Sunday, May 11, 2008

Semester Roundup

Here are a few highlights, lowlights, hints, tips, gripes, and other useless information I learned this semester:

--You will not save money by reupholstering a piece of furniture. By the time you have bought fabric, foam, Dacron padding, cording, springs, and other materials, you're already down a few hundred dollars. And that doesn't even count the basic tools. If money's an issue, you're better off buying a new couch at IKEA.

--The only time reupholstering is worthwhile is when the item is an antique or family heirloom. Or if you need the class for elective credit towards a degree.

--A good quality upholstery staple remover is worth its weight in gold.

--For the Interior Materials class, I had to compile a resource file of different product vendors and tradesmen. Categories included flooring, lighting, window treatments, and green products. This assignment was completed in one afternoon by gathering business cards at a home and garden show.

--Home shows are teeming with some very agressive salesmen. If you make eye contact, they will proceed to talk your ear off. Give them your phone number and you're screwed. I just told these guys that I'm an interior design student and they usually backed off. Translation: college girl has no money.

--I have become enamoured with Mid-Century and Post-War architecture and design. After a lecture in Modern Architecture, I went home and took my Butterfly Chair out of the bedroom. It now sits proudly on display in the living room.

--Paul Klee was an art instructor at Bauhaus. I have one of his prints hanging in the front hall.

--$14.99 per yard for middle-of-the-road upholstery fabric is considered a very good price.

--After 6:30 PM, the faculty parking spaces become fair game. This came in handy for Monday night's upholstery class when I had to lug my furniture and supplies to and from the classroom.

--My commute from home to SCC is 33.5 miles, and takes me through 4 cities--Peoria, Glendale, Phoenix, and Scottsdale.

--Both of our cars get roughly 25 mpg. It was costing me about $10 PER DAY for gas to drive to and from school. OUCH!

--During a lecture on Art Deco, my Modern Architecture teacher mentioned Fiesta ware. I didn't even try to contain my glee.

--Thanks to upholstery class, I mostly overcame my fear of nail guns.

--Two words: Green Design.

--My old preschool--First Christian Church--was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

--Brazilian cherry hardwood flooring darkens over time. I guess I won't be putting an area rug in the living room.

--I memorized the locations of all six speed cameras on the Scottsdale leg of the 101 freeway.

--Never try to hand draft a custom entry door when you can use AutoCAD.

--I got A's in all three classes.

2 comments:

ChristopherM said...

Well damn. I have a chair with a shape I love but fabric that is old and tired. I was going to ask you about reupholstering, but apparently I'd be wasting my non-existent money. Phooey!

Congrats on the As! Hopefully I'll have the same news when my grades come down this week!

Ms. Val said...

Christopher, that is not a hard and fast rule. If you really love the chair, it's in decent condition, and you just want to change the look, reupholstering just might be worth it. If the chair just needs a facelift, keep an eye out for a decent quality fabric for a low price. But it's hard for me to say without seeing the chair. E-mail me a pic and I can tell you more.