in my book are especially irresistable...

A head board reconfigured as the backdrop of a wall-mounted pot rack.

Childrens furniture -- bookcases, tables, low benches, changing tables, toddler beds -- these are usually good sellers.

So I am guessing the Amish carpenter is a go. From what I have seen of Amish carpentry, the hardest thing you'll have to deal with is keeping him from over-doing it.

I'll see if I can find photos.

Jenny

[greenoak]

cool jenny..... im excited about the amish guy...he sounded real interested..... so far on doors we have made hall seats...counters , potting tables.....want to try coffee tables...and maybe a screen... the beds are kind of hard i need to get the bed hardware and figure out a footboard....and would i have to talk them into using a hollywood bed..so i wouldnt have to figure out rails and bed slats...etc etc.... it doesnt sound that hard but i cant seem to get there....

my favorite door thing is counters and the potting thing like the blue door potting table on my front page.... way down..... do you make stuff this big?
always looking for new projects....to suprise my customers with....
ann

[Jenny]

Ann: I've made benches from picket fences and potting benches from display components (almost like pallets that bulb companies ship to Home Depot to display flower bulbs in)

Also I built two computer desks and several bookcases. Right now my work shop is set up specifically for my little pet dishes -- so I have to wait till warmer weather to build big projects outside.

For your beds -- what I have done is use baseboard molding for the frames and Rockler has the mounting hardware, thus: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11&SearchHandle=DADBDADFDADADDDGDHGDGFG EDGDIDDDFCNDCDBDGDBCNDEDDGEDFCNGCDBD JGCCNGBDBGEGGDBDADDDJDBDBDGGFDADADAD BDADADADADIGCGFGECAHCGBGJGMDADADADED ADADADADADADADBDFDADADADBDADADADADAD ADADADADADADADBDADADADADIGCGFGECAHCG BGJGMDADADADBDB&filter=bed rail

(I think "rail" is part of that link, but for some reason it won't attach itself. Sweet mysteries of computers. As it is, the link works.)

I used this hardware on baseboard molding in making a toddler bed -- easy easy.I can take photos if you want. And I had to fashion a footboard for it too. Your carpenter will have no problem if he has the right hardware.

Jenny

[greenoak]

thanks jenny....i know where to get the parts too....most of the antique hardware guys have them..im figuring my guys could make rails too....if i gave the dimensions.... we are so behind right now......i cant really add it ...just started making a big tv stand with a nice opening for a vcr.... that should be popular i hope....and we are kind of low on cupboards, one guy bought oabout 10....last week.......


have you ever made a tall door table display like on my website , first page low on the right? its blue..... they are so neat for stores or porches and real easy to make...... its just geting to it.....i like the idea of putting the headboard up on the wall and improvising a hollywood bed also.....
i have sold lots of old doors that the customers were going to turn into beds....

i love rehabbing....and its pretty economical too when you figure the doors hardly ever cost over 20$ around here....

ann
www.greenoakantiques.com

[Jenny]

Ann:

I didn't know if you knew the hardware is readily available.

I have looked at that blue cabinet and looked at it and if you had not told me I would never have guess that is made from doors. It is huge!!!

You're right, building from doors is fairly economical -- all or most of the details are done for you.

Rather than attaching the headboard to the wall, I always add legs -- I made a headboard door last winter and fitted it so the legs could be attached to either a double or a queen sized bed -- because the boyfriend couldn't decide if he was going to keep his old double bed or buy a new queen. He still hasn't decided, but when he does he can switch the headboard.

Sounds like you have your hands full. That's always good news.:)

Jenny

[greenoak]

jenny ....its down farther at the bottom of the first page on the website.....next to the guys by the truck....... ....its light blue with white trim.... i sell them for about 150 to 200.....if its a big window in the top of the door i put a mirror in it.... then just add hooks....sometimes we make it into a hallseat....the big thing you saw i think was our porch post cupboard... it had white iron displayed on it... just go down farther... love to hear what you think of it...or a new way to make it...


there are so many ideas out there i havent tried , like the beds...and the screens....that would be super heavy tho...these kinds of projects wouldnt be too good on the internet but if anyone does shows or sells in person at a mall or store, its a great cottage idea....and also great for cottagy type stores........i got the blue door thing from a texas buddy on another forum........with permission , like a good girl!!!!
.......



ann
www.greenoakantiques.com

[Jenny]

Ann: I love the blue door potting bench -- that is oh-so-way-too-cute.

Is that a panel door -- and you're saying the mirror is where a window goes?

That's darling. And it would be a real stand out as a display piece at a craft show or in a shop.

I made something very similar as a display piece at an antique mall. The bottom was much the same (I had a middle shelf, at about knee height.) Up above, where the mirror and hooks are, mine had shelves and hooks. Those were the most versatile display pieces -- I could set them up side-by-side, across from one another, back to back or situated as corner. Spread apart from one another with a fewfeet in between I could suspend a board which added display space. It made my booth look different all the time.

Mine was generic white. I like that robin's egg blue. Very pretty -- practically handsome.

Jenny

[greenoak]

jenny....that one is just a plain door with a nail in it... then we hung the white mirror....ive hung a lot of wreaths and big round clocks off of them too....
i dont have a picture of the ones with the mirrors built in...

yours sounds neat ... its great when things can go back to back.... really helps in a store... i want to try a shelf where you put yours.... sounds good...
we have scrap crown molding too and that makes a different top....but i like the birdhouse or gable top the best ....

its a lot of fun..... today we bought a big double victorian window and frame...about 7 ft tall..4 ft wide..... maybe a future cupboard front.....


have fun with your machines!!!!

ann
www.greenoakantiques.com