apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

For all Chicago readers, Urbanest, in Andersonville, also offers a similar product at reasonable price points. I'll bet they would ship.

T8
www.strangeclosets.com
When design takes priority, the result is often strange closets.

that is still an awful lot of money for a stool.

It is not a lot of money for a stool for all AT readers.

of course it isn't, patrick... and i didn't say i couldn't afford it... i'm tree-obsessed and love the look, but my opinion is that it is pricey, for what it is.

i certainly appreciate it being posted so i can ogle it. no need for snark... i wasn't complaining about content.

I wonder how hard that would be to make with branches and clear epoxy?

Hmmmm.

It's a great look.

that's what i'm thinking, brenjay. if you go for it and have any luck, let me know ;)

My comment was no more snark than yours was.

Hey brenjay... keep track of your hours on the project and let us know the grand total. :)

well then in that case, terribly sorry. i had no intention of making snarky attacks... i was just stating my initial reaction to the product.

Oh, I'd do it because it's fun, and I love DIY projects. Not because it's cheaper. I also quilt, which is about as inefficient as any use of time I can think of.

My hourly rate (at work) wouldn't justify a quarter of what I choose to do around the house in my free time!

Oh - and there is a HUGE sense of satisfaction in filling my house with lovely things that I've made.

There is no price on that!

brenjay--

Of course there is no price on that... when you are *not* selling the end results to the public.

My point was only that cost comes from many places... the idea, the labor, the materials... and DIYers often dismiss the hours required when calculating "savings". Not saying that's what you were doing, just reacting to make a point.

And am frustrated, in general, with how little people expect to pay for furnishings... and frustrated by what (these days) seems to be a general AT commentor outcry about ANYTHING over fifty bucks!

closer--
And all I was dong was stating my initial reaction to the comment.

Patrick -

Granted. I guess I don't really calculate hours *or* savings when I consider DIY projects. I just like them. It's hobby, not budget that drives me most of the time, there.

I agree about the general hue and cry re: furniture prices. I mean, I too cry out sometimes over prices. I do fine, but I still can't afford half of the stuff I see here.

I think I get more mad, though, when someone posts a cheaper alternative, and half the place screams that it's not 'authentic", and therefore us middle-class folk shouldn't be allowed access to that kid of design at all (even if it's a shadow of the original).

But a place like this is bound to have both these kinds of people, no? I mean, half of us are here looking for good, inexpensive design ideas, because we live in tiny places by reasons of economics more than by choice. And the other half are looking for good design ideas for small spaces because they choose to live an urban lifestyle, and have far fewer financial restrictions. There is going to be some tension there.

Anyway. I'll stop philosophizing now. I've just seen a lot of evidence of these tensions lately, as have you.

brenjay puts it well.

i do just fine, and at this point in my life have no obligations aside from rent. no loans, no kids, etc. but i often choose DIY projects because i *enjoy* them. that doesn't mean i can or can't afford things that i see and like... it just means i'd prefer my own take. just because i feel that something is a lot to spend on that item, doesn't mean i don't appreciate it, and it doesn't mean i don't understand the value of the idea, time, process, etc. i do a lot of building and repairs, and absolutely value the work that goes into this. i would just rather make it myself if i'm going to sink that much value into this particular item.

i'm certainly not lining up to cry foul over anything costing more than $50... that's crazy. but i do enjoy this site primarily for the DIY spirit it inspires.

And I couldn't be farther (in most cases) from a DIYer, and I love the site for the resources it provides.

brenjay--

The foul cry issue on "inspired by's" is a slippery slope... and while I love this alternative, and love ViveTerra, I wonder how I would feel were I Brent Comber. I basically sell ideas for a living, so this is a tricky area for me.

and brenjay--

I am not arguing (which I think you get) and I do love these kinds of dialogues, so thanks for engaging.

Scrap wood chop saw bicycle wheel rim 2 hours = Uhuru stoolen DIY.

http://www.uhurudesign.com/work.php?w=2

Not nearly as nice as Comber's but a successful DIY is supremely satisfying..

I do get that you're not arguing, yes.

I protect people's ideas for a living. So I also get your "slippery slope" argument, and respect it. I think our lines when it comes to tolerating copies are just different. Maybe that's because half of my job is to protect ideas/IP, and the other half is to get around protection that isn't adequate.... Clearly, my position in that game makes my take on it fuzzier.

I appreciate these kinds of dialogs, too, when everyone is willing to play nice!

See if you can catch Brent at an art festival. We picked up one of those tables from him directly for $800. It IS expensive but I look at it as art as well as furniture. We love it and it gets lots of compliments. As a bonus Brent signed the bottom. Although for that price they should probably all be signed. The Viva Terra version looks like a cheap knockoff. The quality isn't close to the Comber. Probably the reason you can get two for less than one of Brent's.

the price, in this case, is much more justifiable for the originals by Brent... i agree, eric, that it is a piece of art to add to a collection. do you have photos of it in your home? i'd love to see how you've tied it into your decor!