Sunday, November 9, 2008
Voulez-Vous Regarder Cribs Avec-Mois?
This has been making it's way around the blogosphere and I just discovered it via Miss Modular. THE best cribs episode EVer. I just had to share...
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Hung Up
This month I've been all about hanging things up. After the two lamps, I also finally hung up my most recent Small Stakes purchase, a lovely screenprinted Jens Lekman poster.
My first thought was to incorporate it into my dandelion wall with my other two screenprinted posters:
But I was afraid it would make that side too busy, while the area above my corner bench has been so horribly neglected and bare for ages. So I thought this corner might be a better home for it. And since the poster is white with a little bit of black, it contrasts nicely against the turquoise wall. (Anything I place against that wall can't be too colorful itself or it just looks bad; in fact, the way I've decorated my living room in general, there's either white against color or color against white.)
Next dilemna: how to hang it! There's a small bit of wall to the right of the corner that sticks out from the rest, which you would think would lend itself nicely to emphasizing a piece of art. But as with other things I've considered hanging there (like shadow boxes or shelves), the space would feel a bit flat and uncomfortably asymmetrical if I just stuck the poster there (since the bench is such a symmetrical focal point).
The only way to create a nice feeling of balance above the bench, I decided, was to hang the poster right on top of the corner. And tilted! So voila!
Tools: nylon string, 2 hooks, 2 wall plugs
plus picture hook and superglue (not pictured here)
I superglued an extra picture hook to the bottom of the poster frame's backing (word: this picture wasn't taken chronologically to step-by-step instructions; hence the nylon string in this photo):
While waiting for that to dry, I drilled two holes for the hooks into the corner of the wall; one slightly higher than where I wanted the bottom of the poster to sit and one higher than where I wanted the top of the poster to float. Basically the distance between the two holes has to be greater than the height of the frame.
Word to your mother: You should always use wall plugs when hanging something heavy. And another very good tip I learned the other day is to drill the hole at a 45-degree angle. Then your hook/nail is almost guaranteed not to slip out of the wall.
The actual hanging part was a bit tricky since I did it on my own (four hands are always better than two!). But I basically just tied the nylon string to the bottom picture hook first and started threading it through the hooks in the wall and the top picture hook in sort of a z-formation. I tightened the string until I had the frame hovering the way I wanted (with the bottom corners resting against the walls), and then tied a few knots at the top hook to keep it in place.
My first thought was to incorporate it into my dandelion wall with my other two screenprinted posters:
But I was afraid it would make that side too busy, while the area above my corner bench has been so horribly neglected and bare for ages. So I thought this corner might be a better home for it. And since the poster is white with a little bit of black, it contrasts nicely against the turquoise wall. (Anything I place against that wall can't be too colorful itself or it just looks bad; in fact, the way I've decorated my living room in general, there's either white against color or color against white.)
Next dilemna: how to hang it! There's a small bit of wall to the right of the corner that sticks out from the rest, which you would think would lend itself nicely to emphasizing a piece of art. But as with other things I've considered hanging there (like shadow boxes or shelves), the space would feel a bit flat and uncomfortably asymmetrical if I just stuck the poster there (since the bench is such a symmetrical focal point).
The only way to create a nice feeling of balance above the bench, I decided, was to hang the poster right on top of the corner. And tilted! So voila!
Before:
After:
Here's what I used and how I did it:
Tools: nylon string, 2 hooks, 2 wall plugsplus picture hook and superglue (not pictured here)
I superglued an extra picture hook to the bottom of the poster frame's backing (word: this picture wasn't taken chronologically to step-by-step instructions; hence the nylon string in this photo):
While waiting for that to dry, I drilled two holes for the hooks into the corner of the wall; one slightly higher than where I wanted the bottom of the poster to sit and one higher than where I wanted the top of the poster to float. Basically the distance between the two holes has to be greater than the height of the frame.
Word to your mother: You should always use wall plugs when hanging something heavy. And another very good tip I learned the other day is to drill the hole at a 45-degree angle. Then your hook/nail is almost guaranteed not to slip out of the wall.
The actual hanging part was a bit tricky since I did it on my own (four hands are always better than two!). But I basically just tied the nylon string to the bottom picture hook first and started threading it through the hooks in the wall and the top picture hook in sort of a z-formation. I tightened the string until I had the frame hovering the way I wanted (with the bottom corners resting against the walls), and then tied a few knots at the top hook to keep it in place.
Out with a Bang!
A few months ago, my gorgeous new living room lamp went out with a bang. Literally! I flipped the switch, there was an explosive sound that made me jump about a foot in the air, and a small curl of smoke came out from the gray light. AND it put out all the electricity in my flat. Which freaked me out a bit, since that's never happened to me in this flat before.
Luckily, it was only a fuse that was broken, which was easily fixed with a short trip to the hardware store. But now it looks like I'll have to get that lovely lamp rewired (preferably by an über-professional) before I dare rehang it. And for about 3 months after said incident I had a bare replacement light bulb dangling from my ceiling. Not cute! :o(
Fortunately, my friend and business partner Meg wanted to get rid of some stuff after closing her bricks-and-mortar vintage store (the one we've now taken online here), and these two gorgeous lamps were up for grabs:
Since I needed more than just one light (or else it's just way too dim at night) and I recently replaced the drab burgundy with bright, energetic red in my living room color scheme, they've turned out to be the perfect successors. One's hanging above my dining table and the other above my coffee table.
And when I finally get my other lamp rewired, I'll hang that one up in my hallway, which is where I originally intended to hang it anyway.
Luckily, it was only a fuse that was broken, which was easily fixed with a short trip to the hardware store. But now it looks like I'll have to get that lovely lamp rewired (preferably by an über-professional) before I dare rehang it. And for about 3 months after said incident I had a bare replacement light bulb dangling from my ceiling. Not cute! :o(
Fortunately, my friend and business partner Meg wanted to get rid of some stuff after closing her bricks-and-mortar vintage store (the one we've now taken online here), and these two gorgeous lamps were up for grabs:
Since I needed more than just one light (or else it's just way too dim at night) and I recently replaced the drab burgundy with bright, energetic red in my living room color scheme, they've turned out to be the perfect successors. One's hanging above my dining table and the other above my coffee table.
And when I finally get my other lamp rewired, I'll hang that one up in my hallway, which is where I originally intended to hang it anyway.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Absence Makes the Heart Go Wander
Sorry to anyone who's been checking this blog in the past months only to be disappointed by the discontinuation of posts. Summer just passed me right by, and I've been so busy I didn't even have a chance to leave a proper "away" message. So now I will try to make it up with a "be right back" message.
Over the last few months, I was busy planning and launching an online vintage shop called Immaculate Heart Vintage with my friend Meg. You can check out my selection of vintage home goods for sale on Dawanda here.
Until the shop is completely up and running smoothly, I won't have much time to post stuff here. But I will do my best to do at least a few posts a month. And in the meantime...
There's two sites to keep you occupied:
1. Domino Mag's My Deco File (where you can compile and share a virtual decorating scrapbook with your own photos and images from Domino magazine as well!)
2. My Deco (where you can plan your room in 3D!)
So Happy Decorating and Bis Bald!
Over the last few months, I was busy planning and launching an online vintage shop called Immaculate Heart Vintage with my friend Meg. You can check out my selection of vintage home goods for sale on Dawanda here.
Until the shop is completely up and running smoothly, I won't have much time to post stuff here. But I will do my best to do at least a few posts a month. And in the meantime...
There's two sites to keep you occupied:
1. Domino Mag's My Deco File (where you can compile and share a virtual decorating scrapbook with your own photos and images from Domino magazine as well!)
2. My Deco (where you can plan your room in 3D!)
So Happy Decorating and Bis Bald!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Balcony Beautiful (Part 2)
After diy-ing my outdoor seating gluecklich...
...I felt like I could finally use my balcony for more r&r type of activities and swore to never spraypaint another thing on it ever again. (Luckily, I found a studio, so now I have an separate space for all my diy projects and might actually be able to keep this promise!) My only dilemma? Where to set down my cocktail drink inbetween sippin on bacardi rum?! And even with a small table, what good would being able to brunch outside on my balcony be without an extra chair in order for someone to join me?!
My first thought was to kick myself in the butt for chucking the matching bench back into the dumpster. But then I thought, the only place it would've fit is right in front of my balcony door, which wouldn't have been very feng shui-friendly at all, so I gave myself a pat on the back instead. Plus if worse came to worse, I could always just use one of my foldable Ikea chairs for guests. So I focused my attention on finding a table first instead.
My needs/wants (aka words to your mother for furnishing a small rectangular balcony):
- something foldable/collapsable (easily put aside in case of extra space needs for laundry, etc.)
- something preferably round instead of square (makes sitting on a boxy chair in a rectangular space feel less boxed-in, plus a round table is be easier to move around on a cramped balcony without the danger of puncturing any internal organs)
- metal or plain wood (easy to paint a matching color)
With not much summer left to go and my intense need for immediate gratification heightening my impatience (possibly a Veruca Saltish side-effect of being an only child), I scoured the internet for way too long on Saturday and Mauerpark (also for way too long) on Sunday, ending up with only a handful of half-hearted leads. For example, there was the white foldable wooden table at Butlers. But it was square and about the same width as the bench (aka WIDE!). Then the gorgeous antique iron sewing machine base for 20EUR, which I would've dared myself to paint white. But it was heavy to transport and came with a glass tabletop (not the most optimal for outdoors).
Disheartened and my head hung low, I headed home with only a new plant and plastic flower pot for my balcony. I almost relinquished my desire for a complete outdoor set in 2008 when at the spur of the moment, I decided to swing by Arkonaplatz fleamarket. You know. Just in case. And what did I spy?!?! Why, the perfect red metal table and chair combination EVer, of course!
Luckily I caught the sellers right before they were about to load it into their van for close of the day. AND after a long day of fleamarketing, I had seriously JUST enough money to take my new babies home (with literally a few cents left over). Now all I need is some wireless!
Word to your mother: Trust in synchronicity and keep hope alive!
...I felt like I could finally use my balcony for more r&r type of activities and swore to never spraypaint another thing on it ever again. (Luckily, I found a studio, so now I have an separate space for all my diy projects and might actually be able to keep this promise!) My only dilemma? Where to set down my cocktail drink inbetween sippin on bacardi rum?! And even with a small table, what good would being able to brunch outside on my balcony be without an extra chair in order for someone to join me?!
My first thought was to kick myself in the butt for chucking the matching bench back into the dumpster. But then I thought, the only place it would've fit is right in front of my balcony door, which wouldn't have been very feng shui-friendly at all, so I gave myself a pat on the back instead. Plus if worse came to worse, I could always just use one of my foldable Ikea chairs for guests. So I focused my attention on finding a table first instead.
My needs/wants (aka words to your mother for furnishing a small rectangular balcony):
- something foldable/collapsable (easily put aside in case of extra space needs for laundry, etc.)
- something preferably round instead of square (makes sitting on a boxy chair in a rectangular space feel less boxed-in, plus a round table is be easier to move around on a cramped balcony without the danger of puncturing any internal organs)
- metal or plain wood (easy to paint a matching color)
With not much summer left to go and my intense need for immediate gratification heightening my impatience (possibly a Veruca Saltish side-effect of being an only child), I scoured the internet for way too long on Saturday and Mauerpark (also for way too long) on Sunday, ending up with only a handful of half-hearted leads. For example, there was the white foldable wooden table at Butlers. But it was square and about the same width as the bench (aka WIDE!). Then the gorgeous antique iron sewing machine base for 20EUR, which I would've dared myself to paint white. But it was heavy to transport and came with a glass tabletop (not the most optimal for outdoors).
Disheartened and my head hung low, I headed home with only a new plant and plastic flower pot for my balcony. I almost relinquished my desire for a complete outdoor set in 2008 when at the spur of the moment, I decided to swing by Arkonaplatz fleamarket. You know. Just in case. And what did I spy?!?! Why, the perfect red metal table and chair combination EVer, of course!
Luckily I caught the sellers right before they were about to load it into their van for close of the day. AND after a long day of fleamarketing, I had seriously JUST enough money to take my new babies home (with literally a few cents left over). Now all I need is some wireless!
Word to your mother: Trust in synchronicity and keep hope alive!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Balcony Beautiful (Part 1)
Two weeks ago I went to visit my grandparents for the first time since Christmas. It's always nice and refreshing to get away from "hectic" Berlin and spend some time with them small, quiet Ober-Seemen. Plus I love how Oma and Opa are so self-reliant (for example, they have a small garden and in the summer they harvest their berry crop and make their own jams and jellies) and know how to do just about anything. In fact, I usually bring a project or two along for them to help me with. This time, I did some sewing with Oma and finally got around to refurnishing my balcony seat with Opa's help. Here's what it used to look like:
I rescued this bench from the dumpster about a year ago. Since then it's been sitting on my balcony unused and lonely, with only a clothes drying rack or the odd spraypainting project to keep it company. With summer flying by, I decided this trip was my chance to finally start giving it its well-deserved makeover so as to turn my balcony into a hang-out haven before winter actually hits. So I took it apart and brought the wood parts along for sanding and painting.
Word to your mother: Before taking anything apart (no matter HOW simple the assembly seems), take pictures so you don't make any mistakes putting it back together. Trust me on this!
Luckily, Opa's workshop is amaaazing! He has every imaginable tool, including a power sander, which totally saved my ass. Otherwise, I would STILL be sanding down the wood by hand in preparation for painting!
Sanding was fun, but painting was funner (mostly because of the color...see below!). Word to your mother: It's easiest to use 2-in-1 primer/paint. It makes life sooo much easier. Also don't forget to keep you brushes clean with terpentine inbetween coats!
So then last week I finally got around to painting the metal frames (I KNOW you didn't think I was going to schlepp those the 5-hour train trip to Ober-Seemen and back!). By the way, for this I also got paint that also lets you to paint directly over rust (you just have to get rid of big chunks and clean it first).
And voila! The final product:
Very much inspired by the delightful outdoor seating at Kauf Dich Glücklich (which I've been coveting for years now but have never spotted for sale at ANYwhere).
I rescued this bench from the dumpster about a year ago. Since then it's been sitting on my balcony unused and lonely, with only a clothes drying rack or the odd spraypainting project to keep it company. With summer flying by, I decided this trip was my chance to finally start giving it its well-deserved makeover so as to turn my balcony into a hang-out haven before winter actually hits. So I took it apart and brought the wood parts along for sanding and painting.
Word to your mother: Before taking anything apart (no matter HOW simple the assembly seems), take pictures so you don't make any mistakes putting it back together. Trust me on this!
Luckily, Opa's workshop is amaaazing! He has every imaginable tool, including a power sander, which totally saved my ass. Otherwise, I would STILL be sanding down the wood by hand in preparation for painting!
Sanding was fun, but painting was funner (mostly because of the color...see below!). Word to your mother: It's easiest to use 2-in-1 primer/paint. It makes life sooo much easier. Also don't forget to keep you brushes clean with terpentine inbetween coats!
So then last week I finally got around to painting the metal frames (I KNOW you didn't think I was going to schlepp those the 5-hour train trip to Ober-Seemen and back!). By the way, for this I also got paint that also lets you to paint directly over rust (you just have to get rid of big chunks and clean it first).
And voila! The final product:
Very much inspired by the delightful outdoor seating at Kauf Dich Glücklich (which I've been coveting for years now but have never spotted for sale at ANYwhere).
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Home Is Where the (He)art Is (Part 2)
Last fall I talked about sprucing up bare walls with inexpensive diy art and showed off some of the objets d’(he)art in my bedroom. (If you missed Part 1, check it out here!). Once again, the basic formula:
Now here's what I have hanging in my kitchen (I hope it sparks some more inspiration!):
a paper bag that says "Eat fruits and veg; it's healthy!
(from a fruit and vegetable stand at a farmer's market)
Word to your mother: If you're not sure how you want to arrange your objets d’(he)art on your wall, then try out different layouts on your floor first!
ephemera + frame + paper or fabric background = objet d’(he)art
Now here's what I have hanging in my kitchen (I hope it sparks some more inspiration!):
East German soft drink labels
(bought at Boxhagener fleamarket in Friedrichshain)
(bought at Boxhagener fleamarket in Friedrichshain)
a paper bag that says "Eat fruits and veg; it's healthy!
(from a fruit and vegetable stand at a farmer's market)
wrappers from old school German after-dinner chewy candies
(saved from meals at the local Thai restaurant)
(saved from meals at the local Thai restaurant)
previously taken photos of my grandparents preparing food the Alt-Deutsch way
and objects in their kitchen that I associate with each of them
(colored, textured paper from Modulor)
and objects in their kitchen that I associate with each of them
(colored, textured paper from Modulor)
Word to your mother: If you're not sure how you want to arrange your objets d’(he)art on your wall, then try out different layouts on your floor first!
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