Tip of the hat...

So this blogging thing is still very new to me and I find that I can't always keep up with posting...or come up with ideas for posting.  It is hard to find original ideas in this day of shared information where everything seems to have been talked about already.  Then I realized that it is okay to pass on info from other sources and to share their resources.

My super talented and amazing friend Carol has a blog called The Design Pages.  www.thedesignpages.blogspot.com  You have to check out her blog...she is inspiring and creative and just...well....worth following.  She recently blogged about these great bowl/mugs called "The Baby Buddha Bowl" by Flavour Design www.flavourdesign.com
I was so in love with them at first sight and remembered them when this styling job I am working on called for original and cool looking mugs.  Carol I tip my hat to you for introducing me to them. See for yourself how great they are!

I love the great colours they come in (more than you see here) and that you hook your thumb in them and cradle them...exactly how I drink my morning cuppa.  I think they would be a welcome addition to anyone's kitchen...and what a good gift to give a friend...a couple of these and some tea from David's Tea (my new favourite passion) www.davidstea.com or a pound of coffee beans.  Who wouldn't love a guest that showed up with those?  Oprah even listed them as her "favourite things"...

While trying to find some for this shoot I am styling, I emailed the company to see where I could get my hands on a few. Of course now that the client fell in love with them they had all but disappeared.  The owner, Elan, emailed me back within an hour...and that includes the 3 hour time zone difference...Elan was helpful, polite and so kind.  She helped me find a store that carried them and I now have them to present on set...I really hope that after the shoot one of them might find it's way into my kitchen. 

So....from reading about these on one blog, I have been inspired to re-post on my own....reminds me of that commercial from the 80's..."and she told 2 friends, and so on and so on"

Let's not ever be worried about stealing sources, resources or trade secrets...I think the more info the better and if someone ever finds something I write about worth re-posting, I will be flattered and happy to share the wealth...that's what this blog world seems all about to me anyway.  Thanks Carol for the inspiration!!

New vs Old

So I have been searching a lot lately for pieces of furniture...for work, for my house and for other people.   Along the way I have found lots of treasures...some unexpected and some rediscovered.  I have been to the usual suspects...Ikea, Homesense, CB2 and many other furniture shops.  I have also checked out kijiji, craigslist and antique/junk shops.

Which lead me to start wondering....when should you purchase new...and when is it worth it to buy a piece and refinish/rework it?

There are so many great new items out there...Ikea has always lead the way in style at an affordable price.  They are trend forward and put out some really great things.   For example...

 

Ikea Docksta Table...a Saarinen inspired piece

This table is a timeless design.  The style has been around since the 50's and is still considered current and chic.

But I think there is a time to consider investing either time or money into a few key pieces.  There is something to be said for quality design and craftsmanship and materials built to last.  These days too many furniture items are made of particle board or other wood substitutes.  They look great on the outside, but won't really stand up to years of wear and tear.
Think of real hardwood floors vs. laminate...they both look okay but after years the hardwood will wear better and to me just feels better....any nick or scrape in real solid wood adds character while in a laminate or veneer will show the difference in quality.

So...when is it worth it buy something and fix it up?  If you read my last post you know I am working on a table for our kitchen.  I knew it would be worth the effort and time if I could find a solid piece with great lines and solid construction.  If you find something that you love the look of....proportion, shape, contours etc..then it is worth the effort.  You can't ever change the proportions or bones of a piece so if you see something that you love the lines of and it is solidly made, it is worth either refinishing or fixing up.

I am still working on my table, but the fact that it is well built with good design will make the hours of work pay off in a piece that is good quality and finished exactly how I want it.

Up on a Pedestal....

I have always wanted a banquette seating area in our kitchen.  It isn't a large space so finding the right pieces to fit is key to making it work.

I thought of an upholstered bench/banquette at first but we don't have the space for something that elaborate.

Another thing I have always loved is using a bench as a banquette.  I started looking for benches and soon discovered an old church pew on Craigslist (which is like an online garage sale and an amazing place to find bargains). www.craigslist.ca

I loved the history and character of the pew and knew it would be perfect in the kitchen.  I had to cut it down about 10" to fit on the angled wall which wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

Next problem was the table...our existing table has 4 legs and is large and rectangular.  The legs made it awkward to squeeze into the pew to sit without moving the whole table.  I knew I had to look for a pedestal table that had a more central base and gave some legroom.  I checked Craigslist, Kijiji and some antique stores...and kept checking...and kept checking.  As always, I know that when I find the right piece it will speak to me.

I happened upon a great little Antique shop called "The Captain's Treasures" run by Captain Errol Boyd...yes, he is a real captain!!  http://www.captainstreasures.biz/

I had visited them to get one of the vanity tables I used in the Jonathan Adler bathroom vignette from my last post.  It's one of those places you need to go to often because he gets shipments in each week from the US.

I was in the area and decided to check it out again and there...at the very back...was my table.  As soon as I saw it I knew it was perfect.  I took a picture and the measurements and went home just to be sure it would fit....definitely measure twice and buy once applies here!!  Better to take your time and make sure it will work than to be stuck with something you are less than happy with.  Like most things the Captain sells it was a huge bargain...but also needed a lot of work.

Scratched finish and missing drawer, plus it was falling apart at the joints.  I knew I could bring it back to life.  I thought it was a little too high to sit comfortably in the pew so I took the table apart and cut the legs down by 1 1/2". 

Then I started sanding it down to the original wood.  I didn't want to use paint stripper because I find it really messy and toxic.

Here is how it looks so far, there is still lots of work to be done...stay tuned to see the final result!!

Online "Curbside Shopping"

It's been a while since I have posted because my other job has been keeping me busy....in case you don't know what I am talking about, I work full time/part time/freelance as a prop stylist.  Which is just a fancy name for someone who shops and arranges all the "stuff' that makes the photograph look good.

I love what I do because I get to find so many great new things.  I am always on the lookout for something different and unique to fit into the shot.  I get to drive all over and meet great people while I am doing this too.

My last project involved creating 3 different bathroom vignettes for a toilet paper company and a media launch event....I know, doesn't sound so thrilling.  But when you add in that Jonathan Adler (renowned designer and style leader) had designed toilet roll covers and I got to design the spaces around those patterns...now it gets interesting.

For this particular job I had to start from scratch and create each vignette inspired by the patterns he created....I made a plan that would include a corner of a" bathroom" for each design.  I decided that I would concentrate on the sink area and make it the focus.
I wanted something really different and decided to be unconventional.  This involved finding some old wood tables or consoles to use as vanities and reworking them to look like a modern and chic bathroom.

Of course my first place to look was craigslist and kijiji...

www.craigslist.ca
www.kijiji.ca

I love these sites because they tie in so well with my philosophy of reusing and re-purposing items.  I think it is a great way to get rid of something you don't need anymore (and make a few $$ in the process) or to score a great deal on something someone just has no use for. They are one of the best resources for finding unique and great pieces....check them out first if you are looking for something for your home.

I found 3 great pieces and added paint, new hardware and sinks from Ikea.  I contrasted the modern sleek, sinks with antique colourful, vanities.

We were able to take the prints designed by Adler and make them into wallpaper for the vignettes....add in great colourful towels, rugs, the roll covers themselves and then have the vanities be the focus and the result was amazing.  The client loved it and I had just the best time designing this space and installing it.  Have a look and see what you think!

Tin Tin

A few months ago, on my first trip to Ed's Hardware, I found a length of tin ceiling with hopes of using it in our main floor powder room.

I loved the different coloured layers of paint on it.

 

Tonight, while trying to avoid making dinner, I decided it was time to put the tin up on the ceiling.  

 

Here is the bathroom ceiling before.

 

 

The width of the tin panel was perfect...just a few inches less than width of ceiling.  It was about 6 inches too long though, so I marked it off with a right angle and used my tin snips to cut it to the right size.

 

 

Next I used one of my favourite gadgets to find the joists in the ceiling to be able to secure into.....

 Every Gal needs a Stud Finder!!

 

Once I had marked off where the joists were in the ceiling, I was ready to go...always make sure you mark close enough to the edge so you will see the marks once the tin is in place.

 I held the panel up where I wanted it and placed a nail in the center of the tin where I knew from the markings a joist was...this would make sure the panel would be secure.

 

Then I worked from one end of the panel to the other, securing it along the joist lines until I got to the other side.  I wasn't concerned with it being perfectly flush since I wanted it to look rustic but I put enough nails in to hold it up without worrying it would buckle or fall down.

Here it is all finished. 

 It was one of the easiest projects I have done and I love the results!!

Holiday makeover

Happy Holidays to Everyone!! Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. 
We were lucky enough to be hosted by both families this year, but we did plan a dinner party post Christmas for our friends and neighbours.  We live on a great street in a wonderful neighbourhood and are happy to call many of our neighbours friends. 

So when it came time to host I had a look at the tired old dining chairs and decided there was no time like the present to recover them..."present" as in the morning of the dinner party.

I had picked up some really great burlap coffee sacks from a coffee shop and had been waiting to use them.

I thought they would look great as covers on our dining chairs.  The fabric is durable and each one is unique in design and colour.

Covering chair pads is relatively easy if you have a few key tools.  You really only need scissors and a good heavy duty staple gun and then screws to attach the pad to the frame.

Once you have detached the pads from the chair frame you will need to pull off the old fabric.  I realized I had done this project way too many times when I saw how many layers of fabric were on our seats!!  It is best to get the pad down to the base so that you don't have too much thickness of old fabric to deal with.  Take special care with loose staples and tacks.

Next, lay the cushion upside down on the fabric.  Make sure the pattern is on the bottom and is facing the correct way that you will want it once it is finished.  Cut the fabric so that you allow enough to wrap up and around the sides with enough overlap to work with.  Be generous as you can always cut fabric down to size and nothing is more frustrating than having cut it too small and wasting the piece.  "Measure twice, cut once" certainly applies here.

Then just start on one side and firmly wrap the fabric onto the backing and staple into place.  I start on one side, then go to the opposite side and keep the tension on the fabric so you will get a nice tight fit.  When you are working in the corners, staple to the ends and then wrap the corner piece and staple it up.  Once it is secure, cut off the excess overlapping fabric for a neat corner.

Continue this on all sides and on all pads til they are done.  Then secure them to the chair frame with screws that are long enough to grip into the pad, but not too long as to go through the padding.

Voila!  In a very short time you can completely change the look of the chairs and add interest to your dining room. 

I love these because now each chair is different and unique yet they all work together well.  You can use any fabric for this project as long as it is durable enough to use for upholstery.

The dinner party was great and the chairs were a hit!

Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday and best wishes for a wonderful 2012!!

Stumped for Ideas?....

I get inspiration from many different things.  From looking at magazines, websites and blogs.  From walking around the city and seeing new shops, displays and products.  What I sometimes notice is that everything I have wanted to make or design has already been done.  Which can be discouraging sometimes.  With so much sharing of ideas and so much available to be seen out there from all over the world now it is almost impossible to come up with a completely different idea.

But then I realized that, although there are no true "original" ideas, you can make a piece unique and put your own original twist on it.  It is how you treat the material or how you execute the idea and design that make it unique to you.  Just as a song will never ever be played the same way twice, even by the same musician, making something by hand that is the same or similar will always have its own different characteristics.  And it is these small differences that make that item special and interesting.

I find that the best and most exciting inspiration comes from my materials.  That is why I love so much to take salvaged items and bring them back to life.  They have their own personality that often inspires me to use them in a certain way. 

I found a slice of wood on the boardwalk one day... once again while running which tends to be a great way for me to find things!  The city was taking down several trees that were old and diseased and they had obviously made two cuts to fell the tree and this little wedge was left over.

So I carried it home with me while running...yes I looked ridiculous....and let it dry in the basement for several months.

I sanded it down, which took quite a while because it was so roughly cut, and then put a coat of oil on it.  Because I knew I wanted to perhaps serve food on it I used a lemon oil based product that is safe to use in the kitchen.

I bought this at Restoration Hardware several years ago and it is fantastic.

I left the bark on the outside which is referred to as "live edge".  The end result is a really beautiful and unique board for serving cheese on, displaying candles, serving a cake on....you get the idea.  I will definitely use this over the holidays when we are entertaining. 

Happy Holidays!! And Happy Entertaining!!