Ready for some Local Vintage Shopping?

Well, fellow Birminghamians, how about this?



My best friend Rachael (UrbanEdenAl.blogspot.com) for the past few years has created what she calls "Roadside Relics." The name says it all. Once a year local vendors, artist, and a few friends get together and set up in her front yard, which is now located in 5 Points- Southside.
In a nutshell, it's basically a yardsale, but with a catch. It's all vintage, reclaimed, or re-purposed items with a function!

Here's a tiny portion of some fabulous finds from last year!

With that in mind, this year is going to be BIGGER and BETTER! Industrial Chic Furniture, re-purposed window art, architectural crosses, ski nostalgia, and vintage, vintage, vintage! Here's a sneak peak at some of the fantastic handmade items:



Hand made jewlery by Rebekah Blocher (rebekahblcher.blogspot.com) I mean, they are to die for... well, almost!



Taylor and Jeslyn Anderson have created chalkboards out of out windows pieced with reclaimed wooden trim, pillars, and metal!


Need some storage? How about an old card index file from Rachael's collection?


Maybe a coat rack made form old molding or a candle holder made of molding and mason jars?


Soulful Silhouettes by Yours Truely!


Vintage Books! This is a great way to add color and pattern to any room~



And my absolute favorite: Hanging Light Fixtures made of old screen doors and coffee sacks by Jay and Graham Yelton!

There are so many wonderful things that I could show you, but you will have to wait and see for yourself! Come visit Roadside Relics Saturday May 1st in Southside. Meet the local vendors and artist and support them. You might just find that special treasure you have been looking for!

Grace and Happy Hunting,
Karen

Mad Men of the Mid-century...

What do you think of when you see this picture? If you are me, then you would think of the popular TV Show "Mad Men." If you did, then you would be completely right in thinking so. That show is based off the mid-century time period (40's-60's), which is actually when these men (above) truly thrived!
Listed from left to right(sitting in their designs): George Nelson, Edward Wormley, Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, Charles Eames, and Jens Risom, where a part of what, we designers, call the Bauhaus Period. Bauhaus was a architecture and design school where these great men lived and studied- becoming geniuses in the design world. They created what we know as the "Modern" look. To this day, their designs have influenced and changed our worlds, our homes, and the way we look at things in more ways than you have probably realized.
With that said, let me show you a little of what they have done. I bet you have seen them hundreds of times and just didn't know!

George Nelson: Bubble Lamps

Coconut Chair

And, most iconic design, The Ball Clock



Edward Wormley:


I love this next one! Check out the couple about to use the sofa bed!


Eero Saarinen: Most famous for his Tulip Chair

However, he was a fantastically influential architect

And, he designed The Gateway Arch in St. Louis!


Harry Bertoia: The Wire Chair



Charles Eames: Charles and Ray Eames- the husband/wife duo- are some of my favorite architects/designers!

The famous Eames Lounge Chair!

Pretty Pastels!


Jens Risom:

He created Prefab vacation homes. You literally bought it in a box, took it home, and built it!

The end result:

Another of his modern architectural designs:


So, there is a tiny bit of designs from a few of the Mad Men of the Mid-century Modern history! They inspire me to keep being creative. You never know who's design will make the history books?
Next time you are antiquing, thrifting, or surfing the web and come across a piece of the above furniture, think of where and who it came from and how that one design has influenced our lives in our homes and hearts for centuries(and more to come!)

Happy Hunting,
Karen

Burlap...not too shabby

We LOVE burlap! Burlap is a very versatile fabric that can add dimension, texture and interest to your space. This fabric has gained popularity since the days when it was only used as grain and coffee sacks (even though we love those too). It can now be seen as furniture upholstery, table linens, accent bedding, and drapery fabrics. The great thing about burlap is that is can be added to any space no matter what the style or decor. It goes well with fun and funky fabrics as well as traditional silks. The best thing about burlap is that it is cheap, cheap, cheap! It can be found for as low as $1.50 a yard!!! At that price, it's a trend you can easily incorporate into any space.

You can recover a chair seat with plain burlap or grain sacks



Add texture to a table with a burlap table runner



Use a variety of coffee and grain sacks to cover a padded cube ottoman for a contemporary edge



Or add plain burlap with a ruffle edge for a sweet little seat



Stenciled burlap throw pillows are a great addition to a comfy sofa



Full length burlap draperies add a dramatic and luxurious feel to a space for a fraction of the price of other fabrics



The easiest way to use burlap is to cover a bulletin board. Simply attached the fabric with upholstery tacks for a great finished look



This fabric is easy to work with and you really can't go wrong wherever you use it. I hope this inspires you to use and love burlap like we do!

~ Cassie

What can you eat on, wash, and use as art?

Plates. Yep. Plates!

I don't know why I have a fascination with them, but I do. And the possibilities are endless. Here's a few ideas.

Blue Plate Special! Arrange plates with the same color or style.

Have a cluster of prints or designs you like!


Find some old china (flea markets, thrift stores, antique stores, grandma's house), get some letter transfers from your local Hobby store, and then get creative!

If you are out and find one plate that doesn't match anything else, why not make a collage out of all the fun prints?!

This is my favorite! If you are like me, I find things that speak to me and keep them lying around. Plates can be part of conversational art piece. Take the old and the new and mix it up! You never know what you might get....


Have fun,
Karen

The Look for Less

Lighting is very important to the design of any room. The right lighting sets the mood and adds dimension to a space. Lamps are especially important to light a space and also add to the decor. I had been searching for a silver ball lamp for my bedroom, but I did not want to spend a lot for the look. After months of shopping around, I came across the perfect lamp at TJ Maxx for only $25!! If you have never ventured in this store, you must make a trip. I love to shop the closeout stores to find great deals. TJ Maxx, Homegoods, Marshalls and Stein Mart are my favorites. You can find great linens, rugs, home decor and even furniture. You really don't have to pay the big bucks to achieve that perfect look.

Happy shopping ~ Cassie


Compare this lamp at Macy's for $210


My $25 lamp from TJ Maxx, looks similar enough to the lamp from Macy's to achieve the same look!

Retro Desk Chair

My project last week was very interesting!
As, you designers know, Steelcase is a common manufacture we see, sell, and specify today. With that in mind, I had not done my research very well. Apparently the fun, retro Steelcase items are everywhere. I had no idea until I got the heavy metal chair home and looked it up!
So, I was thrifting (shopping the local thrift stores) when I came across a desk chair. This type is super easy to come by. You see them all the time. Anyways, I inspected it, sat in it, and then gave it a good test drive. It was to my satisfaction- and at $10 I couldn't pass it up!
The chair was not in bad condition. The way office furniture was built back then usually lends to a very sturdy, long-lasting piece. You would have to torture it to break it. So, the only down fall to it was that the finishes were outdated.
DON'T FRET PEOPLE. This is one of the easiest solutions. We are going to have to learn in this hard economy to start being practical. If it is functional, in good shape, and you can use it, BUY IT! New paint and sometimes fabric (this applies to anything) can go a long way. Learn to look at the lines or the physical shape of whatever piece of furniture you are looking at purchasing. Try not to look at the outdated finishes, stains, or the usual wear/tare. That can be fixed!
So, I got it home, took it apart, very easily I might add, and painted it silver. Found some left over fabric from a pillow project and simply recovered the existing black leather. Put it back together and WALLAH- a "NEW" chair!
IT'S REALLY THAT SIMPLY, GUYS! Don't be intimidated. You never know what you can do with a little imagination?!


Before:


Before Paint:


After:


Have fun guys,
~Karen