Eisenhower Sofa

Based in Los Angeles, California, Thrive Home Furnishing is a division of Versa Products, Inc. They offer mid-century modern 1950’s inspired furniture inspired by classic designers such as Florence Knoll.

Great design is not the only thing they offer – shipping is always free within the continental United States and every piece of furniture comes with a 21-day guarantee. You can try them out for 21 days and if you are not 100% satisfied, they will credit back the full purchase price. They even pay the return shipping.

Matthers Credenza

Thrive Home Furnishing only use the highest quality American-based raw materials. Their products are never out-sourced – if you live in the United States and want to support the economy buying “made in U.S.A.” products, that’s good to know, right?

Nixon Chair

Their products seem to be pretty affordable. I am in the market for a new sofa, so I requested some fabric swatches. The swatches arrived within a week with a promotional code for 15% off. I have contacted a customer service inquiring which fabrics are pet friendly. They recommended “Omega,” “Doro,” and “Klein.” I am thinking about ordering “Sullivan Sofa” in “Omega Pewter” fabric.

Sullivan Sofa

I have not read any reviews on Thrive Home Furnishing – if you have any experience with them, please let me know in the comment section below. Thanks!

Nelson Basic Cabinets with Nelson Platform Bench

The reintroduction of the Nelson Basic Cabinet Series includes four chest-cabinet combinations. They are available in two colors: light brown walnut and natural oak.

Two Color Choices

Configuration possibilities are endless: The Basic Cabinet Series can be used as stand-alone furniture, as a group, or use with the Nelson Bench. They can be arranged vertically or horizontally.

Modular Storage System

After over 60 years from its original introduction, Nelson Basic Cabinet Series still perfectly fit our needs: It’s stylish, functional, and versatile – who could ask for more (I have to be honest – I wish they were a little more affordable)?!

The Nelson Basic Cabinet Series are available through many Herman Miller, Inc. authorized retailers.

Limited Edition Eames Hang-It-All

Those who ever wanted the Hang-It-All in different color scheme, here is a good news. On August 15, 2010, Eames Hang-It-All is available with black welded-steel frame and solid walnut balls for $249. This edition of Hang-It-All is a part of “Herman Miller Select,” a once-a-year limited edition release. The Select Edition Walnut Hang-It-All will be available in limited quantities, until early 2011. So, grab it before it’s too late!

Multi-Colored Eames Hang-It-All

Hang-It-All (multi-color and/or limited) Available at:

Office Designs

Smart Furniture (Free Shipping on All Herman Miller Furniture)

Highbrow Furniture

Hive Modern

Design Within Reach

and many other online retailers!

Thinking about buying Herman Miller products? Starting June 4th, 2010 and continuing through June 14th, 2010, all Herman Miller for The Home products including the work of Eames, Nelson, Noguchi and others are 15% off at many retailers.

Plan ahead and take advantage of this semi-annual sale. Some products are customizable and you can order free swatches at a retailer like SmartFurniture.com.

Also, if you register at Ebates.com and follow their link when shopping, you may be eligible for extra cash back – find out how here: I can’t guarantee cash back for all items, but it won’t hurt to try I am a member of Ebates since 2001 and earned $271.19 in cash back! For example, you get 3% cash back shopping at Design Within Reach using Ebates.

Aqua Sky Armchair with Eiffel Legs

The Eames molded plastic chairs were first introduced in 1948. They were the first industrially mass produced one-piece plastic chairs. Originally, the shells were made with fiberglass-infused plastic. Today’s Eames molded plastic chairs are manufactured with more environmentally friendly materials, 100% recyclable polypropylene. The chairs are even more environmentally friendly now that they are made in the United States to reduce their manufacturing carbon footprint.

Java Shell Chair with Dowel Legs

Charles and Ray Eames’ clean, simple, and enduring design have been loved by many since they were first introduced more than 60 years ago. Good design is timeless – The Eames molded plastic chairs perfectly fit in the category.

Available at:

Some people had asked me to post more detailed instructions, so here it is – I did my best. This is not a carpentry blog, so please forgive me if the instructions are somewhat vague…

Caution before you tackle this project:

• If you have a question, please feel free to contact me. However, I am not a professional furniture builder – I may not be able to answer questions that are too technical.
• I am not sure how strong this bed will be in the long run.
• If you don’t have basic carpentry skills, find someone who does to help you.
• I cannot be responsible if the bed doesn’t turn out right for you.

Instructions:

1. Build a support (bottom) frame – this part will not show once the bed is complete

a. Lay four (4) 2 x 6 pieces flat and attach (screw) them together with wood glue and four (4) metal braces.

b. Attach (screw) three (3) 2 x 4 pieces inside of the 2 x 6 frame with wood glue and five (5) metal braces for additional support.

c. Attach all eight (8) legs.

d. Attache two (2) L-shaped metal braces for a headboard. Attach while the bottom frame is still upside down. You will need to prop the bottom frame up to do this. Leave an enough space for the headboard to slide in (between the support frame and corner of the braces).

e. Flip the bottom frame once the glue is dry.

2. Attach (glue and screw) the top frame to the support (bottom) frame – the top frame is the visible part of the bed. The side and foot pieces overhangs by 2″ – be sure to screw where the mattress covers the screw holes. Use clamps!

3. Attach (glue and screw) slats to the support (bottom) frame.

4. Fill the screw holes with wood filler, sand and stain the top frame. Follow manufacturer’s instruction.

5. Headboard

a. I used iron-on oak veneer edge banding for edges. I then sanded and stained before attaching it to the body.

b. Attach the headboard. Be sure to use the short screws for the upper part of the L-shaped braces (so they don’t go through to the other side). Screw (with longer screws) into the support (bottom) frame as well.

6. Finished product.

Material List:
This material list is to make a queen size bed that measures 64” W x 82” L. You may need to make adjustments according to your needs and the size of your mattress.

You should be able to obtain all the materials locally except the hairpin legs. You will need to order the legs from hairpinlegs.com. These legs are made to order, so I recommend ordering them ahead of a time.

You will need a lot of different kind/size screws. I cannot remember exactly what kind/size of screws I used. All I can say is that you would want to use the strongest/longest screws possible for maximum support. If you are not sure what kind/size of screws you need, please consult with a store associate (good luck!) where you are purchasing your materials.

For the Support (bottom) Frame:
The support (bottom) frames measures 58” W x 79” L. The top frame will over hang the bottom frame by 2” on each side and foot of the bed.

* 2 – 79” 2 x 6
* 2 – 47” 2 x 6
* 1 – 68” 2 x 4
* 2 – 22″ 2 x 4
* 9 – 10” metal braces
* Screws to attach the metal braces
* 6 to 8 – 8” Hairpin legs (only four legs are visible from outside – I used four hairpin legs and four wooden legs, but I recommend using the same type of legs because it can be hard to match the height of the two different kind of legs)
* Screws to attach the hairpin legs
* 2 – 10” L-shaped metal braces to attach a headboard
* Screws to attach the L-shaped braces to the support frame

L Shape Brace

For the Top Frame:
* 1 – 64” 1 x 6 red oak board
* 2 – 76 ½” 1 x 6 red oak board
* 1 – 52 ½” 1 X 3 red oak board
* Screws

For the Slats:
* 11 – 52.5” 1 x 4 (you may need more/less 1 x 4s depending on your spacing between slats)
* Screws

For the Headboard:
* 1 – 22” x 64” Furniture grade oak plywood – I cut a notch on each side (bottom)
* Screws to attach the headboard to the L-shaped metal braces which are already attached to the support frame
* Iron-on oak veneer edge banding

Tools:
*Drill
*Saw
*Clamps
*Wood glue
*Tape measure
*Pencil
*Carpenter’s square
*Sanding block or paper (150 grit)
*Wood filler
*Safety glasses
*Wood stain of your choice and tools recommended for applying the stain

Whether you are looking for authentic originals, licensed reproductions, or unlicensed lookalikes, you may find the special piece you have been looking for at Lushpad – just browse through their website and find out! If you don’t find what you are looking for, you can place a “wanted” ad for free.

Selling your surplus mid century modern furniture on Lushpad is easy. You can list your item for up to three months with just one listing fee. There are no commissions or back-end fees on your sold items. Sign up for a FREE account and start selling! Be sure to use discount code TWEET50 and get 50% off ad listing fees until the end of March, 2010.

Listing Pricing Information (as of February 2010):
Wanted items – FREE
Items under $250 – FREE
Items between $250 and $800 – $8
Items over $800 – $12

For more information, visit Lushpad website.

Hairpin Legs by Ian Maclean

Ian is a fifth generation cabinet maker and metal fabricator. He uses his expert eye for detail, design, and style to create custom furniture pieces and hardware for his customers around the world. All of his products are handmade, using only the highest quality materials. Ian offers hairpin legs in many sizes to suit your needs. He also offers the hairpin legs with the third rod, which are stiffer than the traditional hairpin legs. If you need a table top to match the legs, he offers it as well! If you would want to give mid century modern flair to your DIY furniture, be sure to visit Ian’s website, hairpinlegs.com. You won’t be disappointed!

Her Side

My plan was to use the leftover oak plywood sheet from the bed project. When I bought the 4’ x 8’ sheet at a local hardware store, I had them cut into pieces. For legs, I used a set of vintage hairpin legs I already had. Each nightstand would have a storage space with a door and a separate storage area for books and/or knick-knacks. Surprisingly, building the nightstands was harder than building the bed. The measurements had to be super precise – unlike the bed, 1/16 of an inch difference made a difference! I measured twice, but still cut twice (if not more)… The hardest part was fitting and attaching the doors. No matter what I did, the doors were crooked. It was hard to evenly space the doors top and bottom without leaving too much/less gaps. I was so frustrated that I even thought of just gluing it onto the body.

His Side

We stained the body with the same color as the bed. We wanted the doors to be something different, so we bought a colored stain called “Mandarin Orange.” We thought the color would tie into the color of the wall application. The color of the doors didn’t really turn out as we wanted it to be though. It looks more red than orange… After attaching the knobs, the color didn’t bother me too much. I am happy that now I have a pair of matching nightstands that fit our needs – and they are one of a kind no one else has

My First Eames Fiberglass Chair

Now that I learned how to restore the Eames fiberglass shell chairs, I decided to tackle another project. I was going to restore one of the two orange arm shells I purchased online a few years ago. I have been using one with a rocker base and the other with an Eiffel base. After the purchase, I used a fiberglass cleaner designed for boats to clean and polish them. They were not as shiny as I wanted them to be, so I decided to try the restoration method I learned from a website called “chairfag.com” to restore the fiberglass back to its original luster. It’s a really good website that walks you through an arm shell shock mount removal and fiberglass restoration with a lot of pictures. If you are planning to restore your shell chair, you should definitely check it out.

Sanding the Chair

I set up a working area outside, since it requires a wet sanding. I pulled a garden hose and filled the bottom of my chair with water. Gearing up with a safety glasses, a mask and a pair of thick vinyl gloves, I started to sand the chair with a fine sanding block. With the garden hose, I wet the area as I sanded to prevent fiberglass dust from getting all over the place. There were some tiny paint spots on my chair I didn’t notice before. I got rid of them by sanding the chair as well.

Cleaning the Chair

Once I sanded the entire chair, I rinsed it with water and gave it a sponge bath with Oxyclean to remove the embedded dirt as much as possible. Then I let it air dry.

Applying Penetrol

The next step was to coat the chair with a product called “Penetrol” that I picked up at Home Depot. To do this, I moved the working area to my porch. The porch was a perfect spot as it was well ventilated and had a minimum effect from the wind and dust. Penetrol is an oil paint conditioner that is also used to restore fiberglass. I first applied the coat to the bottom of the chair and let it set for a few hours. I then attached the base, flipped the chair over and applied Penetrol to the rest of the chair.

Before

The chair is now shiny and looks much better than it was.

After

Disclaimer – this post is just to share my experience and not intended as a tutorial to restore your chair. If you are restoring your chair, I would recommend you research well before tackling your restoration project.