8.30.2011

All Lit Up



I have been working up a storm around the house. I think with fall and winter coming (ugh...) I'm starting to "nest" and tidy up/spruce up our home.


I've been thinking/planning/preparing a new project that I'm so excited about. I love lamps, so when I saw a DIY pendant lamp article in a craft magazine recently, I nearly flipped my lid. Here it is... drumroll, please:
At Night




And in the light of day.



Here's how I did it:


1.) At Containerstore.com I bought two slatted bamboo wastebaskets (for over $50--ouch, but well worth it)


2;) Once the wastebaskets arrived, I measured a pendant lamp socket I had from another lamp and went to the hardware store and bought a hole saw attachment in the appropraite size for a mere $7


3.) I took one bamboo wastebasket, drew a perfect "X" on the bottom (which will actually be the top of the lamp) to find the center. I attached the hole saw to my drill and carefully drilled a perfect circle through the wood.


4.) A little light sanding made the hole smooth, and my light socket fit perfect.


5.) With a hand saw, I cut off the very bottom of the second wastebasket (which will become the bottom of the lamp) and sand the cut parts smooth.


6.) After a little brainstorming, {I determined the lamp was too heavy to hang directly from the cord of the light socket} I devised a simple hanger for the lamp. I returned to the top part of the lamp and drilled two small holes relatively close to each other, with a drill bit, on either side of the larger hole cut for the socket.


Next, I cut two long lengths of sisal twine and threaded one through each set of small holes. With several knots joining all the pieces of twine, I had a hanger for my lamp.


7.) I lightly sanded the "top" of each wastebasket and spread wood glue evenly over each half. After being lined up perfectly, I weighed it from the top with a heavy book and let it dry overnight, hoping the cats wouldn't knock it over.


8.) I couldn't wait to get up the next morning and hang my fabulous lamp!


I really can't believe how easy this project was. The hardest part was shelling out the $50 bucks for the wastebaskets. I wish I would have photographed each step, but didn't know it would turn out so well.

8.22.2011

Hello Happy-Chic!

I am a big fan of Jonathan Adler (I named my cat after him, for God's sake!) and his design philosophy of "Happy Chic," modern and classy meets cheerful and fun. So I kept this in mind when working on my lastest projects.

First, I found this mug on a recent thifting trip:


I have been on the lookout for a footstool to make over, and got my chance this weekend. This beauty was $5. I like this simple shape and the tapered legs--but the brown vinyl and chipped wood needed help!










Ta-da! Some white paint and Ikea fabric made for a total transformation.





Matt found a great spot for it in the living room. We can use it for extra seating when we have guests. Lovely!







Another really simple little project involves a set of white ceramic coasters (also a thift find) inspired by something similar I saw at the MoMa online shop. I cut circles of colorful felt to fit into the coasters. It's a nice pop of cheerful color on our coffee table.






While flipping through the newest issue of Sunset magazine, I came across a fabulous article on a beachy home in San Francisco.





My eye immediately went to all the plants in the window! This is so beautiful--I can't stop drooling over it, even though it looks a lot like our home!





I am envious and inspired by this print-chair-pillow combination. Simple, textural and visiually intriguing. Happy-chic for sure!