Employee Spotlight for January: Mary Margaret Byrne
Mary Margaret Byrne:
Sales/Custom Finishing
Hometown: El Paso, TX
Mary Margaret was with the business from the beginning. She moved to Franklin in 1998 as a “retired” senior but came out of retirement to help in the store. She enjoys time off to spend time with her grandkids, work at her church and travel with her sister.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born in Mexico City where my father was in the American embassy at the time. I also lived in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, Bogota , Colombia then went to college in Denton, Texas at Texas Women’s University for two years.
Caletones Foundry in Chile
At that time my father was transferred to Santiago Chile and of course I had to see this new country. I got a job teaching school for Braden Copper Company and the Children of the American employees. It was located up in the Andes in a small town called Caletones where the copper oar was smelted. I taught for two years and then my father was transferred to Frankfurt Germany and this time the family was not to go. It was during the Berlin crisis and my father spoke German.
My mother and siblings and I settled in El Paso, Texas where I returned to college at the University of Texas at El Paso and graduated with a degree in Elementary Education. I substituted for about three months and decided teaching in the States was not for me.
1960s American Airlines Advertisement
I joined American Airlines as a stewardess flew for 5 years and then trained flight attendants for 5 more years. I was married at the time and retired and had two daughters.
We lived in Dallas at the time that is where AA is based. We eventually moved to Jacksonville, Florida where my husband worked for a bank in the trust department. I was married for 29 years and was divorced in 1996. I wanted to find a spot close to both of my daughters and their growing families so I took off on a road trip and ended up in Franklin. God truly lead me here. There is no reasonable reason to have come here.
2. How long have you worked at Whistle Stop Furniture?
I have worked for 10 years at Whistle Stop Furniture and have been truly blessed by my employers and all the people who have come and gone over the years.
3. Do you have a favorite finishing technique?
Basil & Brick Red Milk Paints
I like to finish furniture and as for favorites it is sometimes layered and peeling paint and multi colors. Things have evolved so much over the years I have never been bored.
4. What is your favorite line of furniture?
The manufacturers have also changed so much so I can’t say I have a favorite. I do like Red Alder over all the woods for the way it finishes so beautifully.
January Featured Manufacturer: PostureCraft
The January Featured Manufacturer is PostureCraft, a manufacturer of quality mattresses. For 23 years, since February 20, 1988, Posturecraft Mattress Company has been manufacturing, selling, and delivering mattresses of all sizes, shapes, and descriptions.
Viscolet Line
They specialize in antique and custom size bedding, conventional mattress sets, adjustable bed sets, air beds, bed frames, mattress topper pads, latex mattress sets, pillows and memory foam mattress sets.
Posture Phase 1 Never Flip
The Adjusta-Matic Adjustable Bed
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‘Tis the Season: Six Holiday Decorating Ideas
Are you having trouble finding the time to decorate your home for Christmas? Take some inspiration from these six holiday decorating ideas. A nicely decorated Christmas tree (ranging from simple decorations to the beautifully ornate) can make your entire home feel more inviting during the holiday season.
Dazzling White Entryway from Coast Living.com
Dazzling White Entryway
Take a faux white tree from tacky to classy with a silver and gold color combo. The metallic ornaments and white lights keep the tree simple but add the right amount of sparkle and shimmer to a rustic-style room. – Coastal Living.com
DIY Ornaments from Country Living.com
DIY Tag Ornaments
Make eye-catching ornaments by creating custom tags with written messages or photos. – Country Living.com
Fresh Green & White from Country Living.com
Fresh Green & White
White dove ornaments combine with amaryllis, carnations, and orchids on this lovely tree. – Country Living.com
Heavenly Tree from Martha Stewart.com
Heavenly Tree with Angels and Stars
Take inspiration from our themed trees embellished with garlands, ornaments, and tree toppers. Up the elegance of this year’s evergreen with beautiful celestial symbols. Delicate silvery angels flit among hand-tied ribbon stars. – Martha Stewart.com
Heirloom Tree from Martha Stewart.com
Heirloom Tree
Using a few readily available materials, you can make ornaments that will become treasured heirlooms even before they’ve spent a season on the tree: Shape wired tinsel into sparkling stars, beads into snowflakes, and sumptuous fabrics into small decorative globes. Even humble materials like buttons and wood can be transformed into distinctive decorations. The finished ornaments may be hung from the tree, used to embellish packages, or given as gifts. Wherever they end up, they will surely become Christmas keepsakes for family, friends, and yourself. – Martha Stewart.com
Advent Tree from Martha Stewart.com
Advent Tree
Kids undecorate this tree! The ornaments are gifts in ribbon pouches, one to open each day starting December 1. – Martha Stewart.com
Updating your home’s furniture and decor can make your home feel brand new during any season. Take advantage of our monthly special: purchase a new living room set (sofa, chair and ottoman) and choose $400 of accessories to complete your room!
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 Black Friday Savings!Don’t Miss Out on theseBlack Friday Deals! |
| Take advantage of our Black Friday specials, exclusively for Whistle Stop Furniture customers! Stop by our showroom on Friday, November 25th, 2011 and shop for great holiday deals on unfinished furniture, log furniture and accessories. |
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Accessory & Toy Promotions
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Like us on Facebook for even more discounts, specials and previews!
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Look for information about our Twelve Days of Christmas…coming soon! We hope to see you on Friday!
Whistle Stop Furniture |
November Employee Spotlight: Ginger Middleton
Ginger Middleton:
Sales/Accessories/Cabinets
Hometown: Sylva, NC
Ginger is the mother of two wonderful children and enjoys working with people. She likes the challenges of learning new things and handles a wide variety of details on the sales floor.
1. Where are you from originally? Sylva, NC.
2. Describe a little bit about yourself (i.e. hobbies, interests, family, etc.). I am a single mother with 2 children. I like spending time with friends and family, vacations at the beach, morning walks, animals and lot’s more.
3. How long have your worked at Whistle Stop Furniture? 4 years.
4. What do you enjoy most about working at Whistle Stop Furniture? Helping customers find what they are looking for.
5. What is your favorite line of furniture? The modern unfinished items because you can finish it yourself to make it unique.
Ginger's Pick: Whittier Pacific Queen Suite
November Featured Manufacturer: Rocky Butte
Rocky Butte Hawthorne Line
Our November featured manufacturer is Rocky Butte Manufacturing. Rocky Butte was founded in 2000 in Portland, Oregon with over 50 years of experience in the furniture making industry.
Rocky Butte carries four lines of solid pine bedroom furniture and three lines of solid maple bedroom furniture, as well as several lines of occasional furniture. They have recently expanded their lines to include environmentally-friendly bamboo furniture.
Cassama Bamboo Furniture
The Cassama line is made of solid, sustainable bamboo. Using non-formaldehyde glue and water base finish, Rocky Butte builds their furniture locally in Portland and utilizes an eco-ship program that includes reusable furniture blankets with no cardboard boxes or styrofoam packaging.
Spotlight On: Intarsia
Intarsia is the making of decorative pictures by laying pieces of various natural woods into groundwork of solid wood. Through the centuries craftsmen have created beautiful works of art from wood. Intarsia is seen in the history of ancient Egypt, Persia, eighth-century Japan and Imperial Rome. However the Sienese of Italy are the most noted for their work with carvings dating back to the 13th century. Because intarsia was so labor intensive, it was primarily found in the homes of the very elite. Over time, intarsia became a lost art; in recent year, due to the modernization of man and equipment, intarsia has again become extremely popular.
Intarsia takes many long and demanding hours of work. First you must choose the proper colors and grains of the woods. All intarsia artwork is done with natural wood selections, from cedar, pine, poplar, walnut, cherry and oak. Then the groundwork must be carved, lowered and trenched. Next the wood is cut, sawed and sliced into tiles and these tiles are set one at a time in a bed of glue. Finally the inlaid surface is sanded, rubbed won, and burnished, creating a lovely decorative piece.
Choosing Wood For Ready-To-Finish Furniture
Solid Top Round Pedestal Table
Wood has always been a favorite material for making furniture, and for good reason:
• Wood is available in various colors, grains and hardness. It can be cut and shaped into a large variety of attractive designs.
• Wood is shock-resistant and very durable, generally outlasting synthetic materials. Scratches and nicks are easy to touch up.
• Wood has lasting value. Genuine wood furniture may cost more in the beginning, but often grows in value as it is handed down from one generation to another.
With ready-to-finish wood furniture, you can add other pieces at any time and match the finish -something that is often not possible with prefinished furniture.
Types of Wood
Ready-to-finish furniture is available in many types of wood, each with special characteristics. And because each tree yields lumber with its own grain patterns and character markings, each piece of genuine wood furniture has a unique personality.
You may not be familiar with every type of wood, but all make quality furnishings of various types. Your ready-to-finish furniture dealer can advise you about the stains and finishes to use for best results on each type. Here are the kinds of wood commonly used to make ready-to-finish furniture.
Alder
ALDER is a hardwood from the Pacific Northwest. It is very consistent in color and takes stain well. It ranks third behind oak and pine as the wood most commonly used for ready-to-finish furniture. Alder gives the look of many fine hardwoods at a reasonable price.
Aspen
ASPEN is a softer, light-colored, even-grained hardwood. It accepts most stains well, but may need a sealer or a coat of mineral spirits to achieve an even stain. Nonpenetrating stains work best on this wood.
Ash
ASH grows primarily in the Northeast and Canada. It is a cream-colored hardwood often used for sporting equipment, such as baseball bats. It has an open grain pattern similar to that of oak, and takes stains well.
Beech
BEECH is a long-fibered, light-colored hardwood with a tight grain much like birch or maple. It is good for bending, takes stain well and is used mainly for chairs and stools.
Birch
BIRCH is fine-grained hardwood that grows primarily in the Northeast and Canada. White in color, it takes any color of stain well.
Maple
MAPLE is especially abundant in the eastern U.S. It is a very light-colored hardwood with a very even grain texture. Eastern maples are generally harder than western maples because of the colder winters and shorter growing seasons.
Both are very durable and take any color stain.
Oak
OAK is the wood most commonly used for ready-to-finish furniture. It is a very hard, open-grain wood that comes in red or white varieties. Red oak, which has a pinkish cast, is the more popular of the two. White oak has a slight greenish cast. Both woods stain well in any color.
Parawood
PARAWOOD from the Far East is used for much of the furniture made in that part of the world. Parawood is grown on rubber tree plantations. Trees are harvested after latex production ceases in the tree. The wood is as hard as maple or ash and takes a very even stain. It is yellow in color, with a grain similar to mahogany.
Pine
PINE is a soft wood that comes in many varieties from various parts of the world. In the U.S., Eastern white pine, ponderosa pine and sugar pine are some of the varieties used to make furniture. All have yellow coloring with brown knots and are excellent for staining. With some stains, a sealer helps prepare the wood to achieve a more even look.
Radiata Pine
RADIATA PINE is a plantation-grown wood from South America that is harder than other pines and has fewer knots. This variety of pine has a beautiful grain pattern and takes stains well.
September’s Featured Manufacturer: NRF Log Furniture
NRF Log Furniture
NRF Log Furniture is the manufacturer of the standard and rustic pine, red cedar, white cedar, hickory and walnut log furniture we carry at Whistle Stop Furniture. NRF is a small, Amish-run business in central Michigan that makes some of the most beautiful furniture available. Different Amish families specialize in specific types of furniture: one family makes only beds, another makes tables, etc. This allows each family to produce the high-quality log furniture you see in our showroom.
Red Cedar Stump Table
From red cedar to walnut, smooth standard logs to rustic logs, there’s something for everyone in our log furniture lines. The furniture is made using the mortise-and-tenon method with the logs, an extremely strong and eye-catching style. While most of the furniture we order is pre-finished by the Amish using a durable type of lacquer, we can also order unfinished log furniture that can be custom finished.
Whistle Stop Furniture has used NRF as our provider of log furniture for years. Their beautiful furniture is second to none, and their quality shows in every piece. Click here to see even more of log furniture items available in our store or through our website.
Hickory & White Cedar Bedroom Set
Whistle Stop Furniture 