More Sotto Love

Happy Saturday, everyone.  Here's a nice little weekend read, an article on the brick oven that Sotto is building!  The first of it's kind in the LA area and there's only one kind of table to eat it's delicious pizzas off of!

Hand-Built Neapolitan Pizza Oven

Croft, Table for 60?

Ah, yes, that's us.  Croft House is super excited to announce that we'll be building the table tops for Sotto, one of LA's hippest new restaurants to be!  Located at 9575 W. Pico Blvd, Sotto has snatched up the real estate that was formerly occupied by Test Kitchen.  Sotto is the brainchild of Chefs Steve(Samson) and Zach(Pollack) who were honored by Star Chefs as rising stars in 2010 with their first restaurant Osteria Ortica, located in Orange County.  

Follow the goingson of Sotto on twitter @sottoLA and show your support for Chefs Steve and Zach by giving them a big facebook thumbs up.

Croft House will happily be providing more than 25 reclaimed wood dining tables in the form of custom versions of the Mossam Dining Table and a patchworked version of the Railcar Dining Table.   The restaurant opens in late February/early March, so check back here for more photos!!

The Print 'n Press

One of the things we take pride in here at Croft is our love for and celebration of unique prints like this.  We pick our moulding and prints very carefully, and then bring the piece together in the original Croft House workshop.  In order to put the moulding together we use a piece of machinery called a V-Nailer which basically allows us to join the moulding so that the frame is at a perfect right angle.  Here's our favorite video on how to operate one of these complex pieces of machinery.

How To Use A V-Nailer

Ohhhh, yes.  Sadly, the Croft House V-Nailer has been out of commission for about a month.  Never fear, at this very moment we're currently taking the steps to get it working like new, so before long we'll  have quite a few more of our beloved prints lining the walls of 326 N. La Brea.  We'll keep you updated and check back here, the site, and La Brea to see what we've come up with!

The Greed Bag - Using Greed to Your Advantage

One of the most unique pieces in the Croft House showroom on La Brea has nothing to do with reclaimed wood at all(though it is 77% hemp & 23% recycled polyester).  It's what we've fondly come to call "The Greed Bag".  At just slightly under 3' x 6' this piece is most commonly compared to "laying on a cloud". It's obscenely comfortable, and though we've never been privy to the luxury of lying on actual clouds, one is left with the impression that this is that luxury. Sadly, more often than not, it's stared at incredulously until one of our staff recommends giving it a try.  Enter the feeling of complete relaxation and the internal debate - how do I use it?  

We struggled with this very question during the design phase of the piece.  We knew we loved it. We knew it works. But we couldn't decide what to do with it. How could we justify this greed? Where would we put it? For any of you out there struggling with this same guilt, here's the answer...

The Living Room.  Literally anywhere in the living room. The greed bag is insanely easy to move  and provides cozy additional seating in any spot you like.  It makes for great seating around a coffee table during games or dinner and it's the perfect height (as well as a dream to sit on).  It truly is the ultimate lounge cushion.

How often do you eat dinner around your coffee table? How often are you fighting for space as everyone crams on to the couch and only uses half of the table? Why don't you just sit on the floor on the opposite side? Why don't YOU just sit on the floor on the opposite side?!  Personally, I have more meals in this setting than I do at my own Mossam Dining Table. Shameless plug? Maybe so, but the point still stands.  With the Greed Bag, the entire coffee table is opened up to sitting or kneeling around, and no views are obstructed when it's not in use.

Does your roommate, Eddie, constantly sprawl out across the couch citing his lower back pain as vindication? The greed bag is long enough to address that as well.  It also lends itself beautifully as another spot to stick a slumber party guest. Dibs couch? Try dibs Greed Bag.  

Unfortunately, at the moment the Greed Bag is only available in store. So if you're in the area we propose you come and give it a lay.  Enter the feeling of complete relaxation but spare yourself the debate.

Need any help with that?

He didn't.  This is the bottom of a 17' long board of solid reclaimed pine as he loaded it into the saw... on his own.  At the moment Croft House is reusing the pine out of an apartment building in New York City that was built around the turn of the last century.  The thickness of each board of the reclaimed wood varies so they're put through a saw that shaves a thin layer off of the top. This is done in an attempt to get each board to a similar thickness.  This piece in particular is only days away from becoming handmade furniture like our Railcar Dining Table!!!

Artwork from 'The Break-up', and how to avoid one during your remodeling!

Today, while researching different design blogs, I came across a great article about the artwork from the apartment from 'The Break-Up'.  I have always loved the apartment (even though clearly they need some more reclaimed wood furniture from croft house), and love the argument they get into about the "puffy paint clouds" vs "aesthetic."  Needless to say, we get lots of couples in here who have been through a lot redecorating and even remodeling, and are somewhat emotionally drained from the process.  This is a tough place to be, and we know that - thats why we try to make it a point to remind people that both parties will be sharing this place, and with sharing its never %50-%50, its %100 - %100.  You both gotta love it! And you will...

If your feeling bogged down, frustrated, or spent with the process - and find yourself arguing about drapes or kitchen island heights, please remember that Rome wasn't built in a day.  Make an agreement with your significant other to not worry/talk/look at/or debate about anything related to redoing or buying for the house for 1 week (if your on a deadline, make it 48 hours).  Take this time to enjoy one another, and what you have accomplished.  It is very important to get settled in the new home/office/nursery/etc. but not at the expense of your happiness and relationship.  I promise that if you can do this, you will return to the task with a fresh set of eyes.  More often then not, you might find that it wasn't the crimson drapes you found to be "overbearing and intense" - it might have just been the energy around the decision!

For more tips on how to design your house with your partner stay tuned!!

CHECK US OUT ON APARTMENT THERAPY! A GREAT RESOURCE FOR ALL THE DESIGN INCLINED

Croft House Modern Reclaimed Wood Furniture on Apartment Therapy

Our friend Bethany Nauert at apartment therapy was kind enough to walk into our store and expeirence the same inspiration from our modern reclaimed wood furniture that our clients do!  She has extensive knowledge in the world where design and photography live together, and we were so happy to have her in the store with us!  It was really fun for us to explore where our store concept originated from (as we are usually too busy to think of esoteric musings) - she was able to really capture the spirit of our business, and the heart of Croft House furniture.   I love the picture she took of our reclaimed wood platform bed, and especially the pictures of my grandfathers pipes.

-- Funny side note about the pipes - at christmas this year, I told my 93 year old grandfather that his pipes had be published and that his pipes were famous.  Without missing a beat, he looked me in the eye and said 'I know, why do you think they took the picture.'  For those of you that know Bob Barbieri this is practically a predictable answer.  I draw a lot of inspiration from my grandparents (all 4 of who had impecable taste, and larger than life accents from around the world in their homes).

Croft House Strength Test.MOV

This is a strength test video that we did a while back to show everyone how strong our furniture is. Its amazing that this reclaimed wood is 200 - 4oo years old and is strong enough to hold so much weight.

We really pride ourselves on making furniture that is sure to last. A few days after we shot this video, I was near HD Buttercup (a retailer who Croft House gets compared to a lot) and I decided to go in and test the strength of their furniture. I was sure that it would be just as strong - but to my amazement, nothing even came close!

We joke sometimes that after the apocalypse their will be nothing but cockroaches and Croft House furniture haha.

We are first jumping on our Railcar Dining Table, and secondly our Railcar Desk. Both of which are made from reclaimed heart pine from an old apartment building in Times Square, New York City. These pieces make great green loft furniture, and yet also some how also fit into comfy sustainable venice style pads as well.

I hope our videos in the future are more professional, but no less whimsical!

EMAIL SCHME-MAIL

Hello Customers and Friends!

With the launch of the new website last night - our email suddenly stopped working.  As of 1:30 this afternoon the kinks are all worked out and it is back up and running.  If you sent an email to anyone between the hours of 10pm last night and 1:30pm today - please resend it, we look forward to hearing from you!

CROFTHOUSE UNVEILS IT'S RETAIL WEBSITE

We are excited to unveil to the public our first retail web presence.  Things are moving full speed ahead.  Check out the website and visit our new retail location at 326 North La Brea Boulevard - Los Angeles 90036!