Whew!  What a shortened, whirlwind week!  I’ll be back full-time next week, with the promised DIY wall decor treat (pictures need to be finished this weekend).  In the interim, may these fabulous 1948 ViewMaster photos of San Francisco provide fun Friday vintage eye candy from from flickr photographer mpclemens!

Once upon a time, a nomadic renter named Grace had a deep obsession with chandeliers.  Without a ceiling to call her own, she thought of other ways she could gloriously live by the light of vintage chandeliers.  One day, she came upon a vintage chandelier that needed some TLC…with handfuls of Swarovski crystals (alas, sets of vintage ones are hard to find), re-wiring efforts, and hours of patient love later…voila!  Grace had a chandelier perfect for hanging on a repurposed vintage bird cage stand.

The moral of the story?  Even without a ceiling, you too can enjoy living by the light of a chandelier creatively hung on any re-purposed stand!

Drum roll please….the wonderful Erin at DesignForMankind just released the much-anticipated September mankind mag, with great snippets about making your own patterns, tons of eye candy for font lovers, and of course, tons of inspiration throughout. I always love her fantastic eye for photography!

I’ve had a small obsession with powder rooms these days - and testing what type of non-bathroom accents I can place in them.  I enjoyed this dose of inspiration from sandradias’ Picasa album, as it combines non-traditional bathroom elements with my true love: vintage repurposing.

Create a charming bath caddy with a reclaimed fruit box perched above a wooden ladder.  I find that power-washing (i.e. my garden hose), along with a good scrubbing with Murphy’s Oil Soap, is highly effective in preparing vintage wooden objects for household use.

You can never go wrong with vintage shoes re-purposed into new functionality!  These look to be vintage boots fashioned with old wooden rolling pins stuck inside — and voila — a fabulously unique toilet paper holder!

Using standard furniture in the bathroom is a great way to add unique style to your powder room.  I love the compartments on this little guy!

Even using a vintage cake stand can give your bathroom a personal touch — while keeping your pretty and useful toiletries on easily accessed displays.

Stay tuned for tomorrow, when I will share a repurposed chandalier project! 

To my American friends, happy Labor Day — may it be filled with delicious picnics, celebration of fleeting summer nights, and sheer relaxation!  I made my favorite summer drink - Ginger Lemonade - this weekend for family and friends to sip, and the easy recipe for you to enjoy can be found after the jump.

I’ve been productive this holiday weekend (sans taking pictures), and this upcoming week, I’m very excited to share a before/after project, fun DIY wall art project, and of course, a fare of vintage inspiration!   Happy summer to everyone!

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My obsession with vintage typewriters is only rivaled by my lust for vintage lamps (oh yes, and vintage fans!).  Many others vintage enthusiasts must feel the same way, as the interesting life cycle of the typewriter is frequently chronicled on Flickr.  From typewriters blossoming in grass fields, operating as “reading” material for the powder room, or even pushed on swings, these cosmopolitan machines find their ways all around the world.  Here are a few of my favorites, along with my complete Ode to Vintage Typewriters!

Flickr Credits (clockwise from top left): anja louise, afslag7, Olivander, DuffyMoon

Flickr Credits (from top left): anja louise, Olivander, All About Eve, No. Nein, trimmer741, {manda}, Stylishgeek, Jonmikel & Kat-YSNP, libra nyc, drauh, JoWiJo, Vinny D, ghb624, adamturoff, nivad, Elly Zee, ericparker, palconfuzed, j.e.n.n.y., Johnny Martyr, oav_sandros, afslag7, Lottery Monkey, zen, whileseated, DuffyMoon, blinkwhenpassing, Art-Craft-Thrift, Lee Sutton, mothernature

Italian Lamponi’s Lamps takes up-cycled and re-purposed vintage goods to a whole…other…level.  Lamponi, an engineer / architect turned vintage artisan, takes household appliances and turns them into amazingly creative vintage industrial lamps!  From a hairdryer and espresso maker to Vespa and motorbike parts, Lamponi shows that  anything can be re-purposed into a functional lamps of art.  This makes me think twice about keeping that vintage hairdryer in my Etsy shop…

As the hand-made and independent designer powers grow stronger, it is interesting to see how the big box retailers respond.  It seems that Crate&Barrel is certainly watching the indie pulse closely, as they realize that people want a mixture of elements - old and new - in their interior design.  Lovely reader Sara of the inspirational living blog FromAtoZen sent me an interesting email pointing out Crate&Barrel’s “conversation pieces.”

For example, Crate&Barrel is jumping on the train of letterpress inspiration, made re-popular recently by independent artisans, with their “letterpress” inspired coffee table — which is a mass-manufactured rendition of what we have seen in the handmade scene.  They are also hitching a ride aboard vintage industrial revitalization with their new coffee table, which is an interesting “weave” of industrial materials.  I do like that they are calling these elements “conversation pieces,” which is a great description of the interesting vintage pieces we all have in our home

Erin of DesignForMankind recently wrote a very interesting guest post on Decor8 regarding imitation vs. inspiration.  Unfortunately, I think that big boxes, driven by the bottom line, will inevitably jump on any trend bandwagon that has proven successful - as this reduces their risk of investment cost, while increasing the likelihood of solid revenues.  What do you think of Crate&Barrel (and other retailers) in reflecting the trends seen in independent movements?  Does the entire existence of “trends” (think owls, Amy Butler, silhouettes) nullify individualized design?

I’m always looking for interesting ways to display my collections and vintage vignettes.  Tansus, which are the cabinets created from the woodworking craft developed in Japan in the 1600s, are a perfect stage.  Imagine how many interesting vintage vignettes you could create on the staggered steps (also known as Step Kaidan Tansu) and within the shelves and open drawers!

Large or small, modern or antique, tansus can fit into a variety of decors.  I also love the chandelier of 1,000 origami paper cranes (which symbolize love and prosperity in marriage) that are hanging in the bottom left photo — so elegant!

Even if you don’t have a Tansu, you can always open drawers on any vintage dresser you have and instantly create layered shelves to display your beautiful treasures!  Be inspired by this Meiji-era photo taken by Felice Beato…even pulling drawers out of dressers and cabinets can give your displays depth and character.

(Photo credit clockwise from top left: Joy Jones Step Chest available at Greentea Design, David Jackson, sara terrell design, and Tansu Style)

Lovely Victoria of sfgirlbybay, one of my daily reads, posted a fantastic story yesterday on how we too can get the look of the Mad Men AMC series, which is beautifully set in the 1950s.  She was so kind to include my Etsy shop’s vintage industrial Pensar lamp in her furniture memo!  Thank you so much Victoria!!!  :)  I am very honored to have my lil’ lamp pay homage to the fabulous style of Mad Men.

Disclaimer:  I am not responsible if your neighborhood’s street signs start mysteriously disappearing…

My unrequited love for re-purposed decor is further fueled by Boris Bally’s work.  A talented artist who re-purposes vintage industrial elements, Boris creates interesting furniture pieces — my favorite of which come from traffic signs that were destined for the dump. Using hand-fabricated, brake formed, and riveted techniques, Boris melds artistry with expertise in crafting unique pieces of art — whether they are furniture pieces or a bathroom floor (see below).  Whereas an entire dining set may be overwhelming, infusing a few pieces adds whimsy and a dash of lovely color.

Living in a floating home would be a dream come true for me — enjoying one’s life on the beautiful water, usually in a re-purposed vintage ship, train caboose, or medley of found materials!

My favorite American floating homes community is in Sausalito, a true artist’s haven.  Truly defining creativity, these artists have created amazing homes from the most creative resources.  Talk about re-purposed inspiration!  Here are some of my favorite re-purposed vintage digs:

The “Ark de Triumph” was created in 1907 when two arks were joined together to become a home.  I love the bedroom - how dreamy!  Its open beams are beautiful too - very Dutch and airy.

Next up in floating vintage inspiration is the “Train Wreck” home, crafted from a 1889 North Pacific Railway car, which is the foundation for the center of the house.  In fact, the dining room is housed in the Pullman Car - the details you can see in the wood paneling and authentic fixtures.

And the most eco-friendly, re-purposing inspirational home is “The Clamshell,” which was constructed using all recycled materials from shipyards, barns, fences, and even an arch from a church in the San Francisco mission district.  The loft ceiling was from a chicken house (I had no idea looking at the picture!), and the the stained glass door was recycled from a quirky store in the famous Haight Ashbury district.  How creative and fun!

The wonderfully stylish, whimsical, and insightful master of color combinations, Monica from M&Co., was so kind to give Poetic Home a Brilliant Weblog award (my first tag and award!).  Thank you so much Monica!  Be sure to check our her fantastic daily blog M&Co. Around the House, where she combines her love of color, thoughtfully detailed design, vintage, and greenery all into lovely inspirations.  Her blog is one of my daily stops for a breath of fresh design air!

What are the last 3 things you purchased?

• 2 mid-century modern nightstands (that look like Wall-E!)
• 1930s Super Electric Fan
• 1 flowering Oregano plant (whose flowers look like begonias!  Who knew?)

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Whether you are a mid-century modern connoisseur, or a relative newcomer (check out the mid-century modern furniture guide), it can be difficult to discern an authentic mid-century modern piece from an imitation counterpart, unless you know where to look for the subtlest of clues. Mid-century modern furniture is best exemplified by the quintessential pieces that showcase beautiful lines, such as the Saarinen Tulip chair, the Knoll Barcelona chair, and the Eames lounge chair. Before splurging on any of these purportedly “authentic” mid-century modern furniture chairs, make sure it meets the checklist of authenticity.

Telltale Signs of an Authentic Knoll Barcelona chair

This Knoll-licensed piece of mid-century modern furniture won the Museum of Modern Art Award in 1977. A genuine Knoll piece will display the signature name of “Mies Van Der Rohe” on the chrome frame, usually on the rear leg on the left hand side. It should be noted that Knoll simply owns the manufacturing rights in America, and Barcelona chairs were initially made by other mid-century modern furniture manufacturers; thus, some pieces not bearing the Knoll stamp may still be authentic Barcelona chairs.

Before you buy your Knoll piece, also check that it has an authentic-looking serial number located beneath the fork of the chair. Mid-century modern collectors most often cite Knoll chairs as having the best quality upholstery – potentially well worth the additional investment.

Real vs. Faux: Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman

The Eames Lounge chair was designed and introduced by Ray and Charles Eames around 1956. The Eames mid-century modern furniture embodies luxury, comfort and exquisite elegance in its design. Though the task of distinguishing an Eames Lounge chair from any other chair made of molded plywood might appear to be formidable, there are some definitive clues to aid you in your authenticity quest.

Eames wannabes have screws and bolts visible from the outside; these will not be apparent on a genuine mid-century modern Eames chair. In addition, Eames Lounge chairs have a welt and a separate piece of leather on the armrest, whereas mid-century modern furniture copies are generally upholstered with a single piece of leather wrapped around. Look for the Vitra logo stamped on an authentic Eames lounger, as well as five legs on the chair – most imitators only have four legs, as it is less costly to produce.

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I’ve been eye-balling some fantastic vintage Airstreams on my local Craigslist recently….I want to turn one into my backyard studio / office for the ultimate vintage inspiration haven.  For about $5,000, you can pick one up and re-purpose them any way you like — making it a much more affordable alternative than adding onto your house.

For your viewing pleasure, here are some vintage Airstream beauties re-purposed into different spaces.  The possibilities are endless!

Theresa Gray of Flying Cloud Studio, a lovely artist (who draws, paints, and makes really intriguing art through “found” objects and oils) re-purposed her beautiful 1953 Airstream to become a studio and gallery.

Scottish blogger and garden-inspired artist Jane Lindsey of Snapdragon Garden re-purposed her vintage Airstream won on Ebay to be the perfect crafting space.  She painted the walls, put down new floors, adorned the Airstream with a cute day bed, and of course, moved in all her wonderful crafting supplies.  She also has lovely hand-crafted vintage goods, such as a lovely Airstream-inspired sketchbook hand-crafted and embroidered with vintage fabrics.  So delightful!

Whereas the lovely Hitch Couture is no longer consistently found in the artsy South Park neighborhood of my hometown, it is still a fantastic vintage Airstream that has been re-purposed into a fabulous traveling clothing boutique!

Architect Paul Welschmeyer converted is 1958 Airstream’s 98 square feet into both a mobile office and functional family resort.  Using the “trailering Tao” philosophy, everything was designed to have at least two uses.  I personally enjoy seeing non-authentic restorations, as there is a whimsical, eclectic beauty in mixing old and new.