Five Spokane Secrets

Recent road trip to Spokane..... ooooooooooo did we have fun!!  

A romantic getaway morphed into a 'buying trip' that got away on us a bit.... well when you find the good stuff you have to go for it! 

We packed the car full, again.... stuff (weird, useless stuff to most people) that will be transformed into lights, a brass foot rail for the bar we've been planning to build (score!), cigar boxes (just cool for display), another chair, the perfect pieces to finish the chandelier that just wasn't coming together, until now! So much inspiration!

I'm going to give you a few secret spots in Spokane we love... 

don't tell anyone....

Scored BIG at The Vintage Rabbit Antique Mall...(secret #1) - awesome prices on funky junk... vintage clothes that are fantastic if you like that kind of thing, which I do, and mucho selection on everything from vintage tableware to antique furniture with enough flotsam thrown in to make it a worthy search, fun all the way around!

Tasty meal at the "Tomato Street" Italian Restaurant.  Toasted ravioli and wood fired pizza, Caesar salad and yes, Chianti... .yum! Our favorite wood fired pizza place: "The Catacombs" in the Montvale Hotel 

(that's secret #2).     

Hit the arts supply store (Michaels) for some drawing paper, new pencils, articulated man, he's fun - don't be a perv! Michaels is not a secret but it is awesome!  Bought supplies we didn't plan to but always need - 'hey it's on sale!'  Somebody stop me!!!  

Came out wearing glitter - how does that happen?

A stop to buy things packed in a little pink striped bag.... 

wink, wink... 

A comfy hotel room... (sorry, this is staying a secret, nope not the Montvale this time but that is a great hotel! That's secret #3.)

Wine and chocolate.... new Yellow Tail blend 'Big Bold Red' - delish, Toblerone... perfect combo -  

Secret #4 (not a place but the combo is a good one)

   

Stupid, funny movie.... laughing our heads off, drinking wine, eating chocolate, life is good!  Ok we do this all the time, maybe it was just the change of scenery.... 

Here is the big secret... seriously, you already have to stand in line for breakfast here so don't tell anyone.... "Frank's Diner" has the best breakfast in the whole world and Bart know's his breakfast! (Secret #5)

Ok I didn't let you in on everything....  here are a few more of our favorite places in Spokane:

Pink Salvage Gallery 

Antiques at Spencers

The Steelhead Bar and Grille

The Fox Theatre

Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture

Royal Upholstery

Aunties Bookstore

REI 

I know I didn't post the links for the secret places... well now that wouldn't be any fun now would it- the hunt is part of the game!

Teapots!

New pots!!! 

inspire

Here is the beginning of my 'French Inspiration' series.... chalk paint, images and wax...

You may have seen the chair before and here's a cute little 
side table, perfect for a cup of tea....

Love the image of the bee!

Nice lines, this piece $99

                    

A side table with drawers... mix of blue and antique white paint and dark wax.... $149

          

       

Chalk painted terracotta pots (a hole in the bottom)... 

french images... yesssssss.... 

$29 each

              another bee image....

francais!

More to come in this series... contact me if you're interested in seeing (and touching) in person at the studio. 250-402-9257.

Studio hours vary at this time, appointment necessary.

And finally...a sneak peak as to what's next... this is the latest fabric to enter the studio... now I must go play, see you soon!

French.... ah yes!

I have been inspired by everything French the last few weeks.... dreaming of sidewalk cafe's.... 

                

sneak peeks of architecture....

Montmartre at night..... sigh.... 

Fabric....

no, sorry not a Puffin, but I like it!

Graphics....

Color....

the work is coming.... soon.... apres...

And this is just because I LOVE French Bulldogs!

Explorer's Light

 Like something you might see in a jungle setting of a 1940's archaeological dig, there is more to this tripod light than meets the eye.

Starting out life as a weatherproof airport runway light, we sandblasted the aluminium housing for a soft, textured look then drilled and tapped the side bosses to accept the funky "Drama Faces" knobs that hold the light onto the custom built cradle.  These rare "comedy / tragedy" knobs are the ubiquitous icons of the "drama" industry. 

Completely rewired with a retro look, cloth covered cord and an all new electrical fixture, this is a new light in a vintage package.  The light and cradle are attached to a vintage surveyor's tripod.  While cleaning the base up, we carefully preserved the patina of age and wear.  To keep the legs from splaying out, we wove a vintage leather strap through the tripod's adjustable legs.  The leather strap was made supple by repeated hand rubbing with classic saddle soap.  

The end result is without a doubt one of the funkiest lights that Puffin Design has ever crafted.  As with all of our offerings this tripod light is 'one of a kind'.  $699

                                                           

Grandpa's Carpenter's Chest Coffee Table

Imagine receiving a very old carpenter's chest from good friends as a gift.  To make this chest even more special, it was hand built by the grandfather and used for his entire career.  With decades of nicks, scratches and paint drips... every one representing a story of a job well done, this trunk has a very special meaning... in essence, it contains a lifetime of memories. This history added a whole new dimension to repurposing this chest into a designer coffee table.  To start, we removed the damaged bottom, flipped the trunk over and added hidden castors.  We carefully repurposed wood from the discarded top and lined the new false bottom with the wonderfully aged and worn wood.  We had many surprises while working on this trunk like finding that all of the nails are hand forged.  Once the wood work on the chest was completed, we carefully hand rubbed on a neutral wood finish leaving as much of the original patina as possible. With such a wonderful base, the top required a very special design.  We used a very thin cast designer concrete which is less than 3/4's of an inch thick.  Utilizing an organic green base tone and adding dark veins and highlights, hand picked polished rocks, as well as some 'mother of pearl' chips; the top compliments the base while adding a unique contemporary flair.  The end result is visually remarkable.  This functional coffee table rolls easily, can hold things like a comforter inside, and has a durable stain resistant top.  Guaranteed to be the center of attention in any room.  Hopefully Grandpa would approve of his heirloom. 
 $899.00