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I know I am not the only junker that enjoys a stroll down the plumbing supply aisle. Whether I am shopping a large home improvement center or my local hardware store, there is nothing like a little galvanized metal to ignite a blast of inspiration! I usually have a box full of vintage finds in my cart and my mission is to find the perfect connector, adhesive or tool to make my project become reality.
I get a few odd looks and roll of the eyes when I pull out my curious looking stash and explain my plan. They asked, didn't they? A few clerks see my request as a challenge, and end up walking me through the entire store to find the solution to my project. Others simply give me a blank stare and point to aisle 18. Over time, I have memorized the floor plans of most of my favorite haunts and often find myself directing customers to the appropriate areas. Sometimes I think I should whip out a My name is Ki badge and ask, "May I help you find something?"
I always appreciate the salesperson who commits to my junk quest and is willing to open little baggies of hardware along the way to find just the right size...(I would never feel comfortable doing that on my own, of course!) We usually leave quite a trail of opened bags and loose parts along the way.
I also have to be very careful not to plop my soon-to-be purchases in my box-o'-junk. I don't want to be mistaken for a shoplifter! It's a junkers dilemma: those steel shopping carts don't seem to be equipped to handle all the little baggies, especially the opened ones...
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I often think I must appear suspicious, as I spend much of my time researching new products and hardware that might just be the missing link for upcoming projects. That's when I desire to be left alone to slowly digest what the plumbing, electrical, and hardware aisles have to offer. I have actually been known to spend hours browsing.
And if approached by a clerk when I'm in this trouble-shooting mode, you'll be sure to hear, "No thanks, I am just looking...really!"
Now, please tell me I'm not crazy, and that you, too, are attracted to things like hammered metal paint, wire nuts, and broom handles?!.
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blogged by Ki
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blogged by Ki
22 comments:
That is SO cool, Ki! I love to browse at our local hardware store too, but I'm not anywhere near close to your level.
well...i have not tried that yet...but now you have me thinking...since i'm loving the term industrial chic.
xo
I completely agree Ki! My grandpa always goes to the local hardware store here in our smalltown. He thinks I am crazy when he sees me in the checkout line with the things I've found. I think it is a real plus to have no idea what the hardware is really supposed to be used for. If I knew it was gonna hold a toilet together I may not see the other possibilities. Oh, I totally agree about the small baggies and the big cart!
Tee hee, me too!
x
Thanks for going before us and blazing the trail and creating a model for those of us who wonder how in the world we are going to find the right element to put this thing together. I'm not so good with guessing so taking the items in baggies is a helpful idea.
Keep the good ideas coming,
Thanks
T
Hi Ki, I too am a fan of the plumbing aisle. I once had a party and displayed the desserts on pedestal cake stands I made from galvanzied vents and covers. They all know me in the local hardware store. LOVE your blog! Lori
Ki, oh my gosh...that is so me! My home has had touches of a 'vintage industrial' look for the last 10 years...I blame it on that first sale of yours I went to in MN! It was love at first sight, and everyone I knew thought I was crazy. I have been hooked on old metal ever since. I can spot it at a sale from a mile away. And as far as the hardware stores, nothing better than when I am traveling and find a really old small town hardware store. You know the kind...family owned for generations...all the part drawers are those wonderful heavy old wood ones. My husband stands at the counter drinking coffee with the owner while I am in heaven digging through all those bins. Simple pleasures, I guess. ;o) ~mary~
Buongiorno Ki, I am not aloneeee!I would spend hours at the hardware store not be able to explain the GUYS what I needed because of the LOOK, since I am Sicilian the LOOK for me means I dare you. I love the smell of gasoline, copper, PVC pipe glue. If the hardware store sold clothing I would be in heaven. Arrivederci Rita
I'm with you on that one Ki! I sometimes shop at a rebuilders store and can be caught rummaging through the plumbing area for just the right rusty piece of hardware.
*********** You go girl! ****************
Ki- you are so right - I can spend quite a bit of time in the plumbing and hardware aisles to find just the right connector or adornment for a project. But I went even further - got a part-time job at Lowes (in the paint dept!) And now that my co-workers know of my design fetish, some of them are more than happy to help me figure out my latest project!
And I can't wait to see the magazine!
Amy / four corners design
Amen Sister!
I get more excited about receiving a gift card to a hardware store than one to a clothing store! :-)
Layla
Love all those things and more...automotive shops offer a wide array of interesting finds too!
Not plumbing aisles for me because I work in a plumbing wholesale store (you have permission to be jealous) but I do haunt hardware and electrical fittings that way -
I also just came from Tractor Supply - holy cow the farm equipment and fence parts and accessories - new haunt. I spent 20 minutes looking at tapes and adhesives and spray paint.
Hi!
Two of my favorite places to go with my Dad when I was little: the dump, and the hardware store. I still love wandering down the aisles, I always find some odd ball thingy that I think I will need. My husband doesn't throw anything away in the garage either, so it's like shopping in a hardware store out there - at least he's organized and offers to help me with my "projects"!
BTW - I had that same little cash register when I was young, only mine was red! I loved playing store and "selling" all my mom's pretties! Thanks for bringing back those memories!
XO
Heidi - Heart and Home
What I was picturing in my mind, was, if you lived in my small home town, and you did happen to get your hardware mixed with your junk, and you happened to get picked up, you'd end up in our "police blotter" section. That would be a new twist for advertising, huh? Smiling...Karen
well....like yeah....who isn't attracted to those things?
loved this post! I'm also one of those people who can see the potential in so many everyday things! I love going to Lowes or Home Depot and even the dump! my husband thinks I'm crazy!!
Toni
This is such a funny post because last Friday I posted on my blog about making a serving tray out of duct work from Home Depot.
As I was walking up and down the aisle looking for the perfect parts...one of the employees approached me to see if I needed help. I told him I'd know what I needed when I saw it. You can just imagine the look on his face. Priceless!!
Ki - No place like Mills Fleet Farm to find just the right piece (usually something from the livestock pen area). They are helpful, even if skeptical, and usually amused by the weird take that I give them on their ordinary calf staving pin or chicken what ever.
Loved this post!! Sounds SO familiar! :)
Also, I just bought an old, rather beat up toy cash register and I got a kick out of seeing the one at the beginning of this post! Fun!!
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