Apologies for the radio silence--big family event this past weekend that I was in charge of pulling off which occupied an extraordinary amount of time. A good time was had by all, but I'm glad it's over!
But to make up for my lapse, I came across a great designer who's making chairs and tables out of old traffic signs. His name is Boris Bally and his work is both modern and playful. Would love to see these seating-as-sculptures around a stainless dining table, or even strategically placed along a long gallery wall.
Do you think of these as art or functional pieces? Would love to hear your feedback.
I've been fascinated by the strides in pre-fab housing ever since I saw The Glidehouse at the Sunset Magazine annual Celebration Weekend in 2006. Aside from how warm a modern home could be, I was impressed with the attention to green detail paid to the design.
Could this be the solution to our empty nest goals (several years away, mind you) of having a pied a terre in San Francisco and a place near the ocean? My husband and I are both beach lovers--he's a recreational surfer and I just love the mesmerizing and relaxing beat of crashing waves--and the pricing on these pre-fabs are just, well, fabulous. Compared to buying an existing home on the California coast, it's pretty amazing.
The folks who created the Glidehouse, MK Designs, have now created several new sets of pre-fab, ecologically sound, home plans of varying sizes. While the pricing of these have yet to be determined, the architect is also working with Bluhomes to create some pretty modestly priced plans that are also quite lovely. Here's just a smattering of some of the designs they're creating:
I picked up a couple of magazines on Friday that are all about designing with flea market finds, the ultimate in reusing and recycling. But don't assume that flea market hunting has to be synonymous with overly frou-frou Victoriana, Louis XIV, or a page out of Country Living magazine. My style preferences lean toward contemporary eclectic (for lack of a better descriptor) and so my key criteria for vintage finds are as follows:
1. Does it have an architectural or sculptural presence? That's important because any object that has that kind of integrity can work in any decor.
2. Can it be re-purposed into something other than its original intent?
3. Can that "repurposing" be done inexpensively and with not too much labor?
I bring this up because those fabulous antique printers type trays I found at the Candlestick Flea Market a couple of weeks ago (see below) have been quietly leaning up against my living room wall waiting for me to figure out what to do with them. And by golly, I think I have.
You've seen people make mirrors out of old window panes; well I'm going to do the same with these, then faux finish them in a paint wash made of two shades of turquoise. Why turquoise? It's one of the accent colors in my largely red and gold oriental rug. I'm taking the trays to The Painter's Place on Hayes Street to see if they can't remove the wooden backs for me and replace them with mirror glass.
This project will probably take a few weeks or so all told, but stay tuned for the Before and After, which I'll post here.
