Kitchen Woes

Posted on March 28, 2013 by whatgoodcrafts

As we continue to set up our Tiny House, one of the hardest things to figure out has been what to do with the kitchen. While I’ve seen much smaller kitchens, the biggest issue with it has been the lack of storage. With only a couple drawers below the sink and no cupboards otherwise, it’s left us to come up with some creative storage ideas.

Since we also needed a table, we decided a kitchen island that provided some storage, counter top space, and eating area would fit all of our needs. However, finding an existing island that actually did all of those things was easier said than done.

After browsing many that we liked, but didn’t quite meet all of our needs, I think we finally have a simple, but effective plan to build one. Until then, here are some of the islands we liked that helped us come to our final plan.

from World Market

from Messes of Men

from Hammer and Hand Imports

from Iron Works

Trevor

Joining and Planing

Posted on February 26, 2013 by whatgoodcrafts

In the midst of all the craziness of moving, I also managed to finish the table I’ve been working on. It was my first project using a joiner and planer, but I really like how it turned out.

The table top is all salvaged oak from The Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit, finished with Swilley’s Beeswax Wood Rub. The legs are just black iron piping I got from a hardware store.

I have some other house projects on the horizon that I’m sure my new joining and planing skills will come in handy for.

Trevor

Lumbering in Ypsi

Posted on February 6, 2013 by whatgoodcrafts

While at my parents’ this past weekend I found a 1959 catalogue for a Fingerle, Hollister, and Wood Lumber Co., an old lumber company that once existed on E. Michigan Ave. in my hometown of Ypsilanti, MI.

While the Fingerle Lumber Company still exists in Ann Arbor, the Fingerle, Hollister, and Wood joint store has been gone long enough that my Dad is the only family member who remembers it, having grown up in the area in the ’60′s.

I loved looking through the catalogue to see the ads, illustrations, design, tools, and lumber of the 1950′s.

Trevor

Wood Rub

Posted on February 2, 2013 by whatgoodcrafts

I bought some Swilley’s Wood Rub to finish the night stand I built earlier this winter. It’s all natural and both protects and enriches the tones of the wood. I was skeptical about whether it would work, but it definitely seems to have brought out a little bit of color in the wood.

The night stand before applying the wood rub.

And the end result.

Trevor

End Table

Posted on November 1, 2012 by whatgoodcrafts

I completed my first welding project – my new end table.

Trevor

Welding

Posted on October 29, 2012 by whatgoodcrafts

This weekend, I finally had time to go to TechShop and work on my first welding project; a pair of table legs for my soon-to-be-completed end table.

First, I cut a couple of longer square metal tubes into six separate pieces. I took one piece and laid it horizontally, and then welded two pieces vertically on each end of the horizontal piece. These three pieces, now welded together into one U-shaped piece, made the legs for one side of the end table.

I did the same thing again for the other side to make a U-shaped leg for each end of the end table. I also welded a thin piece of metal with pre-drilled holes on top of each of the four vertical pieces to make it easy to attach the wood to the top.

I’m sure any welder could tell me how terrible my beads look (where I joined the pieces), but they’re holding together well and so overall I consider it a successful first welding project. I’ll be sure to post a picture of the finished product once I find a piece of wood I like.

Trevor

Designer Love: Sean Woolsey

Posted on September 19, 2012 by whatgoodcrafts

I recently found and became obsessed with the work of furniture-maker and craftsman, Sean Woolsey. As I get ready to take my first welding class on Friday, and with plans to build a nightstand, kitchen table, and desk in the near future, I know I’ll be drawing a lot of inspiration from his work.

All images from Sean Woolsey

Trevor

Metal and Wood

Posted on August 18, 2012 by whatgoodcrafts

Between having TechShop as a resource for tools and equipment, and the apartment I’m about to move into, complete with my own either basement or garage as a workshop, I think this year will finally be the year I start building more furniture.

I’m getting ready to take a welding class hopefully in the next couple weeks, and I’m excited for all the new furniture-building opportunities that lay ahead once I learn how to weld.

from Sean Woolsey

from One Kings Lane

from Sugar Scout

from Rhapsody Attic

Trevor

Pallet Furniture

Posted on August 8, 2012 by whatgoodcrafts

For some time now, I’ve planned on building a piece of furniture out of pallets, but switching apartments every year or two has made me apprehensive about building and then having to move more furniture, so I’ve been putting it off.

I had only imagined building a simple coffee table out of pallets, but after reading through this homedit article this morning, I’ve found a new excitement in all of my new options for pallet-furniture building. When I finally do build one, I’ll have to choose a single idea, but for now, here are a few of my favorites that are in the running.

A fairly simple, but nice looking dining room table. This would also be great for an outdoor patio.

I’d have to choose different cushions or at least do something different with them, because they seem too generic to go with the rustic pallets, but I like the general idea of a pallet couch.

This is similar to what I had originally imagined as far as a simple coffee table, but I like the addition of wheels and I think I prefer it as an outdoor table rather than a coffee table.

A perfect garden solution for the backyard-less.

A great little bed for a visiting niece or nephew.

All images are from homedit.com

Trevor

The Green Garage

Posted on July 1, 2012 by whatgoodcrafts

I’m probably late to the game, but I just found out about the Green Garage in Midtown in Detroit and was really impressed by the architectural design of the building. It’s a former Model-T factory turned office space and is owned by Tom and Peggy Brennan. I love everything from the chairs and tables they used to the rustic, wooden rafters adorning the ceiling. And the “green” in Green Garage is there for a reason as the building “used mostly reclaimed materials, generated just one-and-a-half Dumpsters’ worth of waste, and used passive means – a white roof, triple-glazed windows and extra-thick insulation – to cut the building’s energy demand by 90 percent.”

Here’s a few pictures of the Green Garage, or if you really want to nerd-out you can view a Powerpoint presentation of before and after pictures here.

All pictures are from Curbed Detroit.

Trevor

whatgoodcrafts

Tag Archives: furniture

Kitchen Woes

Joining and Planing

Lumbering in Ypsi

Wood Rub

End Table

Welding

Designer Love: Sean Woolsey

Metal and Wood

Pallet Furniture

The Green Garage

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