Boy Crafts: A Parking Garage

When I stumbled across this great parking garage craft on Spoonful, I got ridiculously excited.  Seriously - a craft my guys would love to make, love to play with, and that would use up some of my out-of-control stash of toilet paper rolls.  Major score.

The full instructions are on Spoonful, and I won't bore you with the details (not surprisingly their garage also looks way more profesh).  It is a pretty simple craft - cover toilet paper rolls with coloured paper, cut one side off a cereal box, draw on parking spots, glue rolls between the two sides of the cereal box, and add ramps.  It was a short enough activity that Cam and I could do it while Will was at school, which meant that Cam could actually get to participate in all the making (Will is a little... um... enthusiastic when we all do stuff together).  I have to say, he is a pretty fun co-crafter.

Another Lucky Score!

As I brought my kids out to the car this morning to take them to music class, I saw a few things by the garbage bins at the end of our shared driveway.  Yes, that's right, my neighbour put out this old ashtray stand.  Like a magpie with a penchant for brass, I grabbed it, stashed it in our front porch, and went back to buckling the kids in.

When I came home again I saw it was quite scratched and worn, and was missing the ashtray inset.  No matter, I wiped the dust off and plunked in a plant.  The plate I had underneath fit absolutely perfectly.  Perhaps one day I will polish it and see how it turns out, but for now I am happy with my new plant stand!

They say good things come in three's - I am super excited to see what the garbage gods bring next!

Salvage Interiors

Check out this amazing before-and-after Renee posted by Salvage Interiors.  It blew my mind.  They are old elevator doors, and the result is just so one-of-a-kind cool!

offcutstudio

I love finding beautiful, handmade, one-of-a-kind things on Etsy, and I get an extra charge when I see they are made in Canada, especially when they are local to me.  These beautiful wood objects by Toronto craftsman Cameron MacLean fit the bill nicely - I am coveting the clocks, especially the walnut one above, but he also must just be a cool guy, because he makes wooden skate guards and bike fenders.  I don't think you can be boring and make those things... I just don't.  To add icing to the cake, they are made from the offcuts of other carpenters that would normally be thrown away - Cameron started woodworking by making things out of discarded furniture he found on the street.  You can see his Etsy shop here or visit him in the Distillery district.

Jeff Jones Lighting

Now these stick chandeliers, designed by Jeff Jones, look so simple, but make such an impact!  The sticks are old (sorry, vintage) tobacco sticks that were used to hang dry tobacco.  The cord are wrapped in brightly-colour fabric and treaded through the wood, with a simple light bulb at the end.  They are incredibly striking!

Here they are in place in a restaurant called Hudson in Oakland California.  It takes a pretty traditional-looking restaurant and definitely spices it up.  Most of the lights in the restaurant seem to be done by the same designer, and the effect is pretty cool.  He also makes some pretty neat lights out of organ pipes, but I couldn't find a good picture of them!  If I can dig one up I will have to share.

Thanks to Remodelista (where else?) for the awesome find.

IDS11

I attended the Interior Design Show 2011 on Friday and really enjoyed myself!  There was so much to be inspired by - especially the Pecha Kucha talks moderated by Arren Williams.  And of course, visually, it was almost an overload.  I am happy to have brought my camera, although it makes a subsequent post kind of daunting!  I will post in a few of the many, many pics I took Friday.  Above is an installation I enjoyed by 18Karat, a home store with its only bricks and mortar location in Vancouver.

 

Above and below are some of the outdoor furniture by Andrew Richard Designs.  I had seen them at past shows and been impressed, but this year I felt they really stood out.  I only wish I had a yard that could accommodate this amazing outdoor sectional!  (I guess that's the problem - I DO have a yard, and not an 'outdoor space'...)

These lights made me swoon - gorgeous gorgeous brass plated pendants from SNOB - a store that I also remember from previous years - it reminds me so distinctly of a store I adored in Cape Town, South Africa, I can't help but wonder if they source some of their things there.  (Just checked their site and it definitely has a South Africa connection!  Must make a visit out to Carlaw...)

I also enjoyed this little teaser for the Capacity show, on until Feb 6 at Bookhou on Dundas West - anyone want to check it out with me?

So many colours - Above is a gorgeous carpet from Weaver's Art and a display showing some vibrant cane chairs in a New Caribbean Design showcase.

Of course the amazing second life rugs from Elte were incredible - the colours are so vibrant and fresh on the worn rugs that have seen their share of foot traffic - its such a great combination.  They strip the colours from old worn-out rugs (since usually they are so dark and stained from years of use) and then re-dye them with vibrant and unexpected colours like rich pinks and purples... I especially love the Union Jack carpets, although one of the patchworks in blue would be my choice if ever I had one!

And speaking of Union Jacks - this great display by Upcountry for their new Timothy Outlon line was really nice - I didn't add it here but they had a great table set with amazing jadeite dinnerware - I want some!!

Montauk has a great place to sit and put your feet up - on massive bronze tables, surrounded by these great blackboard walls... and below, the Muskoka Collection from textile designer Julie Moschenross of Manor12 was just beautiful, my photo doesn't do it justice.  Definitely check out her site, her stuff is just beautiful!

Style at Home's booth was really fun and I thought a great showcase for the magazine.  It was a collaboration with Beauti-tone paints, and the paint can chandelier was cute.  Every wall showed a paint stick with the colour written on, the props and art were all referenced as they would be in the magazine, and the room was fresh and fun.  It definitely stood out.

These are for Chris - as I mentioned to Gil VandenHeuvel (the Recycler), if I were ever to get a piece of furniture into our house without protest from the hubster, it would be one of these recycled bicycle tables.

I have already done a post on Urban Tree Salvage in Toronto, and as a result my brother got one of their custom coffee tables!  They use all urban trees that need to be taken down due to disease or decay and make amazing furniture and accessories out of them.They had some great stuff on display, including this wonderful beam on castors that I only wish I had room for.  It would be so awesome in a loft...

OK, if you aren't too bored yet, there is much more but I am worried if I don't get this up soon I will somehow lose it all... so up it goes.

I love this whimsical DIY chandelier from Aunt Peaches and featured on Design*Sponge.  It looks great the way it is styled in these photos and could easily go in any room in the house.  However, as soon as I saw it I wished I had seen it about a year and a half ago when I was designing Cam's room.  It would not only look nice over the change table or in the corner in place of the rice paper lantern lights, but the shapes and shadows would be so attractive to a little babe - don't you think?  Provided you can find enough straws of different colours (dollar store?  party store?) it would be an easy weekend project.  I will add it to the 'when I have a free weekend' list... :)

Aunt Peaches is Queen of the creative DIY by the way, her site is full of ideas I would love to have time to try!

 Colourful necklace made with barrettes...

 Fun and original fall wreath

 Gorgeous coffee filter dahlias

And fabulous art made from paint chips!  (I always knew I was keeping them for something!!)  Let me know if you try any!

Waste not, Want not

Wow - I haven't posted for a while.  I have been so busy planning our kitchen and having my Mom visit!  But before all that action, I spent a lovely day out in the back yard with the boys, trying to get some gardening done.  Our lawn is just littered with these little violets that have infiltrated from the back bed,  and I also have all these empty baby food jars... and the violets looked so pretty as I dug them out of the lawn...and the baby jars were just sitting in the recycling bin...and now a rescued few are happily sitting in my living room.

Recycled Bath Mat

Awesome idea for a DIY bath mat that looks all lush and cozy for the tootsies. Plus it is a great use of worn out towels, and a fun project for lazy nights in front of the boob tube. :)

The instructions are all on Michelle Kaufmann's blog HERE.