Archive for the ‘Decorating’ Category
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Decorating and Thrifting/Estate Sales on
29 July 2010, with 2 comments so far.
How about some lovely bookends to keep your reading materials nice and organized? I’m on the hunt for bookends at the thrift this week but if you’re not near a good shop, these vintage Etsy sellers have you covered. From genuine Travertine originating in Death Valley to a pair of upcycled spindles, any choice will keep your books in great company.
clockwise from top right
Brass horse, $58, Lucy and Ellen // $22, Vintage French Iron Bookend, French By Design // $24, Mid Century Bookends, Mary Grace Thomas // $295, Death Valley Travertine Bookends, Vintage Zen // $21, Spindle Bookend, Funkie Finds // $8, Library Bookends CometWreckage
Tags: bookend, etsy, vintage
Posted in Decorating, Thrifting/Estate Sales | 2 Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Decorating and Reuse on
16 July 2010, with 7 comments so far.
Lisa Congdon’s wall of plates
ReadyMade’s Editors’ Notes blog recently featured a fantastic round-up of ceramic plate reuses. At the end of the post, Katherine writes: “If all else, and I mean all else fails, you can hang them on the wall.”
Gotta disagree with Katherine on this one: I think plate walls are a first rate choice for ceramic and plastic dishes, especially suited for the dining room or above the kitchen stove. Plates won’t catch fire in the event of a wok flair-up and if grease happens to spatter upwards, you can simply remove, wash with the rest of your wares and rehang. In fact, I love plate walls so much that I have three of them! Two in the kitchen and one outside on the back porch.
The majority of my plates came from thrift stores for less than a dollar apiece, making the plate wall a cost effective way to achieve big impact in any space. Craft and hardware stores have wire plate hangers in a variety of sizes and you can trace your plates onto wax paper and tape up a template for perfect planning or start with one and go random. Use different sizes, shapes and colors or go monochromatic. The possibilities are endless.
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Tags: ceramic, hang plates, plate, plate wall, Reuse, vintage plate
Posted in Decorating, Reuse | 7 Comments »
Posted by Sonia Zjawinski to Decorating and Furniture and How-To and Pets and Reuse and Storage on
12 July 2010, with 4 comments so far.
Ever since I saw Kim Johnson’s Ikea hacked kitty shelf I’ve wanted to make one of my own. The clever mod cuts an Ikea diaper changing table in half to create two wall shelves affixed to the wall.
With an Ikea gift card given as a wedding gift, I set out to make my own. Along the way, with the help of my sculptor father (who is a crafty carpenter, plumber, and general genius on the side), I made some adjustments to Kim’s original schematics. After the jump, how to make my version of Kim’s clever hack.
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Tags: cat shelf, ikea, ikea hack, wall shelf
Posted in Decorating, Furniture, How-To, Pets, Reuse, Storage | 4 Comments »
Posted by Sonia Zjawinski to Color and Decorating and Lighting and Reuse on
5 July 2010, with 2 comments so far.
There’s nothing more romantic than a outdoor dinner by candlelight. Since patio tables can get filled quickly with plates, bottles of beer, and accouterments, you may find yourself wondering where to place your mood lighting. Well, here’s a great DIY project from the folks at CalFinder.
Their project turns an empty wine bottle into a wall mounted sconce, using pieces you can easily find at your local hardware store. Use citronella Tiki torch oil and you’ve got a DIY bug repellent that’s stylish to boot.
[Image: CalFinder]
Tags: bbq, candle, citronella, diy lighting, garden, outdoor, outdoor lighting, tiki, torch, yard
Posted in Color, Decorating, Lighting, Reuse | 2 Comments »
Posted by Chris Gardner to Decorating and Lighting on
30 June 2010, with no comments so far.
There’s nothing better than a double-duty DIY project—one how-to, two uses, infinite glowbasking.
This double header uses just a bit of fabric, an embroidery hoop, and a string of lights to create a mod windsock/garden lantern. “During the day, it will add interest & texture. At night, it gives off a soft, ambient light that glows like a firefly—a nice touch for a summer evening lazing outside.”
Jan, from the organic fabric company Daisy Janie, provides a fine how-to that you can whip up in about an hour. Spend an afternoon, and you can fill your outdoor space with soft glows and bold graphic punches. Your yard will never have looked so mod!
[How to make a fabric windsock garden lantern, via craftzine]
Tags: garden, lantern, yard
Posted in Decorating, Lighting | No Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Decorating and How-To on
28 June 2010, with 4 comments so far.
Have an old chair in need of some extra TLC? Can you crochet? Here is the project for you! Jo of About Mo and Me made this charming chair cover using a pattern from Attic24.
I know my way around a pair of crocheting needles as well as I do a spaceship but the hexagon how-to is full of close-ups, detail and simple language. Plus, it’s been lauded by the commenters for being easy to follow. Happy making!
[Images: About Mo and Me, Attic24]
Tags: attic24, chair cover, crochet, diy chair, hexagon pattern
Posted in Decorating, How-To | 4 Comments »
Posted by Chris Gardner to Decorating on
25 June 2010, with 5 comments so far.
The whiteboard is a brilliant tool for capturing ideas, making lists and leaving reminders, and facilitating brainstorming and education. But, it leaves A LOT to be desired in terms of aesthetics, and we’re pretty sure it won’t be winning any home decor or design awards anytime soon.
Unless one came up with a dry erase board that could serve double-duty as a piece of wall art once you’ve erased your final to-do. Well, one has done just that, Brittni from Paper N Stitch.
“I am constantly writing notes and messages to myself to help me remember what I have going on for the day. But my office is also my bedroom, so an ugly dry erase board is just not an option….I wanted something that could pull double-duty, and that’s when I came up with this…an idea for a pretty dry erase board that serves as wall art when not in use.”
[Tutorial: Double Duty Dry Erase Board]
Tags: How-To, organization
Posted in Decorating | 5 Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Decorating and Organizing and Storage on
23 June 2010, with no comments so far.
Added to the ReadyMade Flickr pool by user lakbdesign/fergusandme
When I was seventeen I moved from Milwaukee to the Virgin Islands. I drove my new-to-me Hyundai Accent from the Midwest to West Palm Beach, Florida in three days to ship my car and sent the rest of my belongings down by post.
What did I not trust the US Postal Service to hang on to? My books. Those I stashed in my trunk, the backseat and oh yes, the front seat. In the ten years since then I’ve moved five times and every single one of those titles and my many new acquisitions have traveled in the car each and every time. No moving service has laid hands on the majority of them and as neurotic as it sounds I always feel good knowing they’re close by.
But I have been bad. My precious books are now scattered around the house in different areas and completely unorganized. I have stacks upon stacks of books lining the walls in two different rooms and little piles decorating bedside and coffee tables. Do they look nice? Yes. Can I find the Walter Mosley section at 2am when I want an Easy Rawlins fix? No.
Here are some book displays from must-see Tumblr Book Lovers Never Go To Bed Alone that look good and make organizing a cinch.
This floor-to-ceiling bookshelf would be perfect for the bay window in my apartment. Instead of just sills, I would love to construct two separate window seats for couples reading sessions in the breeze. Add a cocktail or a glass of iced tea and you have the perfect Sunday afternoon.
A series of small wire shelves for collections by author or type would help keep large groupings by author together. I’ll now be on the lookout for small shelving on thrifting and estate sale trips.
A nice spin on simple shelves for odd angles in your home. Simple to construct with plywood and brackets, it is also darn affordable.
How do you display and organize your books? Add your photos to the ReadyMade Flickr Group here.
[All images via Book Lovers Never Go To Bed Alone on Tumblr]
Tags: book display, book lovers never to go bed alone, bookshelves
Posted in Decorating, Organizing, Storage | No Comments »
Posted by Chris Gardner to How-To and Lighting on
21 June 2010, with no comments so far.
There must something about the chandelier that allows its material to appear instantly elegant, no matter from what it’s been made. Just see the blogosphere’s infamous tampon chandelier and the human bones chandelier at an ossuary in the Czech Republic.
Thankfully, these DIY large-scale light fixtures are created from something much more accessible —the standard paperclip. At a dollar a box, paperclips can be strung together in all kinds of arrangements to make, from the looks of it, a pretty big impact. For a bit of assistance, check out these instructions from Etsy seller Re:Design Technologies. “For the handy DIY’ers out there, I bring you the Paper Clip Chandelier Frame “Master Key” Tutorial—everything you ever needed to know about the concepts, theories and methodology behind the Re:Design Technologies Paper Clip Chandelier Line.
This 12 page tutorial covers the basic concepts of working with the unusual materials used and illustrates the steps that I take in constructing all four RDT paper clip chandeliers seen on Etsy; Romanesque, Operetta, Helianthus and Moderna.”
$6.50 for one, or $15. for all four.
[Re:Design Technologies - Paper Clip Chandeliers; via Dollar Store Crafts]
Posted in How-To, Lighting | No Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Decorating on
17 June 2010, with 2 comments so far.
If you have an big fisherman in your life, he may appreciate some fishing memorabilia for Father’s Day this year. Instead of a taxidermy or singing fish for the wall, how about something handmade?
Flickr user laughing.goldfish—how appropriate—sewed this felted fish out of old sweaters as a gift for her fisherman father-in-law. Much more appealing (to me) than taxidermy and not nearly as irritating as those mechanical singing fish, I think anyone who lives in the house with her dear father-in-law owes her a hearty thank you! After all, she could have given him a Big Mouth Billy Bass.
Don’t forget: Father’s Day is Sunday, June 20th.
[Image added to the ReadyMade Flickr pool by laughing.goldfish]
Tags: big mouth billy bass, father's day, fish wall hanging, fishing gift
Posted in Decorating | 2 Comments »
Posted by claire to Decorating and Reuse on
8 June 2010, with 4 comments so far.
A dugout home, a la Laura Ingalls Wilder
When I was a kid, my dad read all of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie books to me. I loved imagining life as a settler, and I was fascinated by the idea that for part of her life Laura lived in a house that they carved out of the ground. It seemed amazing to think that your walls, floor, and ceiling might all be made of dirt. As I was growing up in a very clean house I simply couldn’t imagine my mother letting the walls be made of dirt.
The Cave Home of Curt and Deborah Sleeper
In a recent slide show on extreme home make-overs, The New York Times looked at several innovative approaches to making existing spaces into homes. Laura’s dirt house came to mind when I saw Curt and Deborah Sleeper’s Sandstone Cave Home in Festus, MO.
The Sleepers had been living in cramped quarters with their two children when an eBay property caught their eye. The three acres of land also featured an empty sandstone cave that was once a quarry. In the days of Laura Ingalls Wilder, a dugout home not only kept the family from all the elements, the earth that surround the home acted as a thermal layer for the home, keeping the space warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. The Sleepers realized their new land featured a cave that had the same benefits and with 15,000 feet of space, they decided to build into the cave.
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Tags: cave house, design, dugout homes, extreme houses
Posted in Decorating, Reuse | 4 Comments »
Posted by claire to Decorating and Furniture and Reuse and Salvage on
4 June 2010, with no comments so far.
Above and below: Recycled wood Armoires by RenziVivian.
I love taking old things and finding exciting new ways to repurpose them in our home. While wandering through the internet the other day, I stumbled upon these great armoires by RenziVivian.
Using existing parts of discarded furniture, these pieces are cobbled together like a big wooden quilt. The style and vintage of the various elements have little to do with one another and when combined make a unique scrapbook of references to different times and trends. The pieces can apparently be used for computer desks, televisions, or clothing storage. I couldn’t locate a place to actually purchase these armoires, but I think a similar DIY project could happen in your own home.
While we are on the subject a reclaiming wood and making artful and functional objects for your home, I would love to direct your attention to Whit McLeod. When my husband and I first arrived in Humboldt county I noticed some of his work on display in a local gallery. I was immediately attracted to the impeccable craftsmanship and the idea that all the wood was salvaged from 70-gallon oak wine barrels. Living in wine country makes these used barrels easy to obtain and McLeod reuses the wood beautifully.
Whit McLeod Folding Chair from reclaimed wine barrels.
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Posted in Decorating, Furniture, Reuse, Salvage | No Comments »
Posted by Chris Gardner to Decorating and How-To on
4 June 2010, with 1 comment so far.
Some of my favorite DIY projects are those that are really quite obvious and nearly anyone can do, they just needed some thoughtful individual to put two and two together and take photos along the way.
So, add this super quick and easy painted glassware tutorial to your “I should have thought of that” list, and then go grab some glasses and brushes, and whip some up!
Catherine from The Beat That My Heart Skipped says,
“I collected up a bunch of spare glassware, including bottles and glasses, and decided to give them a lick of paint on the inside. I was quite surprised by the results. If you use a similar palette for the different containers, and try to use glassware with different textures on the outside, the result is a set which is matching in tone but varied in texture. Which—I think—looks pretty effective. Also, using [matte] paint looks great because when you paint the inside, the glossiness of the glass really shows, which makes for another interesting contrast.”
We would have to agree!
[Get the whole tutorial at Catherine's blog: DIY Pastel Painted Glassware]
Tags: glassware, How-To, paint
Posted in Decorating, How-To | 1 Comment »
Posted by Chris Gardner to Decorating on
28 May 2010, with 3 comments so far.
Psst… have you heard? Clouds are the new moustaches, which were the new cupcakes, which were the new owls, which were the new bird silhouettes, which were the…. Whatevs. Clouds are cool, and they bring a fine element of the outdoors and some playfulness to your home decor.
To get in on the nimbusness, try this quick and easy DIY cloud rug how-to from Lifeflix.
“I purchased a yard of “Grey Shaggy Pile Faux Fur” fabric from this ebay seller (they also have a website). At first I was afraid the fur was too long, more hairy than puffy… but now that I’m done and the rugs are in place, I love the way they look and feel! Keep in mind that because I painted my floors using paint with an eggshell finish, I didn’t need to attach a non-slip backing to my rugs. Depending on what type of floors you have, you may need to add some sort of anti-slip pad or stickers to the bottom. Ikea sells really cheap anti-slip pads.”
The trick seems to be in Fray Check, a liquid seam sealant for fabrics, available at the craft store.
[How to: Faux Sheepskin Cloud Rug at Lifeflix, via Creature Comforts]
Tags: cloud, clouds, diy, floor, How-To, rug
Posted in Decorating | 3 Comments »
Posted by claire to Decorating and Furniture on
27 May 2010, with 14 comments so far.
Ever since Garth and I suddenly had a large new house to fill with furniture, I have been trying my hand at upholstery. My first attempt was a five-dollar chair we picked up at a garage sale. I found that carefully removing the original fabric from the chair and noting the order in which you had to remove the fabric seemed to be the key to a successful job. Keeping the fabric for any given area in one piece when you remove it automatically provides you with a pattern to help cut from your new fabric. I recently tackled another chair reupholstery project and followed this same logic.
We stumbled on this new chair at a thrift store several months ago and I fell in love with it. The curvy back and button tufting is great, and reupholstering it didn’t seem like a task that would be too impossible as long as I was attentive with my chair dissection.
Our living room is painted a bright shade of green and I wanted an upholstery fabric with a fun print that could hold its own against the green walls. I decided on this Alexander Henry tattoo print in an upholstery weight—I liked the quirky print and the colors went well with artwork I already have hanging on the walls. To determine how much fabric I would need, I consulted an upholstery chart and selected a similar chair. Once the fabric was cut and I was back home, I realized that the white and gold wood of the chair just wasn’t going to sing with the new fabric. I would have to paint the chair as well.
Before I could paint, I carefully removed all the fabric from the chair and masked the areas I didn’t want to paint. I primed the wood with a spray primer and headed off to find the right paint color.
I like to use spray paint for a job where I want to avoid brush strokes and this was one of those jobs. A local gallery stocks a wide assortment of high quality spray paints with waaaay more color options than the hardware store. The brand I used, Sabotaz 80, turned out to be really excellent spray paint. Sabotaz is a medium pressure spray, which means the paints comes out evenly and smoothly and when buying a can you are given two different spray caps to help control the size of the spray area. I was very impressed with how easily I could control the paint and how evenly the color was distributed. Next time you have a spray painting craft get your hands on some of this!
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Tags: DIY upholstery, How-To, reupholstery, spraypaint, tutorial, upholstery, wing chair
Posted in Decorating, Furniture | 14 Comments »
