As a young(er) woman, I often thought of someday running off to France to live in an old chateau for a year or so. I’m not sure what I thought I would actually do once I was there – probably eat a lot of pain au chocolat – but I always dreamed of dancing around in a room amidst crumbling plaster and ancient wooden floors.
Ah, let the dancing commence! This lustrous oak herringbone parquet, which might have been reclaimed from a Parisian apartment, country dwelling, or even – be still my heart – a creaky old chateau, is now available in the U.S.!
Imported by Exquisite Surfaces, this antique French oak flooring is not only beautiful and steeped in history, it is also FSC certified!
I love the juxtaposition of centuries old oak boards with sleek, modern walls. Each element enhances the other so well, creating a harmonious whole, don’t you think?
Just catching on to the Steampunk trend in interior design?
"Steampunk Rooster" by Ursulav
Well watch out, because Steampunk’s little cousin Farm Punk is galloping up right behind it!
Fashioned from reclaimed barn wood and discarded bits of farm equipment, farm punk is earthy, rustic and very, very solid. This is furniture that will be around for generations (provided those generations don’t mind moving some seriously heavy stuff around with them!). Take a look at some of the great looking pieces I found (click on an image to see the source).
I love this video, I love that store, and I LOVE the concept. A trip to Japan has been on my mind anyway, but a pilgrimage to Pass the Baton in Tokyo now seems imperative.
I just ran across this rug and had to share. Be prepared to scroll a bit…
If that isn’t a whole lot of vintage Swedish design deliciousness, I don’t know what is! Of course, at 9’8″ x 23′ (!), I’m not really sure how many homes could accommodate it, but I bet it would look amazing in the right setting.
Upcycling is all the rage, and for good reason. Why go out and buy something brand new that is already one of thousands just like it? Wouldn’t you rather have something truly unique?
Like one of these vibrantly colored mirrors by Etsy seller 1848shop?
The bright, playful colors give these vintage mirrors a fresh look and a chance at a new life.
Happy Friday everyone! And happy April Fools’ Day too. Last year, I went all out and posted what I thought was a funny, and pretty obvious, April Fool’s “product”. I’m not sure whether it was too good, or not good enough, but despite the date on the calendar, people took me seriously. So this year, I decided to skip it. Luckily, Inhabitat stepped up to the plate.
So here’s what I was looking at this week:
1. This History of Curtains is a lot more interesting than you might think at first. (design sponge)
2. You should really take a look at these beautiful prints made from pieces of discarded maps. I particularly love the Japanese Crane, especially because part of the proceeds go to Japan disaster relief. (design sponge)
3. You have to check out this crazy collection of taxidermy antiques in London. (Craft)
4. Est is a new online magazine about “global living with an Australian twist”. (desire to inspire)
5. Here’s a store that really takes sustainable living seriously. All of the products in their store are sourced and crafted in the United States from sustainable materials. (Re-nest)
6. I’m in love with this amazing bench crafted from 5000 recycled New York City Metro cards. (Yanko Design)
7. If you’re short on space, one of these 10 convertible dining tables might just help you squeeze in a little more functionality. (Tree hugger)
One of the great things about the current trend for natural textures and surfaces is how beautifully it meshes with the materials used in sustainable design.
Case in point are the beautiful, reclaimed wood furniture pieces available through Redefine Home. By utilizing a greywashed finish on the aged wood, the Emma Dresser (above) manages to be very on trend, in an environmentally friendly manner.
I’m so pleased to tell you about a wonderful new online source for sustainable home decor – Redefine Home!
Just launched today, Redefine Home is the ambitious and amazing interiors shop belonging to Linsi Brownson and her husband David Betz.
Filled with artisan crafts and vintage finds, there is something to please everyone.
Redefine Home sees decorating as an ongoing process, more of a cultivation of things you love and things you need. We strive to offer a collection of beautiful everyday items mixed with one of a kind treasures and furniture designs inspired by just about everything. We recognize that some things are a splurge and some are a steal, and we like it that way. – From the Redefine Home website
We spend a lot of time scouring flea markets for objets d’art to put in our store. When we first started going it was a bit confusing. Everything we saw either seemed to have endless potential or was just a bunch of old crap. We really had no idea what we were looking for. But then we began to ‘hone our craft’ and suddenly things were a lot clearer. I honestly don’t know how that happened. It was like we showed up one day and just knew…
But for the sake of having something relevant to say, I’m going to focus on the part after we just knew. Here are some pointers for finding great deals at a flea market:
1. Give a moment to anything that grabs your attention. After a while things start to blur and you feel like you’ve seen it before (if you frequent the markets you probably have seen it before) but if it makes you turn your head, go take a look. It may be a shiny gem hidden in the rubble. Read the rest of this entry »
To preface tomorrow’s post on finding cool things at flea markets I thought I would share my reasons for spending so much time shopping for “old stuff”‘.
Really, they just don’t make ‘em like they used to. The quality of things made by hand is almost always greater than mass-production. And while we can get artisan made goods these days, the comparative price is vastly different. Today handcrafted products are at a premium – you have to pay to make up for the fact that they could have used a machine and made 10 times as many in the same amount of time. In days past, people were paid a lot less for their work because they required a lot less to live comfortably. These days it basically comes down to price vs quality. A balance is good, but I usually vote quality. Read the rest of this entry »
The interioRevolution is a design blog devoted exclusively to sustainable interior design. Through product reviews, guest blogs by experts in their fields, special features and spirited discussion, the interioRevolution provides new knowledge and expands the dialogue on sustainable interior design.
