Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Original Step Back Cupboard

This is an original Upper Canada Step Back cupboard that we aquired at auction a couple of weeks ago.
All it really needed was a good cleaning. So here she is sparkling like a new penny! There's nothing like 150-160 yrs to give pine a patina ya just can't get from a can!

We don't often go to Saturday auctions because it's hard to be open and auctioning at the same time, but this one in Vernon was worth it. There were 2 step backs there....this is the smaller of the pair....the large one was gorgeous but we have to be careful not to buy something too large to fit in the shop. I think 6'4" and we are maxed out....in fact we have had to shuffle things around just to find a spot where the beams are smaller to fit things in. Big cupboards and low ceilings
are not a good combination!
We have another cupboard similar to this one...but it needs a little work....it was an impulse buy and we completely forgot to take it's height into consideration! Luckily for us there is ONE place in the shop where we can display it....however it won't fit in the workshop at all so we will have to
wait for the weather to warm up a bit because we'll have to do all the restoration work out in the yard.
I wish you joy in the simple things!
Jackie

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Welcome Spring














The robins have returned to Eastern Ontario, the sap is running and the Canada Geese are overhead in huge noisey flocks. These harbingers of Spring are a welcome sight to these sore eyes. Earlier in the week our old pellet stove started acting up and although the weather is much warmer now we still need to keep a fire on. This necessitated a trip to the stove store in Spencerville and along the way we stopped to take a few photos. I wonder how many sap buckets this knarly maple has seen over the years?

Find the joy in the simple things....Jackie





Please Step Back in Time

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A Hearty Welcome to New and Old Friends...join us for cider by the fire.

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A View of Our Shop

A View of Our Shop
Purchased from our local second hand furniture store (which by the way is chock full of possibilities for the vintage lover) this cabinet was a hideous green colour with rotten plywood on the backside. A lot of elbow grease and a complete re-working rendered it into this amazing distressed black/red cupboard. It's a BEAUT!!!

Another peek inside the shop.

Another peek inside the shop.
A nice mix of handmade, antique and found primitives combine to make this display. We purchase a few items from suppliers to fill in spaces....but the vast majority of our inventory is made by us...right here at 'The Door'.

Large Spindle Santa (formerly known as a table leg)

Large Spindle Santa (formerly known as a table leg)
Santa Spindles have become a shop specialty. They range from skinny to roly poly and from tiny hanging ones to massive freestanding newel posts. (Those are the big old fancy posts you can find at the foot of the stairs in big old houses like South Fork.)

Old Kitchen Cupboard Finds New Life

Old Kitchen Cupboard Finds New Life
We aquired the top of this cupboard at auction. Terry envisioned it transformed into a reproduction Pail Cupboard. When Terry envisions something...look out. With it's fresh coat of Wheatsheaf with Mallard Blue back the transformation was nothing short of spectacular. And yes...she planned that 2 mm clearance from the log beams. ;)

Another Make-do

Another Make-do
What do you get when you take an 1880's cupboard with the words "ye old preserves cupboard" written across the front in black Tremclad and pair it with a warped table with broken legs? Well...when you live in Terry's world you get this amazing secretary desk. The paint is Benjamin Moore Aura in Savannah. (What else would she use??)

It's a good drying day Margaret!

It's a good drying day Margaret!
Nothing beats hanging freshly dyed wool on the line. These bright yellows and greens will make fine additions to my next hooked rug!