Mike has been collecting antique skis since he was 16 years old–and as adorable as that is, we now have more than 30 seven-foot-long objects collecting dust in a storage unit. As decorative objects, the hardware and wood are actually quite pretty, and the skis offer a hysterical look at the safety standards of the early 20th century. (Can you imagine descending Mammoth on a wood plank with only a strap of leather to keep you in place?) Since they are too great to give away but too large to display together (without turning our home into the Elks club), we had to start figuring out ways to put them to use.
Salvage Studio to the rescue again. Ever since I saw this photo in their book, we’ve made this the decorative storage plan for Mike’s office. By flipping the skis upside down and mounting them to the wall with metal brackets, they actually make a really charming picture ledge. With a pair or perhaps three climbing up the wall, it will give his collection and the look of the office new life.
They are repairing the elevators in our office building and it just gave me the craziest idea for a chandelier. When I came to work the other day one of the elevator doors opened to an empty brick shaft. I peeked in and three light bulbs were dangling on long cords with bright yellow plastic cages around them. They looked so modern—I could envision them perfectly over a Saarinen dining table. I love the way they mirror the shape of the bulb, the shadow the cage casts, and the stark industrial edge they have about them. In the middle of my fantasy about decorating the SoHo loft I don’t have, the elevator doors shut. And I had no photo to show for it. So for the past two weeks I’ve been getting off on random floors hoping to catch more repairs in progress. But today I got my photo and a whole adventure to go with it.
