 |
 |
 |
 |
| About Our Company: | |||
Ralph Garrett, owner of Shoestring Creations, has been designing and building furniture art since 1988. His pieces have been designed to blend a whimsical, creative look with utility. Based on traditional forms—such as Shaker, early Texas, Spanish, Colonial and Country French—and embellished with his vivid imagination, this handmade furniture is transformed into functional works of art. Made of Ponderosa pine, they include unusual features such as innovative textures, playful illustrations, interesting borders, bright color and nontraditional hardware. Each piece is painted and adorned by hand and varies slightly for a one-of-a-kind effect.
| About Our Designs: |
Shoestring Creations hand-painted pieces come in three main design motifs. "Stripe" is the assembly of 3/4" x 3/4" individual wood strips, creating a whimsical stripe-like presentation. "Hodge Podge" combines wider, fancifully-painted boards that come together in a remarkably patterned arrangement to bring this design its extraordinary look. "Whimsical" is the use of artistic license with color and imagination to create an individual look. You will be pleased to know that the same care and attention to detail is taken in finishing the inside of our cabinets.
| Bio: |
Artist Ralph Garrett
Owner, Shoestring Creations
Ralph Garret grew up in a
small Texas town where he learned early the values of hard work and doing the
job right. As a boy, he was hauling hay, working the family garden, or
building fences; as a young man, he worked cattle on ranches and was a rodeo
bull-dogger.
From an early age, Ralph
loved to build things, such as tree houses, animal cages, and Christmas gifts.
Then, as now, he used whatever materials he could easily find or afford - on a
"shoestring" budget.
Ralph settled down long enough
to earn a degree in Building Construction from Texas State Technical
Institute. He owned his first successful company,
Diamond G Construction, where
he built and remodeled houses. In 1987, Ralph married the love of his life, Kim.
Together, they decided to pack up and move to the Big City - Houston.
In Houston, Ralph learned the
art of building furniture from his cousin, mentor, and friend, David
Marsh. Ralph's natural gift for furniture design was recognized, and
throughout the next six years, Ralph developed one-of-a-kind pieces of art
market furniture.
In the early 1990s, he also began building his own
private designs, blending his talents of hard work and artistic vision, with a
"shoestring" mentality. It was
In 1994, Ralph and his family
returned to their roots in Johnson County, Texas. Since then, Shoestring
Creations has grown from one employee and 4,000 feet to 14,000
feet. A real Shoestring Creation!
| Press Release: |
Shoestring
Creations furniture offers fun, function and style
GRANDVIEW, TX-Furniture buyers in search of a lighthearted slant on traditional designs find that and more from Shoestring Creations, a growing art furniture company owned by Ralph Garrett in Grandview, Texas. With more than thirteen years experience in the design and construction of furniture, Garrett combines select elements of Spanish Colonial, French, Country, and Shaker styles throughout his line of fun, functional furniture.
Beginning with Ponderosa pine, alder, ash or oak, Garrett and his team of craftspeople create furniture and decorative accessories that add color and personality to any decor. Retailers and consumers alike enjoy the line's rustic simplicity and eye-catching illustrations, such as "Stripes" which are small even, slats that are painted and pieced together in a quilt-like effect; 'Hodge podge," with painted squares; and other finishes called "Decorative" and "Whimsical."
Distinctive
hardware and whimsical touches such as spoon drawer pulls are sometimes added as
a whimsical touch to a piece in the Shoestring line.
“We often like to use found objects or traditional materials in
non-traditional ways," Garrett explains.
This
season at the major markets, Shoestrings Creations will introduce Wine Towers
that hold six, nine, or twelve bottles of wine; a Bonnet with Clock on the
Stackable series, and new Stackable Cubes that can face different directions and
stack any which way (some even nest for a space-saving option).
The
studio offers youthful pieces that blend saucy style with smart function: CD
(cabinets come in guitar shapes, or in angel themes with wings hinged on,
Bookcases are available with curvy, zig-zag sides (don't worry the shelves are
level!), and Chess Tables with hidden storage are just some of the innovative
designs that Garrett's company creates and sells through retailers nationally.
Buyers may also select dressers, dining tables (some large enough to seat 10-12
persons), jelly cupboards, armoires, nightstands and other traditional pieces
that, once hand-painted in the studio, become contemporary works of art.
"I
like to challenge myself by responding to the question of function and how well
my pieces can adapt in many different living environments," says Garrett,
who has been working with wood since the late 1980's. With that concept in mind,
Garrett continues to add versatility, style, and smart function to his
furniture.
Examples
of the most versatile pieces in the collection include Stackable Storage
Cabinets with a multitude of options, including mix and match stands, cabinets,
and drawers that enable a customer to customize the cabinet's overall height,
look and function.
Shoestring Creations also makes and sells a comprehensive line of accessories, including Lamps, Photograph Frames, Clocks, Mirrors, and Boxes for stowing favorite recipes and other items. As the collection grows, collectors can mix and match pieces large and small to create a living environment that is truly playful and personal
###