Inspiration: Environments
Wednesday, May 4th, 2011By Christa Terry
I am in total discombobulation mode this week, so please enjoy having a look at some of the pics I’ve been sitting on while I take a moment to regroup!
I am in total discombobulation mode this week, so please enjoy having a look at some of the pics I’ve been sitting on while I take a moment to regroup!
It’s so easy to get stuck when it comes to furniture. As in, ‘I don’t need a sideboard because I don’t have a dining room’ or ‘What could we possible use a bench for in our house?’ It’s especially easy when you have a chance to acquire a free piece of quality furniture.
But wait! Maybe you don’t need another dresser, but you’ve been looking for an amazing and different bathroom vanity. Or what you really want is a bookshelf by you keep finding bench after bench. Kitchen tables abound, but no desks… chairs, but no side tables… coffee tables but no desk and hutch combos. That sort of thing. My question is: Why get so focused on what a piece of furniture is? Why not focus instead on what is might be?
I know that repurposing furniture isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but who says you have to do it yourself? Maybe you have a friend who loves that sort of thing and will hook you up with your new shelves, vanity, or whatever for the price of materials plus a little extra. Or maybe there’s a pro in your area looking for some extra work. I mean, come on, check out this sweet repurposed furniture!
There’s not much to say about tree stump tables, other than the fact that they exist, they can look pretty awesome, and if you’re so inclined, creating a DIY tree stump side table isn’t that difficult (as demonstrated beautifully over at Nesting Place last month). The look pretty good painted:
But many people chose to leave them au natural, and rightly so:
In a pinch, you can even use a tree stump side table as a seat:
For the DIY tree stump side table, you could do like the author of Nesting Place and just grab something left behind by the tree services guys, but I’d worry about the possibility of creepy crawlies riding in along with the stump. Plus, you want something a little drier than a fresh cut log, so I’d recommend opting for something found at the firewood depot, like Karen at the Art of Doing Stuff did.
Sure, it’s a little rustic, but I really like this kind of thing when paired with other furniture that’s decidedly non-rustic. Whatdya think… too outdoorsy? Or just right?
So I just found out that barely-there lampshades – wire lamp… shades? – are totally a trend and super hot and everyone must have them now now now. Good to know, I guess. But seeing as that naked light bulbs make my eyes really sad, I think I’ll just be letting this one pass my by. What do you think?
Let’s count it off: Orange walls, orange curtains, and an orange light fixture. And orange art on top of that. Am I missing anything? Not that there’s anything wrong with orange – I had orange walls in the foyer of my Boston apartment, so I can see the allure. But personally, I prefer my fully saturated orange softened with a little something, like gray or soft teals and browns or maybe even just a whole lot of creamy white.
But for those who want MAXIMUM ORANGE in the kitchen and dining areas, here’s a jumping off point:
I love this low-slung, big-enough-for-projects coffee table with its great print and all the super short seating for the kids in the household! You can just tell that this is an area of the house that sees plenty of use.
What are the high-use areas of your household? And what areas of your home could you make more welcoming and useful?
Image: MayDae
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…or should I call them starburst mirrors? I’ve seen the two terms used, pretty much interchangeably and with equal frequency. So I hope we can agree that both labels are correct. Sometimes what’s labeled a starburst mirror looks more like a sun, and what’s labeled a sunburst mirror looks more like a star, but I think that’s okay. I think they’re keen no matter what you call them!
I will happily admit to being a totally lazy bum when it comes to making the bed, and yet I’m also a total sucker for a freshly made bed.
Doesn’t that look inviting? Restful? It’s like a sign that tomorrow will be better than the day before. But since like I said, I am none too good about actually doing what it takes to slip into a freshly made bed on a daily basis, I would really like it if my unmade bed looked like this:
Which do you prefer in your own boudoir? The crisp freshly made bed or the comfortable rumpled one?