It's a nice contrast to the white unit, and looks a little less formal. Plus, not painting the inside makes the drawers open a lot more easily!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
More Desk Organization!
You can't say I didn't warn you! My boss was going to get rid of his Ikea Mackis desktop drawer unit thingy, so of course I snapped it up. This time I left it with the natural finish, and I quite like it.
It's a nice contrast to the white unit, and looks a little less formal. Plus, not painting the inside makes the drawers open a lot more easily!
It's a nice contrast to the white unit, and looks a little less formal. Plus, not painting the inside makes the drawers open a lot more easily!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Desktop Storage
The first day I arrived at my current job, I was greeted with this blue-washed Ikea drawer unit.
It was a storage solution that I never questioned, until I successfully completed an awesome Design*Sponge tutorial. I loved the outcome so much, I immediately wanted to make over every set of drawers I could get my hands on.
Since the unit was already blue, I couldn't stain and varnish it, the way I did with the last unit. Instead, I painted the whole shebang white, and added simple $6 acrylic drawer pulls for a whole new look.
I think this is a perfectly elegant office storage solution, especially with the added accordion filing system I added to the inside (thanks to tacky glue and craft paper).
Watch out for lots more storage solutions that take advantage of this technique. I just can't get enough!
It was a storage solution that I never questioned, until I successfully completed an awesome Design*Sponge tutorial. I loved the outcome so much, I immediately wanted to make over every set of drawers I could get my hands on.
Since the unit was already blue, I couldn't stain and varnish it, the way I did with the last unit. Instead, I painted the whole shebang white, and added simple $6 acrylic drawer pulls for a whole new look.
I think this is a perfectly elegant office storage solution, especially with the added accordion filing system I added to the inside (thanks to tacky glue and craft paper).
Watch out for lots more storage solutions that take advantage of this technique. I just can't get enough!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Salvaged Chandelier
During a recent rummage mission at St. Vincent de Paul, I came across this diamond-in-the-rough:
Didn't look like much at the time, but after a coat of primer...
Then a hefty dose of blue paint, new cap nuts, and $5 worth of acrylic "crystals" from Michaels, and bada bing!
Not too shabby! All told, it was $20 for the chandelier (talked them down from $30, since I wasn't sure the lamp would work), about $15 for paint, cap nuts, and light blubs, and $5 for the faux crystals. So for about $40, I got to dress up my small hallway with a much needed punch of color and sparkle. And I just can't stop gazing at it!
Didn't look like much at the time, but after a coat of primer...
Then a hefty dose of blue paint, new cap nuts, and $5 worth of acrylic "crystals" from Michaels, and bada bing!
Not too shabby! All told, it was $20 for the chandelier (talked them down from $30, since I wasn't sure the lamp would work), about $15 for paint, cap nuts, and light blubs, and $5 for the faux crystals. So for about $40, I got to dress up my small hallway with a much needed punch of color and sparkle. And I just can't stop gazing at it!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Anthropologie Hack
Design*Sponge recently posted a tutorial for a diy version of Anthropologie's (ridiculously overpriced) Curator Table, and I immediately fell in love with it. I do have to admit, though, that I was pretty convinced that I could do better than the venerable Britt, when it came time to emulate her tables - not to deny her just desserts... she had the idea, I was just capitalizing on it. And I also had a miter saw, which she was apparently lacking.
Britt's table:
My table:
Really not that different, I just continued the trim all the way around the top and bottom of the table, and stained instead of painted. One word of advice though: make sure you line the molding up, so that it doesn't overlap with the drawer above or below it. Makes for a pretty difficult time opening the drawers. :/
Britt's table:
My table:
Really not that different, I just continued the trim all the way around the top and bottom of the table, and stained instead of painted. One word of advice though: make sure you line the molding up, so that it doesn't overlap with the drawer above or below it. Makes for a pretty difficult time opening the drawers. :/
Friday, June 12, 2009
Fun with Mod Podge!
This photo I took at Luna Park in Syndney Harbour always evokes a warm fuzzy feeling in me, possibly having something to do with fond memories of my sweet nephew. But I've never been sure of how best to display it. Of course, when life hands you a dilemma, the answer is usually Mod Podge.
The supplies:
- Painter's canvas (I chose 4"x5" with 1 1/2" strechers)
- An image printed centered, with enough of a border to wrap fully around the edges
- Scissors for the cuttin'
- Mod Podge for the stickin'
- A foam brush for the applyin'
I put on a pretty thick coat of the 'Podge for the initial stick, then put the whole thing under a phone book for about 20 minutes in hopes that it would dry flat. That never really works, and I don't know why. Maybe it needs to sit longer? I'm sort of too impatient for that.
After the painful anticipation of waiting 20 minutes, I slapped on a couple of top coats and let the thing sit overnight. Magically, it dried perfectly flat, and awesome-looking:
The final product:
Kind of looks like a real painting on canvas. Cool!
The supplies:
- Painter's canvas (I chose 4"x5" with 1 1/2" strechers)
- An image printed centered, with enough of a border to wrap fully around the edges
- Scissors for the cuttin'
- Mod Podge for the stickin'
- A foam brush for the applyin'
I put on a pretty thick coat of the 'Podge for the initial stick, then put the whole thing under a phone book for about 20 minutes in hopes that it would dry flat. That never really works, and I don't know why. Maybe it needs to sit longer? I'm sort of too impatient for that.
After the painful anticipation of waiting 20 minutes, I slapped on a couple of top coats and let the thing sit overnight. Magically, it dried perfectly flat, and awesome-looking:
The final product:
Kind of looks like a real painting on canvas. Cool!
Dover Sampler Platter, please!
Have you signed up for your free Dover sampler yet? WHY NOT?
They send you a newsletter every Friday with free scans from all kinds of different art books. Lots of vintage labels, advertisements, sketches, I even downloaded an Elvis paper doll (complete with change of rhinestone jumpsuit).
I also framed this little lovely for my bedroom wall:
So go sign up! You won't regret it!
They send you a newsletter every Friday with free scans from all kinds of different art books. Lots of vintage labels, advertisements, sketches, I even downloaded an Elvis paper doll (complete with change of rhinestone jumpsuit).
I also framed this little lovely for my bedroom wall:
So go sign up! You won't regret it!
Craft Night: Owls!
Last night was the first craft night in a few weeks... well, the first craft night where we actually make things. Lately it's been our intention to craft, but we somehow devolve into eating hot Krispy Kremes while singing along to mid-nineties Christian Bale musicals, followed by a long nap.
Aaaaanyway, this tutorial from Moonstiches (via Indiefixx) was too good to snooze through. Once you figure out the pattern (Moonstiches doesn't provide it, out of respect for something called "copyright infringement." But I say infringement, schminfringement... ripping off patterns is why God made interns -- thanks Jane!), it's really just a few easy steps to full adorability.
My owl is on the right, Lisa's is on the left. I love hers, he totally reminds me of the Tootsie Roll pop owl.
Aaaaanyway, this tutorial from Moonstiches (via Indiefixx) was too good to snooze through. Once you figure out the pattern (Moonstiches doesn't provide it, out of respect for something called "copyright infringement." But I say infringement, schminfringement... ripping off patterns is why God made interns -- thanks Jane!), it's really just a few easy steps to full adorability.
My owl is on the right, Lisa's is on the left. I love hers, he totally reminds me of the Tootsie Roll pop owl.
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