More 50's stuff

[sofadoc]

I posted a few months ago about the rash of 50's style furniture that I've been getting in lately.
Today I picked up all this from ONE living room:

10 chairs like this:


2 long sofas like the one in the truck, and 4 chairs like the ones in the street:


As well as umpteen various cushions, pillows, ottomans.
I realize that the 4 living room chairs aren't technically 50's style, but she wants them re-styled to match the sofas as much as possible.

[bobbin]

Very cool!  I'm not so nuts about the side chairs (weird backs), but the pcs. should work together nicely.  Is the fabric selection a nice one for the styles?

(you need awnings on those windows!I'm thinking a one or two nice roll outs with your name on the valence... "the doctor is in")

[Mike]

Ya and gir rid of that weed groing there ;)
I agree on the aw ings though wha color
Bobbin. Not old fashion green?

[kodydog]

The chairs look like Art Deco to me. I'd redo them just like they are. But you have to do what the customer wants. I'd be neat to find a manufactures stamp inside the frame.

I like the weed, gives the building character.

[lc]

That is so  cool !!
..the sofa I have seen before , not that style of chair though. Tis a bit ugly .
I have been getting more and more customers wanting to bring that stuff back with really modern materials and it can look pretty darn classy.. I still have the ones that want them to look somewhat original such as the chrome table and chairs done in something like a Pub Glaze vinyl with the oxford tacks ..its all coming back around slowly...might keep us in a job eh !???  

[bobbin]

I don't know about color... maybe something in a soft buff/beige with a quiet stripe with maybe a shot of the red/burgundy in it?  It gets pretty hot in Texas and I think a paler palette would reflect more sun and it would absorb less heat than something darker...

(awnings can cut air-conditioning costs by up to 30%)

[kodydog]

(awnings can cut air-conditioning costs by up to 30%)

That's neat Bobbin. Something I learned while living in Charleston. Cornices used to serve a function besides a decorative window treatment. Place a cornice above a double hung window and open the top and bottom window. The cornice will trap the heat. And the top window will suck the hot air out just like a vacuum.

With the price of energy these old time ideas may come full circle.

[sofadoc]

The front room of my shop that faces the street is not air conditioned, only the work room in the back has A/C.
The city of Greenville makes you give up your first born in exchange for a permit to install awnings.
Most awnings and canopies in the downtown Greenville area don't last through one season of violent storms.
The weedy vine can withstand even the deadliest poison. It literally grows right out of thin air. The city cuts it back every now and then, but they don't want just any knucklehead cutting around their power lines.
The building was once an Opry house, where the C/W singer Collin Ray got his start. The stage is still in the back. The building to the left was a USO club back in the day.
Like a lot of small towns, Greenville gravitated toward the interstate highway, and left downtown to rot. It has been on the upswing the last few years though. Many neglected buildings have been restored. And retail is coming back to downtown.  

[bobbin]

That's why I suggested roll out awnings!  You crank 'em out to shade the windows/deflect rain and you crank 'em back in when it's windy or you get a line of heavy, wind driven thunderstorms.  They work easily (keep the gudgens greased if it's the old style) and look sharp. 

I know what you mean about towns/cities taking control of awnings... we regularly deal with the historic commission in a couple of towns.  But they know us and now know that we understand the necessity of maintaining the historic character... we never propose vinyls or "in your face" welded frames... icko!

A lot of the old mill towns in a 30-50 mile radius are experiencing a bit of a "come back", too.  Endless strip malls with acres of asphalt are finally losing their "appeal".  Mercifully!

[sofadoc]

I would love awnings. I was really impressed with the awning pics that you (Bobbin) posted last year.
There are a few logistical problems with my storefront.
Our beloved city govt. let so many downtown buildings rot for so long. Now they're trying to make up for past sins by enforcing ridiculous codes on anyone who wants to restore or remodel downtown buildings.
Second, the corrugated facade just above my plate glass windows isn't substantial enough to support any awning framework. The frames would have to be mounted higher on the brick area, which would necessitate relocating power lines (more permits).
Most sewn-canvas awnings around here don't last long. I'm not sure why, but I don't see many roll-outs in this area. In fact, I can't think of a single one right now.
I get calls all the time from local businesses who want me to repair or replace their awnings. Not my cup o' tea.
If I did install awnings on my shop, the city would probably just raise my property taxes.

[gene]

I never knew that about cornice boards. That's a great idea.

Sailrite has videos on making awnings. I've thought of putting an awning over the second floor bedroom window that faces SW.

How about a roller shade or Roman shade that reflects the UV rays back out onto the street. I wonder how energy efficient they are.

You could always put that reflective stuff on your windows that make it look like a giant mirror, and see where the reflection hits through out the day.

It is a shame that so many city governments have no interest in economical development. All they are about is control. And if they educate too many inner city folks or allow too many businesses to exist, they feel that they will loose control.

gene

PS: My wife got angry at me recently for something that I don't remember and couldn't have cared less about at the time. I told her, "Hey! Being a horses' ass doesn't come natural for me. I have to work at it." I don't know why but she did not find that funny.

[bobbin]

While there is little point in beating a dead horse I will add the following thoughts on awnings. 

The advent of air-conditioning was whole-heartedly embraced by those in the "sun belt".  It was a real break from the oppressive heat and humidity that is part of the summer in so much of our country.  Energy was cheap and so the cost of implementing it wasn't out of reach for many.  And the result was that old "technologies" went by the wayside.  Awnings, selective planting and maintenance of shade trees were two casualties.  Both require planning and maintenace and neither will last forever. 

The lack of roll out awnings in your community, Sofa., is most likely the result of that.  They are mechanical, require routine greasing and attention to function smoothly and easily.  The canopies must be restitched and replaced with time.  And, you have to crank them out and back in at the end of the day.  So, they require "work".  But, if you look carefully at vintage photographs of streetscapes from nearly any city/town you will see them well represented. 

A funny aside about "control".  A friend of mine owned an awning/canvas business in maritime Canada.  The "historic" commission was all up in arms about allowing a business to put up an awning, "not in character with the neighborhood".  My friend went to library and historical society and copied over a dozen photographs from the late 1880s-1940s... yup, the shots clearly showed awnings on most of the windows!  And the oldest shots showed that the business owners weren't above draping old, worn sails over the windows to keep out the sun.  The busness owner was allowed to have his awning. 

Gene, I put awnings on the south windows of our home in the mid-90s..  Doing so reduced the interior temperature of our living room by nearly 10 degrees.  When I added the canopy over the deck on the west side of our home the temperature was again reduced.  We don't air conditions and the difference has beennight and day.  Keeping the sun off the glass (which transfers heat to inside) has made a huge improvement in the interior comfort.  With awings over the windows we can leave them open on the really humid days when you can expect thunderstorms, we don't have to worry about rain coming in the windows.   

(I never knew that about cornice boards, either!)

[sofadoc]

I think I can still hear a feint whinnie from that horse. So I'll add a few more blows. :D

If you tour most any historical home, not only will you see awnings used to their full advantage, you'll also see strategic placement of windows and doors to obtain maximum air circulation.
In one of Dallas's older, but still upscale neighborhoods, homeowners are battling historical preservationists over the right to eliminate many huge windows from their homes. After all, they've got those big ozone-depleting freon boxes crankin' full blast. It's funny how you'll hear someone say that the older homes "just weren't very energy efficient", when actually, they were designed to require less man-made energy.

But having said all that, the front half of my shop isn't air conditioned anyway, so it really acts as a giant awning for my seperate workroom in the back half (which IS A/C'd). So other than appearance, awnings would add little benefit in my situation.

As it is now, my electric bill (which includes water, sewer, and trash pick up) runs about $100 mo. from Oct-Mar, and $200 from Apr-Sep. 

Reminds me of the one about the blonde who refused to pay the installer for her new storm windows, because he promised her that they would "pay for themselves" ;D