Budget Minded Modernist
Just a quickie…I get a lot of e-mails from people asking about my Marais dining room chairs. I just saw a version of them on Home Decorator’s…yes, you read that right, for $99. Link here. They have colors as well as the raw aluminum.
Mine were Pottery Barn knock-offs scored at their outlet years ago. Like mine, these are still way cheaper than vintage Tolix, or reproductions at DWR. Anyway..thought I’d pass it along. Happy Spring!
…I brought these unloved tables home? Then I did the lazy lacquer thing?
My gal Lauri Jones, who is the designer for Worlds Away, decided they would complement her 2011 line pretty well. So guess what?
Behold the Wangright..in lots of lovely lacquer finishes…..
It’s kinda like the gal from the trailer park makes it big by getting her own Barbie doll. That table does not have to sleep in her car anymore! She’s going Hollywood..or actually New York Gift show, but whatevs. You saw her here, before stardom…with no makeup. I love a good Horatio Alger story.
So, who didn’t love spin art as a kid? I don’t think I could trust someone who didn’t like spin art…what’s not to like?
When reading through Laura Day’s Spin Party inspired by her Damien Hirst print, I thought…why not improvise and go big…Hirst style? I need bigger pieces of art in this house… I have lots of little things that look crappy on these big walls. Since my art budget is nil right now…time to improvise…and have fun creating something special with the Minors in the process. Perfect summer project. Thing One has an ear infection, so when pool time is out…craft time is in!
Although this is a clever DIY, I wanted something bigger….We have this lazy susan base in the garage that we use when painting small things so we can rotate them on the workbench. Perfect, I’ll tack the paper onto the lazy susan and we’ll be good to go…right? If it works, then I’ll attach even bigger pieces of paper to it.
Um….maybe not. It’s not exactly spin art. The LS just couldn’t spin fast enough. Until I can figure out some way to MacGyver a drill powered spinner…we are back to that clever salad spinner version. Visions of our giant Hirst-ish creations would have to wait. So, here we go…small scale!
She used construction paper, and I used both watercolor and painting paper both of which worked equally well. I thought the construction paper would be too flimsy and absorbent. I traced out the bottom of the spinner basket and cut it out with a blade. Pop the circle in the bottom of your spinner and it’s time to squeeze and spin! I used craft acrylic paint in squeeze bottles…they are only $.59 each at Michaels.
We’ve started playing around with some other textures of papers and edges…like this slick silver paper I forgot I had…
I think in the end we can make a big piece with all the small ones compiled some way….
Back to spinning!
Fetish alert. Help me. Birds, Fawns, Mushrooms, Urchins. I really don’t want to know what these cravings mean, but I acknowledge-it’s not right.
But I’m not the only one. We all admit to our long suffering love of vintage Jere sculptures - previously admired here, but urchin-lovin’ is obviously not just my gig. Jonathan loved them enough to team up for their Jere/Adler re-issued urchins.
Jere/Adler for $995
Plus KWID got on that train a few years back as well.
Wearstler’s are $2195 EACH
Then came Chiasso’s version. Now we’re talking more of my kind of budget.
Chiasso’s are $188 for 3
How about this new West Elm number in wood?
$19-$34 each from West Elm
The new West Elm pendant is a winner too. Asiatix made a tabletop version several years ago (2003?) for $300….then Z gallerie had a tabletop version for $149 last year, but both seem to be gone now. All versions made from bleached coconut…
$149 each for these coconut pendants
These lamps on Lacor’s website make me drool a bit on my keyboard… I bet they are pricey.
How about these babies…..Gold Leafed Sea Urchin Bowl
Yes, I can’t help myself. First it was this one, now…Daniela de Marchi’s ring via Splash on the Net….want it.
One year at Christmas I made white urchins with skewers, a foam ball, spray mount and fake snow spray. They don’t last but one round, but they were cool and festive. Why am I crazypants for these things?
The new springlike weather has us trying to grab every dry and warm moment to spiffy up all the outdoor furniture. I still have some more sandblasting to do, and some additional coats of paint on other pieces….but that’s what happens when every single piece you own is scavenged and worn.
I hope I don’t regret this, but I decided to hit my faux Salterini hoop chairs with a splash of orange. All the other pieces are getting painted a dark bronze, and these needed something special.
Speaking of hoop chairs….On the copycat front….The new CB2 Igloo is certainly more affordable than those Acapulco chairs I’ve been wanting. While certainly not as groovy, these could work. Has anyone sat in them yet? What’s the verdict? No CB2 store in Nashvegas, so no test drive available for me. $149 v. $400.
The DIY Paulistano post on Remodelista was a good copycat, but still out of reach for me. I too, have always LOVED the look of these chairs…but $700 for the frame alone isn’t going to cut it…even if I use a $23 dollar dropcloth to finish it.
One of the commenters had a GREAT idea to make it a complete DIY…..using rebar to make your own frame. Cool eh? The texture of the rebar could make it very interesting with an industrial vibe…I likey.
Canvas DIY version via Remodelista
