This first section is about my project to remake the existing "theater", located inside the Baker Creek Pioneer Village Heirloom Seed Store: I chose the project, designed, produced and did most of the work on it. I show this project to demonstrate my initiative, problem-solving a bad "exhibit", my eye for a good design, my orientation to the detail, my ability to work well with coworkers and vendors, my ability to take a project and run with it, and to sell a project to the owner. The image above is my concept for the theater and seed store. My wife put it together in Photoshop.
This is still the Photoshop sign superimposed on a picture of the building (my wife did the photoshop). I also built the large mail bin in front.
This is the real sign on the real building. I fabricated the sign and installed it. A visiting sign painter painted it.
THEATER PROJECT: This is what the Bakersville "Theater" looked like when I first arrived. It used to be the men's restroom. Visitors NEVER came in and watched what was playing because the neglected, abandoned condition loudly told the visitor that whatever is being played on the screen is utterly unimportant! So, in the photos that follow, you will see what I did to solve this problem. It worked.
This shows the back of the "theater" before I took this project on. I started by removing those cabinets to make room for more chairs.
This was my concept design for an opulent Edwardian era theater in the same space. This was my first attempt at Sketchup. Notice the matching red carpet? Couldn't locate anything like that within an hours drive in any direction I had to settle for something else.
This is the final product. The "before" image showed a plasma screen sitting on a barrel. I have found it to be the case that the smaller the screen, sign, picture, or text, the less important the content is perceived to be, AND the less trust is bestowed on the educational content. That's why I gave it a large screen, with a projector mounted to the ceiling. I ordered and installed flexible 3/4" round edging/trim for the panels and stage, then painted them gold. The red velvet curtains I custom ordered from a manufacturer in Asia. Carpet was installed by the carpet company.
Notice the dimensional paneled ceiling. I found these antique chairs for sale on EBAY. I had them sandblasted and gold powder coated. I restored the wood handles, and reupholstered them from scratch with red suede that matched the stage curtains and wallpaper. I installed the chairs, the wallpaper, the curtains, the lamps, the spotlights, the cables, the trim, the projector, the screen, the sound system, and built the back bench. I hired a faux painter to help me marbleize the walls. The Amish crew did the rough carpentry - the wall panel frames and the paneled ceiling. I dealt with the details and finish work, which was made unnecessarily severe due to the "rough" quality of work from the Amish who built the panels and the paneled ceilings in a rush. I built a sample cross-section of the dimensional paneled ceiling as an example for the Amish on how to build it. I created design control drawings to scale for them. On the far left corner of photo, just outside the door, you can see an image projected onto the wall. it's a moving image of a '49er beckoning visitors to come inside the theater (the technical staff did that).
These antique chair were out of cast iron, and a number of the feet had broken off on one side so that screws could not be used. I took took steps to break any more feet by using large black rubber washers between the floor and the feet.
After purchasing, restoring, and installing the antique theater seats it became clear that the antique seats were made for thin antique Americans, not modern wide Americans. I quickly had to reinstall the antique theater chairs forward a bit to make room for the wide bench you see at the back which I built and upholstered.
I built and installed this themed garden hut out of rough-cut cedar board which I planed to uniform size. I then created the cute little garden vignette around it.
I took an old warehouse cart and added a second level, stained and aged it to match, and stenciled the company name on it. Bakersville Pioneer Village is part of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. I built it so that the seed boxes fit perfectly in the cart. I initiated this project as well.
I made this bin to accommodate the large mail bags that go it everyday. This was requested.
The weight of the door required "lift assists". I added the lower door so that the mail bags could be easily removed by the mailman.
I built 12 picnic tables with treated lumber, I counter-sunk nuts and bolts so no one gets gouged by bolts sticking out. Both visitors and employees alike thanked me for "protecting our children" by counter-sinking bolts and routing and/or sanding every part of the table so no one gets slivers - same goes for the benches below. I eventually added built-in umbrellas on several of the tables. I initiated this project.
I made Bakersville's first set of park benches. These were for the open-air opry barn. I preserved them with a faux finish that looked like aged barn wood. Before this, the guests had to sit uncomfortably on hay bales (no backs). I initiated this project.
In order for these benches to effectively replace hay bales, I had to have the ground leveled out with our tractor, and install edging at the back to keep it that way. I left an opening for walking without tripping.
I installed Bakersville's first handicapped ramps and railings - though the village existed 16 years before I arrived. It was the first thing I did when I arrived. It was ADA compliant. I added both thematic wood railing and black iron hand-railing to make ADA compliant. I also built a 5'x5' platform outside the restaurant entrance because as soon the door was opened the visitors had to step down, which was counter-intuitive, dangerous, and against code. I also built a platform for picnic benches where those plants are on the left. My projects were always to make the visitors' experience more enjoyable. The "little things" go a long way. I'm well aware of the ridiculous reward for "little things" ignored!
I designed and hand-painted themed handicap directional and parking signs through out Bakersville. The man in the wheelchair is tipping his cowboy hat. I also made many road signs, miscellaneous signs, and sandwich boards. I initiated most of these.
Handicap parking signs showed a handicapped cowboy tipping his hat to visitors
I turned the barrel into a portable sign.
I initiated the window display projects. I had two window boxes installed in the seed store. I then designed, fabricated, and installed Bakersville's first themed window displays. This is the first Christmas display - "The Greatest Story Ever Told". It was made from books, The Bible being the focus, and the nativity scene arising to life out of the pages of The Bible. I was called to other projects before I could add twinkling stars. I hand-cut the Bethlehem façade with an Exacto knife! I installed spot lights and tiny Christmas lights under the white excelsior. I had someone with better hand-writing than mine write the title on the windows with a white paint marker.
The caption was a double entendre playing on both The Bible and Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company.
A double entendre suitable for Christmas and an Heirloom Seed Company.
My first Summer window display. I and another employee did this together. It was just a warm themed filler.
A relatively quick 3D sketch of the new greenhouse and office using Sketchup - My second attempt at Sketchup. My supervisor asked for this.
This is my design booklet for the new Sheriff's Office sign. I fabricated the sign and installed it as well.
Bakersville had a vacant, neglected and depressing "Jailhouse" in the village - just wasting space. So I initiated a remake of it. I drew up concept designs to turn it into a functioning Sheriff's office that looked like the Sheriff had just stepped out for a moment. The plan was to finish the jail, then install a Sheriff-themed anti-GMO Exhibit (see the descriptions on these boards). But once we finished the jail, we all agreed we wanted to keep the new sheriff's office as a real office, and build the exhibit elsewhere. The next slides show the concept drawings and the before and after photos of the Sheriff's Office.
Once the Sheriff's office became an attraction, it was going to need a handicap access ramp. Since their was no room in front (I narrow road in front could not be encroached), The ramp went around the back and we included an eating area back there as well.
This is how I envisioned the new Sheriff's Office to look when finished. However, the end result was much better than the initial concept.
These drawing begin to show what the Sheriff's office might look like if an anti-GMO exhibit was introduced into the story line. The owner decided to give the exhibit it's own place later.
This would have been Bakersville's very first children's playground. I themed it Pioneer, GMO, and Sheriff-related. Didn't get a chance to fabricate it.
These next few images are kind of like "Plan-O-Grams" for furnishing the Sheriff's Office. It included prices and options.
This is what the Jail looked like when I started the remake.
This is what it looked like after I was done with it. The rest of the Sheriff's Office images continue to show the before and after. This picture was before the new doors were built, or the exterior themed lantern was installed.
The previous window had very badly decayed bars that were cemented into the wood-frame, broken glass window. I had to excavate and tear out the entire window and concrete around it just to fix a window pane. I rebuilt the window opening properly and installed a faux (wooden) riveted flat-iron jail window that could easily be removed when needed.
This was the condition of the interior of the jail when I arrived. Pretty bleak !
This is looking back out the door. Not inspiring at all.
The rusted pitted bars were sloppily set in a mound of concrete and were not solid at all. No lock.
I had the bars rebuilt from scratch by a professional iron-worker. I installed wainscoting. I pulled out or counter-sunk every nail in the rough floor and replaced them with counter-sunk screws so the floor could be planed and sanded down smooth. Then I varnished it. The black trim along the ceiling is wood made to look like riveted flat iron bars.
I would have installed a swinging gate here, except that it would have been a hazard for children. Had plans for installing MANY more details than you see here, Just not enough money or time available before I moved to a different state. I enlarged the entrance door way to accommodate wheelchairs. I wired the walls and ceiling to enable the installation of antique light fixtures, then I plastered up the walls and painted them. I installed two lights in the jail cell as well as two black theater can light spotlight. I built the railings around the desk, restored the antique desk. I Installed a sound system in the antique record player to play western TV theme songs.
That's me standing there. I built the shelves, restored the antique chairs and stove, and anchored all the props down to prevent tampering by adolescent boys. Never underestimate the destructive power of boys.
I decided to furnish the cell in a light-hearted way, rather than realistically bland and cold.
The Old West themed lamps hadn't all arrived yet, so the electrical boxes are showing. I decoupaged the wanted poster onto sign board and added the themed decorative nails to the corners. The poster came artificially aged.
I anchored all the props down with screws and/or hog rings.
Furnishing the jail was just "setting-the-stage". The interactives were to be stage-2 - a possy hunt/treasure/scavenger hunt. Clues to follow, trap doors to discover, etc.
Tried putting out a loaf of fresh made bread out on a cutting board by the picnic basket, but the varments ate it up overnight.
The box usually get's a good laugh out of visitors.
The boss didn't approve the cost of the US Constitution, The Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence for that bare wall.
Apparently the Sheriff's a "friend" of Annie Oakley.
Fake rifles. I set up a CD player inside the phonograph cabinet to play old-west theme songs. Boss didn't want to buy a used safe.
