Brrrr . . . it’s been beautifully sunny in Brooklyn lately, but still a bit too chilly for my West Coast sensibilities. I’ve scoured our archives and pulled our best cozy textile DIY projects this morning in the hopes that they will warm me up. One thing I love about winter is the prevalence of…
I’m a sucker for good packaging. When every product has a million different versions to choose from, how can we not gravitate toward the one with the best presentation? That doesn’t necessarily mean lots of bells and whistles — I hate having to tear through layers of wrapping or unpack multiple boxes. To me, great…
Our final Before & After today is a cleverly renovated garage space from photographer Natalie Wright. To create a space with plenty of light and room, as well as a healthy dose of personality, Natalie coated the walls in a crisp, reflective coat of white paint and turned salvaged materials like chicken wire, old doors and…
For today’s second Before & After project, we’ve got a pair of modified wood furniture pieces: One has been given an aesthetic facelift, and the other has received a functional makeover. When it comes to wood furniture, I’m still a little sheepish about grabbing the paint bucket, mainly because I hate the laborious process of…
I admit, I’ve been skeptical about painting fabric to change up the color of a piece of furniture, but I think today’s first Before & After from Stella Poore of Mon Petit Studio may have changed my mind. Having snagged this incredible sofa for only $25, Stella decided to take the plunge and paint it…
I’m constantly getting into silly arguments with my partner about my DIY projects. Whenever I turn to him for advice, ever the left-brainer, he gives me the practical answer, which I hate. Shouldn’t you be able to carry it this way? Wouldn’t this shape make it sturdier? What’s this extra piece for? Excellent questions, all….
I’ve been seeing a lot of slatted wood lately, mostly in large-scale designs like Morgan Satterfield’s lovely front porch screen or this incredible house that popped up on Desire to Inspire yesterday. I’ve never come across slatted wood as wall art, but after seeing this wall map project from Natalie Gluic, I’m thoroughly convinced that…
I’m sure you’re all well aware of our (somewhat obsessive) undying love for pets here on D*S. Crazy cat ladies? Guilty as charged. There’s not much we wouldn’t do for our furry companions; we’re not painting their nails or feeding them caviar, but beyond that, let’s just say we’re pretty attentive to their needs and wants….
I recently re-watched the film Objectified, and this time around, I found myself inspired by Dutch designer Hella Jongerius, particularly when she said that what interests her most as a designer is how to bring identity and character to something that is produced industrially. You can see this vision so clearly in her work; she…
When floors are in bad condition and refinishing or renovating seems out of the question, people often try to downplay their floors by painting them a neutral color or hiding them under various rugs. However, I’m becoming increasingly convinced that if you can find a pattern or color you really love, the best cure for…
I love repurposed vintage, especially when it’s combined with new technology. The sleek, monochromatic look of contemporary gadgets meshes perfectly with the candy colors and rounded shapes of mid-century design, and today we have an awesome project to celebrate this happy marriage: a vintage suitcase charging station by Sara and Stacy of SugarSCOUT. Combining their love…
The one-week countdown to Valentine’s Day has begun, but I wouldn’t worry too much if you haven’t been preparing. There are tons of elaborate and expensive gifts out there, but you certainly don’t need to shell out a lot of money or time to pull together a sweet, thoughtful valentine. Anna Liesemeyer customized this cardboard…
The clothespin is such a fantastic invention, one that seems to have hit upon the perfect combination of form, function and beauty. I’ve seen a bunch of amazing projects involving clothespins lately, including this ombre clothespin backdrop and these incredible sculptural pieces by artist Gerry Stecca, among others. But it was this bold, beautiful collection…
I love my rental apartment, but if there’s a room that makes me wish for the chance to own my home, it’s the bathroom. In my mind, it’s one of the spaces that benefit most from even minor renovations. I love gathering inspiration from great submissions like this crisp, sunny makeover from Julie of Belle…
It’s been a while since I’ve lived in a space like this one, but it just takes one glimpse of this “before” image to remember all the decorating challenges that accompany a small city apartment. Niamh of Seek Design managed to inject this space with cheer and energy by adding the right colors and patterns…
Though they have no hope of holding all my supplies, there’s something about the look and feel of these old toolboxes that I just love. Why it never occurred to me to turn such a beautifully designed item into a wall display as Kim has done here, I will never know, but I’m thankful she’s…
We’re taking a short break from valentine projects, but there will be another awesome Valentine’s Day post coming up after this. Grace, Amy and I are gearing up for some major DIY time while I’m in NYC this month, and one of the ideas we’ve been tinkering with involves copper tacks — lots of ‘em….
There’s a strong link between romance and the written word, making literary gifts — love letters, novels, poetry — a fitting choice for Valentine’s Day. We’re big fans of Juniper Books and its creative founder, Thatcher Wine, and we were excited to see that he has released several new book collections just in time for Valentine’s Day….
I used to be a total Valentine’s Day sourpuss, but recently I’ve come around. Don’t get me wrong — I still find it totally appropriate to shun candlelit dinners and chocolate roses in exchange for hanging out with friends, watching bad movies and head-banging to old tunes from junior high. In fact, it is this…
It’s funny to me that “bachelor” style has such a bad rep. I equate it with leather chairs that look like massively overstuffed beasts, giant TVs, a sparsely filled modular bookshelf and not much else . . . maybe an unpacked cardboard box or two. A harsh stereotype, I admit, although in my defense, I…
