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November 6, 2007
10 Ways to Find Love in the Salvage Yard: Santa Fe Wrecking
Filed under: House + Garden — StyleGuide @ 7:54 am
When you want to add expensive touches to your home at a bargain price, try buying used at a salvage yard. Santa Fe Wrecking Company, a 50,000 square-foot salvage yard near downtown L.A., is a great place to start.
It may seem intimidating, so here are 10 ways to make it easier to, as they say, find “the items you need for restoring the original beauty of antique architecture, hardware and building materials”:
1. Expect to get dirty. This place is filthy.
2. See past the dirt. Check for permanent stains, but you can wash dirt off.
3. Think big… or small. Replace your hollow-core doors with old solid wood ones. Change out standard door knobs with vintage crystal ones. Even add columns around your front door!
4. Bring measurements. That way you’ll know whether the fabulous old built-in will work in your dining room, or that hand-painted fireplace mantle will fit.
5. Get to know a refinisher. Old pedestal sinks or claw-foot tubs can be recoated; ask staff for a recommendation.
6. Go for newer items, too. I picked up a plumber-recommended Toto toilet for a third of the cost of new.
7. Light it up and get cooking! They carry an extensive selection of antique lighting and stoves.
8. Be patient. Block off a good hour or two to navigate the enormous inventory. New items arrive regularly, so come back if you didn’t find what you were looking for.
9. Expect to work alone. Staff can help load, but I would never consider this place full-service.
10. Bargaining is OK.
Where: 1600 South Santa Fe Ave., Los Angeles, 90021
Call: 213-632-3119
http://www.santafewrecking.com/
Have you been? Tell us all about it.
October 25, 2007
Antiques Roadshow (w/o the road): Bonham & Butterfield Appraisal Day
Filed under: House + Garden — StyleGuide @ 6:39 am
If PBS’s Antiques Roadshow has you wondering if the table you bought at the neighbor’s garage sale could earn you a cool half-mil, then consider Bonham & Butterfield’s Appraisal Days.
Once a month, appraisers at Bonham’s Sunset Boulevard location will say (in an honest but gentle manner) whether your stuff would be worth anything at auction. The crowds arrive early, take numbers by category (Asian Art, Paintings, Books, etc.), then wait in chairs set up classroom-style for the experts to call their numbers.
My hour-long wait to have two pieces appraised flew by — mostly because the atmosphere of nervous anticipation (tempered by the boredom of waiting) seemed to make everyone friendly, chatty and supportive.
Those I spoke with fell into two categories. Half were giddy with the thought that their bric-a-brac might someday fund a vacation cruise. The others kindled a sad hope that selling their family heirlooms might chip away at overwhelming medical and nursing homes bills.
When my numbers were called, I quickly learned that of all my worldly possessions, I own absolutely nothing of value.
A nice little adventure, a shot at untold riches, and a fascinating glimpse into people’s odd relationships with their things — and it didn’t cost a dime!
Price: Free
When: Check Bonham’s website for the schedule; the next one is October 31, 2007 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Where: 7601 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, Ca 90046
Call: 323-850-7500
Have you been? Talk to us.
October 18, 2007
Cheap Pots: Pottery Manufacturing & Distribution in Gardena
Filed under: House + Garden — StyleGuide @ 6:13 am
This picture looks a little like an outdoor version of the place where they put the Ark of the Covenant at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. In this incarnation, pallet after pallet of decorative pots seem to carry on into infinity.
For Pottery Manufacturing & Distribution (right off the 110 in Gardena), this endless aisle of pottery is only part of the story. There are more corners hiding pots of all sizes, materials and hues, not to mention a massive selection inside their 12,000 square foot warehouse.
While their vast inventory is clearly a big draw, price is another. Pottery Manufacturing & Distribution is a factory outlet (!) that carries closeouts and seconds at dirt-cheap prices.
The outlet not only carries pots that complement your decor no matter what your design sensibility or budget, it’s also a resource for hard-to-find styles. Interior designers treasure it as a secret source for affordable pots that work well in a modern aesthetic.
So skip the big box stores and over-priced boutiques — block off an hour or two to prowl the aisles at this family-owned gem.
Price: $-$$$$
Where: 18881 S. Hoover Street, Gardena, Ca 90248
Call: (310) 323-7772
October 11, 2007
Low-Price Compost Bins for City of L.A. Residents
Filed under: House + Garden — StyleGuide @ 6:52 am
You recycle, turn off the water when you brush your teeth, and switched to CFLs. Time to take it to the next level.
City of L.A. residents can get reduced-price compost bins from the Bureau of Sanitation. Just head to the Compost Education Facility in Griffith Park and pick one of three composters.
I was a little intimidated, but it turns out the hardest part of composting is finding the Compost Education Facility. Once I was able to locate the folding table next to a shipping container, the friendly expert helped me pick a composter and load the car.
I went home with a $20 Green Machine, which I consider a lazy person’s composter — just dump your kitchen waste, cover with leaves, and go.
If you are looking for more compost more quickly, have extra space, and want to invest some time (shoveling your pile regularly), consider a Smith & Hawken Biostack. They retail for $103 on Smith & Hawken’s website, but here you can get one for just $45.
If you need help, the city also offers monthly composting workshops.
The upside? Get mulch and soil conditioner, and divert yard and kitchen waste from the landfill. Sounds pretty rich to me.
When: The next bin sales event is this Friday, October 12, 2007, in Griffith Park. See the schedule for more dates, locations and workshop times.
Where: 5400 Griffith Park Drive, Los Angeles, Ca 90027, as well as special events and workshops around the city (bring a driver’s license or DWP bill to verify residency).
Call: 213-485-2260
Price: $$-$$$
Into green yard care? Check out discount eco-friendly lawn mowers from AQMD here.
September 25, 2007
7 Oaks Nursery Sale (for Kinda Green Thumbs)
Filed under: House + Garden, Shop — StyleGuide @ 6:29 am
When we bought our first house a few years ago, this is the front yard we got. It was our first attempt at gardening, so I looked to Martha Stewart for guidance. Her books told me to propagate my own plants or risk going broke at the nursery.
Propagate? Are you kidding me?
That’s what 7 Oaks’ half-off plant sale is for. I don’t often go to the 951, but when the sprawling nursery off the 15 in Corona takes 50 percent off every plant they have — from trees in 36 inch boxes to the smallest annual — I make the long drive.
Sales are held twice yearly, over the Columbus Day and Fourth of July weekends, so one’s coming up the first weekend in October. If you decide to check it out, here are a few tips. First, the sale has become quite popular, so shop early for the best selection. Second, take advantage of the neat little sandwich shop hiding behind the 7 Oaks convenience store.
Load your truck, then fuel up on fresh sandwiches for the drive home.
When: Friday, October 5 to Monday, October 8, 2007
Where: 21501 Temescal Canyon Road, Corona, Ca 92883
Call: 951-277-2927
What’s your best gardening tip?
August 28, 2007
Garage-sale-tips-maps.com
Filed under: House + Garden, Shop — StyleGuide @ 7:01 am
There is a sort of hierarchy of used stuff, starting at the high end with the auction house and antique dealer, then progressing downward to the antique store, consignment store, junk store, flea market and finally, that most democratic of retail outlets (and just one level above dumpster diving), the garage sale.
Each step down the “used stuff food chain” typically means a drop in price and average quality. Slumming it at garage sales requires a commitment to sift through the trash, but it can bring the rewards of finding unfathomable treasures at rock-bottom prices. The key to finding the good stuff is volume. Hit as many sales as possible in the shortest amount of time.
Fortunately, a new website can help. Enter your address or ZIP code at www.Garage-sale-tips-maps.com and the site generates a map with nearby garage sales from craigslist.org. You can check details on craigslist with one click. More features are expected soon.
A little time, a little patience, but the potential for a major payoff. Just remember me when you earn screen time on Antiques Roadshow or graciously accept compliments on your stylish pad built on a mini-budget.