HARD TO BE LAZY WHEN YOU'RE SEXY!

THE STORY

The story goes that our friend Susan T. never liked anything being called a lazy Susan.  We polled tens of Susans and our research revealed that nine out of ten Susans prefer "sexy" to "lazy".  We thought it would be fun to call them "Sexy Susans" instead and so we do.  We also believe that they're sexy for other reasons:

  • To be a sexy Susan it must be made from reclaimed material.

  • The turntable (lazy Susan) has a rich history of design and functionality with most people having seen, used or owned one somewhere in their family.

  • Our Sexy Susans work hard on a table, counter, kitchen island, ottoman, patio table or anywhere else AND can be displayed on a wall as functional art when not needed elsewhere.

GETTING STARTED

Barrels actually have a limited life in the wine & spirits industries.  At a certain point they become a waste product of both.  However, they're built from white oak which is a very hardy material and is exceptional when reclaimed.  It has a beautiful & vibrant previous life and has endured all sorts of additions to its original character.  Our signature product is the Sexy Susan which is our version of a turntable.  We travel to Kentucky several times a year to procure barrel heads

These beauties are retired bourbon barrel heads. I travel to Lexington, KY and purchase them loose from different barrel brokers who associate with Jim Beam Brands. After ten years and hundreds of shows I’ve concluded these two sizes work for most clients, 18” and 15” in diameter. Both will fit on a counter, kitchen island, most dining tables. If it’s a gift and you’re not sure I recommend the 15” inch Sexy Susan.

Once I have the barrel head back to my shop they are dried for a period of months. I reassemble the head, clean the char from the back and attach a backer board to create a single solid piece. This stabilizes the material so there is zero movement. Then I harvest the material down to either 18” or 15”.

At this point in my process I closely examine the distiller’s mark. This is information the distiller applies to the barrel head providing important information on when the barrel was filled and the source of the bourbon. Not all heads have a mark, some marks are unreadable. I work hard to keep the mark, as it is part of the material’s character. In the event I cannot, the head will be sanded and cleaned. Some I will leave as a natural (the wood itself is gorgeous) and others will receive a stencil application of my choosing.

The head at this point receives two separate sealant coats and allowed to dry overnight. The next step is for me to resize the metal bourbon barrel hoop, mechanically close the hoop and then install the hoop on the head. A final (third coat) of sealant is applied to the head and the bourbon barrel hoop.

Each one weighs approximately eighteen pounds and is mounted on all steel hardware. This makes it stable and spins great. Years ago my aunt gave me a kitchen clock that had been passed down in the family from my great great grandparents. It is currently 117 years old and still works. It is my goal for every Sexy Susan I build to become a family heirloom and be passed down to generations of your family.

We love the patina on these gorgeous Sexies because each one is exactly different! That is a statement I love. No two Sexy Susans are exactly alike. The materials are the same, but each bourbon barrel head has traveled a varied road. This creates a unique piece every time I build one.

SIZING

We build each Sexy Susan by hand after harvesting the material, milling it if we need to and cleaning it up. After ten years of selling Sexy Susans we’ve found two sizes that work best 18” and 15” wrapped in a steel barrel hoop. We do build larger custom Sexy Susans. Please contact me and we can start the design process for a larger custom piece, Keith@IronRoseCollection.com.