One of the many benefits of working and/or volunteering at the ReStore is making connections with customers. We have many regulars, in fact if they don’t show up on their regular shopping days, we often worry and wonder where they are. While we may not remember everyone’s name, we recognize faces. Our customers are a lively creative bunch with sights set on remodeling, building tiny homes, business pursuits, chicken coops, gardening and creative reuse pursuits. Those of us at the register consistently ask about the projects our customers have found themselves into.
Dale is a regular customer and rarely leaves the store empty handed. Over the course of my time here, Dale has shared photos of projects he has done with finds from the ReStore (not to mention garage sales etc…). His projects are inspiring and a testament to experimentation with creativity and reuse/upcycling.
An army vet, born and raised in Eugene, Dale’s earliest inspiration came from his father who worked for a tiny lumber yard and collected 1 ½” scraps of mahogany and oak from the yard. He brought these scraps home where he made Dale a 1 ½” thick chess board out of them. Witnessing his father’s resourcefulness while enjoying the end product for years, Dale trekked down his own path of imagination. Over the last year, he has not only learned new skills while upcycling, he has found a new passion. The following projects were made by Dale each one here has at least some part that was purchased at the ReStore.
Settee
Made from his own mother’s 1970s dresser. Here he pulled the top of the cabinet off, cut out drawer spaces and use ReStore Cabinet doors as top of the now side dresser (ReStore cabinet doors $5.00). The boards for the seat (ReStore boards about 1.50 each) Nails used (.50 cents a pound)
Computer Stand
An old record cabinet purchased from the ReStore ($12) turned into computer stand, complete with cut out for CPU tower. Sanded, stained, painted and then hit with a semi-gloss polyurethane.
Headboard
The following items found and purchased at the ReStore: Headboard ($10), ½ circle plywood, shelf boards found out of one of our sheet good racks, relief wall paper (from the ReStore $5 a roll) gives the back a tin ceiling look, bookends, and cabinet on top. Note, the cabinet on top once had a mirror, that mirror was reused in another piece called The Vanity (see next item).
The Vanity
Dale’s daughter had an icky old desk which he decided to turn into a gothic vanity. The plywood table top came from the ReStore, small cabinet rounded doors on top of vanity came from a spool project (see Spool Project), cabinet pulls were from the ReStore, painted black with red rose paper decoupage on drawers. (Dale’s daughter is one lucky young lady)
Spool project:
Cutting the spool down to size for coffee table height, stained, glass top with wrought iron decoration at the bottom. The ReStore receives donated spools throughout the year (Note: remnants for spool was made as curved cabinet doors on The Vanity – see above)
Captain’s Bench
The frame came from a garage sale. The actual bench made from ReStore cabinet doors, hand painted and stenciled with the top of the bench opening for storage.