Saturday, January 5, 2013

New inventory, 1 5 13.

Please note we have cancelled Jan. appearance at Alameda due to lousy weather, and health issues. The following pieces are avail. to be shown at my west oakland warehouse for a week or so, then will be distributed to various retail outlets. Contact me on cell at 415 336 2784 or email at bappleton01@yahoo.com for appt., directions. Thankyou to all for a great 2012, we have big plans here  for 2013.First photo large bowling lane square coffee table, industrial steel legs and edging. Next, this coffee table is made from old boy scout equipment trunk as base, antique cast iron wheels salvaged from old cart. Top is repurposed beadboard from West Oakland victorian.
Steel tables. First one was used for many years as work station in marble cutting factory. Polished, clearcoated. Second table is simple steel desk with single drawer. As found.

Vintage steel cabinet found at SF flea market. Polished, laquered. Base and vintage set of wheels were added. Interior shelving is adjustable.

This cabinet with sloped roof is a special order from an interior designer, meant as broom closet for under a set of stairs.
Vintage steel drawer unit purchased from urban ore, exterior surface distressed, interior of drawers painted. I added a base with wheels, and a nice thick oak top. Oak top was part of an old dining table I found dumped in my neighborhood a couple of weeks ago.

Rare Simmons steel vanity, polished, laquered.
Square coffee table with vintage iron base, top is mix of repurposed wood, whites and creams.
Tall "chimney" cabinet. Leaded glass window was purchased at Urban Ore. I made the frame out of some victorian door stiles. Very nice antique cast iron hardware. The cast iron plate with the graphics on it likely from old furnace.

This colorful coffee table was made from a vintage Pepsi store cooler. Had a zinc lined resevoir, made to hold bottles and ice. Date on cooler is 1917.
Small apt. sized bowling lane coffee table, cherry wood trim, steel legs salvaged from the marble cutting factory. Notice the saw cuts on the edges.

Beveled mirror, framestock was some very old 6" tongue and groove stock rescued from West Oakland teardown. Beautiful alligatoring/patina/colors.
"Willy's". What more to say. Iconic Willeys jeeps were pretty popular in the small Northern California town I grew up in, they could literally go just about anywhere. I found this old tailgate at the sacto flea, cut out the panel, polished and laquered and framed. Great wall art for the man cave. No extra charge for the bullet holes.

This is a chalkboard made from pc. of slate from a 100+ yr. old schoolhouse. Very hard to find salvage. Beautiful blues and greens behind the cream layers in the wood.

Cute stool, had to do a little bodywork but has nice rusty patina. Laquered.
Industrial workcart on wheels converted to small island. Has bowling lane stock for top.

Found this massive 30x30x10 maple butcher block at Urban Ore. Got rid of the really cheesy looking original wooden legs, gave it some industrial flair with these beefy I beam legs, polished, laquered. "Boos" is a topline brand of these blocks.

Wine cart on vintage castors, bowling lane top.
Here is a series of photos of a vintage cast iron machine base. Polished and laquered. Havent built anything using it yet, just was so cool(if you like that sort of thing:)) I decided to put it on the blog for others to admire. The fittings are bronze and that plate at the top is adjustable on 2 axes. Very fun to play with:) Have included an image of stand as found.


This is a very nice maple bowling lane top desk with a massive steel industrial base. The drawers are have self closing sliders, made from cherry and mahogany. Ordered by a client who has since dissapeared, maybe will sell, maybe will keep for me!

Wine cabinet on very old cast iron wheels. Base is body of a cute little kerosene stove I bought at the sacto flea.
"Wreck" panel on door made from vintage sign purchased at Sacto flea. Very nice antique cast iron hardware. LOTS of storage here in this cabinet.


Coffee table made from a vintage drafting table found at Urban Ore.

Standing coat rack, made from very elegant fluted column, victorian salvage pc. Found the vintage barbell weights at an estate sale. Antique decorative brass doorknobs complete the ensemble, with a victorian era finial on top.

Bowling lane dining table, rustic rough sawn doug fir 3x4's as legs.

Vintage steel flat file, on wheels.

These shutters were salvaged in New England, trucked out here by a friend of mine. Beautiful colors and appearance, they have had a hard life with those hardcore New England winters! Repurposed as doors in this cabinet, lots of color here!


Nitestand, made it for my cousin, an eagle scout.
Here are several new coatracks. The closeup of the cherub is part of a cast iron pc. salvaged from antique standing lamp.

Another nightstand. Vintage english tile as part of the backsplash.
Antique handsaw blade incorporated into this one.


Vintage faucet handles.

Antique milkglass knobs.
Found these hummingbird cast iron brackets at SF flea, the hooks were part of an antique halltree from a south dakota barbershop.

Beautiful design on these victorian era hooks.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

New inventory, Alameda Antique fair scheduled for Sunday 12/9 (Rollover date)


Due to the storm systems that came thru No. Ca. last Sunday the Alameda antique fair was rescheduled for this Sunday 12/9 We will be there in booths N-2 and N-15. Looks to be a nice sunny day.                                                                                                                                                                First photo above shows coffee table made from antique mine cart. This cart was pulled out of a mine in the Sierra foothill gold country. Polished steel frame, bowling lane top. Yeah, its heavy:) Next photo is table made from maple bowling lane stock as top. The base is an antique cast iron industrial machine stand, adjustable ht. Beautiful patina.
Chimney cabinet. Antique cast iron hardware, the decorative pattern on the hinges is amazing. Very unusual and rare hinges. Door and beadboard salvaged from SF victorian remodel.

This coatrack started out as an old standing lamp. I almost threw it away, the top paint layer was especially ugly and I thought that the detail was plaster. I used paint stripper to reveal beautiful vintage black walnut, intricately carved. The "hooks" are actually french shutter dogs, cast iron, a womans face with cute hat.
Wine rack, the frame/legs are old wooden painters ladder, repurposed wood throughout. The cedar/zinc bottle rack salvaged from estate wine cellar.

Jelly cabinet, door salvaged from victorian, probably small closet. Beautiful antique cast iron/brass hardware. Beadboard sides. The decorative element at top is part of an antique advertising pc., close-up below, very cool. Promoting a St. Louis shoe co.

Industrial locker with shelves and top added.

A few more industrial pcs. Top cart has handle, new metal swivel wheels, nice kitchen pc. Or?? Cart below is stamped "Canada", heavy gauge steel, probably originally in a factory, wheels are cast iron, very heavy duty. Tops on both are from the bowling lane stock.

Polished steel drawer units. Deco period? Laquered.
This cabinet started out as a primitive that I purchased at Sacto flea. Originally had a slanted top, appeared to be a stand up desk of some kind. The interior and rest of the cabinet was in pretty bad shape. Sometimes rehabbing these old primitives can be extremely time-intensive, but worth it. Beautiful colors/patina under the top layer are revealed. Completely rebuilt with new flat top:)

Quite some time ago I purchased a built-in hutch from urban ore in berkeley, it was huge. Been taking up storage room in the shop for over a year, figured it was time to make something out of it. This cabinet was built from the top portion of the built-in. Beautiful etched floral design in the thick beveled glass doors, I believe from the craftsman period.
The bones of this cabinet are from another old cabinet carcasse picked up at the Sacto flea. Fluted face frame elements, very elegant trim details. Antique cast iron hardware, the decorative element added at top has an old victorian picture nail in center.
Another industrial cart, bowling lane stock for top.
Vintage steel storage locker, shelves added. The brass tags at top indicate this is from  "Shell Oil" , some kind of natural gas apparatus storage. Nice bluegreen patina.
Wine cabinet/bar from vintage "Snap-on" tool cart. Polished, laquered. On wheels.

The cast iron base on this coffee table was made here in an oakland, ca. foundry. Perhaps was base for very large industrial size hot water heater. Very old.
Corner cabinet picked up at a salvage yard, distressed, rebuilt.