From The Inspiration Files: Why Not Make These?
I have a pretty insane “inspiration folder” on my desktop all organized by category, and it’s high time I shared a peek at the items in my “Make This” folder. We love all of these projects because they’re truly DIY (read: you don’t need a soldering iron or a degree in woodworking to accomplish them) but they all look luxe and high-end upon completion (read: not like you stuck things together with a glue stick and some velcro). So without further ado, some projects we’d love to take on one day (when we’re not slaving away on our little basement makeover, planning a bathroom redo and brainstorming a nursery).
This first idea comes from the ever fabulous Design Sponge. We love the simple look of industrial clips hung on tiny nails to decorate an entire wall (especially when it’s painted a vibrant color like this- try Benjamin Moore’s Sesame for a similar look). We also love that they stuck with simple black and white images to keep things sophisticated and almost Alice-In-Wonderland-chic. You could just stare at the wall for hours…
This next DIY idea hails from none other than Apartment Therapy, and we love the stain-a-bunch-of-drawers-a-bunch-of-different-colors idea. You could even pick up the little sample pots of stain to save money. Of course it might be hard to find a piece with quite this many drawers, but any dresser or chest from a thrift store that’s solid wood can be sanded and modified with a little stain gradient effect like the awesome example below.
And we love this cozy cottage idea (also from Apartment Therapy) which just happens to be an old window (you can pick them up at thrift stores or shops like the Habitat For Humanity ReStore on the cheap). Add a few layers of chalkboard paint on the panes and you’re good to go. We love that the divided nature of the window creates little zones for different functions (like a box for a shopping list, a box for love notes, etc)- and hanging an inexpensive bar from Ikea under it offers up even more form and function.
This papered desk via Design Sponge is also pretty darn spectacular. We love that nearly any old desk can be reinvented with a fresh coat of paint (which can be antiqued a bit with some sandpaper) and some wallpaper applied to the top and even inside the drawers for a sweet little surprise. And covering the desk with a custom cut piece of glass or plexiglass for added protection and longevity is surprisingly inexpensive (just look up a plastic or glass company in the phone book and call for a quote). In fact, here’s an old $15 desk that we transformed with paint and a $30 piece of plexiglass for a little girl’s room a while back.
When it comes to art, we love whipping up our own “masterpieces” (as demonstrated by this post, this post, this post, and even the prints in our shop). And we were smitten with this gorgeous abstract piece from Lonny magazine since it seems like something anyone can do (even though it was probably trés expensive). Just grab a giant canvas from a craft or art supply store and pick up some cheap acrylic paint in the two colors of your choosing (it would be just as amazing in gray-blue with a creamy yellow stripe or in navy with a nautical red stripe). Don’t forget to leave that rough white “frame” around the edge and to keep things feeling loose and sketchy – no perfectly straight lines needed here (thank goodness).
This inspiration actually comes from H&M (yes, the clothing company) who introduced a housewares line a while back (and we loved what we saw). Again, the canvas art really caught our attention, and we loved that anyone with a canvas and a Sharpie could recreate something gleefully loose and sketchy (how great are those simple bottle drawings for a kitchen or bathroom?). Plus you can use a pencil and lightly sketch things out until you’re ready to put Sharpie to canvas for the finished product.
And last but certainly not least are these blingy little shells from Ruzzetti & Gow (via Turquoise Chic). They run anywhere from $100 to $1700 bucks (!!!) but we’re betting that a can of silver spray paint could give you the same effect for far less (tip: you can also try “hammered silver” spray paint for a less-shiny-but-still-metallic finish).
So what do you guys think? Did anything get your DIY motor running? Which project is your fav of the bunch? And while we’re on the topic of easy and chic make-it-yourself ideas, what are some other undertakings that you have on your to-do list? Do tell.
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I love the first AT picture (stain-a-lot-of-drawers-a-lot-of-colors). So awesome!
For the piece with lots of drawers, another idea might be to replace the doors on a piece you already have with strips of wood various colored woods attached to a board. Then add a bunch of handles like this to get the same look. When in reality, it would just be one single door.
Similar to the top and bottom strip of the white piece you posted the other day.
What do you think?
I love all these ideas! I wish I had more things I wanted to transform!
Hey Andi,
Great idea! We love the idea of creating faux drawers! So fun.
xo,
s
Ohhhh, I think I’m going to have to do the first one in my new home office! I already have the green walls!
Those are all gorge! I looove the wall of B&W art on clips. Very engaging without being overpowering!
On my to-do list – lots! We have a long cabinet door from Ikea that needs to be painted and fitted as a headboard, a thrift store lamp to spray paint and find a drum shade for, three chairs waiting the perfect paint & fabric for refinishing…and the list goes on! I don’t imagine I’ll ever be bored again. :)
LOVE the spray painted shells idea! My grandmother is cleaning out their basement and offered me two giant jars of shells, all sizes. This definitely will be something to try!
Very cool ideas indeed. This is on my to-do (someday) project list.
http://windhula.blogspot.com/2009/09/sneak-preview.html
I think that these DIY features are my probably my favorite part of your website! I get inspiration from so many places and I love to make things myself! I do it with art, tablescapes, and even like to try and make restaurant meals at home. Keep these ideas coming!
Love the canvas idea. I painted a canvas using masking tape and painted different colored stripes. I’ll have to send a pic of it. Its a cheap way to transform a room and you can paint the stripes to match! I’ve seen them go for hundreds and ours was only the cost of the acrylic paint b/c we already had the canvas!
The last thing I need is more projects. :-) However, love the spraypainted shells, (we have tons from our trip to FL this year) and also the custom canvases. I’ll be doing something like that in our basement, whenever we get to the decorating stage!
Another idea for the drawers is Ikea’s Fira chest (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80073304). I think I may have to do that project this weekend…
All very cool……..on my to-do (someday) project list is this:
http://windhula.blogspot.com/2009/09/sneak-preview.html
love the ideas, especially the diy art. i’ve got a bunch of images in my files with pictures that i *think* i can recreate myself.
this weekend, will be working on a VERY simple diy project – bottlecap magnets for the office.
right now – spray-painting my jewelry drawers that i had to completely redo. hope they come out right! last step (of painting) will be done tonight… :-D
Ages ago my husband and I saw an awesome wall that was decopaged with pages from old dictionaries and it looked soooo awesome. We always wanted to do it in an office, but we have never gotten around to it.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/how-to/how-to-make-a-dictionary-etc-wall-040423
Thanks for sharing great ideas! I have been inspired by you to do more DIY than I ever have (admittedly nothing as ambitious as you undertake!). I have refinished our big kitchen table. It was raw wood and I stained the top and painted the legs to match the trim. I stained some new stairs. I have acquired a palm sander and a new staple gun. On my to-do list is a chair waiting for fabric and paint to be refinished and painting my kitchen. I have been thinking of inexpensive hostess gifts. Last night I spray painted silver some tins that various foods have come in (Arizona tea mix, some BBQ rub, to name a couple). I have been saving them. I am going to make some spiced nuts and fill those tins up, and maybe hot glue some bling on the tins too. Never a dull moment in DIY land!
Hi Lori!
Yesterday, I tried to spray paint some shells silver like the ones in the post above but the spray paint I bought was too sheer and light (not chrome and metallic-y enough). I see that you have silver spray paint and I was wondering if you would mind giving me the name of the one you used!
Thanks in advance,
Stephanie
i was thinking the same thing about the faux drawers!
I have the same AT picture in my inspiration folder! :) I love the idea of just spray painting the shells, I’m sensing a Christmas craft for my sister and her husband!
I love the silver seashells (I couldn’t say that three times fast!)although we’d probably go for a bronze or oil-rubbed bronze look.
Our to-do list…ha! What isn’t on there? We’re hosting our first Thanksgiving, so there’s plenty to do!
P.S. Happy belated birthday to John, and congrats on the little bean!
I NEED to find an old window somewhere! I have a perfect empty wall in our kitchen for the chalk board project.
I still have a ton of things on my to-do list. I pirated your lamp-shade-fan-fixture-transformation in my kitchen already, and I also got a drum shade to change up a dated pendant light in our stairwell that I still need to do (thank you! ;) ).
We are working on our family room in the basement- just did some major renovations. I’m in charge of the decor, and I’m going with a fun, funky African-inspired theme (walls are a vibrant green, white trim, and chocolate brown furniture). I have some pics I took at the San Diego zoo of a giraffe, a lion, and an elephant that I’m blowing up, but I need to figure out how I want to frame them. I also have some old African wooden statues that I’m going to spray paint brown to fit in the room. Then, who knows?
I also have some Christmas projects. I took some close-up shots of a beautiful Poinsettia we were given last year that I have cropped and printed. I just need to find some cheap little silver or gold frames. I have an old wreath that needs some help, too. I ripped off all the bows and fake pine cones, so now it’s naked and waiting for inspiration!
Sherry I am so glad you posted this!! Keep doing these kinds of posts!! What’s the excitment you may ask? I’ve been saving two old windows in my house, not knowing what to do with them-hang one here, paint it, Ooo, this may work…but that chalkboard idea is so awesome!! I will be heading to michaels today for the supplies!! And you could also add one of those small shelves with hooks or pegs under the board that can serve as a coat rack and somewhere to leave the chalk and erasers! Maybe paint and age it to match the window. Such a great post!
I love the pictures on the wall! I have an old desk I want to re-do. I think it was a family hand-me-down, and my fiance used it throughout college so it’s very beat up. It’s a dark wood and has a rectangular recessed cut-out on the desk top which is inset with leather. The leather is in really bad condition and is torn away in places. I would love to paint the desk a creamy white color, but I’m not really sure what to do with the cut-out area. I like the idea of wallpaper or something similar with a print, but it needs to be thicker to be at the same level as the rest of the desk top. Any ideas?
Hey Maria,
Good question! The requirement for something thicker made us think of finding some great tin backsplash or some ceramic tiles to create a sleek tiled top. You could also find something to place over the cut out area like a large ceramic basin or wood box for storage so it becomes part of the function of the piece (and covers the cut out area). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I just wanted to say that i am SO excited that youguys are having a baby!! I am also due in May with our first :0) Congrats you two and i think i will give the spray painted shells idea a try ;0)
This. This is why I love your blog. Okay and a bunch of other stuff too, but seriously I love the “I can make that” approach to art and decorating.
In particular, I love the old window > chalkboard transformation. I was trying to get my wife to agree to a old window as room separators (which I might have seen here too?) but this one fits more with both of our tastes. Thanks!
Thanks to a recent housefire, between the smoke and water damage, I think I’m redoing everything! Which is cool because everything looks brand new. I just did a project with a cast off window and another with some miniature apples painted silver, but those seashells definitely have the wheels turning. As always, thank you for sharing your wonderful finds and inspiring us.
your site for sure gets my DIY juices flowing, as well as Design*Sponge..They just featured a project with old toliet paper rolls that I REALLY want to put over my bed. I’m finding that thanks to you & D*S, I’m really starting to embrace the use & reuse philosophy, furniture, fabric, tp rolls etc. So Thanks a bunch! Although I do still LOVE Ikea…:)
I just set some seashells out from my collection in my bathroom window above my garden tub… spray painting them like this is such a great idea!!! I plan on implementing that one…
Had the seashell idea in my book for awhile (found in a mag. long ago) however it was done with silver leaf. I have also been working on a art project (abstart) also and you have inspired me to get on with it!
Yesterday, I tried to spray paint some shells silver like the ones in the post above but the spray paint I bought was too sheer and light (not chrome and metallic-y enough). I see that silver leaf may be the answer to my problems!! Thanks for your post!
i love the painted shells idea – that would be great for a beachy christmas theme (like you guys have had in the past!)
Ohhh so inspiring. I’ve been meaning to get a frame for all the wine corks I’ve been saving up (we too have them saved from our wedding!) I plan on making a wine cork board for the kitchen. But our BIG diy project that we’re starting next week is creating a new dining room (not exactly a small diy project) We’re knocking down a wall to what is currently a bedroom, and installing French doors. There will be before and after pictures to share with you guys. I can’t wait!!
I think I’ve seen the stained piece before and I think is acutally is faux doors, like the commenter above suggested!
I have an old window in my barn that I have been wondering what to do with. All the panes are in tact (yea!), but I will have to do something with the already black frame. I am so inspired! Thank you.
Man, why do you have to keep putting ideas into my head? Just kidding! My heart rate just went up after reading this post because I love this kind of stuff! The first idea with all the black and white pictures sparked an idea. This kind of art I can do easily in my college apartment (without the nails, but perhaps hung on string) and I just noticed a trend in a lot of the art I have that is all black and white. That will be my next project! Thanks for the ideas!
Sherry, thanks for the ideas for the desk top. I really love the idea of the tin tile backsplash for the recessed area. I am excited to get started on this project! Your blog is such an inspiration! Keep it up!
Hey, look at the youngsters gettin’ all chippy and vintage! ;)
Loved those ideas, the first pic especially. I think that would look great in a kid’s room (not a super young child – those clips are choking hazards), but my 7 & 8 year olds would love something like that to display artwork, photos, and notes.
I say “chrome” spray paint at Home Depot recently. I wonder if that would give more of the super shiny look than silver would? Fun ideas!
Thanks for the comment on my blog :) I always get a BIG smile when I see you’ve been there.
XO,
Jacci
Whoa! I LOVE the furniture piece with all the different colors! If someone’s lacking that many drawers, I wonder if it’d work to do horizontal lines of those paint colors across one drawer (and the othe drawers)?
Also love the cute wallpapered desk and the cheaply made, expensive-looking abstract art piece over the sofa — and the window/blackboard would look great in any cottage-y or thrift-shop-chic home.
Dang, I have to go check out some of those other sites very soon.
Great post! Thanks for the pix, the info and the inspiration! You two are the best!
I love the silver shells! Creamy white might look great as well!
I love the shell idea, very chic.
I’m totally jonesing over the window-turned-chalkboard idea! Actually, it’s an idea we’ve been mulling over since May… we want a chalkboard in our kitchen, but something larger than what you can buy most places. I’ve tossed around the idea of getting an old frame from goodwill or the like, painting the frame an antiqued white (we have a green, black and antiqued white theme in the kitchen), and then doing the chalkboard paint. The only issue I’ve come across (albeit in my head only) is what surface to use for the chalkboard paint. Would glass be a strong enough surface? I’ve seen ideas using plywood, but that sounds fairly daunting (getting something sized juuuuust right, then put it in the frame, etc etc… maybe I’m making it a bigger deal than it needs to be)….. SO, thoughts youngsters? What would be the best way to approach a chalkboard masterpiece?
Hey Tiffany,
I bet you could find a window that has thick strong glass panes (maybe not huge panes of glass, just smaller ones between mullions) and you wouldn’t have to reinforce anything with plywood and could just paint the glass panes and hang it up securely. I mean we have glass windows all over our house and they seem to be durable and safe, right? As long as you pick a sturdy window and hang it well it should really hold up!
xo,
s
I love love love the window chalkboard idea! I might have to give that one a try!
I have very similar silver shells that I picked up at Pottery Barn for 75% off in January. I display them with sea glass, real shells and assorted old shined-up silver pieces. I LOVE the idea of spray painting some! I would also add a little black here and there to age them a bit.
Great ideas!
Great picks – I especially love the wallpaper desk and the silver shells! I recently went on a silver spray-binge with some front hall bins and hooks. And I have a few big to-paint items on my list for the spring… I’m thinking I may have to try that wallpaper idea!
Flat files, which artists or engineers use for blueprints or big papers, often have really skinny drawers.
Made plans to go to my local ReStore to buy an awesome used window so I can do that amazing chalk board! I am hoping for one with 8 different sections to do every day of the week and then an extra for shopping lists.
This is my “old farm window” project. I posted a in search of on craigslist and had a window for $10 in a week. I took a cheap grapevine wreath and suspended my last name initial in it. The S is a piece of styrfoam that I carved into an S and covered it with spanish moss (hot glue attached).
Hopefully you’ll be able to see this:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4091515&id=730096954
I love working with old windows. I have one on my desk that I painted with chalkboard paint years ago- and it’s held up great. I don’t recommend using chalkboard markers though- they never seem to come off fully.
I also posted some similar ideas at my blog last spring :D
http://shockthebourgeois.blogspot.com/2009/05/painless-project.html
I love those clips. So simple! And easy AND cheap! The celery green is great behind them, too.
I’m totally calling a glass/plastic place tomorrow to have a top cut for my desk! It’s a 7-year-old IKEA entertainment stand that I primed and painted to reuse as a desk. It’s great with lots of cubbies for electronic gadgets but even with polyurethaning (is that a verb?!) the top has a few small chips in it. I think I could pull off the wallpaper and glass top idea… maybe I’ll send you pics! Love the inspiration.
such charming ideas.
if only i had the wall space for some of them.
I love the ideas! I have a desk that would look great with some cool wallpaper on top. Another project to add to the list…
How do you organize your inspiration folder? I am always struggling with how to save things so I can find them again!
Hey Lisa,
Here’s a post all about how we organize our desktop (and our magazine tear sheet) inspiration images: http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/10/email-answer-inspiration-wrangling/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I love those silver shells- so easy! We collected some sand dollars from Ocean Beach in SF that are special to us, and could use a special treatment like that silver paint! :) Thanks, and congrats on the proverbial bun!
Isn’t the internet great, without it we wouldn’t be able to bounce ideas like this off each other.
Here’s my inspiration from your inspiration:
Photo 1: I bet some charity shop old books would be useful for this idea, taking pictures and graphics from botanicals or whatever takes your fancy.
Photo 2: I see someone beat me to it with the faux-front drawers idea. I actually saw a lovely set of drawers at the weekend, where the entire front was trompe l’oeil painted/stained as a drawer front with hand gilted fake handles. The actual drawers came out from the sides instead, with sweet recessed handles!
Photo 3: You know what looks even nicer than IKEA grundtal chromed bars and costs a fraction of the price? Copper pipes used for plumbing! You can even trim them to the perfect size.
Photo 4: Two days ago I found a sheet of acrylic (that’s what we seem to call ‘plexiglass’ over here in UK) for my dining table. The table is made from a nice medium stain wood, and I’d tried everything to keep it safe from the children. Layers of varnish peeled or scratched, and the table cloth just covered up the lovely natural wood grain. it cost me £15 (whats that in dollars?) and it’s transformed the room!
OK that’s enough ideas from me. Please wish me luck over the coming days as I paint my cream (beige beige beige!) living room walls with a lovely dusty dark blue (Bamiyan Blue 89 from Fired Earth), inspired a little by Laura’s makeover here http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/09/reader-redesign-color-me-wonderful/ I’m still coveting her dark wood floor, my own is hand-me-down carpet tiles free from a London bank office clearout!