EASY LIGHTING DIY: WRAPPED INDUSTRIAL LAMPS

BoligLiv

I found this on a blog that isn't in English, but the use of lighting here transcends language. I'm not sure what the tea kettle is doing on the stove - that may be a bad idea and I don't support it, but right up above the stove are industrial lamps, drilled into the wooden beams, which is a cheap and inexpensive way to get light just where you want it.   

Read the full story (using Google Translate) here.

EASY DIY: IMPERFECTIONS

Debi Treloar

There is something wonderful to be found in asymmetry. Suddenly, furniture can become art, and vice versa. Photos from the home of Sally and Mark Bailey.

KITCHEN DIY: BRASS PIPE RACKS

Pinterest

If I tried to do this myself with my limited skills, it would probably involved double sided tape. But it's a novel idea. It's interesting, like creating a geometric maze in your home. Practically speaking, this may involve payment rather than DIY. But there is probably someone out there in the universe thinking: I wonder if Lowes carries that type of pipe...

FRIDAY BITS AND PIECES

Sacramento Street

Simple and basic, but not stiff. Not boring. It's so easy to be boring with basic. Too classic sometimes equals boring. But this isn't. It's soft. It's perfect.

Pinterest

DIY anyone?

Just a few things culled down for inspiration purposes.

WEEKEND DIY: ART

Image via 79 Ideas

I really like the idea of this: to just take a regular image, any image - the more boring the better - and to put it through a filter to smear away any crispness, so that in the end, there is a kind of mystery there. One which only you can solve. 

SHINER WOODBLOCK PRINTS

Here's a good idea from Shiner. If you take a lot of Instagram photos, Shiner will mount them on pine blocks, each 3.5"x 3.5"x .75."

All images via Shiner.

WEEKEND DIY: SHELVES EDITION

Via Rue Magazine

The obsession officially began when I saw the image of that complete stranger walking across her low shelf above. It seemed a perfect solution to a multitude of shelving quandaries - namely how a lot of shelves can be ugly. No offense to shelves. But...where would I find two large rocks like that, and how could I make them the same height? I had images of myself sanding rocks late at night, and it wasn't ideal.

Then, I found a much more reasonable DIY below. It's such a simple idea really: balance a refurbished plank of wood on top of a stack of magazines, and then you can have a shelf. Perfect.  

Image via Tumblr

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Via Showhome.nl

Merry Christmas!  As I have no tree and I live in an small apartment, this is realistically my best alternative. If you click on the link, there are also many other creative ideas as well.

I hope you have a lovely holiday! 

WEEKEND DIY: LIGHTING IDEAS

Image via Bolig

I've been MIA lately. No particular reason. Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and/or Crazy Monday might have been involved. On the plus side, nothing has been able to stop me from browsing around in the online universe and - since unique lighting can really make a dramatic difference - I thought of some things it might be interesting to try with hanging bulbs, metal poles, and ladders.

I really like that kitchen above, with the lights strung across a metal pole and dangling down at different lengths. To be honest, I like the entire kitchen, the house, and the minimalist black and white decor, but since that's not happening, I'm just going to stick to pointing out the lights. So - the lights. Nice, eh?

Now below, if you can get your hands on an old stick ladder, you can wrap a light around it - and behold! Another light fixture. There are an infinite number of ways to add a little bit of light. That one's not bad, and the punk print's not bad either.

From March Collective

EASY WEEKEND DIY: STRING LIGHTS

This is the adult version of the Christmas lights I used to string up in my college dorm room way back when ago. And old habits die hard. Possibly you see a picture and the idea resurrects itself in the dark nether regions of your mind - should I do this? And more importantly - how?

The short answer is Yes.  Cup of Jo has thoughtfully provided the source of the lights as One Forty Three. Below I have thoughtfully provided a nice closeup of the more mature, adult bulbs involved. Do what you must. 

OneFortyThree

EASY WEEKEND DIY: SIMPLE HANGING LAMP

Image via Hitta Hem

I saw this hanging hand lamp on the Hitta Hem website. On occasion, while walking next to houses that turn on their lights but don't close their curtains, I've noticed that overhead lights are not all that flattering. They usually cover everything in a flat yellowish color, which become apparent if you look at walls that are white in daylight, and yellow at night. One possible way to mix things up is to have multiple light sources. Once easy way to do this, is to hang a hand lamp off a shelf or to a desk, as shown above.  

There are two ways I can see to replicate this: 

1. There is the cheap industrial version from Daniel Woodhead (Search for an incandescent hand lamp or wet location hand lamp). Then add an edison bulb.
2. On the more high end, you can go to West Elm for their wooden cord set, add their selection of edison bulbs, and add a light guard so you can hook it to a shelf. 

WEEKEND DIY: WALL BOX SHELVING

Photographer Petra Bindel

I'm not delusional. This is not at all easy and it may take forever - but this is an interesting idea: attaching boxes to walls to act as shelves, and painting the interiors to add a little bit of visual interest. There are two views here, from the front and from the side, to provide a little perspective. Takers?

EASY WEEKEND DIY: HANGING ART WALL

To be perfectly honest, hanging wall art isn't easy, and it probably will take more than a weekend and that will ruin your Monday. That said, I ran across Spain's Glamour website (I think - it's in Spanish and I don't speak Spanish, but I do speak the international language of interior design) and they have some very good ideas. Above, I really like the idea of mixing large and small art pieces, even if the smaller pieces are of insects and this may be the dining room.

EASY DIY: LARGE TEXTURED CANVAS

Via

I saw the above image in the home of designer Barbara Gongini, saw that picture of her bedroom (?) and stopped to stare.  There are actually two ideas going on here.

1) Take a large canvas and just brush paint unevenly over it using one principle color (red, anyone?), this will add a strong shot of color to any room, and you can casually lean it against a wall or put it behind furniture to lessen the impact, depending on what you want.  The easy factor comes from the fact that the paint job should be imperfect, it should not be flat or even in any way - I should mention that you definitely should use a hand brush and not a roller if that's not obvious - or it will be boring and flat.

2) The second (but not the last) bit of genius in this room is in her use of a floor lamp to hang a decorative object.  I would suggest a small mobile, since there is never any normal place for those things to go, unless you're a fan of low ceilings.

Some other details of note: the glossy white floor and the textured cream walls in the background.  This perfect neutral backdrop becomes a perfect forum for furniture and art to pop.

EASY WEEKEND DIY: WELCOME MAT

Shine Design

Welcome mats are the ugliest things.  Yet they serve a necessary function (capturing dirt so it doesn't get all over your nice flooring), so you're probably better off with than without, and most people have them.  Even I have one...left over from the previous tenant (I didn't see the point of paying money for something equally ugly, but slightly newer to step on).  When I look at a doormat, I see a doormat.  I've never looked at my welcome mat as being an object of creative potential, but apparently it can be.  

I came across the above DIY from the blog Shine Design and had to share it.  You have to appreciate people that have that kind of eye - that see a boring thing, and then its underlying potential to be better.  The original post is in Norwegian, but her pics pretty much speak for themselves.  The mat is from Ikea, and the pattern is made by outlining using a bowl and some white pencil.  Genius, I say.

EASY WEEKEND DIY: BRANCH AND YARN

Sweet Thing

Do you live near a forest?  No?  How about near a tree?  Do you have access to yarn?  If so, then you can probably do this DIY.  I am not talking about the fancy wood trinket mobile - more the large branch next to it.  

Simply wrap some yarn in a color block pattern around a branch, apply some glue, and voila.  Lean the branch where you will.  Some people paint fancy patterns, that's a bit more work, but if you can, do. I'm not stopping you. 

EASY WEEKEND DIY: CANDLE IN A JAR

Via Dreams and Jeans

Alright then.  In the upper left corner.  On the trunk being used as a nightstand.  Do you see what I see?    Of course you do.  It's so simple, really, when you think about it.  Do you have candles? Do you have old pasta sauce jars?  Then you can put the two together and voila!  An instant decorative (and useful) piece.  No more need to buy candleholders (unless you want to). 

EASY WEEKEND DIY: LEAF IN A VASE

Photo Courtesy of Old Brand New blog

Above is a pic from Oldbrandnewblog.com.  I like this blog for ideas and for the colors.  Sometimes there are simple things that I could actually do myself, such as that dramatic leaf arching out of a clear vase.  Perfect.

A Pair and A Spare also has a version.