Green Pad Living - Green Pad Blog

Earth Mart Display

2009-11-17 23:11:53 -0500

We were asked by the owner of Earth Mart, an “Eco-Friendly Department Store”, in Phoenixville, PA to show a few pieces of our Eco-Restored Furniture in their store for the month of November. We made a mirror from the wood salvaged from the top of a coffee table, and restored a sideboard and a sewing table. Each piece was finished with Mythic Paint, our paint of choice, which is also sold in Earth Mart. Many thanks to Lisa at Earth Mart for the opportunity!

Sideboard:

Mirror Frame:

Sewing Table:

Baby Changing Table

2009-10-07 23:01:32 -0400

10.21.2009 – I finished the piece last weekend and installed it today. We went with a cream color and lavender. Added to the finished product were the top rails. The sides and back were all salvaged wood, the front rail was salvaged from the front of an old bureau. A changing pad was added to the top and they had their new, Salvaged, Rehabbed Green, Upcycled, Baby Changing Table, painted with No-VOC Paints, from Green Pad Living. We hope it will be of good use in the The Kimberton Waldorf School’s Nursery Program. Can I salvage and rehab a piece of furniture for your Eco-Friendly home? Email me with your needs and ideas, and we’ll make it happen!

Beginning to the End:

10.15.2009 – This week I started to create a “Baby Changing Table” for The Kimberton Waldorf School’s Nursery Program. I salvaged an old sideboard that used to be white. A previous owner painted over it brown with a brush. So the finish had to come completely off. The top was a bit too small for what KWS’s needs are, so I popped it off and substituted it with a salvaged bureau top. This week the piece will be painted off white, and one maybe two colors, which are not decided yet!!

CBS 3's "Green Scene"

2009-09-04 22:11:47 -0400

Recently, we were approached by CBS 3’s “Green Scene” segment. They did a feature on businesses who salvage and restore items, of which we were featured. We shot the video on Wednesday and it aired today (Friday, September 4th.) Check out the video here.

Eco- Tot Activity Tables

2009-08-26 23:09:03 -0400

When my son was 3 years old, I wanted Santa to get him a table for his growing collection of trains. When we started scouting which kind we wanted the big man to bring, we realized 2 things. One, they all needed to be put together by Daddy’s on the Holiday morning and two, once they were put together they were so flimsy that we’d most likely be asking Santa for another one by the summer.

So our first model of the Eco-Tot Activity Table was built. We needed the table to be strong and well built for our active children. Second, it had to have a very low imprint on the environment. We use only salvaged and sustainable wood to build the tables and all of the paints are Non Toxic and do no contain any Volatile Organic Compounds. We build them in two sizes, a large and a small for your different spaces. We have a two sets of colors to choose from along with custom color choice, please Email Us should you have any questions. Anyone in the Philadelphia area that orders a table from now until the Holiday season receives free delivery. Email us as well for a delivery quote. Below are pictures of the progress of our latest order.

After the base is built, the wood is primed with a No-VOC Primer.

Then painted with a No-VOC paint.

After the trim is attached we seal the table with a No-VOC polyurethane that is water resistant so Mom’s and Dad’s can always wipe them down for an easy clean!

More pictures to follow…

Chalkboards

2009-08-16 00:30:34 -0400

When we started doing Farmer’s Market’s this past summer I wanted a Chalkboard to write what we were offering that day of the market. When I started looking into how much simple “A frame” chalkboard costs, the price of it made me get creative and build my own. We use the drawers of an old beureau to display our soap and frames in sometimes, so I had the remaining parts of it in my shop…I took the two sides off and painted them a bright green color, added chalkboard paint (the only Non Eco-Friendly paint I use) to the center and created my own. Some other vendors approached me about creating one for their business so I thought I’d share this week’s chalkboard project.

The pictures below are the beginnings of an A frame chalkboard for The Spice of Life Bakery. The pieces came from a buffet that was past it’s time. Someone had gotten rid of it, and I’d much rather have restored it, but there was no way to make it work from the endless chips and divots in the finish. So I cut the sides off and plan to use the remaining wood as scrap for future projects. To be finished early next week!

Finished! (8/21/2009)

Week of July 13th

2009-07-14 23:28:06 -0400

I walked into my shop on Monday and was surprised to see this cupboard resting on my work table…someone apparently threw it away and a good friend had me in mind to restore it when he saved it on trash day. I took every piece apart and luckily, no pieces will have to be replaced. Once taken apart, the three coats of paint were sanded off and the inside of the cupboard was painted a light green. Tomorrow the outside will be painted white and then distressed slightly and finally a clear coat. All of our paints we use are contain no-VOC’s and are completely non-toxic. Hanging hardware will be applied to the back and chicken wire will be applied inside the doors. If we had a store, I’d use it to hold our Organic Soap or our Shea Butter, but since we don’t yet, hopefully it will be put to good use in your home. This piece will be on sale at our Farmer’s Markets this weekend….Friday at Merchantville, NJ , Saturday at Haddonfield, NJ, and Sunday at Devon, PA. If it does not sell this weekend, look for it to be on sale via the website! If you’d like to pre-order this cupboard or if you have any questions regarding it, please email Darren.

Finito! (July 17th) -

Almost Finished! (July 16th)-

(Progress as of July 15th)-

(Item as salvaged)

The Week of June 22

2009-06-22 23:12:48 -0400

Began to tackle this desk today, which we will be on sale this Saturday at the Haddonfield Farmer’s Market. This desk was sanded today and will be Eco-Restored, like all of our furniture, with Non Toxic No VOC Paints. Dimensions and our color choice will be posted tomorrow. Come check us out at the Philadelphia Whole Foods Farmer’s Market, on Thursday – June 25th from 3-7PM, Friday June 26th from 5-9PM at the South Street Philadelphia Whole Foods Craft Fair, our usual Haddonfield Farmer’s Market on Saturday and on Sunday at The North Wales, PA Whole Foods Farmers Market, from 11-3PM. Look for other pieces of Eco-Restored Furniture, along with our Reclaimed Wood Frames in cool new colors, along with our Organic Soap and Raw Shea Butter!

The Half Door

2009-06-11 23:29:05 -0400

The finished half door below will be for sale this weekend at the Haddonfield Farmer’s Market. If it does not sell on Saturday, we will have it for sale on the website shortly there after. Please email me with any questions on the piece and if you’re interested in purchasing it before we take it to market or before we list it on the website.

Also, the table below was started yesterday and will be finished tomorrow to sell on Saturday as well.

Salvaged Half Door…36 Inches Tall x 30 Inches Wide x 1.5 Inches Thick. Solid wood. The door was sanded down, primed, painted, distressed and sealed with a water resistant No VOC clear coat so it could be an outdoor piece as well. Hanging hardware was added so it could hang on the walls in your home or could be the perfect garden accent!

Back to Work

2009-06-09 22:27:33 -0400

Greetings everyone,

We’ve been away from the shop for the past week as we welcomed our beautiful baby boy into the world on June 3rd. Both Mommy and Baby are doing wonderfully!

Back to work today on some pieces…the half door below will be on sale at The Whole Foods Farmer’s Market we will begin to attend, every other Thursday starting June 11th from 3-7 PM at the Callowhill Street store in Philadelphia, PA.

This half door was recently salvaged then painted with No-VOC paint, distressed, and sealed. Tomorrow, hardware will be applied to turn it into a wall hanging.

5.31.09

2009-05-31 22:35:24 -0400

This week we’re tackling the table below as well as the salvaged half door pictured that will be turned into a wall hanging. The table measures at 4 feet long x 22 inches high x 30.5 inches tall. The door measures at 3 feet tall x 30 inches wide x 1.5 inches thick.