Posts by Laurie Harquail (page 3)
Hi there!
My name is Laurie Harquail, but for
blogging purposes I go by the ‘nom de plume’ of Scout.
Ten years ago, I relocated from San
Francisco to Portland, and much to my surprise, never looked back. I think one reason
is that I was fortunate enough to land a job with Rejuvenation, where I’ve worked
since September 2001. I spend LOTS of time working on our catalogues, which is
how I fell sideways into location scouting (hence the pen name). Scouting is a
fun part of the job, and has allowed me to visit many lovely homes and creative
businesses – and meet many cool people. More often than not, interesting stories fall
out of these sessions, which is what I intend to share via this blog.
Two truths and one lie:
- I hate bad pens.
- I am in search of the perfect wind
chime.
- I churn my own butter.
“Awesome,” “Yay,” and “Hip hip hooray” are just a few of the exclamations we let loose when we heard that Rejuvenation was included in This Old House Magazine’s “The Best New Home Products of 2012″ list.
It’s the third year in a row our fixtures have appeared on this esteemed list. In 2010, TOH honored the Hood, a classic globe chandelier, and in 2011 they honored the Gemini, a versatile Mid-Century Modern wall bracket.
In 2012, the product that clinched our position was the Independence, a transitional Arts & Crafts wall sconce we first saw in a 1907 catalogue. While many may think Arts & Crafts is all straight lines and boxy corners, this piece shows off a softer side of the movement with its fluid profile and distinctive whip detail.
This Old House winner, the Independence wall sconce
According to This Old House Magazine, the winners are selected as “the result of an exhaustive search for the most forward thinking, relevant, and necessary new home products out there.” We couldn’t be happier to join such august company, and look forward to how we’ll top ourselves next year.
This year, we’re spreading the holiday glow with an Artisan Fair in each of our stores. It’s an opportunity to celebrate American handcraft, and the local artists who bring beauty and great design into our everyday lives.
In Los Angeles, the Artisan Fair takes place on Sunday, November 4th, from 11AM to 5PM. In addition to shopping Rejuvenation’s assortment of unique holiday gifts, you can explore an eclectic mix of handcrafted pieces including refined ceramics, small-scale sculpture, classic stoneware, custom candles, and California-inspired paintings. Meet the artists and find truly original, one-of-a kind gifts for friends and family members (or perhaps, yourself).
You’ll also have the chance to enter to win one of our brand new Mid-Century Modern Blenko Cylinder table lamps. And from 2PM to 5PM, Joanne Palmisano, author of Salvage Secrets, will present a do-it-yourself ornament demonstration and sign copies of her book.
We’re expecting November 4th to be a fun and festive event that supports not just local artisans, but our community, too: 10% of artists’ sales from this event will be donated to PATH, People Assisting the Homeless, Rejuvenation’s Los Angeles charitable partner.
Featured Artisans:
Masuo Ojima
Wendy Brazill
Adrienne Keiko Lee
Daniel Alonzo
Bauer Pottery
Stone Candles
On Saturday, October 6th at our Portland store, DIY expert Shannon Quimby and Anne DeWolf, Head Designer and Co-Owner of Arciform, will share examples of how they have incorporated reclaimed materials into their projects, and how you can, too.
Shannon Quimby is a published author, HGTV designer, and one of the nation’s top salvage experts. Here, she shares her latest DIY idea – repurposing a wood crate as a storage ottoman – which will be given away to one lucky holder of a Portland Salvage Home Tour ticket.
Wood crates do double duty as storage ottomans
There are some day-to-day household items that no matter where you store them or how often you pick them up, keep resurfacing on the floor, the couch, or someplace they don’t belong. In my home, it’s remote controls, pet toys, baseball hats, books, and old magazines. I’m sure you can add to the list.
A great way to keep these home accessories corralled is with crates. They are inexpensive, easy to come by, and make the perfect spot to quickly hide small items. But they do have a drawback: no lid. So even once you’ve got the clutter collected in one spot, it’s still exposed clutter.
Problem solved: with a scrap piece of wood panel, some leftover burlap, and fabric batting, the unattractive contained piles disappear. But the good news doesn’t stop there. What once were just ordinary, discarded crates, have now been DIY’ed into functional and good-looking furniture. And as we all know, you can never have enough storage.
Now, if only I can figure out how to get coats hung up and shoes put away neatly and regularly…
The Portland Salvage Home Tour happens October 6th. For those of you who can’t make the event in person, we’re featuring a few of the the five homes here.
This post is by guest contributor Nancy Ranchel, home décor enthusiast, salvage supporter, and blogger. Her home was featured in Salvage Secrets by Joanne Palmisano. Here, she shares her impressions of her neighbor’s remodel, and the role that salvage played in the final result.
Kerri and Dan live in a 1909 Sellwood bungalow, right next to Maria and Jim. And because they live next door, they passed Maria’s and Jim’s construction project every day. So, of course Kerri and Dan noticed that Maria and Jim’s mudroom addition was looking good.
What do you think happened next?
Well, Kerri and Dan called Arciform, of course. And while the couple and the two daughters spent some time in China, Anne DeWolf from Arciform began to design their remodel. Phase 1 was a second-story addition that included family rooms, a pantry, a stairwell to the basement and the second floor, and a master bedroom, bathroom, and “shower room.”
Phase 2 was the kitchen remodel. Some time passed between the two phases, and when Kerri and Anne finally sat down to go over magazine photos of kitchens Kerri loved, Anne was a bit surprised. Kerri had traveled extensively for work, and had picked up both new and salvaged items from around the world. And now, she was showing Anne kitchens with matching built-in cupboards, which kept the work surfaces bare – and her collections from her travels out of sight. It didn’t seem like a Kerri kitchen!
Salvaged shelves display Kerri’s collected wares
Anne was pretty frank: she didn’t think this was the right kitchen for Kerri, and told her so. So the two women took an inspirational field trip to Olympic Provisions, a local charcuterie and restaurant. Anne appreciated their inventive use of salvage and industrial vibe, and thought this might be more Kerri’s style – and she was right. Kerri’s kitchen plans changed immediately.
The revised plans used salvage extensively. The wood for the bar, the rolling islands, and the open shelves were all shipping industry salvage. As seen below, islands incorporated salvaged mixed-species wood, which creates a wonderful, textured feel.
Rolling island with salvaged mixed-species wood
Several vintage storage pieces were incorporated into the décor as well.
Vintage kitchen countertop storage
Kerri’s antique butcher block
While the kitchen Kerri thought she wanted was not the one she wound up with, she got something better: a kitchen that, thanks to the salvage pieces and her collections, truly expressed her personality and lifestyle.
The Portland Salvage Home Tour happens October 6th. For those of you who can’t make the event in person, we’re featuring a few of the five homes here.
This post is by guest contributor Nancy Ranchel, home décor enthusiast, salvage supporter, and blogger. Her home was featured in Salvage Secrets by Joanne Palmisano. Here, she shares a few stories about the remodeling of a 1902 Victorian.
While house hunting in Portland’s Sellwood neighborhood, Maria and Jim had an epiphany. After bidding on – and not getting– a beautifully remodeled home, Maria realized she did not want an already-perfect house. She wanted to personalize her home – even if that meant putting up with the mess that comes along with remodeling. She wanted the house to be hers. Happily, the couple soon found a bungalow that was the ideal candidate for a makeover.
As they began planning renovations, they called around for bids and got several estimates. But only one contractor, Arciform, suggested they approach their remodel in phases. That was when they had a second epiphany: Tackling the remodel in stages would spread out the budgeting, decision making, and mess over time. It would also allow Maria and Jim to dream big, revise their ideas, and let their tastes evolve.
Maria knew she wanted to use salvage materials in the house. And that meant she wanted Anne DeWolf from Arciform to go shopping with her to select structural items. The pair visited several Portland salvage purveyors, including Rejuvenation, and found pillars, sinks, lights, cabinet doors, and windows.
Columns from Rejuvenation
Sink from Rejuvenation
Phase 1 of the project encompassed remodeling the basement and mudroom, including adding stairs to the second floor. Below are interior and exterior views of the mudroom and its charming balcony.
Exterior view of the mudroom
Interior view of the mudroom
The balcony over the mudroom was unplanned, but thanks to the flexible remodeling schedule, Maria and Jim were able to add it. Because the mudroom windows did not have to be insulated, they installed salvaged windows, a period-appropriate option.
View into the mudroom
And did you notice the ceiling? It’s made from cabinet doors left over from other projects. The window sashes, mismatched hooks, and cabinet knobs are all from Arciform’s cabinet shop.
Redoing the first floor bathroom was also part of Phase 1.
First floor bath
The sink and lights are salvage and the glass tiles on the lower wall are remnants – and because there was limited quantity of tiles, there was no room for miscalculations or errors during their installation. Luckily, all went according to plan, and the bathroom turned out beautifully.
Maria then experienced a third epiphany: Choosing pieces that match is less important than choosing pieces you love. As you can see from the above photos, Maria and Anne used a wide variety of materials – initially, Maria worried that the mix might not look right together. Anne reassured her that when you bring home things you really love, they will usually work together because they reflect your personal style, which in turn links them to each other – whether or not they match. And of course, if some pieces don’t fit in, you can always save them for the next project! It’s all part of the process – and part of the fun of using salvage.
