Devil in the Details: DIY Wall Art + Weekend Reads

Have you given some thought to last Wednesday's post about injecting creativity into your life? Cause I know I have! While skimming over my Home inspiration folder (yes, just like mentioned in last week's Ways to Stay Creative - I'm not trying to overly self-promote posts by the way, I write about thoughts that also touches my day-to-day life, and so I end up repeating myself... Sorry. Back to what I was saying...), I re-discovered pictures from Jess Constable's house. She is an inspiring young entrepreneur and I loved her nifty thrifty ideas she had when decorating her Chicago apartment. I mean, the girl made her own wall art! And she's not an artist! 

Create art of your own by using blank canvases. The right picture is just pink duct tape on blank canvas, and the left one is a chevron pattern she copied online, pinned on canvas, painted bronze over it and removed. Easy! And I think it makes for a striking focal point in the room. Check out her tutorial here. 

Aaaaand here are some reads for the weekend: 

The First 5 Things to Do with Your New Camera

Three Keys to Success for Entrepreneurs
10 Google Search Tricks You Might Not Know
What Your Handwriting Says About You

Enjoy!


Photos via. Edited by Dee & Duke. 

Create an Inspiring Interior with Bright Furniture

I think the best thing about this decor idea is that it really fits all wallet sizes. Any Grandma hand-me-down, or charity-shop find would look better with a few coats of bright paint. Or a chair found on the street. Or a plain-looking IKEA piece, to continue on the IKEA Hacks idea. 

What would you paint? And what color would you pick?


Photos via PINK LEFT - RIGHT / YELLOW LEFT - RIGHT / GREEN LEFT - RIGHT / AQUA LEFT - RIGHT / RED LEFT - RIGHT

IKEA Hacks

I'm pretty sure we're all on a budget here. Well, I know I am. But one thing's for sure: we all love to be inspired anyways and want to be surrounded by beautiful things. Hence the problem when we need new furniture and have no choice but to turn to IKEA.

Don't get me wrong: I think they have some very stylish stuff (I love the Scandinavian aesthetics - I'm more on the minimalist side of things). But some pieces need a little help. Enter the so-called "IKEA hacks", where people add a little oomph to their Swedish pieces. 

I present you the IKEA MICKE. Jonathan from Happy Mundane bought contact paper at Home Depot, and added a touch of imitation walnut wood. It's mess-free and can be changed at any time.

This is the IKEA RAST dresser. Apartment Therapy declares it to be "ever popular with DIYers". Molly from mollymadfis removed the wooden knobs, repainted it, and added the brass corners and new handles, all bought at the local hardware store. I am loving the result. It reminds me of an heirloom trunk that would have been passed on from a grandmother, right? 

Do you feel handy enough to modify a mass-market piece of furniture? What would you do? 

Photos via. Edited by Dee & Duke. 

Christian Schallert's Active Apartment

I had seen a video float around the interwebs a while ago about this guy who bought a decrepit loft in an old building in the center of Barcelona and transformed it completely. It crossed my mind again and went back to look for it. 

Christian Schallert explains how he bought a 258-square-feet (that's 24 square meters!) and made it into an "active apartment", to use his term. He is single, lives an active lifestyle, travels for work constantly and is perfectly happy living in a very stylish self-designed box-sized loft. 

The kitchen units, the cupboards, the dishwasher, the fridge, the closet, and a dinner table all hide in clever wall compartments that "click" right into place, on demand. The bathroom is a custom-made glass box, where the shower and sink are in plain view, and the toilet is hidden away in a "cozy" corner closet. Sitting on his couch / pull-out bed, he can watch the wall-unit flat-screen TV, stretch his arm and grab a drink in the refrigerator. 

But the best part, in my opinion, is the rooftop terrace with the breathtaking view of Barcelona. He even installed a bathtub! Seriously, what's not to like? 

Excuse the quality of the photos, but these were the ones that could best render the idea. 

Photos via. 

Streetcar Beauty

I miss travelling around a city by tram, like I did in Milan. The old-school feeling of it, imagining that, back in the 1930's, the Milanese used the same tram I am currently riding. It gives a certain cachet to the city to see them zooming down the main arteries, under the complicated network of electrical wire. The original wooden interiors, the narrow-yet-surprisingly-comfortable seats, the glass light fixtures on the ceiling. *sigh* (I'm not going to talk about this year's 50% ticket price increase though, and instead will choose to keep this post dreamy and on a positive note. Ha.)

Photos via ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR. Edited by Dee & Duke.

Temple of Beauty

Thai Buddhist temples are such fascinating pieces of architecture. And Bangkok's Royal Palace is no exception.

Photos by Dee & Duke. 

Use and Re-use

Ah Mason Jars. They're classic. They're a bit retro. They're practical. And their design is kinda pleasing to the eye. The following images will inspire you to start using them for everything. Everything.

PS. Which reminds of the great cocktails served in a Mason jar at La Distillerie, in Montreal...

Photos Centerpiece via The Glitter Guide. Glasses via Martha's Stewart Weddings.Chandelier via Etsy. Light fixture via Rockett St George.  Mason jar lunches via The Decorated Cookie. Organizing via Ready Made. Wall garden via Tip Junkie. Flower Pot via Pinterest. Edited by Dee & Duke.

The trend - Authenticity in decor

A very interesting article was published in the Bangkok Post on November 7 titled “All that authenticity might be getting old”. Various famous faces of the interior design and lifestyle writing sectors give their opinion on the whole vintage/authentic/handmade design movement.  Is it just a fad? Or will this go the distance?

Well, I am a definite fan of vintage finds and authentic pieces that can be used as interesting and unique decor for one’s home. But, when I read about all the major retailers producing fake, made-in-China objects and marketing them under the vintage trend, I got nauseated. Of course it had to happen, everything popular or trendy ends up being mass-produced for commercial purposes. I understand. I also understand that not everybody can afford the wonderful antique furniture they see on high-profile design blogs like Apartment Therapy or Design*Sponge. Fine. I can’t even afford that! But there are other options to avoid an all-IKEA home. Hitting flea markets and garage sales, maybe.

Why do people dive into this trend, you might ask? The author of the article suggests that people want to prove they are creative individuals, that they are not bland and boring. They want to distinguish themselves from the masses. And have quirky items lying around that are telling a story. Their story.

On my end, I would stick to mixing a few good travel buys to affordable furniture, to meet my budget. When I have a space to decorate, that is. How do you decorate yours? 

All photos from Design*Sponge

working on my project

Sneak peak of my final project, which must be finished by the end of may and I am very very anxious.

wish me luck!

When Shoe designers Take over Industrial Design

Does anyone remember when they first saw shoes looking like this?It's as if 5 different high school grafitti artists handed in some scribbles and the company layered each set of veins, pimples, scales and chaotic lumps all over the shoe.LUMPS ON WHEELSIt's strange enough that people would actually want to wear shoes covered with veins and scars but I never thought this design theory would start

Uncle Remus by Mary Blair

They should have made some cartoons in this style.and more Disney Friendssuch a happy style!

Hey Look!

http://allthingsger.blogspot.com/2010/05/in-2012-world-will-end-according-to.html