Mini House Tour

Since I had to tidy my house for the photo shoot, I took some new pics - a little house tour!

The full set is on my Flickr page.

Have a great Halloween everyone!

Wonderful Window Shelves

I finally got these done (well almost done - more coats of paint needed) and they came out great! I made two - one for the kitchen, and one for the bathroom. I decided to go with one shelf, to allow more light in and open up the view. I love that they look so custom, with the curved edges and inset notch to fit perfectly around the window. I need to take a detail shot.....



Here's my basic pattern, using 2 pieces of $5 (1 x 8 (actual dimensions 3/4 in × 7 1/4) lumber from Home Depot and white EKBY STÖDIS ($.99) shelf brackets from Ikea, painted with a water based latex enamel. Cuts were made with my jigsaw, and then sanded with my "mouse" hand sander.

Cheap and easy!

Thonet & Saucony

Waaay back in November of last year, I had a shoot for Saucony Originals at my house for the Fall 09 catalog - I was looking for another pair of sneakers (I have 2 pairs of the womens bullet, and they are SO comfortable) when I realized the images are now part of the website! So cool!




Also - I'm selling a set of five Thonet chairs on craigslist - so if you are in the Boston area and need some chairs.....check it out!

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/fuo/1441129098.html

Patchwork Seat Chair - Before & After

I finally finished this little chair redo - the quilted patchwork seat came out better than I had expected, and though you can't tell in the pics - the new stain and topcoat really deepens the color and show off the grain.

The patchwork was easier than I thought it would be, and I love the look, plus it's fun to remember exactly which piece cam from where - I can remember how I acquired each piece, making it a much more personal project, than just a typical reupholstery project.

Looks pretty snazzy in my living room!

Attic 4 Ways

Something a little random.....A while back, I scanned these images from one of my vinatge decorating books showing different ways to treat a converted attic space - I think there are some pretty nifty ideas here.

Case of the Mondays

Whew! I had a super busy week last week and took some time off from blogging - I had another photo shoot at my house, so I had a crazy week getting the apt ready. I'm actually happy that the shoot came up - it forced me to get some projects done and get the apt in a more presentable state. I'm also super excited because I got to try my hand as a stylist! It was a lot of fun to style the shots - some with models, some without! Once I get permission, I will post the shots!

I also got another query about my Selig chair project, and thought I'd share my response:

Amanda,

Your chair looks great! Like some of the others posting on your blog, I've been inspired to restore a plycraft of my own. Can you give me some more details on the type of stain you used? Actually, any extra information about the sanding/staining process would be great.

Thanks,

T

Hi T,

I used Minwax stain and Polyurethane from Home Depot - both water based. However, since the chair was my first refinishing project, I've learned a thing or two! Now for my refinishing projects I use oil based products - wipe on urethane gel Gel Stain, and a wipe on urethane Gel Topcoat. Both of these I got at Rockler Woodworking supply the brand is called General Finishes. The gel stains are so easy to use, and pretty fool proof - they wipe on with a rag - apply a heavy coat and wipe up the excess! You can't really mess it up - just keep applying coats until you get the look you like, then repeat with the topcoat - do 3 coats. The finish is MUCH richer than the water based stains I used on the chair, the grain "pops" more and has a nice satin-y feel.

As far as sanding - I had decided to stay away from a chemical stripper at the time, and decided just to sand down the finish. I have a Black and Decker "Mouse" sander, and used that to sand down the plywood, going from coarse to fine grit. However, the sander left swirl marks, so I had to complete the finest sanding by hand. You should always sand with the grain of the wood, and be patient. If I had to do it over again, I'd use a stripper, (I like Citristrip) to remove most of the finish, and then hand sand the rest. Let the stripper do most of the work!

I hope that helps! What I know now, I learned by taking a refinishing class at my local community art center - I learned a LOT, and wish I had taken the class before doing the chair - if you can find something like that where you live I recommended it, although it's still a very doable project on your own. Let me know if I can answer any other questions. Good Luck!

New Additons

New fabulous additions to the apt - a vinatge Simplex School Clock and a Brass Reading Lamp. Thank you - ebay and craigslist!




I previously had a GE clock in the same spot, but it sadly started to not keep time, and finally died. After many missed auctions on ebay (I'm constantly adding items to my watch list, intending to bid on them, and then..not) I found this baby as a buy it now - and I bought! It's huge and yellowed from age, and just really gorgeous. Plus, I was getting sick of instinctively looking at that empty space on the wall for the time.

Since it has a black cord, I used a piece of "cord covering thing" (I can't find it on the website) from Ikea - it's white and adheres to the wall with double stick tape and has a rubber channel that you push the cord into. It looks more pronounced in these images, but in person, it blends with the wall, and has a neat and trim look.

These clocks are all over ebay - search via school clock, slave clock, simplex clock, IBM clock, GE clock....



The floor lamp is exactly what I've been looking for, we needed a lamp to read by when sitting in the Selig - and I wanted something chrome or brass, with a goose neck or adjustable neck, and NO shade. $15 bucks later, this is what I got.

More expensive versions can be had at Restoration Hardware, Light Trends, circa lighting, and both high and low are on ebay - search Koch & Lowy or Casella. cb2 also had a version of this, but I don't see it on the website?

No Longer Afraid of Electricity!

So I have no trouble jumping into any construction, carpentry, or plumbing project, but I've always been scared of electricity - specifically changing or installing fixtures or outlets. As a kid, I wouldn't even touch a battery to my tongue - I'm chicken!

Anyway, my desire for new fancy fixtures trumped my fear and I went and got a voltage tester, and got to work. I swapped 2 fixtures in the kitchen, and installed two IKEA FADO fixtures in the foyer and the studio.

The two in the kitchen are vinatge - from ebay and Brimfield flea - I LOVE them! Balls! And...I didn't get electrocuted! So easy!

H Print from House Industries

When the blogoshphere went all abuzz with the news of House Industries' Photo Lettering Serigraphs, I gleefully jumped on the bandwagon and ordered a PLINC Exotique H Small print, and it's gorgeous! Rich black and gold ink on sumptuous paper! Only $18 - go order one!

AND.....it fit perfectly in my empty on-sale West Elm frame that's been wasting space in my studio!

A Little More Love from Apartment Therapy

I'm silly happy to be included in a feature on Jamaica Plain House Tours on Apartment Therapy today! JP is great!

Auger Falls, Wells NY

I went home to visit my parents this weekend, and my Dad and I took a small hike to Auger Falls, just outside of Wells, NY in the Adirondacks. Thought I'd share a few pics!

Shopping in the Land of Nod

We got a ton of catalogs at work, and I happened to flip through the Land of Nod catalog, and found some "childrens" stuff I actually really like!!

White Wall Book Bin $49 - I really want to hang this near my bed!!



Wire Baskets $34 - I have no obvious use for this, but I wannit!




Nautical Flag Banner $29 - these really need to find a home in my apt - D - what do you think?



Spindle Bookcase $249 - more than I want to spend, but I adore the spindle look - need to find a thrifty version.




Oval Cotton Area Rug, 4x6 $59 - I'm trying to find a cute area rug, and I'd like to add some color, and I think this is super cute, but it may scream children's catalog!

Bathroom Progress

I really wish this had photographed better, it's super nice in person - the new paint color is really a lovely shade of slightly warm gray, which looks great against the white trim. anyway, here we are after 4 days of scraping, priming and painting!

We also added a new rug - "Fez" from Flor - I used a dinner plate as a template to round the corners for a more finished look. WHAT a difference! It feels great underfoot the color is so light and fresh. I'm a tad nervous about an almost white carpet (my first!) - but I'm hopeful it will stay clean, plus Flor tiles are super durable.

Next up are some decorative touches and the window shelf. And when I am really bored some weekend, a sand and stain/poly on the beat up wood floor!



D said I need to add a before image to show how HUGE the change is: