Friday, April 29, 2011

Dirty Word Of The Day: Restoration Hardware



When Phil and I were shopping to furnish the condo, we were absolutely clueless on where to go in order to find pieces that were unique, solidly made, and in terms of design, eclectic.  So, as most homeowners often do when they have a big home project with little time, we went to all the big guns, Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, and Crate and Barrel.

Disappointed. 

Once  we got past their lavish displays of psuedo-industrial floor lamps and factory carts adorned with articulated "book collections", we saw that the four-figure price tags were mainly for labor and commercialization of these manufactured reproductions.  I'm not saying that they don't supply to the demand of millions of buyers seeking furniture made and priced at levels above IKEA's standard, but as a young couple without a chair to sit their butts on, we were looking for something that would last. Something that was real.

Above is a searchlight taken off an old ship and mounted onto a tripod once used to survey the land.  This lamp is heavy, rustic, and legit.  When you see how much history, wear, and love that's been put into this functioning piece of art, it's hard to put a price on it.  Luckily, Phil and I can because we FOUND it during one of our travels for this business and drove it here.  Just for you.  If you're curious about why we do what we do, come check us out.

Monday, April 25, 2011

SOLD.


We've officially sold our first piece as dealers in this business!  I can't help but get that unmistakable  tingly feeling you get in the pit of your stomach that tells you whether you're doing something wrong or right. 

Fact is, Haystack has only been open to the public for two whole days and already we've sold a piece that is big enough to demand replacement.   The french provincial chest (above) has been put in our hands by a very good friend and decorator, Brian Paquette and it couldn't be any more perfect for our space.  The strong wood allowed us to pull one of our heavy-duty jack lamps off the floor, a display suggestion by another friend and highly imaginative dealer, Kirk Albert.  

Sometimes, things are even bigger than you might believe them to be and when you least expect it, everything just falls into place.

Love Thy Neighbor...










Hands down, some of the greatest shopping in Bellevue!  I cannot believe this is our job.  I could spend hours literally walking through each booth, setting up my dream home filled with these creatures of art.  Everyone's done such an amazing job setting up these vignettes of imagination.  


Thursday, April 21, 2011

Another Six Hours....9,201 More To Go!




According to research, it takes 10,000 cumulative hours of dedicated work towards a specific goal before one can be considered to have mastered a profession, art, or study.  With backgrounds in broadcast journalism, psychology and sociology, our first hour in furniture, retail and design didn't start until we were both in our mid-twenties...we're still in our mid-twenties.

We have come to realize that it takes a great deal of passion to pursue something that you have absolutely no experience in and in an industry that challenges you to prove why your aesthetic is more worthy (literally) than another. 

This is when we must simply say to ourselves, "We can only try harder to work harder and be thankful harder than anyone else". 

Monday, April 18, 2011

Countdown To Opening Day!


It's coming along...we tried to hang that honker of a porthole mirror from those chains today, but the 100 pounds of wood and glass was ready to bust that metal bar into thirds!  So, it remains down and on the table for now, but come Wednesday, we get a stronger bar (Phil will do a few pull-ups off it to ensure it won't budge).

The aeronautical prints went up without a hiccup, thanks to a little advice from Dennis at Home Depot. Turns out the man was a retail framer for years...pays to chat people up, especially when you're trying to hang three 7'x3' portraits up for the first time!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Movin' On Up....To The East Side

It's move-in week for Haystack!  We hauled our "bigs" in today and are excited to start filling our space with all the thought-out details we've been planning.  We would like to keep it simple, as this is our first attempt at retail display and we know that any way you cut it, we are green as grass.  Yet, we are so fortunate to be surrounded by several accomplished and hard-working dealers, real veterans of the industry.  There is much to learn from this experience of "putting yourself out there" and selling your aesthetic as art. 

Please drop-in starting this Thursday, April 21st, as our doors open for the first time! The Grand Opening will be on May 21st from 5-9pm.  Debbie Nordstrom, the owner of Haystack, has equipped us with invitations to this catered event and we have no doubt in our minds that this affair is not one to be missed!

Monday, April 4, 2011

The Road Home


Our Olympus SLR has become our file cabinet, time traveler, and daunting new toy.  I'm sure it's apparent that neither Phil or I are what you would call "photographers" with a capital "P", but we do find aesthetic, composition, color, and light interesting along with inspiring to our business.  We are trying to master all gadgets, filters, objects and landscapes during this unique time of green eyes and eager minds so we can look back one day from a tinted perspective and be thankful for the process.