The Craft Begins

I’ve been dying for an Adirondack chair for about as long as I’ve been looking at houses.  I was having a really hard time finding a finish or color that I liked so I bought unfinished chairs and had a hard time figuring out what do with them, but I finally found a finish that I really liked.

Here’s a little before and after to show you what a subtle semi-opaque stain will do.  I went for a gray to match the grout in the sandstone.  It looks a little intimidating when you’re facing a big, unfinished project like this but it’s really super easy, and you’re left with a completely unique project.

It might be a little minimalistic for my tastes, but you gotta admire the consistency and creativity of this London loft.

via Apartment Therapy.

These really interesting examples of Russian wooden architecture have been preserved due to the fact that they are out in the middle of nowhere.  A Print a Day pointed them out, for which I am forever grateful, because these buildings are seriously cool.

I love how ornate they are, and how there’s just enough color left that you can really visualize how colorful they must have been once upon a time.  I just can’t believe this is real – it looks like a make-believe house.  If you’d like to see more pictures, click here.

I love masculine interior design.  I love the dark colors and the prevalence of wood and leather and the clean, strong lines.  There’s something about it that I find really appealing and timeless.  I’ve never been one for Laura Ashley-esque florals and thankfully, I think f. realizes and appreciates this.  I’m totally enamored with this gentlemanly Manhattan pad designed by Ron Marvin.  All of the touches speak to a manly sophistication that isn’t afraid to accessorize.  It could be over the top, but Marvin somehow never crosses that line.

On another note, make sure to check out Lonny Mag (where all of these images are from).  It fills a gap left by the folding of many design magazines with aplomb.

I’m not sure what the story behind this is, but the idea is so compelling on its own I just had to share pictures of it here.

Does anyone know more about this installation?  I’d love to find out more about it.

Found here.

1.  I’m always on the lookout for jewelry with smoky quartz, as it’s one of my favorites, and this ring caught my eye.  I really like the way that the rose gold offsets the color of the stone.  Artisan Impact has lots of distinctive jewelry that is a bit different than your average find – in a good way.

2.  This dress from Pavlina Dadakova can be worn in a number of different ways, which I always enjoy.  Usually it’s a good idea in theory and the execution isn’t so great, but this dress looks good all around.  There’s lots of other unusual items and great photographs to be found in the shop!

3.  I heart esoule.  One of these days, I’m going to make up my mind which of her prints I really want and on that day I will buy them.  Until then, I’ll just have to console myself with gazing lovingly at all of the great, quirky animal portraits.

4.  I love a, and I find that I incorporate them a lot into various things that I’m working on.  I love this twist – coasters with silhouettes cut out of them.  How clever!  There’s lots more laser-cut goodness over at Pepper Sprouts.

Thanks to this week’s favorites for their lovely work!

This is my big, fabulous new piece of furniture.  It’s actually two – there’s the chest of drawers, and all of these little mail slots on the top piece.  I love the details – there are little stamped brass numbers for all of the mail slots, and the copper handles on the chest of drawers are all polished by the opening and closing hands.  The chest of drawers has a mirrored wall on the other side, with slots for shelves.  It would make a great front counter in a little shop, one day.  I can’t wait to get it out of storage and into my house – I”m so excited that all of my craft stuff will have a little home, a mail slot, a drawer.

I love shopping at thrift stores.  There’s so much history and so many stories contained in all of those objects.  Plus, I like discovering items that have been neglected and undervalued that have some potential – it’s actually one of my favorite things on earth.  I’m not going to lie, there have definitely been a few projects that have been started with the best intentions and never quite made it to the finish, but its the one that makes it all the way that makes it all worthwhile.

When I found this sad little guy he was hidden under a thousand other things on a big table.  His legs were wobbly, his doors had fallen out, and he was all scratched up. This is one of the easier renovations I’ve done – a little bit of sanding, some wood glue and clamps, and several cans of awesome-colored paint, and voila!  A happy table.

I needed a bedside table of some sort, and I think this will do the trick!  Now all it needs is an awesome lamp and a stack of books and we will be good to go!

I’ve been digging through some old slides and pictures and keep coming up with funny work that I did over the years.  It’s funny to see the similarities and differences.

If you’d like to check out my crafty history, please visit my flickr.