Posted: July 21st, 2010 | Filed under: Building Materials, Shoppin' and Junkin' | Tags: live edge slab headboard, wood slab bed | 5 Comments »
I’ve been wanting to incorporate some live edge slabs in here since we bought the place…it just seems to fit…and with these trees toppling around me, sooner or later, one of them might just be the right kind for milling something fab. I gave up on my dreams of a Nakashima dining table long ago, but have moved on to other slabsessions.
Back when I still read Apartment Therapy, I got all slobbery over this post…especially if I had about $13k laying around. I’d love to have any of these as my headboard…maybe then we’d finally get our bed off the floor…one can dream. These first two from Meyer and Wells and Urban Hardwoods are my faves….
Photos via AT
Then there’s this one ….
Photo via JC Sterling
and of course, the classic….
via Nakashima Woodworker
Photos via Live Edge Design
Another avenue is to possibly incorporate a slab in one of the bathroom renovations….the half bath might be the most feasible one.
Photo via Western Art and Architecture
Photo via Design Milk
And remember when I so loved this?
I still do….breakfast bar/backsplash…ahhhh…gorge.
Currently, the only wooden benefit from these trees falling around us is lots of firewood…..and some stumpytime.
Photo via Design Milk
We’ve got quite a collection of similar stump stools and tables going now….but it’s the slabs I covet. One day….
Posted: March 1st, 2010 | Filed under: Building Materials | Tags: floating stairs | 5 Comments »
I mean, for real. I get hard time because of our yet to be redone railings, but this post on Emma’s Designblogg got me thinking….
What kind of “favors” are the homeowners slipping the code inspectors for these houses?! I think these are stunning to look at…as an art installation. Scares the crap out of me to think of climbing them after cocktails.
Seriously, I LOVE the look, but, practical or safe…uh…no. How is this allowed?
I ask my architect (and lawyer for that matter) friends to educate me on how this is legal, when I couldn’t have 3 measly steps to the driveway without a honkin’ railing to meet code. REALLY. I need to know. Is there a waiver you sign that says “…whoever lives/visits here can be maimed/killed with a single misstep (heh), yet the stairs will remain blameless….”
via Stair Porn
via stair porn
From where I’m sitting, some code inspector must be planning his next vacation home purchase when he sees plans with these in them, cuz frankly, I don’t think a night out with some lap dances will suffice here. Thoughts? Insights?
Posted: December 10th, 2009 | Filed under: Building Materials, DIY, Shoppin' and Junkin' | Tags: modern interior firewood storage | 4 Comments »
It’s really cold today and I’m thinking fire. I’ve been looking for something attractive to keep the firewood contained indoors….
I LOVE THAT. Lurv it sumtin’ awful.
No idea who/where/how…I tore it out of a DWR catalog ages ago…probably a custom job.
UPDATE: Finally figured out it’s by Olle Lundberg in his California cabin.
When the CC gets comfortable with his welding, maybe this can be the ultimate project? Although, that’s a lot of heavy metal…I don’t really think that’s DIYable for us. Paying a metalsmith to make it sounds great, but it will probably be $1000…so…dream on….
This is cool….but, since I’m too cheap to pay $475 for it on Remodelista, maybe we can mold some lucite in the same shape…we’ve had success with lucite molding in the past (with the heat gun-not the crafty one, the real one that peels paint). It would have to be thicker than anything we’ve done before though….hmmmm…
This doesn’t look like it holds enough wood to get through one night. I want something that can hold 2-3 evenings worth so when it’s raining, you don’t have to drag in wood from the wet. Blomus for a mere $355….ouch!
This is nice…and only $95, but again, impractical b/c logs drop stuff. Lots of little bits of dust and wood shreds. I’d have to vacuum under it daily. For outdoors…great, but I’ve got that covered.
I’m sorry, but I think this is just stupid….uncomfortable and stupid. You can’t keep the same wood in there because of bugs, you’d have to rebuild your chaise every time you had a fire. Really, AK47.
Fugly. But it’s all I got, so I guess I’ll just stick with this $15 bin from Lowes until we fire up the heat gun and see what happens in lucite land…..
Posted: December 1st, 2009 | Filed under: Building Materials, Landscaping, Our Projects | Tags: landscaping retaining walls modern | 4 Comments »
Well, I’ve been avoiding this hot mess post because I wasn’t sure how to bitch about it without sounding like a brat. Impossible. So here it is. It would appear that I won’t have a front door by Christmas. The Plan was not followed closely enough and now, our wooden stairway has to be rethought. Currently, the way it is designed will drop you on the first concrete step, rather than at the pad on the gravel patio…thus forcing you to step over a wall to get to the patio. I don’t think so. We’re screwed by about 16 inches. We may have to zig zag a bit to make up the difference which REALLY BLOWS. I think it will look weird and awkward and poorly planned…YA THINK?!
Just to make sure I get kicked when I’m down…the tree rats are getting a little revenge. Remember that new paint job? There’s about 4 boards of cedar left on the entire house since we haven’t replaced the door to the crawlspace behind the house yet. They’ve been going for it. Bastards.
I’ve never had a renovation surprise beat me before and I’m working hard to make sure this one doesn’t either. I’ve been a bit depressed about this development since I usually have an “aha” solution to these things by now. I know there’s been a lot going on…distracted…denial.
Today I walked around, looking at the old staircase lying in the mud …(my God all the mud…everywhere)…and realized it was time to walk away….at least until after the holidays. Stick it on the shelf…even though every time I come up the driveway it will scream “failure!!” to me…Talking to the CC, I was reminded of the big picture.
CC: Does it look better than it did…even unfinished?
ME: Sigh….Yes…
CC: Does it add value to the property?
ME: One would hope!
CC: Well, then. Whatever it ends up being, it will be miles ahead of where we were… AND we’ve added value despite the problems.
ME: You’re right. You’re ALWAYS right…..
That’s why he’s a keeper.
Bratty pants here is taking deep breaths and will revisit with a solution at a later date with a fresh mind. In the meantime, we need to fill the beds with topsoil, finish the patio with a layer of crushed stone and basically spend a lot of time shoveling and hauling. I’m still sore from Sunday and I barely made a dent.
So, do I put a wreath on a door you can’t get to?
Posted: November 30th, 2009 | Filed under: Building Materials, DIY, Our Projects | Tags: christmas tree platform | Comments Off
Since so many people have already started decorating for the holidays, I figured I’d better post this little DIY even though I haven’t joined the masses yet. These photos are from last year. Here’s the ModFruGal trick for stretching your Christmas tree budget.
I’m a live tree person (don’t hate me eco-cops), and I have high ceilings. I needed a way to give my tree better presence without having to throw $200 at the project. Instead of buying a 12 ft tree, I bought an 8-9 ft tree and put it on our “wedding cake” platforms. It creates a tiered surface area for presents, makes it nice and easy to get at them…and adds a few feet of height to a $65 Home Depot tree. The platforms took the CC about an hour to screw together with some scrap plywood etc.. we had in the garage. I wrapped it up in some burlap and called it a day.
Guess I’d better head to the attic and start dragging all the decorations down. eh…maybe tomorrow.
Posted: November 11th, 2009 | Filed under: Building Materials, Landscaping | Tags: landscaping | Comments Off
The first coat of stucco went on…and my heart sank. It looked pinkish brown…way too much red pigment, so I talked to them about mixing in a bag of black for the second coat….MUCH better. My goal is to match the color of the soil as much as possible so that the wall recedes into the hillside. When that first coat went on…all I could think about was how many hours I would have to spend staining it to tone down the color….very relieved I won’t have to do that now.
looking very Santa Fe scary to me here…..
Then the second batch of mortar mix…..
You can see the difference between the 2 colors below….
When will it end? Soon..we hope. Weather has been cooperating so MAYBE by the beginning of next week we’ll be done with all this mess….6 weeks and counting….
