Category: <span>Projects</span>

Published February 15, 2010 by

A Sense of Place

Framing ideas for RecordsWithout decorating our apartment with Statue of Liberty figurines and Sopranos posters, we wanted to give our Hoboken apartment a sense of place. To do this, there is no man better than Frank Sinatra. Ol’ Blue Eyes was born in Hoboken on December 12, 1915 and the town has been touting him ever since.

Contributing to the Sinatra craze wasn’t necessarily our planned homage but the previous owner of these records convinced us it was the thing to do.

We stopped at this stranger’s garage sale in upstate New York, got chatting, and when we told him we were from Hoboken, he insisted we take his album collection. Though I wasn’t particularly interested in the records (our player is broken and we have Sinatra on CD), his enthusiasm got me thinking about the covers. In simple silver frames, they would make a kitschy-cool collection for our kitchen.

We picked the range of Frank to display: Hollywood Starlet, Rat Pack, and the Chairman of the Board.

framing-ideas-records-hatI took out the records, cut off the back sleeves, and put them in square Ikea frames with wide matting.

With three Sinatra’s greeting me every time I walk walk into my kitchen, I’ve found my sense of place.

Projects

art DIY wall decor

Published February 2, 2010 by

Building A Birch Log Table

birch-table-topI often overestimate my handiness. And one of my most overzealous projects to date began when Mike and I spotted a fabulous Brent Comber side table in the Conran Shop. Looking at this $2,000 bundle of logs, nailed together in a circle, I turned to Mike and said, We could do that, right? This was about a year ago, so I don’t think he ever said yes to that question, but he explored the possibility with me anyway.

In the NYC flower market, birch logs and sticks are generally sold in small two foot-long bundles but to get the thickness we wanted and an even height, wed have to go the next size up: ten foot-plus. We bought eight branch-less trees, strapped them to the roof of the Volvo and headed to Home Depot. There we purchased the longest nails and screws available with hopes they’d turn kindling into a table.

birch logs on a volvo

birch table tied togetherThe average side table is about 23″ tall so we cut each log up to get as many two foot pieces as possible (leaving an inch for error). With the straightest, least pockmarked stumps, we made a vertical circular bundle, tied it together with string, placed it over a paper grocery bag, drew a line around it to use as guide and took this picture as a reminder of the dream scenario.

birch-table-closeupWe decided the best way to start building was from the center out. We took two logs and drilled them together two inches from the top and again two inches from the bottom using our largest screws (there is nothing subtle about the hole these 8 beasts leave or their half-inch metal head but in the center of the table, only stability matters). Trying to make sure we had a nice balance of thick and thin pieces and as little space between the circles as possible, we kept adding logs to the initial set, until we had over twenty making a circle. Once we were ready for the outer ring, we switched to nails. Their tiny heads and darker color hid in the wood infinitely better than the screws–especially when we hammered into the knottiest parts of the birch and tapped them deeper with a nail finisher.

The final touch was to saw the top down until all logs were level and pray the whole thing didn’t fall apart.

birch-table-completeAbout twelve hours of labor, thirteen stripped screws, and $85 in materials, we had ourselves a birch log side table. Unlike Mr. Comber’s, ours is far from perfectly round—but its our favorite piece in the house.

Projects

DIY tables

Published December 30, 2009 by

The 2010 Decorating To-Do List

Leaf PrintsIt’s been a productive year at the Collins/Howard household (we built a kitchen island, bought a sofa, hung bookshelves, installed a chandelier, and constructed a birch-log table, to name a few projects). Though, as anyone who owns a home knows, your work is never done–but that’s the good news. Mike and I always have a blast doing these projects, and we have no shortage of them lined up in 2010.

To-do List

(Above) Living Room Art: We bought these 19th-century fern prints almost a year ago, and they desperately need to be matted, framed, hung, and enjoyed! Once that happens, I have reserved a home for them to the left of our living room fireplace.

bedroom-decor-bookshelf

Living Room Storage: I’ve been eyeing this shaped storage unit from Brocade Home since it came out in 2007. (Think I should pull the trigger already?) This unit–or a yet-to-be-discovered vintage hutch–would flank the other side of my living room fireplace and be the hub for Mike’s incredible antique camera collection, our books, and a few other favorite accessories.

Bedroom-Decor-Fireplace3.jpg

Bedroom Fireplace: Much to our handyman’s chagrin, we ripped this once-cherry-colored mantel off the wall, cut out its ornately carved archway, and painted it an oil-based white. We love it, but it has been pathetically leaning against the wall since the fireplace excavation. The next step is to lay bricks along the foundation, seamlessly secure it to the wall, and somehow get this bowing piece of wood to lie flush. Genius will strike, I’m sure.

KitchenDecor-bar

The Kitchen Bar: Our 1950s tin-top table works nicely as a bar, but the surface is getting a bit cramped. Now I’m on the hunt for a wall rack/shelf that we can use to hang wineglasses from below and store cookbooks and kitchen tchotchkes on top. If any one sees something fabulous like this, please let me know!

design-ideas-newyears-valance

Guest Room Window: I love this oversize red magnolia wallpaper so much that I considered having it printed as a fabric for a Roman shade. However, since I need only a few yards, this started to sound like a rough proposition, plus the existing shade is in fine condition. The new plan? Build a wooden valance and wallpaper it. If all goes well, the small dose of pattern should balance the room and finish the window.

Bedroom-decor-Ski-Shelves.

Office Shelves: In the new year we have to get Mike’s office in order, and once we do, the antique ski shelves are going up!

The list goes on and on–art for the mantel, a rug for the guest room, refinishing the kitchen cabinets–but it’s all a process, and we hope to be tweaking, improving, and enjoying this home for a long time to come.

Projects

Anne's buys decorating DIY

Published November 24, 2009 by

Ski Shelves

simple-home-decorating-projectMike 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.

Projects

design ideas DIY storage