I'm a true blue Gardnerville Girl! Home means Nevada but it really means Gardnerville to me. I had the best childhood growing up. The world was my oyster and creativity was my compass. My Dad's love of history, undoubtedly didn't skip a generation, instead it was directly passed down to me. My love of history doesn't mean that I live in the past instead, I embrace it and allow it to be a part of my future as evidenced by my profession!
I don't always sell ALL of the items I collect, in fact most items that have a Gardnerville tie don't make it out of my possession. Instead they remain part of what I fondly refer to as "The Meredith Collection."
I'm going to share with you one of my favorite pieces that we were able to save and how we made it functional for everyday use at Eddy Street.
Recognize this place pictured below?
COD Garage: Photo courtesy of Flickr
Many of you likely remember COD Garage as an actual garage as opposed to the casino you see today. My Dad bought his red truck "Little Red" there in 1976, my suburban came from there in 1988, growing up we had all of our cars worked on there and I even took my senior photos in front of the building in 2004. So needless to say when I had the opportunity to own something from there, I jumped on it. One of the items was a cabinet that actually goes back to Minden Dry Goods. I'm sure in its prime, it was a beautiful cabinet. However, time had not been kind to this piece but I knew I had to have it anyhow. Complete with 6 drawers, years of dust and a few oil spills, I could still see the potential.
Cabinet before picture.
Luckily Mike Wentz with MW Custom Furniture could see the potential too! Being the skilled craftsman that he is, he was able to translate my vision into reality. Step-by-step he added his own unique touches to transform this piece of furniture into a rolling island for use behind the counter at Eddy Street. Thankfully he documented each step as the Cinderella story unfolded. Click the slideshow below to watch it take shape.
This piece was lovingly deconstructed and refurbished, which included; flipping the top, handcrafting a base and a lower shelf, finishing the sides and refinishing the top. Mike also added wheels, making it much easier to move. This beauty now sits behind the counter making it easier for us to work on projects, complete orders and be more organized. One of my favorite details? The brass label holders in the center of each drawer. Click the slideshow below to see the gallery of after photos taken by Blank Slate Imagery!
Hard to believe it's the same piece right?? This picture makes it look smaller than it is... It's just over 7' long, almost the entire space behind the counter. Next time you are at Eddy Street be sure to take a peek behind the counter in order to truly appreciate it.
One of my favorite things about what I do is being able to preserve pieces of the past for future generations to enjoy. This project was especially fun and working with MW Custom Furniture is always a pleasure. Stay tuned for part 2 of this project as we continue to re-do the space behind the counter at Eddy Street Vintage Market.
For more information about the projects that MW Custom Furniture is working on, be sure to follow their Facebook page at : www.facebook.com/mikewentzcustom
