David Snow is an actor, musician, artist, and owner of DE&LS. I was fortunate enough to speak with David about his man-centric antique restoration business.
Let’s start off with some explanation: What is DE&LS, what’s the origin of the name, and how do I pronounce it?
So, this started as a fun hobby I could do with my two daughters, Eliette and Landrey. I have used it as a way to teach them about work, money, history, etc… when we started selling some of our stuff, I decided to start a Facebook page. A friend came up with DEALS (Daddy, Eliette, and Landrey’s Shop). The ampersand was just a nice touch for the logo!
Take us through the journey from actor to antique restoration.
Well…as a kid, my grandfather called it “putterin.” He loved spending time in his shop. I grew up straightening nails so that I could nail scrap wood together to build things. As I grew up, my focus was the arts… music, theater, dance. I was fortunate that I was able to make a living doing it for a good while. When I left the stage, I went back stage and have worked in the Production World to this day. The work I do with DE&LS is my golf… it’s what I do to decompress! It also gives me opportunity to spend time with my girls and teach them like my grandfather taught me…
A lot of your rehabs are, let’s say, man-centric. You recraft tools, hunting and fishing paraphernalia, etc. Is that an artistic drive or just because you live in a house with three women and need some masculine outlet in your life?
A little of both probably. I like to find pieces that people are nostalgic about and present them in a new way. A lot of what I am drawn to falls into the “mantique” area simply because those are the things I am nostalgic about.
Some of your works are simply finds that you don’t enhance in anyway. Tell us about the cigar cannon.
That was a true treasure find. I found that at a little shop in Dallas. The owner knew that I like unique pieces. He brought that out and I knew immediately it was going home with me. It took me a good two weeks to identify it. Back in the “good ol’ days” you would bring that cannon out at the end of a meeting or dinner and present it to your guests. These pieces are like opening a history book sometimes. But like you pointed out, that was a piece that I simply disassembled, cleaned, and found a new home.
One of my favorite pieces is the mounted snapping turtle skull. Take us through the process starting with the “find,” then onto the planning and execution?
That piece is a funny story. I found that at an estate sale. It was in four pieces sitting on a table. Two white bone pieces and two brown pieces that cover the beak. Once I put the puzzle together and realized what it was, I asked for a price. The number was quite high…when I asked about the price, they told me it was an eagle’s skull…once we straightened that out and got it down to turtle skull pricing, it came home with me. I knew immediately that I wanted to mount it. My opinion on a piece like this is less is more…I cut a nice piece of walnut and used that as the base. It’s a great piece for the right person!
View more of David’s finds and works at https://www.facebook.com/DEandLShop/
Read more of Gayne Young at https://www.amazon.com/Gayne-Young/e/B005FADUX4%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share