Industrial Pipe Bookshelf

Only 3 more days until Christmas!!!!  Admittedly I am equally counting down to spending time with family as I am to having a real break from my day job.  I haven't taken more than 2 days off for over a year so I am really really looking forward to a bit of an extended stay-cation.  As we count down to the holidays, I am also wrapping up some overdue flip debuts before getting ready to start rolling out new pieces in the new year.  

Remember my industrial sawhorse desk?  Well when the buyer came to pick it up last fall, it turns out she didn't need the 3-drawer hutch since she planned to float the desk in her office.  So she bought the desk, chair and lamp, and left the orphaned hutch drawers behind so I took the opportunity to play around with a new take on industrial-inspired storage.

Industrial Pipe Bookshelf

I re-re-used the drawers to make a 3-tiered bookshelf with loads of storage.

I drilled two holes through the front and back of each drawer and threaded a section of galvanized pipe through.  Each dovetailed drawer hangs level and secure by resting on pipe coupling at one end and a heavy-duty wall bracket at the other.

The staggered heights provide visual interest while allowing space for art or plants.

I tested the weight limits of the unit myself by literally loading up every flat surface with all of our hardcover books.

At the top, a small section of pipe also secures to the wall for more stability. 

And another flange at the base can be secured to the floor too.

The entire length of pipe disassembles easily into 4 sections for transporting. 

You could even swing out the middle drawer and mount the whole unit into a corner for even more versatility.

I would love to see this baby go to a cool loft or some other city space!  If you are interested in this piece or a custom order like it, please email cate@stylemutthome.com.

Industrial Pipe Bookshelf
Now Available for Sale
63"W x 7.5"D x 78"H
$395

As we gather together this Christmas, Chelsea and I pray that your holiday is filled to the brim with treasured family time.  We hope that the hustle and bustle will fade away and we'll all be able to truly savor the real reason for the season.  Merry Christmas to you all!

Industrial Bench

Remember these puppies er... ponies?

When I bought them, I thought I would make a massive desk supported by both sawhorses.  But their size length would make for a desk with a HUGE footprint (and quite possibly too large to appeal to potential buyers).  So I split up the set and used only one to make a narrower desk complete with a hutch and detachable lamp.

As for the other sawhorse, I was stumped.  Fortunately when I get myself into these kind of conundrums, I have a secret weapon: I call Chelsea in for a consult.

Now the LORD knew what He was doing pairing me up with such a creative and supporting business partner.  She took one look at them and said, "What if you make an industrial bench?"

Genius.

Chelsea lent me her hacksaw so I could cut down the legs of one of the sawhorses to the right height.  I combined both pieces of storied wood from each sawhorse into one bench surface and remounted it on the galvanized metal base.  

I just LOVE the saw and paint streaks - it makes me wonder what projects these sawhorsed saw(ed) in their day. 

See (saw) what I did there? 

Ijustcanthelpmyself.

So what magical rugged loft did I drag my new bench to for the perfect industrial backdrop?  Where else do I stage my pieces these days...

Now, if you're clever and observant (which I'm sure you are) you may be thinking to yourself, "Cate, when did your garage get a brick wall?  All of your other staged pieces have always had regular old drywall as the backdrop..."

Clever, clever you.

Take a closer look at the photo - did I fool you?  Or are you onto my little ruse?

It's not brick, it's wallpaper.

I'll admit, I was skeptical about using a 2D wallpaper to make a 3D effect.  I don't often go for faux unless it's really convincing - but I live in a new(ish) apartment complex that doesn't have old charm in spades.  Cue Milton & King Wallpaper.  (Remember this wall hanging giveaway using their Gluttony print?)  Well they were generous enough to also send me a roll their very popular Soft White Bricks.

And I was surprised to see just how believable the pattern was even in person!  The only way you would know it wasn't brick would be to run your hands along it expecting to feel a gnarled texture and instead finding it's baby smooth.  

Disclaimer - I do live in a rental so I couldn't bring myself to install wallpaper only to take it down in a few months when our lease is up.  I just tacked up the panels and used wood trim to hide the seams that would otherwise be invisible if the paper had been glued.  (Plus it adds a little architectural interest.)

And just because it's Fall (and I'm obSESSED with cooler, crisper weather), I used my favorite fall accessories for this shoot. 

Thank you Milton & King for opening my eyes up to the wonders of high-quality wallpaper prints!  One of these days I'm going to have to get my hands on your Marble and your Dandelions prints.  (Insert 17 heart-eye emojis)

It's only fitting that this industrial bench ended up in a cool DC apartment.  That's right!  If you've been following along with us you may recognize this bench from yesterday's eDesign reveal:  

May he forever grace our client's moody dark green hallway!

Tricked-Out Industrial Desk

I seriously never know what's going to jump into my cart when I go thrifting.  But that's kind of the point though: go out with open expectations and see what projects will reveal themselves to you.  And on a recent treasure/ trash hunt, I came home with these babies:

Sawhorses.

Right away I noticed they were just the right height for an industrial-style desk but I needed to find a desk top.  In the spirit of using what you have, I dug up that old  tri-fold chalkboard we used as a giant program at our wedding and decided to repurpose one of the panels.

The chalkboard had been collecting dust in our garage for a few years with the exception of when it got a moss & bookpage makeover to be the "something borrowed" at a dear friend's wedding:

But collecting dust does no one any good (especially if you have allergies) so I introduced a chalkboard panel to one of the sawhorses and they hit it off!

How perfect is that?  The chalkboard surface makes it easy to jot down tasks that can be wiped clean when completed.

I built the hutch out of 3 old drawers that can be reconfigured to suit.  They were also collecting (saw)dust in the garage from a dresser that was too damaged for me to repair and were serving no purpose until I also introduced them to the sawhorse and chalkboard.

They're like a blended family - Mr. industrial Sawhorse meet slender Chalkboard and they adopt three orphaned drawers to make a little desk family.

P1020196-001.JPG

The desk also comes with a pet cLamp (which is Cate for "clamp lamp").  

It has adjustable angles and an on switch on the cord.  And unclamps for easy repositioning.

(To be honest with you, I'm not sure what person I staged this piece for: a college-bound hipster majoring in psychology with a double minor in botany and art maybe?)

Chelsea and I are currently hatching a plan for the other sawhorse as we speak so you'll have to stay tuned to find out what juicy client project that will turn out to be...

Oh and the lucky buyer of the Desk family can also opt to take home uncle Chair (complete with black leather and thick retro vibes) at no extra charge. 

Industrial Sawhorse Desk [ + Hutch + Lamp + Chair]
SOLD
[Sawhorse Desk] 72"L x 17.25"D x 30"H
[Re-Configurable Hutch Drawer Shelves] 34"L x 14"W Each
Price: $245

If you are interested in this piece or a custom order like it, please contact cate@stylemutthome.com.