Here are a couple more projects which, following on from Dad’s Ties, were collaborations between B and myself in terms of both ideas and execution, and one which was a full family affair some years ago, but has found its new spot.
FRONT DOOR
B built us a new porch onto the front of the house in France to provide a little lobby, coat and shoe dropping place, and to reduce the amount of leaves which blow into the living room every time you open the door in winter !
We ordered a door with a large plain glass window to let in plenty of light, but having searched other door selections we planned to add some detail in lead – not so difficult as you can get stick on lead strips very easily.
The design was more tricky – but I found an image of a lift door from either the Chrysler or Empire State Building in New York (photo retained for inspiration but article and caption not!). We both liked it, so I did a full size slightly simplified reinterpretation of the design on paper which we then taped to the inside window so that B could use to put the lead on the outside of the outer window.
The thing is, as the door is double glazed, the template only acted as a guide, and B – whose job it was to apply the lead – had to measure and redraw guidelines in whiteboard marker pen directly on the front glass to get the positioning right. I had also made 2 cut card templates of the curved “shooting star” shape in the process so these helped too.
We love the result – hope you do too!
BATHROOM WINDOW
Same idea as above, but simpler in that B put the design directly on the window – inside this time as there is a typical French security grill on the outside of the window opening. He then applied the lead, and then I followed up with some glass paint we sourced at a local art shop, which goes on in such a way – streaky and generally uneven – that it imitates old glass rather well we thought.
BASEMENT WINE STORE (LONG STORY!)
We already had a selection of terracotta wine storage pots which I got from my parents many years ago. They used to be a simple triangular arrangement in an unused fireplace, but here in France they were put in the sous-s0l (basement) as the temperature there is great for longer term storage (haha). A few weeks ago we found the larger ones (sets of 6) at a Brocante market. After juggling them in underneath the older, shorter ones, we feel we now have a suitably sized wine storage area 😉
But this photo is really included for the Ammonite artwork above – a true family collaboration. I designed this for a trade show display in 2008, in order to display upholstery fabric as part of a themed show stand. Dad came up with, and sourced, the rope which defines the spiral. I made all and upholstered all the individual pads. It was Mum’s idea to use plaited strings from an old fashioned kitchen mop for the gaps between each pad. B worked with Dad to create the battens for hanging the display.
In fact, in 2008 the ammonite was twice the size mounted on 2 boards, and the entire creation was assembled from parts at the show. Bonkers!
In 2009 we reduced the size to fit onto just one of the panels so that it could be more sensibly transported fully assembled and save some time. I should note that Dad and I used to drive to this trade show in Hamburg with all the display items in the back of my Saab estate – it was always rammed!
Those were the trips when I also bought Dad quite a few of the ties you can see on the hanging in the previous post. Great memories!!