Since starting Ziggy Sawdust, I have become a bit of a furniture snob. I like Scandinavian designs, walnut veneers, Queen Anne legs... and above all, things with a bit of character and charm!
One thing that does not fit into the above categories is pine. Pine is almost as bad as flat-packed in my books. It makes me react like the Wicked Witch of the West in a down-pour!
So you can imagine my reaction when my mother un-earthed the bashed up pine chest of drawers that has been living in our garage since it was removed from my childhood bedroom .. with it's orange-y varnish, knotted wood and a scratched surfaces, this was one piece of furniture that I wouldn't mind seeing in a skip!
But being lovers of the 'waste-not-want-not' mantra, my mum decided that she would like me to work some Ziggy magic on it and bring it back to life... I knew it wouldn't be an easy feat, but I decided to valiantly rise to the challenge and see what I could do...
So first things first, it was time to sand back all the varnish, scratches, permanent marker doodles and nail varnish stains. It seems I started my love for furniture redesigning at an early age!
But with a bit of elbow grease, it was amazing how well the wood came up
As good as new!
I cleaned, sanded, primed + painted my drawers!
Making progress!
And after lots of TLC, here is the finished article looking brand new! :
In turquoise, grey and violet/navy, this piece is masculine with a touch of feminine glamour... and seeing as my hero from the 90s is Jarvis Cocker from Pulp, it seems appropriate to name this piece 'Jarvis'!
Not only have I been lucky enough to receive start-up funding from Youth Business Scotland (part of The Prince's Trust), The Prince's Trust has also chosen me + Ziggy to showcase as the 'Z' in their 'A-Z of Young Businesses'!
The story was also published on the Prince's Trust Facebook page and received over 50 likes! The publicity has been fantastic and has lead to a few very exciting opportunities.
The story was also picked up by Business Matters- The UK's Leading SME Business Magazine! You can find that article here. I have so much fun doing what I do with Ziggy, it's amazing to see that there's belief in it as a business, as well as being a quirky idea!
I had a lot of fun the day the Prince's Trust sent out a photographer to my workshop! I'm glad they picked a 'normal' looking shot for the campaign as I was directed into a few rather cheesy poses... jazz hands and all!! Here's a few of the 'out-takes' for comedy value :)
I went foraging for forgotten furniture recently and found a van load of treasure!
With a little tickle of my paint brush and some tender love and care, these pieces have some serious potential to be wonderful once again!
First up, a 1950's 'Beautility' Sideboard found with lots of vintage treasures inside!
Second, we have a ShragerWalnut Veneered Wardrobe and matching Dressing Table!
beautiful hardware
little glass faced, flip-up drawers with pretty flower handles!
Shrager furniture tag
It's needing alot of TLC, but I love this dressing table!
Any one who knew me when I was at art school, will know I have a thing for art-deco, walnut wardrobes!! I can't wait to rescue these pieces and bring them up to date :)
Next up, we have two very unusual Bedside Cabinets which will be tied together using colour and matching handles!
I also got my mitts on this 1950s Gateleg Table:
And this 1950s Coffee Table! Retro or what?!
And last but not least, a stunning 1960s Dressing Table (that's in very good condition!) which made it's way to me via Christine at Ivy Rose Vintage!
I love this piece!
Oh I am finding it difficult to choose which one to start on first!! I dare say that all this will keep me busy for a while!
If you spot anything that you would like me to tailor to suit your style and decor, I'd love to be of assistance! Any enquiries can be sent to hello@ziggysawdust.co.uk
From this post's title, you may be getting a Bowie + Queen vibe and may well have the 'do do do dodo do do' beat of 'Under Pressure' running through your heads....
but it's actually another collaboration of epic proportions that I am referencing!
Ziggy Sawdust + pop up tea room, Queen of Tarts!
With beautiful food served in a secret pop-up parlour, Queen of Tarts takes afternoon tea to the next level! You get to devour up to 10 mini courses and everything is fresh and homemade by Angela (a.k.a Queenie) who is also my lovely cousin!
I know it might sound biased, but hand on heart, it's the best lunch I have ever had... Stick around for photos later in this post!!
A while back, Angela asked me if I would like to take on a little project of hers. She had a lovely flip-top cabinet which was bought with the intention of becoming Queen of Tarts' cutlery cabinet....
but the inside was fitted with felt covered compartments which didn't fit any of her cutlery...
so it wasn't very practical!
Angela was also keen to bring out it's quirky character and go bold with colour, which was right up my street!
I started by pulling out all the felt covered wooden sections from inside (which was quite a task!) and then sanded her down and primed her so she was ready for action...
Angela chose her colours based on my previously redesigned nest of tables, 'The Supremes', so we were going for grey, pink, turquoise and yellow.
But when I test ran the three colours together, I felt as though there was something missing and Angela agreed...
So we decided to paint the cabinet's 'curly' legs a lovely navy to match the interior:
excuse the mess!!
So while all this was drying, Angela invited me to Queen of Tarts as a thank-you... and I was quite frankly blown away by the whole experience!!
My friend Karen + I went along last Saturday with empty bellies and elasticated waist bands (true story!) and we were warmly welcomed into Angela's very own tea room...
We sat at a lovely table that was set with beautiful vintage crockery and I met the cutlery that I have been building a new home for!
We were served everything from Rhubarb Fizz and homemade Saffron Biscuits...
to homemade Wild Rice + Onion Rolls filled with Beetroot, Feta, Cucumber and Rocket...
And homemade Tomato and Watercress Pesto Quiche!
But not to forget the cakes! Oh the cakes! Angela made Chocolate Roulade, Chocolate florentines, Gooseberry Buns and even her own Marshmallows!
Needless to say they didn't last long, and all this was just for a table of 4!!
Karen + I had a wonderful afternoon. Thanks so much for having us Angela, you truly are the Queen of Tarts ♥
Wow, the thought of all that food is making me salivate! But back to Queenie's Ziggy-fied table...
So here she is in all her new found glory!
And in true Ziggy Sawdust style, this little wonder has been named after a star... Angela is also a jazz singer and idolises Peggy Lee, so we have named this piece 'Peggy Leggy' after Peggy Lee and to also make reference to the cabinet's curly legs!
Angela is delighted with 'Peggy' and will be sending me some photos of her in situ! I can't wait to see them :)
So after a rather lengthy blog post, I'd like to leave you with a little ditty from Angela's hero, the original Peggy!
P.S If you would like to book yourself onto the next Queen of Tarts, click here for updates and more info or email thequeensedinburgh@gmail.com!
