A Little Industrial
One of my big obsessions right now is industrial furniture and decor. I know that some of you are probably thinking industrial seems too cold and uninviting. But, mixed carefully with the warm colors and textures of your home, even industrial items can be cozy! I have been looking for the perfect industrial cabinet for our kitchen. Right now prices seem to be soring for these items on Ebay and other websites, but come auction season, I bet we can snatch one up for a deal!
One website that I found with some very funky items is http://www.ergstore.com. This site has some great inspiration for industrial funiture, but also has some pretty steep prices. Some of the items I am currently loving:
A 1920's-30's doctor's chair. I know, I love all crazy chairs, but this one would be a real conversation piece!
A 1940's wheeled cart. This would be great for a kitchen island!
A 1930's- 1940's theater light. This would re-purpose as a great lamp.
Another site with some very amazing pieces is Get Back, Inc. at http://www.getbackinc.com. Some of my favorites there are:
A metal and glass medical cart. So what I am looking for!
A metal cabinet. This would be cute in almost any room.
A scissor wall light. A pair of these would make great bedside lamps.
Need Your Expertise
On Sunday Tony and I visited my grandparents. My grandma gave me some dishes and also two antique picture frames. She didn’t know much about them, except that they are old. I’ll say! The back of one picture has some writing on it that says 1898! I know the frames are cross corner with leaves, and that they used to be quite popular. Do you have any more information on these frames or the pictures inside?
This is the writing on the back of one picture. We can't make out all of the words, but we can read 1898!
I would love to know more about these, so if you know anything, let me hear it!
Little Coaster Project
Tony has Dallas Cowboys coasters. I have Chicago Bears coasters. Neither were going to be displayed in our nice living room. I love football as much as anybody, but the football paraphernalia is reserved for the basement game room/bar. So, we needed some nice coasters to protect our living room tables. I change my mind frequently, so I wanted something inexpensive or changeable. That’s when I found these. The Dollar Store had a pack of four glass coaster for a couple bucks! Not only are they cheap, but they are changeable. They are the kind of coasters meant for inserting a picture under the glass. I decided to put a piece of black and silver damask wrapping paper in the picture slot. Here was my process:
My supplies. All I used was a scissors and the material (wrapping paper).
I used the blank piece of paper that came in the frame as a guide to cut a rectangle out of the wrapping paper. It then slides into a clear picket in the coaster frame. It was really THAT simple.
This is what it looked like slid into the coaster frame.
Here they all are with the wrapping paper inserted.
They even have their own little wooden holder.
It was so simple and I can change what is in the frames any time I want to. The glass is also very easy to clean off. I wish they were all black, as I am not so fond of the different colors, but it does make it easier to keep track of your drink. And, for a few dollars, who can complain?
Little Christmas Shelf
For Christmas, my Secret Santa (my sister-in-law-to-be, Jess) got me the cutest little shelf. We have been debating where to hang it since then! After we arranged some things the other day, we found the perfect place in the living room. The colors match perfectly! She also got me the little diamond studded candle and the LOVE sign that are sitting on the shelf. It was just so adorable I had to post it. Take a look!
I know its dark, but this is the shelf hung in the corner of the living room behind the Eames lounger.
My Christmas gifts from Jess!
Rearranged
The cluttered corner of the living room just wasn’t working, so this morning (we are both home again due to awful weather) we moved the old Coke crate to the entryway of the bedroom. This took care of two problems at once. The marquee letters we had hanging in the doorway were looking a little lonely as well. We were happily surprised by just how much tiny changes can help a space out!
The space isn't completely finished, but it does already look a lot less cluttered.
The Coke crate could still use a few odds and ends, but this is a great improvement. All in good time!
I am so glad my fiance is understanding with me when I want to move shelves three times before its right! And, thankful that he is willing to do all the work, even on his day off! 🙂
New Little Project
I love finding odds and ends to fix up, remodel, or work on that I can then add to our home. These little projetcs are fun for me and keep me busy. This new task is a stool from my grandmother. Its not new, not antique, not anything special really. I almost truned it down. But, she said that it opened up. That caught my interest. Then, she suggested that maybe I could keep some interesting photos in it. BINGO! I snatched it up in a hurry. I love a bit of unexpected, and her idea of putting snapshots in the stool was perfect. I plan to recover the top with some funky material. I’m not sure if I will paint it yet. Then I will add some old, random photos to the inside for company to explore. Cute! Any suggestions on print or paint? Let me know what you think!
So much potential...
Vintage photos tucked away in here would be perfect!
My Favorite Place In The World
Nope, not Hawaii. That ranks very high on my list, but not my top. My favorite place in the world is my grandparents’ house. That’s it. Simple. Ever since I was little they have had the coziest house (even after moving). Not only are they interesting people and amazing story tellers, but they have such a great home that brings back memories of staying there as a kid. They have always been antique collectors, and this is probably why I have an antique obsession. Their basement is packed with antiques, and trinkets, odds and ends, and so many goodies to look at. Now that I am older and have a house of my own, they have been slowly passing along some of my favorite gems to me. We went to their house for Christmas this year, and I ended up coming home with a truck load of goodies. I hope to someday inherit some more of their great furniture, but I also love the littles they send home with me. Here are a few of my favorite finds from my recent trip to my favorite place in the world:
A close up of the doors and some things stashed inside already.
This is an old pin cushion made from a hoof that we used to play with as kids. I know, kinda creepy, but I think it is totally cool!
This is an old lamp that needs some cleaning. It hangs from the ceiling and you put oil in it. The oil drips down the clear threads that run from the top to the bottom. The oil then glows colors when the light bulb is on. I think it looks kind of like early fiber optics. Its very neat, but has been stored and needs TLC. A project! YAY!
This is a Christmas tree made out of my grandma's antique jewelry. What a cool idea! It is framed in a very old frame and there are Christmas lights behind the black velvet. It is really so cute that I might have to leave it our all year!
A Touch Of Color
There doesn’t seem to be much color around here lately. The skies are dreary and snow is blowing accross the roads. Again. Ugh. But, amongst the dullness of these winter days, I have some very pretty flowers to share. A client came into my office today and to thank me for the Christmas gifts our company had for his children, he had brought be a small bouqet of gorgeous flowers. Hope these cheer your day as much as they did mine!
I took them home and added them to a vintage wine bottle. It was all we had that was skinny enough, but I ended up loving it!
Trends? Psh.
It is the end of the year and every one starts rounding up the “best ofs” lists. I have been seeing a lot of lists of trend that people would either like to see more of or never see again. The lists made me ponder. I came to the conclusion that I do not care what is considered “trendy” or “in style”. I like what I like and could care less what others think. Actually, I think that I prefer things that were never in style (both clothing and home decor), because then it can never be considered out of style. Also, if I like something, it is because it speaks to me. It shouldn’t matter what list it is on. I change my mind all the time, but not based upon what other people believe is “cool”. I, personally, never fit into one category anyways, because I mix pieces from all different styles. There should be no rules when it comes to your own tastes and your own home. If you truly love it, go for it.
Whew. With that said, I will step off of my soap box and show you all a visual list of the things that I have loved this year. Not because they are trends or not, but because that was what was speaking to me this year. I hope some one can find this inspirational, but in no way am I saying go out there and copy every picture. (Would that make it a “trend”?) Here goes:
1. The first thing that I have loved this year is collections. They can be utilitarian or completely useless. To me, collections can be like art. Some people think that if objects don’t function, they just sit there taking up space, but I think they can be beautiful. Here is a group of cameras and a small group of stereos.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/look/look-framed-vintage-camera-collection-on-the-cheap-072111
Angela and Adam's Mood Change. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/fall-colors-2008-midwest/midwest-25-angela-and-adams-mood-change-066295
Graham and David's Modern Escape. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/2008-fall-colors-southwest/southwest-26-graham-davids-modern-escape-066631
3. This is a little strange for me, but this year I have love all clear, or acrylic, furniture. There are so many great pictures, but here is a gllimpse of one that I am wanting:
This one even contrasts well with the cabin decor. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/look/look-modern-cabin-071787
4. No matter what anyone says, I love love love both empty frames and leaning frames. I lean frames as opposed to hanging them all the time. Against a wall, on a desk, on the floor… Just a couple examples:
Damien and Rachel's Chromatic Casa. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dc/fall-colors-2008-east/east-56-damien-rachels-chromatic-casa-066516?image_id=28726
6. I am loving repurposed decor and furniture. I have always been a fan of old, vintage, or antique items, but it more recently has occured to me how great it can be to repurpose some items into new things in the home. Some of my favrite ideas below:
Mail box used for laundry. Patrick's World of Wonder. http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/121808patrick/001h
This is a vintage sign remade into a sliding door. I'm sorry, but I do not find where the image came from!
7. I am also a fan of decorating in black and white. Don’t get me wrong, I love punches of color, but black and white can make a huge statment and go with so many additional colors. Some great black and white pictures:
I'm not sure where this picture came from, but it is gorgeous!
Quick Trip To The Antique Store
Last night before the ice storm, we took a quick drive to the antique store the next town over. I love this store. All antique stores are fun, but this place is so big that you always see something new. I did find these two little gems:
A coke box with the cubbies still in. I have been wanting to hang one of these up for a trinket shelf.
This is a very old cigar box. I though this would be beautiful to hold little odds and ends.
The cigar box in the TV cubbie.
This was the spot we chose for the coke box. Don't mind those awful curtains! 🙂
The back of the box has a bit of a wierd shape, but this is a close up of the little candies if you can make them out.
Make Mine Eclectic 