Now, you just have to love someone who calls themselves “The Crazy Belt Lady“, don’t you think?

And just as the name implies, Leslie Dickinson is crazy about belts.  Lots and lots of old belts – all woven together to form the seating for chairs she has refurbished.

I swear I see one of the of the funky black leather belts I used to wear back in college… Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes a company’s product is difficult to define: I had this trouble while browsing Tim Leefeldt’s RailroadWare website.  Is it rustic?  Industrial?  Modern?  Nostalgic?  Well, take a look.

You decide.

There’s simplicity in these glass and steel designs, a clean look, one that’s versatile enough to be used in any number of decoration schemes.  I think they would complement just about any setting.

As much as possible, the materials are reclaimed objects.  Old glass & ceramic insulators, traffic light lenses, and hardened steel parts – the clips, spikes, and random hardware so abundant along unused rail lines – all hand-gathered by the artist and repurposed into lighting, door & cabinet hardware, and home furnishings. Read the rest of this entry »

First off, I’d just like to say a big THANK YOU to all of our wonderful veterans out there!  We wish you a very happy Veteran’s Day!

In honor of the day, here are a couple of wonderful, recycled Army blanket pillows I thought you might like to take a look at.

Created by Etsy seller Shop at Ten, these pillows are made from old Army blankets that are then hand felted with fun new patterns.

Here, a series of patches added to the blanket over time were surrounded with colorful, needle-felted roving, becoming a wonderful pattern of irregular squares.  What many would see as a flaw has instead become an inspired design.

You can see more of Shop at Ten’s work here.

Thanks for visiting – and don’t forget to give a Veteran a hug today.  They deserve it, and so much more!

Rachel

The perfect fall accessory…

Created by Etsy seller Ann Tucker, of The Lavendar Tree, out of a recycled wool blanket and recycled leather scraps, this pillow was tailor made for life on a cozy sofa in front of the fireplace, don’t you think?

Cut and stitched to the pillow by hand, the leather rosettes provide just the right balance of randomness to the regimented nature of the stripes.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you are in the SoCal area in November, you couldn’t find a better thing to do than go see The Dunnage Show at Inheritance.  A collaboration of all the members of L.A. Box Collective, the exhibit will showcase what happened to 12 tons of dunnage – headed to the landfill – when this creative group of master woodworkers got hold of it.  Expect amazing pieces of furniture and accessories, if their previous work is anything to go by!

Place:  Inheritance – 8055 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048-4517  ph (323) 658-6756

Date: Opening reception November 3rd, 2011 from 7-10PM

RSVP: BoxCoEvents@gmail.com

I just returned from a brief (but fun) business trip to San Francisco, and once again I remember why I love to travel.  Seeing new places, making new friends, and getting out of my daily routine are so invigorating to me.  Now all I can think about are the places I want to go next!

Since I have such a severe case of wanderlust, I thought it appropriate to make this week’s “Etsy Find” a globe and map themed one.  Enjoy!

Map covered wooden chair by New Yorganize.

Collier’s 1935 Map Drawer Pulls by Sherry Truitt

Read the rest of this entry »

We have a cold weather system inching it’s way across our (previously) sunny Southern California skies today.  I realize that for many of you the fact that we are ready to break out the sweaters because the high will only be 68 degrees today seems a bit, well,… laughable.  After all, it’s October and many of you are already in the,…

Oh wait.  I just looked it up.  Almost EVERYONE in the U.S. is experiencing weather in the 60-70 range today.  Minneapolis, MN is in the EIGHTIES!  WHAT???

Now I lost my train of thought…..

Oh yeah.  So anyway, I’m sure that soon (real soon now – right?) areas of the country will be getting that first taste of crisp autumn air, and what better way to stay stylishly warm than these handsome Eco Blankets by Happy Habitat!

These fetching throws were woven in the U.S. from 80% recycled cotton, and are available in four patterns, and four colors: Paprika, Mushroom, Ochre, or Cerulean.

But wait, there’s more!

Read the rest of this entry »

Looking for that pop of color and graphic appeal for a room?  Check this out…

This fun little table was created out of a recycled traffic sign by Etsy seller J Ryde Visuals.

This table would be perfect for what my parents refer to as a “drink stand”.   You know, that place you put your cup of coffee in the morning while you curl up in your chair reading the paper,… on your iPad.  Read the rest of this entry »

Although having your own business has many perks – making your own hours being a major one – there is a big downside in that if you get sick, there is no one who can really take on your workload until you get better.  I found that out the hard way this year, when I became very ill in January, an illness which left me functioning at about 50% for most of the rest of this year.  Not good!

Happily, my doctors have figured out how to bring me back to 100%.  I feel GREAT!

Now comes the tough part – getting caught up!  So, in the interest of keeping my clients, editors, friends and family happy, today’s post is short.

Really short….

Behold!

My current favorite tile.  Oceanside Glasstile’s Muse Ovation in Tidepool.

The End.

Thanks for visiting,

Rachel

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).

The Big O Console by The Steel Fork

Vice Versa Bench by UTD

Read the rest of this entry »