mid-century travel art

saw this framed item at my local room and board. i have seen these travel stickers at the flea market for cheap. you know, they are the kind of stickers that mid-century travellers would plaster all over their mid-century luggage to show where they have been while on their 'round-the-world jaunt.  this would make for a very easy piece of artwork if you keep your eyes open for these stickers (which, by the way, are not stickers at all--you have to affix them with your own glue).

lisa swerling and her glass cathedrals

at the most recent renegade craft fair, i was reminded how much i  l o v e  the cleverness of artist lisa swerling's brilliant shadow box art. this one is apropos for the season but you really must check out her site as she has many fabulously clever designs!

white lights

this is a sales display at my local west elm store. all white. a little back lighting. simple! this would be a pretty option for a mantle, a bookshelf or top of a console.

pretty water

i thought this was such a pretty way to serve water around the holidays. the cranberries add a great punch of color.

i thought i would be clever and try this with a glass pitcher of water at my brunch yesterday--fail.  since the cranberries float, they clogged up the spout of the pitcher making the water pour at a trickle.  so, i think this will only work well with a similar urn with a spigot.

candy urn

holiday candy in a big 'ole glass urn--colorful and yummy!

snakeskin wall

ok, i didn't take this photo well--poor perspective for you to really see what it is. but, it is a wall of snakeskin wallpaper.  floor to ceiling snakeskin. it looks amazing.  if you look at my previous post, you can kind of see it in the background.  anyway, it is one cool looking wall!

holiday tree

i thought this was a cute little tree that was made "holiday" special by putting it into a red and white gift bag.

thatched roof

i like this solution for sun cover on a patio. and, the twinkly lights will look great at night.

back to my visit at the boonville hotel, i loved their open plan, "industrial-in-the-woods" bathrooms.

fabulous greek key grate used as a drain cover.
helped to separate the "wet" part of the bathroom from the "dry" part.

really liked the simple galvanized sheet metal they used for the
primary shower wall--complete with customized galvanized shelf.

crabby apples

for those of you who have a prolific crab apple tree, put their output to work and create some cheery autumnal displays.

stepping stones and walk ways

here are a few examples of some good looking and simple stepping stones and walk ways.

modernized classic

this is only one section of a very long retaining wall i recently came upon. classic stone wall with an updated, modern flare.

custom butterflies

after seeing this custom-made butterfly chair cover recently at the adorable boonville hotel, i decided i want to have the iconic butterfly chair with custom covers in all the outdoors spaces for the homes i stage. i will be giving my seamstress a call very soon!

childs play

i thought this was a very clever use of children's toys for making children's art.

sidewalk impressions

i really enjoy seeing the impressions and etchings that are showing up on a lot of local sidewalks. here are some examples:

faux-liage

faux flowers and plants seem to be stylishly acceptable these days. i thought these displays were well done.

squatty light

i was oddly attracted to this squatty little guy.

simply made, big impact

simple to make, big impact.

clever and brilliant tiles

this is hard to see so let me explain: grey/silver-tinted wallpaper with a copper thread stitched through it with clear glass "tiles" mounted on top of it.  it looked absolutely brilliant.  i was later told that they are individual tiles as opposed to someones home-made brilliance.  none-the-less, it sure got my creative juices flowing.

antlers

antlers are hot now. they are so easily found at flea markets--i recently picked up several of the real ones in the $15 - $20 range. i saw these resin-cast versions at pottery barn for $40/each. if you are on the prowl for some of your own, please make sure to get the ones that were shed naturally.

surveyors lamps

i saw this surveyors rig at the flea market for $195 (guessing i could negotiate it down to at least $150-ish?). it is not quite as fancy as the pottery barn option for almost $400 below, but could be made into a similarly handsome lamp for less than half the price. too bad i saw this after i had already spent all my dough for the day!

candles at the crate

these unique candle displays caught my eye on a recent stroll through crate and barrel.

air plants

long-lasting, easy-care centerpiece in a pinch: put three of these air plants in vases in a row on your dining table on a runner and you have a hip, trendy, eye-catching centerpiece.

black and white and read all over

i really like the simplicity of how these books are displayed: monochrome book covers, spines in and out, small to large or all one width.

what's your handle?

i saw these cabinet door pulls and loved them. i inquired about the two matching cabinets on which they were mounted and was told they were george nelson. no wonder the simply-styled rosewood cabinets were $2000 each. even though george's work is coveted, it's these handles that i fell in love with.

simple and clean

my local, very trendy garden shop has a fabulous public bathroom. i really like the galvanized back splash coupled with the live edge counter top, modern sink and wall mount fixtures. simple and clean.

knife edge details

I really like the way these upholstered pillows have a special little corner treatment made out of the knife edge details.

gaudy chic

i thought this was interesting...a big 'ole gilt picture frame that has been repurposed into an electric modern marvel. a cheap flea market find, a can of spray paint and your favorite photo and suddenly you have a gaudy chic wall adornment--the home accessories version of sexy ugly!

the riddler

riddling racks provide old world charm. but, many riddling racks provide that old warm charm. i saw this at my local flea market-style shop (or should i say shoppe?) and thought it would look cool as a wall in a dining room. what do you think?

wingback wonder

ok, so maybe I have been overusing the word "handsome" lately, but, this flea market fella really is! with his complementary black and white upholstery fabrics, he has a stately handsome presence.

tacky seating

i thought this carpet tack detail was a cool handsome touch to a classic linen wing back chair that i saw at the flea market.

kitsch kitchen light

i saw this handmade lighting at my favorite grilled cheese joint. seems like this would be so easy to make, pop in an edison bulb, hard wire it above your kitchen sink and you have some cool kitsch kitchen lighting.

gnome home

how cute is this little surprise of a home for a gnome?

upcycling goes modern

i just love this lamp! and i love the juxtaposition of the modern lamp with the upcycled palette wood on the wall. and, though you can't see it in this photo, the area is further glammed up by having mirror behind the palette wood.  brilliant.

handsome suiting sofa

well, the reupholstery job on this beauty wasn't done very well (at least not the seat cushion) but, i thought this was a very handsome sofa that has been redone in suiting fabric--like one of my dad's old suits.

you can eat off of the floor

i discovered this flooring table by piet hein eek recently and thought it looked pretty cool. that's a copy of piet's boek (book) on the table if you are interested in perusing more of his work.

phyllis diller

i adore this coconut shell entry hall light that my friend's xavier and tony affectionately refer to as their phyllis diller light. you be the judge regarding their resemblance...

Phyllis--the light

Phyllis--the comedienne

bird's eye view

oh the life of cute little birdie's...wouldn't it be great if every time you got to have a snack you could have this view from this cheery spring-green ceramic snack bar?

mirror mirror on the wall

this 5-600 pound 6-ish' x 7-ish' mirror was rescued from a store one step ahead of the hauling company by my friend's scott and phil. moving it was no easy feat but once installed it doubles the size of this living room and makes for a great conversation piece. and, other than getting a truck to move it, it was free!