Here are some pictures of my work at the Smith Commons restaurant in DC.
french industrial
The 308 shelf can also be made with gray aged wood (similar to barn wood or beach aged wood) which is my personal favorite. Here is one I just made for my wife. Dimensions are 56″ x 21″ x 74″ tall. I have a couple of these in stock, one 4′ wide and the other 3′.
Here is a variation of my Ellis design. It has 4 solid doors with ironwork that is riveted and bolted on, an internal shelf, 6″ cast iron casters, solid mahogany top and shelves, about 400 lbs of handmade steel and hardwood. Ideal for a residential, or commercial setting. Built to last a lifetime and then some. This piece as pictured is priced around $3575. Without the hutch it prices around $2595.
Dimensions: 60″ L x 20″ D x 74″ T
Available in custom sizes, finishes, and can be tailored to suit your needs.
Here is a new line I am carrying, Coach Casters which have an aged 6″ composite wheel, and a dark vintage patina on the metal. They have a mounting height of 7.5″. They are budget priced at $119 per set of four. These are also available with an 8″ wheel for $129.
Here’s a quick pic of my 308 shelf at the Ralph Lauren Home store. I’ll have professional pictures next month.
Here are some Vintage Industrial style casters I am now carrying. The 6″ wheels were forged in America and designed around the 1940s. I will be adding these to my Antique Caster page soon. Feel free to contact me if you are interested in a set. The top two pictured have a 6″ spoked cast iron wheel. The bottom two have a cast iron wheel with a rubber tread.
Here is a new version of the 308 series, a desk with a rare 2″ thick mahogany top. The large aged pipe base sits on old spoked casters. This piece is 60″ x 19.5″ x 30″ tall and weighs in around 225 lbs. It would also make a nice console or display table. Price $1,750
Here’s an 8′ tall x 5′ wide 308 shelf I made for a Polo Ralph Lauren store back East. I used salvaged steel on some parts of it and it has some hardware from England.
So today I went to Bungalow to browse and found this piece for sale. I recognized it immediately. Hey, that is MY ELLIS DESIGN. Hmm, India was my 5th largest web visitor and it’s no wonder why. They are copying my designs. And what a poor copy it was. Weighed about half as much as mine. It looked cheap and the wood was beat to hell. Casters looked bad and well, it looked like somebody crapped this copy out of their butt (to put it nicely). I was infuriated at first, wanted to punch the store owner, then the poorly paid 12 year old kid in India who lost a finger making it. But then I thought it over. The piece looks like cheap shit which is perfect for somebody who likes to buy cheap shit. Oh by the way, it was $800 more then my piece ($2195). And my customers don’t buy cheap shit so I guess it’s all good.
Unfortunately India is sending me catalogs via email with pieces they didn’t even make. I should know, I’ve seen these actual antique pieces for sale in New York. Cut and paste to your catalog, and now you built and carry it. So I watermark my pictures. I am sure some of my pictures are in these catalogs. Oh well, karma is a… Buy from overseas, fill their country’s pockets, weaken our economy, and your customer has something that falls apart soon and doesn’t look very nice. I guess I am still a little angry here, arrrrgggghhhhhh, breathhhhhhh………
Anyways, see if you can spot the copy below:
(Added 3/2/11)
Well the owner of Bungalow called me and we had a nice talk. She said she has no knowledge of that piece being a copy of my design and purchased it as a one-off from an Indian manufacturer. So they won’t be buying anymore of them since there aren’t any. Also since it was a one-off, the price was much higher than a production piece. Which makes sense to me. Now I will just take her word for this. But do I believe all of this, no comment. Only time will tell.
So I know the India manufacturers are copying me. And trademarking my work is too expensive at the moment, not to mention the cost and time of enforcing it.
So I guess the larger picture is just the US buying knockoff and super-cheap products from Asia. Maybe it’s impossible for a store owner to buy original products made in America and stay in business, I don’t know? I do my best to buy American materials when building my designs, but it’s just about impossible to stay 100% American. Am I a hypocrite? This is something I am going to have to ponder over the next few weeks. But I thank all of my fans/friends for the support over this ordeal.
Here is a conference table headed for a Manhattan high rise. Dimensions are 11′ x 42″ x 30″ and it has an aged sugar pine top with riveted metal trim. It uses my A Frame base design with added cross supports.
Here’s my A Frame table with a customer’s glass top. I love the look!
Here is a pair on French Industrial design inspired conference tables that were finished today for a client. The long one is 10′ x 42″ x 30″ tall and weighs around 1000 pounds. The round table has a 36″ top, uses a smaller base, and weighs close to 350 pounds. The bases are riveted thick gauge steel and the removable tops are aged sugar pine. Prices vary for these pieces based on size and design, but you can have one like the round one for $3,500, and the long one for $5,750. These would also work great as dining tables. Another thought is to polish them up with a glass top for a mid-century modern look.
Here is a 308 shelf I finished yesterday. It has aged sugar pine shelves instead of the usual mahogany. Dimensions are 72″ x 36″ x 12″ deep and it prices at $1,395.
Just finished a pair of these for a customer. The design is based on a european vintage piece. They are all steel, riveted together with a thick steel top and an aged rust finish. These would work well as side tables, outdoor tables, use a couple of the bases to hold a coffee or dining table top, or use as a display table for your pet elephant. These measure 22″ x 22″ x 24″ tall and weigh around 75 lbs each. I can make these in a variety of size, finishes, and use different materials for the tops. Prices are around $995 each.
Here is a prototype caster I built which you can buy on our new website now –> http://www.retro.net/product-category/antique-casters-wheels/
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