Victorian Spoon Back Chair.
(Valued at €200)
Winner will be notified by email on Easter Sunday
&
Published on this page on Easter Monday.
Mom’s Need Sleep Too!!
January 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Have you ever been woken at 4.30am on a bright summers morning …. your children rush into your bedroom shouting … ”Time to get up out of bed” I’m sure this has happened to you on many occasions. You put your children to bed at 8pm on a bright evening, but the’re still awake at 10.30pm … What do you do?
You are not alone, Mum’s and Dad’s all over the Country have the same problem and are asking the same question … How do we, and our children get the extra sleep that we need so badly. Lack of sleep can cause tempers to flare in both adults and children.
The answer to this particular problem is … Blackout Blinds … Blackout Blinds, when fitted to your bedroom windows will darken the room to the point where you and your children will sleep naturally and soundly, all through the night.
Browse through our catalogue of blinds which will be updated very soon, where you will find blinds to suit all decors and tastes.
[Some thank you notes from satisfied customers.]
I now can get an extra 3 hours sleep every night, thanks to the blackout blinds that you recently fitted
R Kelly
Carlow
Thanks ormolu for saving my sanity. My husband fitted the blinds [thanks to your expert instructions]the same day that they arrived. My children now sleep right through until 7am instead of the usual time of 4.30am, also when they go to bed at 8pm they are asleep in minutes.
Therese
Graignamanagh
Kilkenny
I want to thank you for the excellent service you provide. Since you fitted the blackout blinds,our children,my Husband and myself, now get the sleep that is required for a healthy life.
M.Davis
Foxrock
Dublin 18
For a no obligation quote, fill in the order form with the required measurements,type and colour of blind you require,plus your email. We will send you a quote within 24 hours.
Measuring for Curtains
December 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Measuring for curtains:
Width
Measure the width of your pole between the finials or your track (including any overlap)
If you have neither a pole nor track, mark with a pencil on the wall the intended position of the track or pole and take measurements from this line. The track or pole is usually positioned 12cm (5”) above the window and 15cm (6”) either side of the window to allow the curtain to be pulled right back.
Length
Pencil, Gathered, Pelmet, Pinch Pleat or Goblet headings
If you have a pole, measure from the eye on the pole ring.
If you have a track, measure from the top of the track.
| Eyelet heading: | measure from the top of the pole. |
| Tab Tops headings: | measure from the underside of the pole and note the diameter of the pole (we need it to work out the size of the tabs). |
Finished length
You need to decide where you want the curtain to finish; the length is a matter of personal preference but we suggest:
- window sill: 1cm above
- below sill: at least 15cm
- to clear the floor: 1cm above floor level
- to break on the floor: add 3 to 5cm
- to pool on the floor: add 15cm – recommended for dress curtains only.
How I stay in contact with my Dad …. even though he died 25 years ago.
December 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The hand painted portrait of my Dad takes pride of place in my living room. Every day I take 10 minutes to sit and look at his portrait …. which depicts him sitting on his beloved “motor bike” taken from a photo when he was 53 years old?
Now 55 years later I look at his portrait and think back to the days when I was a child of nine years old, how we played football together or during the summer holidays when he allowed me to ‘work’ with him on his building projects or how …. when I finished school at eighteen, how I joined him in his building business.
The times he dropped me off at the local discotheque, to meet my girlfriend (now my wife). As I gaze at the portrait, I always feel a sense of happiness and fulfillment as if he is saying “Son I’ll always be here for you”
In my opinion a portrait is the most beautiful way to keep in contact with your loved ones memory. A portrait is much the same as any famous painting … take for example “The Mona Lisa”. When you look at “The Mona Lisa” you imagine what her life might have been like. Was Da Vinci her lover? Did she have a husband? Did she have any children? You can only imagine …. nobody knows, and presumably nobody will ever know.
Now take a portrait …. for example …. your mother/father/brother/sister/husband/wife. You don’t need to imagine anything when you gaze at the portrait. Your memory tells you everything. You go back in time …. the time your little sister fell and cut her knee, and how you cleaned the wound and applied a bandage to make it better …. how her smile of gratitude said “You’re my hero”.
Your older brother, who always felt responsible for your well-being …. sometimes to your annoyance, although you knew he meant well, and only wished to protect you.
What about your mother, the person who brought you into this world and who nourished and fed you and loved you, for all the time you had known her. The mother, who listened and hugged you, when your heart was broken after the break-up with your latest boyfriend.
You remember your father, how he slipped you 5 punts on a Sunday evening, as you boarded the train for another week in college.
Think back to the day you married, and how much you loved each other, all through the years for richer and for poorer …. the day your first child was born. How both of you looked in admiration at what you had achieved.
The first time you received a present from your child …. How both of you looked in admiration as your children graduated from college.
These are just a few of the thousands of wonderful memories that will come flooding back to you when you are the proud owner of a portrait of your loved one.
Your grandchildren’s children will one day gaze at this portrait and say “I wonder what was life like back then?”
P.S. If you would like more information on this subject, please click on the link below where you will find the means to bring your dreams and memories to life.
www.spittingimage.ie
Painting
Photo
How a sideboard in a skip …. changed my career!
December 20, 2011 By 10 Comments
Before
After
This is a story you may find interesting. Before I became involved in this business, I worked as a painter and decorator. From the time I started my apprenticeship in 1971 until 1995 this was my sole occupation.
I had recently bought a small cottage in Dublin, which required an unbelievable amount of work to make it habitable. My type of work was very scarce at that time, and money of course was even more scarce.
One day in the summer of 89, I was walking down a side street in Dun Laoghaire in Co Dublin, when I spotted a ”Sideboard” in a large skip. A builder I happened to know was renovating an old Georgian residence …. discarding everything [that he considered] of no value.
To quote a proverb …. ”one persons rubbish is another persons treasure” …. Well this was my ”treasure”, the builder was glad to be getting rid of his ‘rubbish’ and I couldn’t wait to get started on my first furniture restoration job. The restoration project took about five weeks, this included the odd few hours each night and a couple of weekends.
Eventually the sideboard was restored. The restoration project was a great success, the amount of compliments I received encouraged me to think about restoring another piece of furniture.
The next problem was, where would I get an old piece of furniture to restore? All the antique furniture that was for
sale in the local newspapers were too expensive for my pocket.
A short time after this I was looking at the ads in the local free newspaper, I spotted an add which said …. ”local auction every week, buy or sell your unwanted furniture.” At last it came to me, sell the sideboard and with the profit buy a few old pieces in need of restoration …. and restore them to their original glory.
To make a long story short, I sold the sideboard for IR£355 which would be about €440. I bought three items the next week with the profits and repeated the process all over again.
We moved the business to Carlow twelve years ago….the best Decision we ever made! Antique furniture restoration is still our main part of the business. After coming to Carlow we branched out into upholstery, window blinds and made to measure curtains.
The latest addition to the business is the new showroom, ”Magic Moments Carlow which is managed and owned by our daughter, Vanessa. There you will find wedding dresses, evening dresses, debs dresses and an assortment of wedding apparel.
We would love to hear your views on our new website [designed and built by Vanessa Just].
We would like to thank [YOU] the people of Carlow and surrounding areas for their support over the past twelve years and hope you will continue to support us over the coming years.
To your success and ours.
Terence Just
PS: Early in the new year we will be giving some tips on different aspects of starting your own business [with little or no capital] … any input you might have would be welcomed and greatly appreciated.
Welcome to Ormolu.
December 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
 We are a Carlow based, family run business. We have been operating for over 10 years and are well known in the furniture restoration business. As keen antique enthusiasts we have an extensive knowledge of aged furniture. We have worked hard to be established in restoration & french polishing. We are based at our workshop in Carlow but have carried out work nationwide. We specialise in antiques but with the ever growing market, have also moved into the restoration of modern furniture.We supply quality window blinds at competitive rates. Our success is based on service, quality and price. We have an unrivalled range of blinds for all your needs, including roller blinds, vertical blinds, velux blinds, venetian blinds and wooden blinds. We offer a complete service from  colour co-ordination and design, expert measuring and installation by our qualified fitters. On our website you can view some examples of our window blinds. Call to our showroom for further consultation.  We make made-to-measure curtains from our vast range of fabrics or sell the fabrics by the metre. Some of our range is shown on this website. We provide a measuring and installation service in most areas. We also offer a home furnishing consultation service.
Ormolu Ltd Tel: 059 9135635/9146874 |
Antique Collectors – Who Are They?
December 19, 2011 By 2 Comments
The thrill of searching through mountains of someone else’s clutter for hours on end, and finding that one unique antique piece is what most hobbyists delight in. You’re able to hold in your hands a thing of the past. You try to imagine what it was like to use this item during the time of its making. You wonder what conditions did it have to endure and undergo to be where it is today. Why was it able to survive through the ravages of time? All of these questions run through your inquisitive mind, stirring up romanticized notions equivalent to the drama portrayed in movies and on TV.
Making Money
Making money through the selling of highly prized antiques is nothing new. People want to buy antiques, and there are other people willing to go out, find those sought-after antiques, then turn around and sell them. It works out nicely. There are those collectors that do this for a living, often becoming quite good and prospering from it.
Related Coverage
Antique Wall Clocks Are Unique
It is a fascinating project to learn even a little about antique wall clocks with their unique styles and designs. Some of this outstanding workmanship must be how they have endured for sometimes centuries. Shopaholic Queen, Meet Collector King
Men are also shopaholics – collectors. Like women, they seek personal fulfillment and satisfaction through external means. Cars, electronics, DVDs, memorabilia will never fill the emptiness or lack of self-esteem within. Self-worth and a meaningful, fulfilling life is an inside job.
Antique Furniture and Hardware Choices.
Most people opt for antique furniture and hardware pieces mainly because of the style and elegance they provide to the inner ambiance of an office, a home, or any other area. Prior to buying and collecting antique pieces however, the antique collector should first be equipped with the knowledge of where and how to shop.
History Buffs
When a history buff acquires an antique, they do it for the love of the story behind it. It could take them years to find that one item that is known for its historic value. They’ve spent innumerable hours researching how it came to be, often conferring with worldwide experts as to the why and wherefore of it. They’ll have such intimate knowledge of these types of antiques that they’ll be able to identify individual markings made upon it, however small it may be.
It could be a certain pattern of scratches resulting from its manufacture, or subtly normal wear and tear acquired through everyday use.
Completing a Collection
Those collectors which choose to delve into antiques may have a taste for complete sets. They revel in the satisfaction of acquiring individual parts of a set piece by piece. Oftentimes, when wholesale antique dealers come across a set, they’ll either sell bits and pieces off for more money, or a client may only wish to have a particular part. Rather than losing the sale altogether, they may be apt to give in and separate the set. This results in a market for re-acquiring the individual pieces and thus completing the set as a whole once again. Displaying such antique sets is a matter of personal pride. They are showcasing how patient they were, or the lengths they’ve had to go through to reach their goal.
The world of antiques serves many interests, and of those interests, history buffs and set collectors are two market niches which are a challenge to satisfy. The thrill of the chase is worth millions to them, with some collectors having spent just as much to achieve their antique-filled dreams.
