Stunning Handpainted Furniture Co-op (take a look)

[corrie23]

I'm posting this on the bargains board as well becuase it is a true diamond in the rough kind of find. My sister saw these artists on a trip to Colorado and raved about their hand painted children's furniture (which she now proudly owns).

When I saw the website my jaw dropped, and I had to figure out a way to own a kid-sized table and chairs. I just got off the phone with the artist herself and spoke with her about doing a co-op at a discount. She said that she loved the idea of a co-op and really strives to make their art accessible to consumers. I wanted to get a sense of interest and then speak with her further about possible discounts.

Anyway....check out the site.

http://artwerksart.com/start2.htm

They have a variety of kids furniture although she said they do adult furniture as well. There is a price list, but it sounds like there would be a significant discount. She mentioned some numbers that sounded like a table and 2 stools would cost about the same price a just the table under normal circumstances (plus shipping). She said once there was a sense of interest, she could give specific price ranges for the pieces (price range would differ somewhat based upon custom work and level of detail in the piece).

Enough of my blabbering, you really must look at these on the site. They are AMAZING, true works of art that are beautiful and funcional. She also said they guarantee the pieces for like and thet that stand up to lots of child wear and tear.

Hope you live it as much as I do!

[jubilee]

wow... very nice. I wish I could have her do a mural in my house. Her stuff is beautiful.

[etwahl]

depending on the price, i might be interested in a table and chairs set. the bistro set looks adorable!

[mattiew]

These are amazing!!!! I am a little confused about the kid offerings/styles. Any info you have on the table/chair styles, themes that can be painted on, and size info would be great. Maybe your sister can help by telling you what she saw or taking measurements.

Thanks so much!
Carrie

[eb1]

Ditto!

[tarahsolazy]

I would definately be interested in at least a chair, or a table and two stools, if the price was right.

[corrie23]

Thanks for all of the great questions. Sorry the details are still hazy, but I wanted to get a sense of interest before bogging the artist down with all sorts of questions. Since there is interest, and it seems to mostly be for the tables and chairs, I just emailed her to ask her to provide me with more details about the style options and dimensions, and I'll post them here as soon as she gets back to me. I also asked what themes she does (if any) in addition to the land and waterscapes, animals, insects, flowers, and food featured on the site. I'll post that too as soon as I hear back.

I didn't want to talk too much about price until I had an idea of how many people might be interested so that we could get the best quantity discount, but she did say that items with a lot of detail take more time and cost a bit more than a simpler design like a large ladybug or butterfly. I think in the end she will give us a "co-op price range" for pieces with the specific price depending on the level of detail an individual wants. Then people from the co-op will contact her directly with their design ideas and get a final total including shipping to them from Colorado. To give some sense though, my sister got a very detailed custom table and 2 stools (photo attached) and she paid $300 total including shipping to the east coast. The artist seemed to suggest that she would give a better price to our co-op.

I'm so excited that people love these as much as I do!

[tina-t]

Those are so pretty. I am interested in the bench depending on the price.

[kcimato]

I may be interested also. Is the table she did for your sister for outdoors or indoors? Can it be made for outdoors?

[tippy]

I loved the cat step stool and might be interested in table and chairs or bench depending on the price. Thanks!

[corrie23]

More great questions have come up since I emailed her yesterday but these are the her responses to the earlier questions we had.

"Thank you!!for your e-mail and questions. Let's start with styles. We
primarily make the log-style tables, with the stools. This is by far the most popular, and frankly, we don't make the other styles anymore. The little chairs are adorable, however very expensive to make. For us to make a profit from those chairs, we had to retail them at $195. So, to make it simple for you, let's just offer the log style for now and if people want something different, we can offer that on a custom basis. We really need to get those off the website, however they do show a lot of cool painting (a great portfolio) of what we can do.


We really can make about anything you can imagine. If it can be painted, I can paint it. I can do portraits, animals, any theme or whatever you can think of. The sizes on the log-style tables are approx. 24" x 30" (top), x 16 1/2" tall, and the stools(toadstools!), are approx, 11"-12" diameter top and about 10" tall. Both are VERY well built, very strong, each hand designed, hand painted and signed by the artist. Meaning that each table is entirely individually a unique work of art, even each ladybug has it's own character. I don't mean to skip around here, but back to painting, I have even painted a VanGogh's "Starry Night" table, and have reproduced other works of favorite art for people, one with an incorporated chess board, which was very cool.

We can produce about 30 table sets a month. So, if you were to cooperatively order that amount, more or less, delivery
would be about 5 weeks from the order date. It's a little difficult to
explain, as I said, because each piece is hand made - even in a production setting. But even if it is hard to explain, I'm sure that we can fulfill everyone's wildest dream order!!

We can make other items too --- even if it's not on the web--- like I said, we can make almost anything and complementary pieces such as shelf things or benches etc. can be ordered.

I think that answers some of your questions! We really appreciate your interest and communication AND using this co-op idea. If there's anything else we can answer, let us know!!!"

I'll email her again to ask about some of the other questions that have come up, but I wanted to get this info posted in the meantime.

-Corrie

[corrie23]

Sorry for the delay in updating details. I think I got responses to all the questions that you posted and that I personally had. Additionally, the website has been updated and shows more of the bistro tables in case you want to check them out.

Alright, I asked about outdoor use and she said that they can go outdoors, but she wouldn't recommend them for regular outdoor use as the hot sun can soften and yellow the exterior varnish and other elements can cause wear and tear much faster than indoor use.

I clarified that the log style legs are either painted a solid color or they are varnished so there is no unfinished wood to the pieces (I was worried about my little Picasso taking her crayons to the legs). Additionally, I noticed that the child-size table and stools were a bit shorter than others on the market. The artist said that she finds this height to be very toddler-friendly and said that her 10 year-old granddaughter still fits comfortably at her table/stools, but she said that the legs could be made longer at an individual's request. She also added that the current height makes the table very versitile, indicating thet they are the perfect coffee-table height as well (just in case you wanted multi-functional furniture).

I asked for measurements/details on the bistro tables because I recalled there being some interest. She said that these are meant to be used as kitchen tables. They are 30" high and either 32" square or 32"x36". They fit 4 chairs around them. She said that they buy manufactured chairs and paint them to match the table or I suppose you could just put regular chairs around them. She said that they just started making them this past spring and they have been very well received.

She promised me that she would have pricing info to me within 24 hours. She is pricing out table/stool combos, extra stools (should you want 4 stools vs. 2 for instance) bench pricing (with and without backs) and I think pricing for the bistro tables and chairs. If there is anything else you want pricing on, please tell mne asap. Once I post pricing, I'm going to request that people post what they plan to order (this does not in any way force you to purchase it) but I want a fairly accurate sense of the total co-op order because she said she might be able to fine-tune the pricing based on the quanitiy of the total order. Then people would email/call her directly to discuss the specifics of their order (e.g. design, special requests, shipping costs, etc). There will need to be a deadline for the co-op because she said that the price of wood is steadily increasing and she can't guarantee the quoted prices for too long.

LMK if there are any other questions!

-Corrie

[tippy]

Could you please check for a price on the step stools. I love the cat!

[jessastaire]

How do we sign up for the co-op? When will you be ordering? How can we find out more info?? Gorgeous furniture, I'd love to buy a table/chair set. Baby #3 isn't due until May, though, and I hope to know the gender before ordering. Thanks!

[corrie23]

See some of the earlier posts for info on dimensions, furniture options, etc. If you have other specific questions, post them here and I'll do my best to get answers. I'll be posting a price list asap - I got an email from Cindy the artist this morning saying that they wouldn't be able to work on the pricing until the weekend and then she'd get it to me. I'm not sure if the prices will be listed as ranges depending on complexity of design desired, or if she'll just post a basic price for a type of furniture and then tweak it a bit when she talks directly to each individual about the details of their custom requests. There wll be a order deadline for the quoted co-op pricing because wood prices fluctuate so Cindy's cost does not remain constant. When do you find out the gender? A lot of the themes (animals, beach, water, etc.) are pretty gender neutral IMO but I can understand wanting to know the gender for that perfectly custom piece.

I'm asking people to post ther orders here so that I can get a fairly accurate count of the total number of pieces being ordered so that I can talk to Cindy about any additional discount if we get a really impressive quantity going (no promises, but she indicated that she might be open to further price adjustments based on the size of the order). Then people will most likely call/email her directly to place their orders, mentioning that they are from the co-op. That way they can discuss their desired design and any special requests directly with Cindy and get a shipping quote based upon their destination and the weight/dimensions of their furniture.

I hope that answers your questions, and congrats on baby #3!

-Corrie

[winifredzb]

Any updates? Defintely interested as their furniture is beautiful!

Thank You!

[corrie23]

I just got the price list and descriptions. I hope that it is not confusing, but if you have questions, ask and I'll do my best to clarify. Dimensions are listed in addition to the price, and I assume that these prices are for any level of custom work.

PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE SHIPPING. SHIPPING COST WILL BE DETERMINED BY CINDY BASED UPON SIZE/WEIGHT OF FURNITURE AND DESTINATION


1) SMALL BENCH- size approx. 28"w. X 12"Deep x 16" tall (seat 12"tall), $225. (Examples of these shown on the website "Benches" page)

2) LOG STYLE BENCH-size approx.12"w. X 4'l. X 16"tall-$100 (Examples of these shown on the "log style furniture" page e.g., photo top left)

3) LOG STYLE TABLE, JUNIOR SIZE (goes with #2 bench)-approx. 32"x36"top
x26"H. $300. (Examples of these shown on the "log style furniture" page e.g., photo top left)

4)SET OF TABLE #3 WITH TWO BENCHES #2- Table with 2 benches matching, $450. (Examples of these shown on the "log style furniture" page e.g., photo top right) Seems akin to a picnic table and benches to me.

5)CHILDREN'S LOG STYLE TABLE WITH 2 STOOLS - $225. tables are approx. 24" x 30" (top), x16 1/2" tall, and the stools(toadstools!), are approx, 11"-12" diameter topand about 10" tall.(Examples of these shown on the "log style furniture" page e.g., photo top left & turtle tables as well as the photo of my sister's table posted to the thread)

6)above INDIVIDUAL LOG STOOL $40.

7)STEP STOOL $200. (labor intensive)!!! (Examples seen under "step stools" on the website).

8)BISTRO STYLE CAFE TABLE, approx. 30"h.x 32"x32" top, or up to 32"x36"top,$325. (Examples seen under "Bistro Kitchen Tables" on the website).

9) CHAIRS TO MATCH BISTRO TABLE - Chairs to go with, (painted seat),$45ea.

10) BISTRO TABLE WITH 4 CHAIRS (SET) $505

**I also just sent an email asking if she can do a log style bench to go along with the children's log style table. I'll post the reply when I get it. Again, if you plan to place an order, please indicate on this thread what you're ordering. It won't commit you to the purchase, but if I have an idea of the size of the total co-op order, she may adjust the pricing down slightly. I'm ordering a children's log style table with 2 stools myself with the possibility of a log style bench to match (if they do that) or two extra stools.

Thank you, and have fun!

-Corrie

[soexcited]

Hi Corrie,


I just found this website and love the furniture! I was wondering though, why the stepstool in the co-op is $200 when it is listed on the website as $125. Also, is there any way to get an estimate on the cost of shipping? Your sister's table and chairs are beautiful, but with shipping added in it seems like the co-op price isn't that much cheaper than what she paid. Let me know if you have any advice.

Thanks,
Lisa

[corrie23]

Lisa,

I'm sorry it took me so long to respond. My computer stopped working shortly after I last posted so my DH is typing this from work. I don't know why the pricing isn't better than the website. I'm getting the sense that Cindy is an excellent artist, but a less excellent business person. Given her delays in responding to my inquiries and her pricing offer she may not be as interested in a co-op as she originally suggested. I'm sorry that this co-op hasn't worked out as well as I hoped. Maybe interested people want to contact her directly for pricing and shipping information if they want to place an order. Sorry again this didn't go as hoped.

Thanks,
Corrie

[soexcited]

Hi Corrie,


Maybe I will contact her. How disappointing! I will post if I hear anything positive.


Lisa

[corrie23]

Thank you Lisa. I'm so sorry this didn't go as I hoped. As it turned out, our computer absolutely died just after I posted the co-op info almost 2 weeks ago. We had to go out and buy a new one and it wasn't hooked up until yesterday so I'm sorry I was MIA. I'm still planning to order a table and stools from Cindy, but I get the feeling it will involve more work then a co-op might have allowed (she's not too great about responding promptly to emails, she's really vague about potential shipping costs, etc.) I called my sister again to ask her to speak frankly about the ordering experience. She said she would still do it again as the table is stunning, but was a bit off put out by the lack of professionalism over all.

Again, sorry this didn't go as hoped.

-Corrie