It isn’t necessary to be an artist to disguise a door; there are all sorts of ways to achieve the affect.
Read MoreSize Matters: Jumbo Paperclip as Liberating, Minimalist “Purse”
My collection of under- and over-sized things often yields surprising improvisations and pleasures.
Read MoreMatthew Sporzynski’s Improvised Tech Screwdriver + Lesson in Knolling
Brilliant paper artist and Couturier de Cardboard, Matthew Sporzynski sent a truly wonderful insta-hack he devised recently when trying to fix a vintage toy parakeet…A valuable lesson in improvisation and knolling.
Read MoreSaying NO to Holiday Gift-Giving Guilt (Mira Keras)
Despite all pressures and temptations, this year I will not be buying any Christmas gifts this year; I’ll use other strategies to show my love.
Read MoreString Light Wreaths, Trees and Freeform Decorations
Terrain’s circular displays of their holiday lighting made us think “wreath” and gave us lots of ideas. Just coil the lighting (using a form if necessary) and tack it to the wall. There are all sorts of iterations of lighting made into wreaths, decorations and wall trees.
Read MoreOverpainted Nails (Why Stay Within the Lines?)
Recently, we came across two rather astonishing plays on “nail polish”. We think they are both rather liberating. The bottom is particularly smashing.
Read MoreSimplest Possible Curtain Tie (And Hotel Room Strategy)
We love this impromptu-looking curtain tie made of a strip of leather. Ribbon would be swell as well. It reminds us of our improvised hotel room strategy for calming down curtains with busy prints…
Read MoreIkea’s Stylish Frosta Stool is BACK to Hack and Embellish
I have had a set of four Ikea stacking stools for years. The $14 version of the iconic $500 vintage Alvar Aalto stool has done stylish double-duty as extra seating, side table, surface for projects… in a number of spaces I’ve had. In my new space I built a nook just to store a stack of them…
Read MoreThanksgiving Special: The Alien Comic Counts Blessings
What should we be thankful for this Thanksgiving season? The Alien Comic, one of the most original, whole-hearted and daring people I have ever met, gives us a full run down, bringing new appreciation to things we almost certainly take for granted.
Read MoreMove Shit Forward Even If You Don’t Quite Know What You’re Doing
‘Move Shit Forward’ can be a great practice if you don’t know what you’re doing or where you need to be.
Read MoreForaged and Transformed: Branch Coat Rack
Find just the right branches, dry ’em out, trim to size, paint…. A hunk of forest indoors…
Read MoreRipped Linen Room Divider, Tablecloth, Napkins…
Leafing through a file of good ideas, I found this image of a ripped linen room divider by Ellen Silverman. Ripped linen is so beautiful, there’s no need to hem it…witness this tablecloth and napkins…
Read MoreLoom Chairs, Tables…Reminders of the Adjacent Possible
We’re smitten with this chair by Pascal Anson, a wire frame with one thousand pieces of ribbon, rope and string that were individually tied it, creating upholstery and wondrous visuals. (And metaphorically, it is a reminder of the possibilities in the everyday, which we need right now).
Read MorePegboard Walls for Polka Dot Practicality (Martino Gamper)
Although pegboard is commonly used in kitchens and workspaces (think Julia Child), we realized we have rarely seen it to clad ENTIRE walls, as a design element unto itself.
Read MoreInstant Costumes for Uncertain Halloween Parties
Arriving at a Halloween party in full costume when no one else is is kind of a drag…as is NOT wearing a costume when everyone else is (downer). How to dress for a Halloween party you aren’t sure if people are going to be in costume or not? Mira Keras found inspiration in member of the…
Read MoreClever Textile Ideas to DIY from a Restored Tuscan Convent
We found a number of simple ideas for textiles in photos of a former Tuscan convent restored by designer Holly Lueders and her daughter. Our favorites are this very do-able paneled bedskirt and a pillow cover fashioned like a gift.
Read MoreRepair Strategy: Fierce Intention
After I did a sloppy job trying to disguise a torn seam in a prized sweater, I realized that seriously bold stitching would be a better solution. Turning a repair into a fierce intention works on all sorts of flawed and broken things…and people.
Read MoreArtful DIY Minimalist Aprons
This startlingly simple apron by Maison Martin Margiela suddenly made us SEE aprons for what they really are: a piece of cloth with ties to hold it snugly against the torso. And it gave us lots of ideas for making them, some done on-the-fly.
Read MoreVintage Bathtub with Found Stone Feet + Russel Wright’s Credenza
In a recent New York Times T Magazine, we loved the a former Tuscan convent restored by designer Holly Lueders and her daughter, the photographer Venetia Sacret Young, largely by their own hands. There are MANY doable details and solutions we thought to steal down the line. One of our favorites: a vintage bathtub with a…
Read MoreNature Becomes Clothing and Adornment
In her work, photographer Agnieska Chabros often uses Nature to dress her models. We hadn’t thought of using shadows as a style element. Then we discovered other photographers dressing models with unexpected adornments from the natural world… … … … … Then of course, there is Brandon Stanciell, The Man Who Loved Flowers …and come to think of…
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