How to Style the Glass Cloche

The Glass Cloche: they have been everywhere for 10 or so years, almost all of us have one,

 and I'm willing to bet most of them sit empty :) I know mine does. 

It was filled with pinecones once at Christmas, but that seemed so expected... 

So when I stumbled upon the Reimaginists versions of the Glass cloche via Restoration Hardware I was a little awestruck!

Who knew there was so much PO-tential in that wee empty space?

If you don't have a collection of vintage keys or rulers lying about, 

how about folding up some paper geometrics and placing them on wooden bamboo skewers?

I smell a DIY coming on...

This, however, is the most clever version, in my humble opinion!

Just another reason why I NEED to learn how to wire lights 

(the mister is vigorously opposing this, in the name of fire safety, lol!)

amazing, right? I'd love to spend a day with these gentlemen, just to hear the conversations...

"Let's make an interesting light.."

"What have we got?"

"What about those beakers and... metal rods?"

"Ooh, and some of the cloches! We could put it INSIDE."

"YES! Fabulous!"

x am

a spectacular kitchen floor + ceiling, and some fantastic art lighting

Happy monday!

How was your weekend?

I was bit under the weather this weekend, so not much got accomplished around here - 

did manage to squeeze in a wee bit of time for pinterest, somehow - 

funny how that happens, lol...

When I saw this kitchen pinned over the weekend my jaw dropped.

Barrel-vaulted brick ceiling.

Exquisite painted timber floor.

Open shelving + lattice cabinetry.

Art + a few hits of playful colour.

Spaces like this make me want to ditch this place and move into a century home stat.

A little digging, and found the rest of this home via apartment therapy and kikette interiors.

It has a very consistent look.

The white walls continue throughout, as do those floors.

The decor is clean neutrals, again with the pops of colour place sparingly.

There was one detail that I absolutely loved.

Look at the way they've lit their artwork.

Wall-mounted reading/work lights that not only light up these pieces in the evenings, 

but also to frame the art and draw the eye in the daylight.

They become part of the composition.

I've never been a huge fan of those unappealing mini lights tucked in over the top of the frame -

they aspire to be invisible but just end up a visual distraction -

but these are a different story, yes?

If you're interested, here are a few versions from... 

barn light electric, shades of light and circa lighting

must be off, busy, busy day today...

hope you all have a lovely monday....x

le très chic brass pendant light... you're going to want one of these!

Have you seen this new pendant light over a Urban Outfitters?

This brass beauty can fit over a cord kit, to be hung anywhere, 

but she could also be hung from a ceiling fixture.

At just $64, how's that for an affordable, tres chic alternative to the boob light?!

I am think about buying two and hanging them on either side of my bed.

Which will lead to fresh paint on the walls, and a new headboard, naturally!

Now, to convince the mister... x

yay or nay: vintage lucite chandeliers

Received an email from Pieces over the weekend,

linking over to the newest fab finds on their site,

(oh, how I'd like to go on a shopping spree over there - 

have you seen their burled wood and lucite desk? Love.)

and this chandelier really caught my attention.

It's lucite. Not lucite trying to be crystal or glass, but lucite reveling in being lucite.

Lucite doing things that glass and crystal cannot easily do, massive arcs sweeping in perfect curves...

massive arcs that are lightweight enough to be hung from a standard receptacle.

Want some of this clean-lined glam vibe? Check out 1st Dibs here and here.

What about the classic waterfall or tiered styles?

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You can find them on 1st Dibs as well,

 but a quick kijiji search almost always reveals one around here...

and way below budget.

(right now you could pick this one up 15 minutes from my place for $50!)

With all the seventies/eighties swish happening right now, 

is a lucite chandy on your wish list?

Are you feeling the love? Yay or nay?

The Dorm Room: Best DIY Ideas

Did you know that the back to school market is a $68 billion dollars industry?

Dorm supplies make up at least $4 billion dollars of this total.

Thats a lot of flokati rugs :)

If you're decorating one of these tiny spaces, you may not want to spend a fortune,

because chances are everything in it will have to be burned by the end of the year!

But who wants to live in the fuschia and black nightmare I keep seeing marketed toward college students?

 I thought I'd go looking for some clever, original diy ideas for student spaces.

First thing, I got distracted by the dorm of Maximilian.

This is not ultra affordable, but damn it's gorgeous!!

Attending Drew University in Madison, New Jersey,

he interns for Charlotte Moss and has spent summers working with David Easton.

The ultra-preppy space he created is completely unexpected.

Walls are painted Ralph Lauren's Tapestry Green,

then given the gallery treatment.

Oriental carpets layer the floor,

a black watch skirted console functions as a perch for a tv,

 while a tray table tucked in alongside offers a tiny bar space.

Ties offer up a witty take on wall decor, while solving the storage issue.

A vintage dresser is styled in a manner that would not be out of place in an english manor -

including matching lamps with chinoiserie paper shades, an orchid, crystal and books 

layered under a gold rimmed mirror and classic art prints.

W O W.

He has his own design business, and I'm quite sure it will be a smashing success.

Okay, back on track :)

If you are more indie than prep,

and want something a bit less traditional,

there are heaps of really easy ideas out there that go beyond new bedding..

Walls of sticky notes paint samples, photos, postcards...

A mishmash of posters becomes an art installation when grouped around a typography bit.

The easiest way to upgrade a standard headboard?

Drape a blanket over it!

No headboard?

Make one out of photo's spray glued to foam board, 

or just cut one from whiteboard and call it a day.

A screen doesn't have to be attached to the wall,

and these work double duty as headboard and storage,

or headboard and art.

Dress up a paper lantern with coffee filters or crepe paper...

re-use some favourite old tins,

or play with string lights.

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Almost makes you want to hit the books again, doesn't it?

Hope your'e all enjoying the quiet this week has brought :)

I know next week we'll be missing the darlings, but for now, basking in a bit of silence.... xo

the weekend: finds and a purge

have been wanting one of these tripod floor lamps forever.....

retail price: $ 500.00

down the street price: $5.00

I love yard sales :)

Today we are tackling the playroom,

which has morphed from this

to this.

The darlings won't even go in to this black hole of chaos any more.

Don't they look thrilled to bits to be in here, sorting?!!

We've finally reached the point where they are over 

barbies, transformers, bratz dolls, bakugons, littlest pet shop, hot wheels, etc...

It's time for a bit of a purge.

By the end of the weekend they will both have one rubbermaid bin filled with their faves,

and the rest is being given away.

It's a little bittersweet, because they are growing up,

but more sweet than bitter :)

What are you up to?

Weekend Color: Perfect Accent Color Lighting

Here's something to brighten up your day, literally!

The Wooden Lamp Company was started by Claire Pendarves when she couldn't convince a lighting manufacturer to send her a single screw she needed to fix her lamp-

they told her to throw away the entire thing and they would send out a replacement.

Frustrated by the amount of metal waste that she was witnessing,

and the lack of interesting alternatives,

she began creating wooden lamps in fresh colors.

Keeping production runs short means new colors/fabrics are always popping up.

 Claire's goal: "to bring you unusual and individual lamps which are the next best thing to bespoke".

I think she's done it!

A Lighting DIY: The New Chandelier

So having always loved these

and after seeing how Jen made hers

I decided to make one and use it as an interim chandelier in the dining room until 

something more like this is in the budget..

source, source, source

There are a few different tutorials kicking around for this one, 

but I ended up doing something a bit different.

Having never wired anything before, I wanted to be sure that this was not going to be a fire hazard!

(and thought that using a pre-made pendant light might just save a whole lot of time)

 so I bought one of these..

two bottles of fabric stiffener

and a heaps of white cotton yarn.

We had an exercise ball kicking around (I am not co-ordinated enough for one of these - truly :)

So it was off to the races.

TIP: Cover your work area in plastic before you start, and secure that plastic to the surface.

You will be glad you did. This is messy. SUPER messy.

removed the top piece from the shade..

this will give the finished product extra strength and keep the bulb in place. 

Marked a circle for the hole you need to leave for placing the electrical and bulbs inside later.

Keep it fairly high, and it won't be noticable.

This is where the plan changed a bit.

 I was about to take a picture of the yarn soaking in a tub full of stiffy,

but I stood there staring at all that white, and knew I really wanted something more natural and textural.

So.

Out of the cupboard came the twine!

Now I had to wrap the metal frame with twine ( to disguise it) before I could begin shaping the ball.

I soaked the twine thoroughly, wrapped it around the ball once, 

and tied it to the frame - leaving a few extra inches for hanging during drying.

Then it's just random wrapping until you get the effect you like.

It took me about an hour to get to this stage.

Next, I used a small brush to cover the entire thing with an additional coat of stiffy,

and hung it from a ladder to dry - 

the dogs were trying to figure out exactly what was going on in the craft room!

 I waited 24 hours, but should have waited longer.

It had hardened further by the time we hung it.

Gently push the ball in all around to loosen the ball from the twine, then deflate gently.

I had to squeeze both my hands inside to cut the ball up before removing -

 it was too big to fit through the opening I had left!

Using the pendant light meant simply removing the wire from the top plate and feeding it through, them replacing the top plate and installing.. that whole process took about 10 minutes!

Remember the dining room before?

Here it is with our new light:

The large scale is perfectly dramatic,

and the texture plays really well off the new chairs - still waiting for cushions :)

now the whole space is bathed in the most wonderful patterns, especially at night...

All in all, a fairly simple DIY - although I had my doubts that it would harden sufficiently, it did!

The best tip I can give use is to be really generous with the fabric stiffener.

I'm completely happy with the results- and the price - it was $40.00 in total.

When we do replace this with a chandelier, 

it will definitely find it's way into another room of the house.

Hope these projects inspire a few of you - 

if they do, please send me some pics of your creations so I can share them on the blog!

til next time..