I am hopeful the store will do well, but surprised since I rarely meet other retro-lovers in town. After peeking in the windows yesterday (the store was closed) I felt very excited, but worried, “This store is too cool for Corvallis!”

If you’re anywhere in the area, come and support the new store! 115 NW 2nd street. They have some great furniture!

I should start by saying that Eric hates plumbing.  When we remodeled the bathroom we hired a plumber to do all the final attachments and fittings.  However, a lack of funds necessitated that Eric do this job himself.  NOTE: If we were doing the project all over we would hire a plumber.  This job took Eric about 7 hours and would have probably taken a plumber 30 minutes.  Here’s a photo of Eric in the middle of the project.  He looks relaxed, but if you knew Eric, you’d know this is a little grin that says, “Ha! I give up.”

It’s hard to explain, but Eric says the problem was “user error”.  From what he tells me, while he was behind the sink, cranking away with his wrench, he twisted the copper pipe so badly it couldn’t be undone (Eric doesn’t know his own strength! He’s such a manly man.).  So, he had to go to the local plumbing store and consult with them, and they chopped off the twisted part and added a new fitting…etc, etc. 

Here’s the finished masterpiece.  Doesn’t look like it should take 7 hours to me!!  ;)  Don’t tell Eric I said that.

I don’t have a picture of the faucet yet and I must admit I want everything to be perfect before I take the photo.  We’re having some issues with our tiles (aka the caulk is peeling off between the countertops and tiles).  As soon as I’ve fixed that little issue, I’ll post a picture. 

Any other ideas about how to save money and fix up your house?

Today I got an email from Nicole at Laurelhurst Fan Company.  She wanted to introduce us to her new business which is filling the niche market for reproduction vintage exhaust fans.  I have to give Nicole a big KUDOS because I’m constantly looking for reproduction fixtures and they’re not easy to find!  However, interest in these products is growing, as evidenced by the recent upstart of Crestview Doors, Dishmaster, and now Laurelhurst Fans.  I must admit the prices of the fans put them out of our price range, but if I were in the right income bracket and interested in finding the perfect fan, this one would be it!  They are incredibly well made and worth the expense.  These fans are gorgeous!!

One of my favorite houseblogs was from the Erwin couple down in Texas. I loved reading it…and when they completed their house, they launched a business making midcentury modern doors. Yes, building a house and blogging can lead you to discover untapped niches in business! They’ve just launched a new tool to help customers “picture” the door on their own home! Take a look…

Crestview Doors introduces the Amazing Door-o-Vision, a widget that allows users to upload a photo of their home and see what it would look like with a classic mid-century door. Door-o-Vision uses the latest in web technology to facilitate a custom look for any home. Door-o-Vision features more than 30 designs, 14 finishes and represents multiple shapes and sizes including double door units.

As part of their Save Your Neighborhood Campaign, Crestview Doors hopes that this new technology will help continue to increase awareness of and appreciation for mid-century design. Mid-century modern (MCM) is an architectural, interior and product design style that generally describes post-war developments from roughly 1945 to 1965. This style is characterized by geometric design, absence of decoration, and an embrace of modern building materials and technology.

Crestview Doors designs and retails doors inspired by the more than 20 million homes built during the American mid-century. Launched in 2007 after owners David and Christiane Erwin failed to find a period-appropriate door for their own 1951 remodel, Crestview Doors ships custom hand-crafted doors and millwork across the United States and Canada.