When I first became acquainted with Wabi Sabi, I felt that my approach to both living and decorating had been beautifully verbalized by centuries of Buddhist and Japanese philosophy. Wabi Sabi, in its barest bones, believes that beauty exists in imperfection, created through time, impermanence, and nature. It is embodied in fleeting feelings, perhaps of [...]
Do you share my cravings for the feel of glass typewriter keys as you hopefully pen your next best-selling novel (emails suffice too)? If you can no longer tolerate the feel of plastic keys under your fingers, then my friend, it is time to steampunk your keyboard! The Steampunk Workshop has a great tutorial (albeit [...]
It’s not time to worry about your New Year’s resolutions just yet! The first order of business in 2009 is to re-purpose all of those champagne corks from your party! If saving the environment (and your pocketbook) is one of your resolutions this year, then enjoy these inspirational ideas on how you can upcycle your [...]
Janine from marvelous Uppercase Gallery was kind enough to feature my first installment of Repurposed Tricks & Treats, along with other typewriter-inspired Halloween decor elements, on her blog. If you haven’t already perused the fantastic gallery lately, take an enjoyable meander, especially through the newly released Electonotes, which are stunning bound journals composed of [...]
Although card catalogs do not need any further nostalgic appeal, Summerswann repurposed a thrifted card catalog (which she purchased for only $7!) into a unique coffee table. After putting in hours of sanding and staining, she added mid-century modern inspired legs, and voila! A fantastic repurposed conversation piece was born. Not only does she have [...]
One of my favorite weekend getaways is Julian, tucked into the mountains approximately 50 miles east of San Diego. Originally settled by silver miners, the town is a beautiful testament to historic preservation — and repurposing! Enjoy these photos from a recent day trip, where I enjoyed shopping in homes turned into retail boutiques, hot [...]
For the next week, I am excited to share with you different ideas I styled to make your home spooktacular! This first installment was inspired by the literary elements in my home. If you have a typewriter, use it as a way to hold up spooky signs (mine was created from a page out [...]
Monday presents its unique set of challenges…including how to get that overflowing desk organized! Take a cue from Country Home and upcycle vintage ladles to keep your paperclips and stamps in place, or follow Better Homes & Garden’s lead and put a repurposed fork in your to-do lists or inspirational mementos. I hope your Monday [...]
The creativity of repurposing always makes me incredibly happy. My first encounter with repurposing was my first week in college, when I was meandering towards campus via colorful Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley and found a street vendor clanking away at vintage spoons — and I happily walked away with a spoon ring that I still [...]
The appeal of vintage industrial chic is timeless — and Randy from Kramer Design Studio really takes metalwork repurposing to a new level of style. From upcycling weathered steel railings into fabulous headboards, and utilizing chain links (that weigh 15 pounds each!) to create the most unique tables, to giving clock faces new lives as [...]
Are you pestered by those inconvenient subscription cards that fumble out of every magazine? Etsy seller Ugly Kitty was, and she decided to upcycle the cards (along with other vintage papers) into address files, held by a vintage recipe box (currently available for $65 via her waiting list). Of course!!! With the name, address, and [...]
Monday always prompts me to re-organize my desk to prepare for a fresh week. This weekend, I picked up an obsolete slide holder — and thought it would be lovely for a stylish desktop organization tool for the shop. I’m also always looking to maximize my wall real estate, and this DIY project from GreenUpgrader [...]
Remember how fun Japanese tansus are? This staircase of fantastic visual delight takes all of it to a whole new level. Created by “Because We Can,” a whimsically creative design studio in Oakland, this staircase is one I would want in my home — even if I don’t have a second story! Imagine all of [...]
Voila Gallery in Los Angeles is a vintage treasure trove of amazing curiosities…including fantastic vintage industrial furniture pieces repurposed from old airplane parts! Leah visited Voila at SF20 last week and shared their fantastic booth pictures (first set). I love the vintage spotlights and how they created wall lighting options in the plane panels. The [...]
Happy Monday friends! To start your week off with a dose of vintage industrial inspiration, let me introduce Jennifer Price, a photographer with a penchant for vintage repurposing – whose work I’ve enjoyed for several years. Whether repurposing film reels into coffee tables, or infusing photography lights into chic vintage industrial lamps, Jennifer’s collections are [...]
Tag: repurposed