Out and About in JAX

Due to budgetary cutbacks, my wings once again have been clipped but for those of you locals stuck in the samo samo, thought I throw out a little photo op I took around Riverside. Now to my friends from out of town, "Riverside" means little to you but I'm sure you know the same old story. The attrition rate of business' downtown and in Riverside is quite alarming and before we thin it too much, I want to spend some time enjoying what we have.

For the most part Jacksonville has reminded me of the missing episodes of Hee-Haw but metropolitan culture is everywhere if you look with the right kind of eyes. Since my return from the West, I've come to appreciate the mix. If you're like me and working to keep your business afloat and trying to maintain your identity as an artist, let me offer this recent observation:

There's no better time than right now to double down and work for yourself. Start up costs are at an all time low and with a killer lease and a lean and mean business model, you could find yourself well positioned when the turnaround happens. These are snaps from my town and I find I'm consistently surprised at the sophistication I spot in the cracks and crevices of this sleepy little trailer park we call a city.

"Easy for you to say!" you might remark, but I'm putting my money where my mouth is. I'm working on a brick and mortar concept for our downtown. I'll post updates as we make progress but suffice to say, I'll see you there in the long shadows of bars and museums with a smile on my face saying "Come on in! Culture lives here to fight another day."

See you around the neighborhood,
J.C. McKay
Founder of Craft and Custom

Milling the future of my company.

I've always thought this would be a great road to go with my little furniture company and today I took a first step. I began rough milling downed trees to make furniture. After reading James Krenov, "The Fine Art of Cabinet Making", I got the crazy idea to make this a cornerstone to starting my business. It's green, it's cheap, and most of all it's rewarding in the fact that I can pick my timber from the absolute beginning. It will make me a better artisan and a better woodworker. Can't wait to see this timber dry. More pics to come.

Industrial Modern on La Brea

Just as promised more on industrial modern with more to come. The pic directly above was taken on the showroom of Cisco Modern on La Brea in Hollywood as was the table above it. The cool thing about the table is that it was milled from reclaimed teak (although I've seen a lot of this...maybe too much for it ALL to be reclaimed). However in principal, what a great concept. The accent table has a solid stone top. It was salvaged from a factory and re purposed as either an end table or as one customer suggested, a kitchen island.

One Last Word...

On a parting note when it comes to the Dwell on Design Show, as a furniture designer and hopeful business person, I had the same question for every business owner I spoke with whether a builder, green energy company, or showroom owner: "How has business been in 2010?" The answer was almost always a resounding "good and getting better". Some designers said '09 was a terrible year but 2010 has been even better than '08 already. Without a doubt I was left with a sense of optimism. Everyone is having a good first quarter and looking forward to a strong finish to 2010. The numbers are looking good and the momentum getting stronger. In a seemingly endless sea of negative press giving us a constant reminder of a sagging economy, the word on the street is "best sales in a long time". So suit up. Lets go for a ride. I think it's time already.

Dwell on Design Rapid Fire Wrap Up

From the top are Sarah Turner's cleverly recycled light bulb vases and her ingenious doorstop stools (sorry for the blurry pic). Malfi flooring's ingenious concept for pouring resin into wooden floors. These materials can be back-lit to showcase the resin coloring etc. Lastly featured above is the uber artistic combo of Modern Murals. The Evans' pictured above are probably the most congenial and approachable business I encountered. They enhance and enlarge artwork both by other artists or your own to display on your walls. modernmural.com is definitely worth a click.

Dwell on Design Rapid Fire Finish Up

Pictured above are tile samples from Soli Architectural Supply and in the middle, terrazzo looking flooring from Ice Stone. Ice Stone mixes glass shards with concrete to create the terrazzo aesthetic popular in lots of 50's minded home owners and designers.

Dwell on Design Furniture Row Part Four