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Nugget of the Week: Spruce TV and More!

By keegan | Published: July 9, 2010

IMPORTANT NEWS BULLETIN! Spruce has teamed up with Chris Hatcher Pictures to film the pilot episode of what we hope becomes a hit new show!  Chris has been filming us all week, and hopes to have the pilot ready this fall; stay tuned and we will let you know how it develops.  It has been so much fun to have Chris with us in the studio; he is hilarious and very reassuring.  Since he is always behind the camera, I thought I’d turn the tables to give everyone an introduction to our new friend and honorary Sprucette:

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I have to tell you that it is slightly alarming to know that you are being filmed (in HIGH DEF) while sweating it out in an un air-conditioned workshop, but Chris assures us that smell-o-vision has not yet been invented, so y’all are safe.  It has been unusually stinky this week because we’ve been stripping down a new fleet of old furniture, most of which have seen better (read: less rained on) days.  Here’s a sneak peek at our new ducklings, before they become swans:

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And here is “Team Blonde,” getting (overly?) excited about our new projects:

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We will keep you posted on how these unique pieces turn out.  Until next time, have a great weekend!

Posted in Before and Afters, Keegan, Nugget of the Week, The Sprucettes | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Before and Afters

By lizzie | Published: July 7, 2010

With so much going on around the shop (like a new bus in the works, the 4th of July holiday, and general day-to-day busyness) it’s been a little while since we’ve posted some before and after photos of what we’ve been reinventing in the workshop.  Here are some before and after shots of some recent makeovers.

First, a sofa for sale in our shop and on Etsy:  This sofa got a makeover that included losing the odd-sized back cushions for an attached pillow back, and getting a warm, new, nubby fabric that looks crisp and snuggley at the same time.

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Eisenhower Sofa

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This client’s super cute pair of slipper chairs left a dark hiding place in the garage to take their place front and center:

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Fabrics from Romo have been really popular lately!  They have great design and color, nice pattern scale for furniture, and are printed on a linen that has just the right amount of roughness to it.  Here are three projects featuring fabrics from Romo:

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Posted in Before and Afters, Lizzie, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Inspiration of the Week: Rugs

By amanda | Published: July 4, 2010

One thing I love about my current house is the wooden floors. They add warmth to a space yet are incredibly practical (especially with 2 cats, 1 dog, and an outdoorsy husband). However, one of the things I love the most is the need for area rugs on hardwoods. Amazingly, I have yet to commit to anything for my house; I’ve been too busy reupholstering my furniture, I guess. But, I have a stack of magazines dog-eared with my top picks, and I’m itching to pull the trigger on a large rug for my living room. Here are some of my favorites.

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Follow the links below to find these and more:

Calypso St. Barth

Anthropologie

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Another option weighing on my mind is a custom-made rug by Globalweave, one of the textile companies available at Spruce. They can make a custom rug for your space from ANY design in an endless number of colors. The possibilities are mind-boggling!

Posted in Amanda, Inspiration of the Week, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Nugget of the Week: New Retail and Fourth-of-July Pixie!

By Meredith | Published: July 2, 2010

The first nugget of the week is a few exciting additions to our shop! We have just completed an AMAZING Mid Century sofa. We acquired this from a spry eighty-year-old woman who was kind enough to give me a lesson  in penmanship while she was here in the studio (apparently the way I hold my pen is going to give me shoulder pain, who knew). We fell in love with the shape and overall look of the sofa. If you look closely, the ends of the back have an almost “wing-like” shape to them. We took this guy down to the bones and when rebuilding decided to give it an attached cushion in the back. Keegan did an amazing job, and boy is this sofa comfortable! Perfect sofa for napping I think :) . Come in and take a sit for yourself on the Eisenhower Sofa, you will NOT want to get up.

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Wing Tips!

We have also had a few vintage additions in the form of lamps to our shop. Go online and take a peak or come by the store.

Lamps Galore!

There is someone too cute not to mention at the shop this week. It’s our own “Fourth-of-July” Pixie! She went to the groomers this week and they pulled out all of the stops by giving her a new do and some festive accessories. The second those bows were on her ears she was itching to get them off, but they were too adorable to remove. After a few days, those bows were history, but take a look at how cute our little lady is!

She performs well for her mother :)

Check out the bows and collar!

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Also, Amanda took the plunge this week and went sky-diving! As soon as she was done she was ready for more. What a thrill! Maybe this will have to be our next Sprucette event. We will keep you posted. :)

Pixie's Mom and Dad after the big jump!

Safe landing!

Awesommmmmmme!!!

Posted in Nugget of the Week | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Celebrate the Fourth with Willie!

By keegan | Published: June 30, 2010

As subscribers already know, Austin Tidbits is currently featuring our Willie Nelson pillows!

For those of you readers who, like myself, do not hail from Texas, let me just tell you that Willie is a Big Deal down here.  No, wait, he is a HUGE deal.  Not that he isn’t an icon throughout the world, but down here it is personal.  Willie bought some land here in the mid-seventies, and Austinites have been beaming with pride ever since.  Granted, Texas has its fair share of celebrities, but I’d wager to say that none is more beloved than Mr. Nelson.

Born in Abbott Texas, he wrote his first song at the young age of seven, and seventy years later, he is still writing and touring.  In addition to his outstanding achievements in music, film and literature, Willie is also known for his activism;  he contributes to numerous causes including Willie Nelson’s Biodiesel, NORML, FarmAid and The Animal Welfare Institute.

He also hosts a huge “picnic” (a.k.a. music and fun extravaganza) to celebrate July 4th.  What began outside Dripping Springs in 1973 will this year be at The Backyard, and tickets are still available!

Check out these two beautiful concert posters for the event, past and present:

Even if you can’t attend, you can still celebrate Willie, and the Fourth, AND Spruce, by stopping by and picking up your very own Willie pillow.

Have a great Willie Nelson fourth of July!

Posted in Around Town, Keegan | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Inspiration of the Week: Get out of Town!

By lizzie | Published: June 28, 2010

I am dying to take a summer trip!  My hubby and I have been talking about taking a road trip somewhere.  As the summer days fly by, our aspirations have gotten less and less grand.  It started as a road trip to the Grand Canyon (I’ve never been) and has become, “hmm….maybe we can squeeze in a weekend trip to the coast”–which, really would be heavenly and just as welcome.  The last few days I have been torturing myself looking at various destinations online.  While a trip to some tropical paradise would be lovely, it’s not going to happen this year.  BUT–there are some cool things closer to home and I think maybe we should venture west to Marfa!

Everyone who’s been to Marfa, Texas loves it–and why not?  Great landscapes (with Mystery Lights!), great art, cool places to stay, and a Prada store that it’s impossible to do any damage in because it is sealed.

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We worked with Liz Lambert on some furniture for her Hotel St. Cecilia and I’d love to check out her Marfa digs at El Cosmico.  Their website describes it as “part vintage trailer, yurt and teepee hotel and campground, part creative lab, greenhouse and amphitheatre – a community space that fosters and agitates artistic and intellectual exchange.”  If that’s not inspiration, I don’t know what is.  But really…I just want to spend the night in an El Cosmico teepee.

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Posted in Inspiration of the Week, Lizzie, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nugget of the Week: 1973 VW Bus

By amanda | Published: June 24, 2010

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For the last month, I’ve had some VERY exciting news brewing. The Sprucettes have needed a Spruce-mobile for a while, and what could be better than a vintage 1973 Volkswagen Bus for our travels?! This week, we debut a few photos of the our newest addition, mid-restoration. We have several more weeks before this diamond-in-the-rough makes its grand entrance, but don’t worry, we’ll be keeping you up to speed as it progresses.

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Now we just have to come up with a name. So far, we’re considering Chair-y and Chair-iot. If you have any ideas, we’d love your input. Have a great weekend!

Posted in Amanda, Nugget of the Week, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Fabric: Get a Silhouette!

By Meredith | Published: June 23, 2010

Something that I have loved to see have a resurgence in popular design is the use of a silhouette. I remember going to Disney World as a girl and getting a custom silhouette made and framed. My sister and I thought they were the neatest thing, and loved that even our eyelashes were cut out! Talk about some detail, and as an adult I wish my eye lashes were as long as they were shown in the cut-out (girls you know what I’m talking about). Well that was a LONG time ago, and in the last few years, I have often seen this older form of capturing people used throughout new design.

A little history behind the silhouette cutting is that it originated in the early 1700s in Europe. Silhouette cutters were hired to amuse the royal class. They would come to balls and galas and cut out distinguished guests showing off the latest fashions and elaborate wigs of the time. The name “Silhouette” comes from the Finance Minister of France at the time, Etienne de Silhouette, who taxed the French people mercilessly. It was said that he was more amused by the paper cut-outs than the welfare of the people. So the name Silhouette stuck. Who knew?!

Look at those eye lashes!!

The "Silhouette Man" Tim Arnold hard at work

Not only are silhouettes being used in the traditional sense, but they are now incorporated into other areas of design. Some of the most unique fabrics and wallpapers I have seen lately have used the silhouette in a playful way. Osborne and Little puts a great spin on this with their wallpapers including people and dogs! Not only have fabric manufacturers added this to their  offerings, but artists and designers have as well. Below are a few fantastic examples of today’s new use of the silhouette.

Osborne and Little Walk in the Park Wallpaper

Quadrille Lyford Pagoda

Osborne and Little Clarendon Wallpaper

West Elm Pillow

Kara Walker Installation

Window Silluohettes by ArtConductor

There are also some great DIY projects showing you how to create silhouettes of your family, friends and pets. I even did one for my family two Christmases ago. You know we are some serious dog lovers here, so I wouldn’t be surprised if some day you see a few cut-outs of Pixie and Gumbo! It only seems fitting, since they are Spruce royalty :) .

Meredith's Christmas Project (sorry a little blurry)

In exciting similar news, Austin Tidbits will be mentioning next Tuesday (the 29th) our own version of the silhouette, the Willie Pillow! If you purchase a Willie Pillow between June 29th and July 15th, mention the Tidbits listing to receive a discounted rate of $65. Check it out!

Posted in Fabrics, Meredith, history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Inspiration of the Week: Pool Furniture

By keegan | Published: June 21, 2010

I spent this weekend at my neighborhood pool, soaking up the sun, catching up on my reading, and splashin’ around with my friends.

Shipe park and pool is an amazing little getaway right in my neighborhood.  For the price of ZERO dollars (thanks, Parks and Recreation Department!), you’ve got yourself a little piece of heaven.

The only thing that could make this place better, besides unlimited snow cones, would be some poolside furniture, not that I don’t enjoy laying on the grass!  I just happen to love outdoor furniture.  So while I was relaxing and soaking up the sun, I couldn’t help but imagine rows of these:

Or maybe even THIS:

Only upholstered in maybe THIS (from Trina Turk for Schumacher):

Or, THIS (from Duralee):

Or THIS (from Sunbrella):

Can you even imagine how great this octopus would look in an awesome glittery vinyl? (Note:  this is probably impossible, but I like to dare to dream).

Hey, everyone takes their work home with them, right?  I just take mine to the pool as well.  It also got me thinking about some of my favorite poolside pieces Spruce has done in the past:

There is no better way to beat the heat than to sit by the pool, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it in style!  Do you have some outdoor pieces that need a little burst of fun color?  We have a ton of great outdoor fabrics; swing by and check ‘em out on your way to your neighborhood pool – just don’t forget the sunscreen.

Posted in Inspiration of the Week, Keegan | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Nugget of the Week: Dinner, Cupcakes, and Pimm’s Cups!

By lizzie | Published: June 18, 2010

The lovely Keegan hosted a Sprucette dinner at her house Tuesday evening!  We pooled our resources and had delicious chicken tacos for dinner, dessert from Hey Cupcake (BTW, the new Sweetberry flavor is total yums!), and Pimm’s Cups throughout the evening.  Should you want a refreshing, great-for-billion-degree-heat drink, the Pimm’s Cup could be for you!

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Here’s how we made it, which was quite good, I must say.

In a lowball glass filled with ice, pour in a shot of Pimm’s, fill the rest with Sprite, and garnish with cucumber, orange,a twist of lemon and mint.  Easy breezy.

I failed to mention on dinner night, that the Pimm’s Cup is the signature drink of my all-time favorite restaurant in New Orleans, The Napoleon House.  There’s something about the opera music playing, the charming decay of the paint peeling off the walls, and the tangy smell of olive salad that takes me through time and makes me really happy.

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Here’s the story of the Napoleon House, taken from their website:

The building’s first occupant, Nicholas Girod, was mayor of New Orleans from 1812 to 1815.  He offered his residence to Napoleon in 1821 as a refuge during his exile.

Napoleon never made it, but the name stuck, and since then, the Napoleon House has become one of the most famous bars in America, a haunt for artists and writers throughout most of  the 20th century.

Owned and operated by the Impastato family since 1914, it’s a place that suspends you in time, where you can hear Beethoven’s Eroiqua, which he composed for Napoleon, and the music of other classical masters, while sipping a Pimm’s Cup, and basking in an ambiance that could only be New Orleans.

Cheers!  Have a great weekend and don’t forget Dad on Sunday!

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