At our charming little nook in Logan Village Mall, Noblesville, Indiana, we decided it was time to shake things up! Our snug store had a vast open space just begging for some love. With all our handcrafted treasures neatly hanging on French cleat shelves, we thought, “Why not give this space a personality?”

We tried plopping down a collapsible table with a sunny sunflower tablecloth—adorable, right? But alas, it just didn’t scream ‘family flair’ or ‘handcrafted goodness.’ Time for creativity to kick in! Our budget might have been as tight as a bug in a rug, but that didn’t stop us. A local big box store beckoned us in, and we left with the classic hero of building materials: good ol' Pine 2x4x8s!

This is Ash lumber that was salvaged from structural beams in a collapsed, 125 year old barn. We made a breakfast nook table top to replace the commercially-purchased table made from wood-like material. We used epoxy to provide a nice surface while giving strength. With some bow ties and a little bit of universal dye, we felt like we had a great symphony, rot, wormholes, and all!

Over 300 pieces to this simplistically complex project. Cabinet-grade, birch ply with Ash structure and trim. The whitewash finish is Mixol white dye in polycrylic and the trim is ebonized and topped off with clear polycrylic.

It fits a full size mattress so give this special needs little girl room to grow. When she is old enough, the walls easily come off and we can add rails.

The wood was selected to fit a “whisk(e)y” theme. The Oak represents the oak of whiskey barrels. We used a vinegar ebonizing technique to recreate the toasted look of the inside of whiskey barrels…without the mess. Cherry was selected for the shelves and inlays to capture the rich brown/red color of whiskey.

These two tables’ tops were made from what we originally figured to be scraps from milling some Black Walnut logs. Because the pieces were still sizeable, we didn’t want to throw them into the burn pile. So we put them in the kiln with everything else in hopes that someday we would find a use for them. Well? That day came!

Cedar is known for its scent, insect repellent properties, and its ability to absorb odors. It is very often used to make chests like this one. What started out as 12’ (~4m) cedar boards in a cull pile at the local big blue hardware store, full of warps and twists, became this chest. It will lovingly store linens and things for years to come.

When you have an avid reader, the first problem is keeping them stocked with books. The second problem is finding creative ways to store all their books. Enter this clever design for a bookshelf that reduces the footprint while increasing the capacity. Made from spalted Silver Maple and finished in Rubio Monocoat, this shelf is, well, already full.

When I saw Leopardwood for the first time, I can only think about my mother-in-law as she is a BIG fan of leopard print. She had some nice Adirondack chairs, but no place for her drink, book, or phone. So we solved the problem with these twin tables made of Leopardwood and White Oak. The tables are finished with five layers of Spar Urethane (thinned and unthinned).

The wood was selected to fit a “whisk(e)y” theme. The Oak represents the oak of whiskey barrels. We used a vinegar ebonizing technique to recreate the toasted look of the inside of whiskey barrels…without the mess. Cherry was selected for the shelves and inlays to capture the rich brown/red color of whiskey.