i love nut season!! something about the textures and shapes of all the different shells really gets me excited for fall. i went ahead and did the entire bag of walnuts in preparation for gift wrapping, and a variation on the traditional cranberry garland for the holidays. once you start making these beware! it is very easy to get carried away and want to tie a walnut to everything! have fun! -kate
CLICK HERE for the full project after the jump!
read more …
October 28th, 2009 - 12:00pm
today’s first of 3 diy projects comes from susan of doggie eyes. she created this incredible “wallpaper” using images she printed from the web and a little spray starch to attach them to a wall in a decorative pattern. the “x” shape she chose looks so much like a regular wallpaper roll from a far i can’t wait to try this in my bathroom. the spray starch comes off relatively easily so it’s heaven for a renter. thanks so much to susan for sharing!
CLICK HERE for the full project steps after the jump!
read more …
October 28th, 2009 - 11:00am
suzie mckig of twig & fig describes her home in north berkeley, california as “euro-village style.” really, i think she’s spot on with that description. you feel like you’re off gallivanting in europe, rather than in the hills of berkley. it probably helps too that her place is a 2-story spanish style home, built in 1926, and all the stones were laid by italian masons who did most of the stone work in the bay area. and of course, i’m always drawn to all the great pieces inspired by their travels. {thanks suzie and serge! click here to check out twig & fig on facebook} -anne
Local artist/legend David Lance Goines gave us these beautiful posters from the chez panisse commemorative. The walls through the downstairs were painted by suzie with lime wash (lime powder mixed with pure pigment); saffron then mango. unlike doing faux finishes (which are trying to simulate lime wash), natural lime wash is so much more lovely to use than toxic paint and ages with amazing character.
Iin the foyer, we made the coat rack from an old plank of railroad tie & hooks from anthro. the light we made from a candle shade. serge pimped a modern carbon fiber bike to be more my euro-village style.
Kim Austin (Austin Press) gifted us with these beautiful art photographs from her collection.
CLICK HERE for the rest of Twig & Fig’s sneak peek after the jump!
read more …
October 28th, 2009 - 10:00am
good morning! i wanted to kick off the day with these beautiful wooden stool/side tables from designer nicolai czumaj-bront. made from reclaimed wood, each piece is composed by combining different pieces of wood that are fused with a machining process. i love the overall look and feel of each piece. click here for more info on nicolai’s work.
over at the d*s guest blog lucy is chatting with artist nicholas jones (that’s his gorgeous work above) about his favorite spots in melbourne’s flinders lane area. click here to check them out!
October 28th, 2009 - 08:00am
Continuing in the Halloween spirit, Rosemary’s Baby is my favorite kind of scary movie- suspenseful, chilling and eerie without any gore. I’m a big wuss when it comes to horror movies and continually hold my hands over my eyes, so an adorable Mia Farrow makes the whole thing much more manageable.
[image above, clockwise from top left: Arredoluce floor lamp $3600,coat of arms mirror $198, silk dress with lace collar $240, flokati rug $159, wool beret $13, mango radio $198, Thonet bistro chair $361, Kensington pram $1995, pearl earrings $22]
In addition to the well-known fact that Rosemary’s Baby is a bit of cinema heaven, it also contains the most pitch perfect on screen house renovation of any movie I’ve seen. When Rosemary and her husband buy an apartment in the fictionalized upper west side Dakota building, it’s dark, stuffy and terrifyingly creepy. As Rosemary’s pregnancy progresses, she spends her days painting and wallpapering until the house is unrecognizably bright and cheerful. A charming mix of uptown traditional and feminine 1960s mod, she’s inspired me to kick into high gear with my own projects around the house. Spawn of satan not required. -amy m.
[image above, clockwise from top left: vintage wallpaper $57,flight base lamp $88, vintage nightgown, sputnik flower chandelier $2500, shearling throw , vase $40, coat rack $68, diamond necklace $542, tufted bench $1800, Repetto ballet flats $220]
October 27th, 2009 - 01:00pm
Want to have your own Audubon print? This blue heron hand-colored engraving from 1837 could be yours for $80,000.)
There has always been a relationship between interiors and nature. In light of the current and (seemingly never-ending) John Derian-esque craze for all things nature, I thought it might be fun to take a look at one of the most well-known naturalists – Audubon.
from left: Flamingo, Gyrfalcon
It’s nearly impossible to look at a bird print and not think of John James Audubon. And there’s a good reason for that – Audubon’s Birds of America, published between 1827 and 1838, was comprised of 435 images all drawn life-sized. The book was a result of 18 years of work. Not only did Audubon trek across the United States searching for his subjects, but he spent nearly as much time looking for subscribers for his volumes. In light of Audubon’s enormous achievements, it’s extraordinary to realize that he likely never would have pursued his career as a naturalist if his life had worked out the way he had intended. It was only when Plan A didn’t work out, that he turned to drawing – and he pursued his passion for birds with a dogged determination.
from left: Wild Turkey, Yellow breasted chat from the New York Historical Society
John James Audubon was born in Saint Domingue (now Haiti) in 1785, the illegitimate son of a French sea captain and plantation owner and his French chambermaid, who died of infection shortly after his birth. His illegitimacy would be a source of embarrassment for his entire life and something that he successfully concealed from all but those closest to him. After the death of his birth mother, he was taken to Nantes, France where he was raised by his father’s wife.
An original Audubon print can run you into the tens of thousands of dollars, but this DIY Audubon paperweight is less than ten dollars! It a quick and fun way to bring a little nature into your home or office!
CLICK HERE for the rest of the post – including an easy Audubon-inspired DIY after the jump!
read more …
October 27th, 2009 - 12:00pm
