so, what are you working on and why?
i'm really excited to get started. we moved to NZ and bought a business to do so. we purchased their furnishings, and most of them are typical "office" fare. it's really rather unattractive, like most "office" furniture. but, when i looked at replacing it, it blew my mind. the "cheap" stuff that we currently have, costs a fortune to replace. the stuff i like, i can't even consider purchasing it. and seriously, it's not just because i have expensive tastes. LOL!
so, i want my business to be green. i looked at various recycled furnishing ideas--such as just buying old desks and shelves, but even *that* was bonkers expensive. i didn't want to buy crappy, yet expensive new yucky-poo office furnishings for oh-so-many reasons, including earth ones.
then, i learned about Ana! I learned about hacking pallets. My cosmos aligned. :)
here is my project list for the office:
1. cubbies
using pallets, we will make cubbies. i talkled with the practitioners staying on and showed them our plans. I showed them Ana's site, and not only did they like the look of the cubbies, but they also liked the idea that we were recycling! a few of them want to help.
we will do at least 9 cubbies for each room (that's a total 54 cubbies or 27 pallets) and 16 cubbies for the yoga room (8 pallets). It will probably be a while before all of them are done, but still, that is pretty cool.
2. desks
i'm going to make the basic desk with the two shelves/cubbies for each office, i like it's simplicity, but it also has some basic storage that people can use while they are in the office. most are only there 2-3 days a week, so they don't need a lot of permanent storage. just some for while they are there. the practitioners love the plans, seem less keen to help make those. LOL
staying green, a sustainably harvested, mostly natural MDF is made here in NZ (it's a major export too), and it's strong and cheap. i was thinking about using more pallet boards to "farmhouse table" a top for the desks.
3. reception area bench
i'm looking at using the modern bench and then creating a cushion for it that is a few inches thick. i have a friend who will help me sew it up. i found some awesome old wool blankets in my colors (the basic is black/grey/white with pops of bright blue, green, and orange; the blankets are dark grey/blackish), fulled them so they are soft, and they should be sturdy enough to be an awesome, recycled, all-natural cover for the cushions!
4. reception console
here, i'm thinking of a couple of things. one thought that i have is taking two or three rows of three crates and then adding a top to it (farm house table style again, likely), so that it is even more stable. we have a water filter, and need space for it and the clean glasses, as well as space underneath for the dirty glasses. right now, we use a "manky" tea cart. Said tea-cart is leaving mid-october.
in addition, there is a super-tackytastic side table that holds the magazines. i think those would look nice in a cubby. we also have a small basket of yucky-poo toys. in fact, it's in a yucky-poo plastic crate too. that also doesn't belong to us and well be leaving. so, i found a nice basket at a "tip shop" (salvation army), and also some nice wooden toys there (wooden blocks, some cars, and some critters). so much nicer! and, it will look nice in a lower crate in my console.
we are also looking at putting out sketchbooks and pens so that people waiting on their appointments would have something to do other than read magazines. if they wanted. :)
5. reception desk
i'm thinking about a simple table (perhaps shrinking the farm table to fit), and then the CPU/Printer cart that was in the magazine. the desk doesn't need to be massive, but it needs to be a functional workspace. i want just the keyboard and screen on the main desk (as well as the credit card/debit card machines), and then have the printer and CPU next to it. we are going to an online booking system, so there will be less paper use over time, and really shouldn't be a lot of paper on the desk. but, i'm also considering doing one of the larger craft/storage desks so tht we have some storage when we want it. :)
6. large lockers
this will probably have to be my own design, but in the main storage/staff area, we need lockers for the massage chairs. I have 5, but want 6 lockers, because one of them will hold our vacuum cleaner and cleaning supplies (dusting cloths, green cleansers, extra trash bags, etc. on top of the lockers, i will probably place two crates (at least! LOL), one that holds our clean washable massage chair face covers (which a friend of mine is making for me out of old t-shirts!), and one that holds the dirty ones thta need to be laundered! then i can just bring a crate home each night that they need to be done!
Now, in moving to NZ, we didn't bring any furnishings. a lot of american furniture--i was told--is too large for NZ houses. while i discovered tht is not ncessarily true, i also discovered that NZ furniture comes in too styles: Crappy and Gorgeous. Crappy is "affordable" in that it is the cheapest stuff available but still costs a fortune. A ridiculously ugly, complete monstronsity of a sofa costs $1000 at least. and My GOD did i mntion that they were *ugo-pugo?*
and Gorgeous is a lifetime investment in italian designs. As in, it had better be an heirloom for these prices (1 simple 2-seater sofa in fabric is over $7k). if i want some nice book shelves, yeah, that will set you back a few grand, but you can get "bespoke" ones built out of MDF for a mere $500! for 6 shelves!. oh lucky day.
to say the least, we have no furniture. scratch that. i did splurge and buy a beautiful solid remu king sized bed, plus organic mattress and linens, plus tall boy for $5k. ok, i admit it. i overspent. but i had lusted after it for 7 years AND saved up for it. so pardon my splurge. :D btw, i LOVE it. and plan to sleep on it forever and ever amen and hallelujah.
but otherwise, we have nothing.
so, here is my home project list:
1. Cubbies.
notice a theme? i love cubbies.
anyway, i'm going to put them in my kitchen, on a wall between my fridge (which, btw, is shorter than i am), and my kitchen window. i just need more storage, particularly since i spend so much time fermenting things. i need places for things to ferment.
also, the planter. i'm going to use a crate as an indoor planter for herbs. i might have to make a stnad for it, so i'm thinking a small bench of some kind. i'll figure it out. after the first 6 projects for the business are finished, i should be able to design a table/bench/thingy to hold my crate that holds my herbs.
2. day bed with storage
i might make two of these, to act as day bed/sofas, but i haven't decided. i'm thinking of doing at least one, and then putting in on casters so that i can move it around the living room if i want. yes, i'm putting it in the living room. it's a 1 br apartment. when my shorty is 5, if we are still living here and we love it so why not, we can move him into that bed. until then, it can be the sofa/guest bed.
if i make two, i can have more guests. LOL like, when my ILs come to visit, or my parents. though, i don't think my dad will make it up 77 steps these days.
3. cubbies or shelves
yeah, book shelves for the living room. who would have thought.
So, 9 ambitious projects. :) one free workshop. *i can do it!*
and it should keep me busy for at least a year, right?