Regional Wines on a Rustic Rack

When most people of think of wine country they think, Napa, Santa Barbara--California. However, Colorado has a growing oenophile tradition of its own with more than a hundred wine producers operating out of vineyards throughout the state. For instance the Western Slope in the mountains near Grand Junction is renowned for its wine trails where visitors spend time enjoying the scenery and adding to their collection of regional wines.

You don't want to hide your bottles of Colorado's finest in a cupboard somewhere, you want them out on display adding to authenticity of your rustic western decor. We just so happen to have the perfect piece. Built from sturdy pine, this wine rack features trapezoidal end panels that form a solid base to resist tipping. Worn black paint layered over bright cranberry gives the piece an aged to perfection look, just like the taste of Colorado's best vino.

Decorating with Sound: Part One

Sight and touch get all the sensory attention in interior design; colors, patterns, soft, distressed or polished. But, what about sound? Most people don't consider the possibilities and rob themselves of the chance to enhance the mood and appeal of their living space. This series will explore the ways you can use sound to accent your design choices. 


Wind Chimes: A Natural Symphony
Primarily used in outdoor living spaces, wind powered chimes can provide a soothing backyard experience or a melodic note before entering your home.Tubular chimes from Woodstock Chimes are perfectly tuned with rich, deep tones. They are made of aluminium to withstand the elements. Tuned to well-known melodies such as Westminster Quarters and Amazing Grace, these chimes offer a wind-song for a wide-variety of musical tastes. The larger the chimes the more peaceful they tend to sound. If you prefer a tinkling natural sound over something pre-tuned you can make chimes out of ordinary items in your craft bin. If you are looking for a starting point try Craft Gossip, they have a list of great ideas.

Here are a few 'get it right' tips:

• Homemade chimes will suffer wear-and-tear. Seashells for instance have a shelf life, so be prepared to do repairs.
• For greater longevity hang your chimes under the eaves of the house but far enough away that they don't bang against the siding.
• Use a hook so your chimes are easy to take down if it gets a bit too windy.
• DO NOT use a leather cord. They look nice but they rot quickly in the sun.

Be patient. You may have to experiment before you find a sound that isn't grating or jangling. Making a chime look pretty is easy, it's the sounding pretty part that will test your skills.

Is That a Canoe in Your Living Room?

"Yes, it is a canoe. Do you love it?"

"You know, I really do!"

Home furnishing accessories come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and styles; modern, classic, rustic and in the case of our mini birch canoe, irreverent. The detailing is fantastic and the craftsmanship is top-notch. It is fun. It is a conversation starter. But, it is also a well-made piece that might just stay in your family home for years.

Keep in mind that "mini" is a relative term. This is a not a china cabinet canoe, it is more than six and half feet long. They will ask, but don't let the kids take it for a spin around the pond. This vessel isn't caulked with pine gum like the Native American relics that inspired it. What it can do is accent your rustic themed room as a stand alone piece or as storage for displayable objects that don't fit into the dimensions of standard shelving.

Living room ready. *Paddle not included.

This Cimarron Leather Chair is a Bear Necessity

You come home from a hard day's work. It's winter and the sun is already down. You are deep down weary. You want a hot meal, that comes first. You clean your plate. You arch your back and stretch your arms. You drop all that weary weight onto your Cimarron Leather Chair. For the evening at least, you hibernate.

Not only is our Cimarron Leather Chair a handsome piece of furniture, its built tough. The example shown here features a deep brown leather we like to call Kodiac Bear. Let's see what this Kodiac has to offer, bones to hide:

• Bones: kiln-dried hardwood solid enough to bear any weight you plop on it
• Guts: cushions made with indepedent coil movement and maximum comfort using the Marshall coil system
• Fat: foam, several layers deep topped off with a soft down blend to add extra softness and comfort
• Skin: the highest quality leather, dyed a deep Kodiac brown to let the natural characteristics show rich and rustic

We should warn you, if sit on a Cimarron Leather Chair you may not get up until spring!

Quick Tips for Distressing Home Furnishings

Distressing? As in a cause for concern?

Well that depends...

The technique designers use to give new furniture an old time look and feel is called "distressing." Its good fun for furniture lovers. Not so much for furniture.

Home furnishings don't age into antique perfection. They age into boring out-of-date relics. You could try to renovate them young again, but why not go even older? Nick, scrape, cut, wax and sand them. Distress them in the name of rustic beauty.

Three Easy Ways to Distress Furniture:

• Paint your furniture (wood or metal) with one color of latex paint and then rub wax on the areas where natural wear and tear would occur. Paint again with a different color and scrub the paint from the waxed areas allowing the bottom coat to show through.
• Get your hands on gears and a bike chain. Mark the surface of the wood with the teeth of the gears and thrash the wood with the chain to add random markings. Then apply a stain that will be absorbed most heavily by the marred wood while yellowing the remaining areas slightly.
• Rough up the surface of painted furniture with sandpaper. Add specks of stain that look like embedded dirt or paint droplets by flicking a lightly dipped paintbrush. Finish with a clear topcoat to preserve your new/old finish.

Important Note: Do not use these techniques on any pieces you buy from Back at the Ranch. Our handcrafted home furnishing have already been distressed and "rustified" to perfection! 

Looking for more tips?
Pretty Handy Girl has some great tips for giving your furniture a new look that suggests an interesting past.