The Journey to London - The paint cabinet

During our visit / training session with Joanne Mudd of Muddaritaville she mentioned that it is sometimes difficult to decide on whether to paint a piece of furniture, refinish it, or just leave it as it is. In our experience we have found that that decision is based on quite a number of issues. The first being the overall condition of the piece and that type of finish that is on it. Most antique and vintage furniture have varnishes on them and if they are not already flaking off they are extremely environmentally unfriendly to strip. So to give an example we thought we would go through the story of our paint cabinet we did for the London store. One of the great benefits of using chalk paint is the no stripping, no sanding, no priming that you get with the van Gogh Chalk Paint Collection.


Lower Base of Paint Cabinet

The cabinet we found is what is commonly referred to as a 'married piece'. They are two entirely different pieces but when put together they compliment each other like the married couple my wife and I are. In this case I am represented by the strong, stout lower cabinet (see the picture to the right) and Bobbie would be the gorgorous detailed upper cabinet with the whimsical 'van Gogh' paint job on the inside. (see next picture below on the left) Unfortunately I cannot find the pictures I took of the cabinet before we started painting it but I do have some progressive pictures to show. Both pieces were in various states of disrepair.

Now with the lower base we also have some information which is quite interesting. It was made pre 1870 and we know that based on the intricate round mortise and dowel joinery that was used to put the drawers together. Also the wood on the sideof the lower cabinet is a single board of 20 inches in width. The drawer faces are also single widths of wood that are 14+ inches. The largest common with of board available today in a lumber yard would be 12 inch width but its nominal with is actually only 11-1/4 inches.



Upper cabinet installed with out doors



The upper cabinet is in 3 distinct sections. The middle section being approximately 3 inches wider than the two outside pieces. There are doors on each of the three sections but we are leaving the middle door off at this time. The shelves have a 'saw tooth' style rack which has long thin strips of wood which fit into the saw tooth rack on the inside of the cabinet and the shelves themselves are supported by these. I made only one modification and added a piece across the top to the cabinet to give solid support for displaying on top of the cabinet. There were also various structural repairs that had to be done but the cabinet is now very solid. There are intricate carvings at the top of the pilasters on the centre of the cabinet. At this time I will mention that the outside of the cabinet had been done with vGCP 'Chalk' colour paint and as I stated before the inside is vGCP 'van Gogh'.

Cabinet with doors installed

Now on each of the outside doors there is the same detail that is on the top of the pilasters. This gives the piece an amazing symmetry and with the doors fitted on the cabinet shows you what a gorgeous piece that it is. This is seen so dramatically in the picture to the right. Bobbie also wet distressed this piece to give it the time honoured wear marks that a piece of furniture of this vintage would have if it had been painted originally and been maintained throughout the years.



Paint cans and Wax in the new cabinet.

Extra shelves were also made and now most have been installed. The choice of the van Gogh for the inside was a great one. In the final picture to the left, see how the labels on the cans of paint and containers of wax match and reflect the amazing richness of the van Gogh colour. There are still a few shelves to install and Bobbie is on the hunt for just the right baskets to use on the lower shelf to put our spectacular van Gogh paint and wax brushes in.

We are ever so delighted that the cabinet turned out the way it did. It will one of the show pieces of our new store. An absolutely stunning addition and it truly reflects the passion my wife has for the work she does with the van Gogh Chalk Paint Collection.

Now just for a teaser a few of the future blogs will be: The Pillars of John, The story behind the Stan Portley's signature colours, Bobbie's Blue, Billowing Sails, Dragons Gray and Morgan's Kitty. What we did with an old bed spring and some other odd parts. These are to name just a few. Till then this is:

John Robinson - Master Craftsman and Proprietor - Stan Portleys - Timeless and Unique



The Journey to London Week 1

Front of Store with New Sign

Well we are finally in possession of our new location in London. Although everything is painted it is still a long way to getting everything set up. The sign has gone up and we have many fingerprints on the windows of people looking to see what is happening. We had the electricians in to set up the extra receptacles we require for our future lighting and we now have a great sink installed for cleaning our brushes. Each day we bring a little bit more to the store and set things up. The following are some of the pictures I have taken so far.

Centre Chandelier

As we bring items we have sent up an area in the store under the main chandelier in the centre of the store. Building code requires some lighting to be on all the time. We have installed this chandelier with LED lighting. This chandelier has 12 bulbs which could be up to what we used to call 60 watts per bulb. With the LED bulbs we use a fraction of the energy (5 watts per bulb), yet the amount of light output (lumens) is almost the same. This means we use 1/12th the amount of energy that normally would have been used. As the overall philosophy of Stan Portleys is being environmentally responsible we feel that this meets that goal. Also note in the

vignette by the chandelier some of our recent projects. 

Front counter made from reclaimed building materials

We also along with renewing antique and vintage furniture actually make items our of old reclaimed building materials. Our front counter was made from old 2 inch thick exterior doors. A base was installed with the doors and the top is made from strips of pine laminated together to make what looks like a butcher block top. This had originally been at the back of our Port Stanley store but had been stored in the barn at Roberts Line for the last few years. We are excited that we could give it a new prominate home in the new London location. Note some of the other items in the window display. The two plant stands Bobbie did with a two colour scheme with Patina (gray) underneath a Halo (white) over coat. Bobbie lightly distressed them to show the gray beneath. The sofa table with the fish shaped jugs on top (gurgle jugs, I will tell you more about these latter) was done with Buttah (yellow) and a Pantina overcoat. On this one Bobbie distressed it so that the Buttah showed through but also some of the original wood. This is an absolutely gorgeous piece. The long oval occasional table was done with a single coat of Cashmere and again Bobbie distressed this to show some of the original wood beneath.

Chair and round table in front window

 

This next picture shows a chair that has a needlepoint covered seat that has been renewed. Note the round occasional table. This one was done in Muse. Also to the side see a large framed blackboard. We recycle many of the old frames we get in box lots into chalkboards or mirrors.

Well that is it for now. I will send more in a couple of days as we get things done. Till then have a joyous holiday.

John Robinson - Master Craftsman and Proprietor  for - Stan Portleys - Timeless and Unique

 

What's in a Name?

We are always told that the brand is where we make our mark. So I thought today I would give a little background on how Stan Portleys came upon getting its name and a little history about my wife Bobbie's family.

As I stated in a previous blog my sister-in-law Ann who is partners with us at our Port Stanley store emigrated from Scotland just prior to the second World War II. Soon after they arrived here my brother-in-law John was born. Soon after that John MacBean, the father signed up to fight for the war and was transferred over seas for the duration of the war. This left Peggy (her real name is Margaret), to deal with two young children and she worked and provided for them. Quite often as many did in that day, Peggy would take Ann and John down to Port Stanley for the day on the train from London for a break from the heat in the city during the summer. Now Ann being young did not always inunciate words well and for some reason she could not say Port Stanley. However, when she wanted her mom to take her to Port Stanley she would say, "Mom, can we go to Stan Portley's" thus the name itself came about. After the war and John came back from the war, sister Margaret was born in 1946 and exactly 8 years to the day, my wife Bobbie was born in 1954. We are not sure exactly sure how Margaret took to receiving as a present, a new baby sister on her 8th birthday, but today they are best of friends as well as sisters.

Today, the all "sisters" are very much the going concern. Ann, who is an interior decorator, works in the store, Margaret, who polishes silver to a glimmer that many who have tried to but can never achieve, also spends time at the store. We have coined her with the title of the "maker of provenene". She is so named because when an old object comes into the store with no history Margaret's vivid imagination will come in to play and she will describe to you how that piece of silver or plate had a storied history and she will then recite that history to you. Bobbie is the Master Painter extraordinare, the hunter,  gatherer  and rescuer of  those unique items that Stan Portleys is know for. This with some technical assistance from me. (I say technical because I am the one who will repair things to get them to the stage where structurally they are saleable again if repair is required). Stan Portleys vision is to present the past for a greener future.

Now Stan Portleys, and many of the proprietors in Port Stanley have created what we hope is a very friendly place. With our personna of Stan Portley we strove to create a character that would be an example of that vision of friendliness and with a hint of sophistication, yet someone who was fun. We decided that first off that Stan would have to be 'portly" in stature. That a top hat would show the sophistication along with his lambchop sideburns. His checkered vest is just fun. His smile, the friendliness you can expect when you enter the doors of our emporium. The final creation was done by my sister Wendy Reid (Robinson) who is an establish artist and graphic artist in her own right. Originally we were Stan Portley's - Antiques & Uniques. With the change in product mix, we see a change in focus to the painted furniture we have become famous for, the vGCP collection paint and the many unique Canadian and North American giftware items.  For that reason we are now Stan Portleys - Timeless & Unique. We still have the antiques, and vintage finds and still welcome you to view these vintage treasures – renewed in “cottage style”.  Our previously enjoyed vintage, painted and antique furniture will complement any décor from Urbane chic to Paris apartment. Come and see what we have and, you will find what you’ve been looking for. It‘s worth the drive to Port Stanley.

Learning to Distress Furniture

It is interesting to see people marvel at how Bobbie just seems to know exactly the spot to distress on the furniture she renews through her great painting techniques. I call her a Master Painter but she says she is not. I will let others make that judgement but from what I see she does some amazing work. It is, in any case, in Bobbie's genes. 

Bobbie's family, her mother and father and oldest sister Ann, her two aunts Margaret and Edith, and her Uncle Alan and his family all emigrated to Canada in the time between World War I and World War II. They, as they did in Scotland, took up positions working for the wealthy of the area as domestics, gardeners etc. They took great pride in their work and knew how to take care of and run the large homes for the wealthy. Her aunt Margaret was the head housekeeper for the Morgan family who had a mansion on Grand Ave in London and is known as Waverly and is being used today as a Seniors Complex and her aunt Edith worked for the Smallmans who owned Windermere Manor and is now a hotel and the grounds are a research park for the University of Western Ontario.

Her uncle Alan was the chauffeur for the Labatts of the brewery fame. Bobbie's father was the Head Houseman at the Hotel London which was an old art deco hotel that once stood at the south east corner of Wellington and Dundas Street. He took great pride in his work and in one particular aspect of his position had people marvelling at how he could balance with no support on the ledges of the hotel, stories above the ground while he cleaned the windows. This is just a little of the family history.

Chalk Painted Vintage Corner Cabinets

Now you may ask, how is this relevant, but it is. In dusting and washing and in general, caring for the household furniture etc., the MacBeans (Bobbie's maiden name) knew exactly the areas on the furniture that would wear over time. Around hinges, knobs and locks are some common areas. Other areas less common is any edge whether it be a door, a frame, a panel along the decorative moulding of a piece of furniture. Now if you don't believe me, here on the right hand side are two corner cabinets Bobbie just finished on the weekend. Pretty amazing, eh!

The cabinets have glass shelves and there is glass behind the mullions on the door. I left the glass out for the picture because then I don't have a glare coming off the glass when I took the pictures. The matte finish of the chalk paint and then the finishing wax is really gorgeous and rich looking. Note particularily the colour Bobbie painted the back of the upper area of the cabinet. See if you can guess.

Chalk Painted China Cabinet

Bobbie has also just finished a china cabinet and again you can see the skill she has in distressing furniture. This is a particularily lovely piece and it has a rectanglar mirror at the top, bevelled glass on the sides and front. Notice the beautifully designed stretcher at the bottom of the piece. Again an artful application of Bobbie's distressing technique. One thing that Bobbie did on this one was to paint the inside with "oops" paint. 

 

We hunt far and wide for many of the pieces we have in our store in Port Stanley. These three items in particular are slated to go to our new London Store and will arrive there for our opening on January 4, 2013.

 

In future blogs I will try and show some before and after pictures for then you can truely see how grand the transformation can be when you use chalk paint from the van Gogh Chalk Paint Collection.

 

So until next time this is John Robinson - Master Craftsman and Proprietor for Stan Portley and Stan Portleys - Timeless and Unique.

Well it has been a hectic weekend. We received our first shipment of van Gogh Chalk Paint Collection Paint. A lot of things are happening at once. We have a full page add coming out this week in the local weekly newspaper. Here to the right is part of the ad that will appear in the St. Thomas Weekly news.

The will be an 'editorial' style story beside it and I have inserted that right here:

“Stan Portley’s – Timeless & Unique”

And uniquely Canadian

Now with the van Gogh chalk paint collection

There’s excitement, and much that is new to celebrate at Stan Portley’s in Port Stanley.

The store that has an established reputation for unique gift and home décor items, and “our painted furniture,” is now offering the uniquely Canadian van Gogh Chalk Paint collection. It’s a made-in-Canada version of the paint that’s making vintage furniture lovers ecstatic about the look they are now able to achieve.

Not only is the van Gogh line the only Canadian-made chalk paint offered in this area, it has no nasty toxins that may come in paints made with oil or chemical solvents. It’s eco-friendly and involves no waxy chemicals. At Stan Portley’s, they can colour match any colour of paint with the van Gogh Chalk Paint and are creating four signature colours that will be unique to Stan Portleys.

To assist people with this great furniture paint, classes will be starting in January at the Port Stanley store and the new London store. Out at “The Barn” Home Studio in Sparta classes will be starting in the spring of 2013. Business owner Bobbie Robinson says, “Some people are hesitant to try crafts like this because they think it may be too difficult for them, but it turns out it is not as difficult as they thought.”

It’s been quite a journey since 2003 when Stan Portleys – Antiques & Uniques was born in the back of a store, just down from its present location in Port Stanley. “At the time we dealt with antiques, vintage linens and silver, and a small amount of new giftware,” Bobbie says. Some of the most sought after gift items are the custom wood or metal signs which are made in North America and shipped from the store to places as far as Australia, New Zealand and even China.

Bobbie points out that, “Many homes and cottages throughout the area have one, two, three or more pieces of our painted furniture incorporated into their interior design. We have even shipped to the eastern seaboard of the United States. Whether it be Urbane Chic, Paris Apartment or Cottage Style, we have met the needs of the discriminating home owner.”

Having fewer antiques and moving towards the future, the store owners are still looking for those ‘unique’ Canadian and North American items which will bring a home together.

The all-Canadan van Gogh chalk paint collection really fits this trend. Bobbie recommends, “Be kinder to the environment by "adopting heirloom furnishings. The antique look is all about the discovery of ourselves through one time to another – and the delight in that recognition. Relive, redesign, relove.”

The store’s signs and graphics have recently changed from Stan Portleys – Antiques & Uniques to the new Stan Portleys – Timeless & Unique.

“This is in line with other things which are happening with our business,” Bobbie says. “And just as a teaser for you . . . watch for the opening of our new location on Richmond in London.”

Bobbie Robinson, Owner, Stan Portleys – Timeless & Unique, sums it up well: “Stan Portleys and Port Stanley, we are timeless and unique. Stay tuned . . .”

Bobbie, my beautiful talented wife, has also been busy painting the cabinet for the paint for the Port Stanley Store. It was an old flat to the wall that came out of a farmhouse near the town of Fingal just north of us. It was from around 1800 and the sides are 19" wide at the bottom and they are made from a single board. The doors which I have removed had the old glass in them and and were a 2 over 3 configuration. The old glass was quite wavy and as we know glass will flow over the years especially glass made over 2 centuries ago.

Here is a picture with Bobbie standing beside her finished project.

 

She was also working on a set of corner cabinets. They look quite amazing. I will feature those in my next blog.

 

John Robinson - Master Craftsman and Proprieter - Stan Portleys - Timeless and Unique