Olivia is Ferosch

I went to an event tonight with a friend, and the girls behind us were talking about the photographer one of them hired.

“And get this!” one said. “It says in his contract that he — or rather, him plus any other assistants he might have — has to be fed a hot meal!”

I, fortunately, rarely encounter this backlash but when I hear about it, it drives me nanners. I get that it can be pricey, but there is someone…working on their feet….carrying around about 50 pounds in equipment…for 7-12 hours…for your benefit….in a room or venue that they cannot leave…

I shot an event recently at a place that shall remain nameless where the venue (note, not the couple) refused to give my assistant or the videographers water. Yes, water.

Glamorous life, indeed!

Furniture: some questions and thoughts - cont

anonymousmidwest:

Fiiiine… persians hate you too!

Ok, so Chandelier is easy… we’re stacking your furniture till I can reach the ceiling. :-) What do you have like… 20 foot ceilings? Drywall or timber? I’m an industrious little curr… I’m sure I can figure it out.

I built a desk for myself with a door (like a front door) for the top and fence posts for the legs. It’s more like a dining room table, because it could easily seat 8-10 (it’s 80 inches long x 30 inches wide… wish I could say that about… nevermind) Aaaanyway, it’s great because I have a TON of room to spread out, and vintage doors are all hardwood. Then I made a panoramic photograph looking up from under the el tracks. Printed it on a roll printer so it was 20 inches wide by 80 inches long. It covered the whole length of the table. Modgepodged it down… I need to put glass over it, but it’s pretty cool as is. Then I took radiator flashing and rolled it over the edges of the table. It’s… the best thing I’ve ever built. I mean… I MADE IT…FROM A SALVAGED DOOR (and fence posts)

I don’t even know. Like 15/16? Drywall. Or something that’s not wood.

I actually thought about the door option right before you posted this. Which could be an option indeed. And could look cute. But might be too big.

I don’t know. Will assess this weekend but if I do that you do realize you just signed up to help me, right?

Furniture: some questions and thoughts

anonymousmidwest:

oliviaisferosch:

Wood veneer just means a little piece of wood layered over top of fake wood/particle board, correct?

Yeppers!

All the stores are using such BS PR-y language these days that I can’t tell what’s totally fake wood/particle board, what’s compressed wood, and what’s solid wood.

Case in point: the two parsons desks from West Elm that I almost bought today. “Wood construction,” it claims. A phone call to the Oak Brook store just now suggests, however, that it’s just veneer. “Is that over like particle board or compressed wood, or what?” “uumm…I’m not really sure. They don’t give us a lot of info. But I think compressed wood?”

Compressed wood = particle board

Helpful.

By which I mean not helpful at all. Especially since I would imagine it’s particle board if she has no idea? (Yes/no?)

Yes

The same thing happened at C&B last week. Firstly I saw a bed that I thought was pretty cheap. Turns out it was cheap because it was made with “engineered wood” with a veneer. Given that another one of their products was made with “compressed wood,” which a sales person explained to me was better than engineered and the modern alternative since it is just “too expensive” to make anything with real wood anymore, I will assume engineered wood = particle board, even despite compressed-wood-salesperson’s poo-pooing of IKEA and shoddy wood types and builds.

Anyway, point of all of this is that I’m frustrated! I just want two desks. Clean lines. Simple. But, for goodness sake, not made of particle board.

You’ll be paying a fortune unless you go used

I realize I probably sound like a princess, but this is much more about just not wanting to be financially and environmentally wasteful. I wish I could find that article that basically suggested that IKEA is an incredibly environmentally-irresponsible company, or, moreover, now an environmentally-irresponsible societal way of approaching living and furnishings. It’s true that’s incredibly disposable—the desk I have now (which I suppose I was good about in that it was a handmedown) definitely can’t be sold. It will be thrown out seeing as how it’s missing two feet and is bowing in the middle.

I refuse to throw money at large purchases again that will just be thrown away. I have no problem buying vintage and wish I could for these, but I imagine I would be hard pressed to find two matching desks that would work for the lifestyle I have now. A shame because the other pieces I’ve purchased vintage— namely, that 40s farm dining table — is built like a horse, will only increase in value, and will never be part of some trash heap (at least not at my hands).

Buy vintage and embrace the eclectic look of it. I think a loft with a nice persian (style) rug and two old dining tables, or desks would look really bad ass. Add in a cheap chandelier that you can spray paint and you’ve made yourself and arty, unique space that can’t just be bought by anyone. I think it lends itself to your aesthetic too… Pulling the good shit out of the past, but making it your own. Let me come by your studio and see the space where this work station will go! Worse comes to worse I know a furniture maker with a full workshop, I’m sure you could commission something out of hard wood.

NO to persian rugs. :) Not my bag. :) I do have a GREAT chandelier but I am flummoxed as to how to hang it—my ceilings are wayyy too high for it. Need to extend it somehow and I guess primarily figure out how to reach the top of my ceiling. :) You should come over some time indeed! And I will buy almost anything vintage but desks are tough IMHO. Either too heavy/clunky or too sweet and girly. But I shall continue the search. Intern starts soon though and I need something! Sigh.

Furniture: some questions and thoughts

Wood veneer just means a little piece of wood layered over top of fake wood/particle board, correct?

All the stores are using such BS PR-y language these days that I can’t tell what’s totally fake wood/particle board, what’s compressed wood, and what’s solid wood.

Case in point: the two parsons desks from West Elm that I almost bought today. “Wood construction,” it claims. A phone call to the Oak Brook store just now suggests, however, that it’s just veneer. “Is that over like particle board or compressed wood, or what?” “uumm…I’m not really sure. They don’t give us a lot of info. But I think compressed wood?”

Helpful.

By which I mean not helpful at all. Especially since I would imagine it’s particle board if she has no idea? (Yes/no?)

The same thing happened at C&B last week. Firstly I saw a bed that I thought was pretty cheap. Turns out it was cheap because it was made with “engineered wood” with a veneer. Given that another one of their products was made with “compressed wood,” which a sales person explained to me was better than engineered and the modern alternative since it is just “too expensive” to make anything with real wood anymore, I will assume engineered wood = particle board, even despite compressed-wood-salesperson’s poo-pooing of IKEA and shoddy wood types and builds.

Anyway, point of all of this is that I’m frustrated! I just want two desks. Clean lines. Simple. But, for goodness sake, not made of particle board.

I realize I probably sound like a princess, but this is much more about just not wanting to be financially and environmentally wasteful. I wish I could find that article that basically suggested that IKEA is an incredibly environmentally-irresponsible company, or, moreover, now an environmentally-irresponsible societal way of approaching living and furnishings. It’s true that’s incredibly disposable—the desk I have now (which I suppose I was good about in that it was a handmedown) definitely can’t be sold. It will be thrown out seeing as how it’s missing two feet and is bowing in the middle.

I refuse to throw money at large purchases again that will just be thrown away. I have no problem buying vintage and wish I could for these, but I imagine I would be hard pressed to find two matching desks that would work for the lifestyle I have now. A shame because the other pieces I’ve purchased vintage— namely, that 40s farm dining table — is built like a horse, will only increase in value, and will never be part of some trash heap (at least not at my hands).