The story behind designing, building, and installing my own business sign
I grew up in a house where I knew exactly who had built the cabinets in our kitchen, along with the porch swing and bench to match.
When I was a little older, a desk was added to the collection, just for me, and perfectly tailored to the window nook in my room. Several years after that, it lived on as the perfect kitchen island in my studio apartment.
All of these pieces still stand, with countless others, along with the memory of the one who built them. A carpenter who, quite poetically, lived in the neighborhood of Cedar Circle- you just can’t make that up.
Maybe it’s being the granddaughter of that carpenter who could build virtually anything, or, maybe it’s being the daughter of the farmer who never shies away from any sort of project- either way, diy has never really seemed like a scary option to take.
For my sign, I knew that I wanted a lasting piece for the flower field, one that I would know exactly who had built it. I also knew that if I drew it out my dad would gladly take the opportunity to help me piece it together off-paper.
The studio for this sign build was one we use every day, and is actually one of his own.
Designing and building my business sign underneath the shop that my dad designed and built was an experience I am happy to have had.
Years ago, my dad had a fallen tree processed, storing the boards in an old barn ever since.
He’s used the lumber for odds and ends over the years, but I can’t imagine he ever thought it would have been used for projects such as flower field tables and business signs.
I can’t imagine the flower field without that touch of pine.
From the initial sketches to the install, it was so great to bring this special piece of the flower farm to life.
Neither side is identical to the other, with many imperfections on both sides, each telling its own story of the building process.
The faint pencil marking from the first tracing being so off that I had to erase and restart.
The out-of-line dremel marks where the grain was toughest to work with.
The stain bleed marks before starting to outline the letters before staining them.
The outline then smeared a little with the topcoat…
When I chose the old pine as the canvas, I was never going for perfect, anyhow. And, I like the idea of being able to look at it and see each of those moments playing out again for years to come.
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