Progress continues on the new FFTB Showroom. What you see in these new pictures reflects a year of work.
It’s gone slowly because Michael is doing most of the work himself. We really hope, however, you can see the same craftsmanship reflected in this construction project is the same as can be found in every piece of furniture built for our customers.
What is now our showroom is going to become a part of our shop. So this new Showroom is going to provide us with some much-needed space (and a very warm, inviting atmosphere) to display some samples of the many types of furniture we now offer.
We go the extra effort to pay attention to details. So much so that even choosing certain colors for this Showroom took us awhile to figure out. For example, we went through at least 4 or 5 color samples alone for the exterior.
We’re very fussy when it comes to colors around here — whether it’s about one of our customer’s pieces of furniture or anything else 🙂
After looking at each one over a period of time Michael and I ended up choosing the particular shade of white (Misty Grey) you now see in the pictures in this post. We think it blends well with the fieldstone (part of the 1813 addition) on our home.
Our family researched a lot of old barns from the 1800s that were built in this area. We discovered many of them were originally painted various shades of White. Even though this Showroom isn’t an old barn, we kind of wanted it to have the look and feel of one.
So what do you think … did we hit our mark?
One thing we’re really happy about is the fact that a good portion of the exterior brick for this project is actually “re-claimed.” Michael searched extensively and was able to obtain some that fits in perfectly with the new brick being used.
We were also able to apply some refinishing techniques we’ve learned along the way on certain pieces of the re-claimed brick. This technique involves dipping a part of a brick into paint and then wiping it off immediately to add just a bit of color.
Other Details…
The doors were all custom-made by our craftsmen. They had to be specially measured, cut and sized to fit these larger-sized entryways.
The steps are stones that were taken from the old barn on our property. We think they are a good fit along the front side of the home.
Around the front, we’ve begun laying the foundation rocks for a flagstone patio. Michael was able to locate this flagstone in a Pennsylvania quarry not too far away.
Michael is also building a small retaining wall because of the adjacent hill. As you can see, there is a lot of craftsmanship going on here but it’s a part of the creative process.
The hard-cold weather is now upon us this December. Most of the outdoor work will be put on hold until things warm up in coming months.
We love this season of the year though. And as a business of artisan furniture makers, we see each one of our customers as being a unique gift to us.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you from us here at FFTB!
