Found "treasures"

part of an old light fixture

OK, so I love when I find something unusual and it turns out to be something that I love! I was in the Habitat for Humanity ReStore last week and found this great frame from an old lighting fixture for just $3. The globe was broken so I just opted to take the ring and not the fixture part, but my idea was to make it a mirror frame. I had seen some little round mirrors at Tai Pan Trading in Sandy, UT, but when I went back to get the mirror I was sure would fit... it didn't!

I'm glad it didn't because I like it better for what I found while exploring... I like the idea of multi-functional items so I got a few different options. Now, the best idea we (Derya & I) had there was to take photos of each option in the store, then we could choose which one we like best!

a terra cotta pot - $16.99

A clear glass vase - $12.99

Clear candle plate - $.98

Dessert plate - $.97

I love the way it looks with the terra cotta pot, it makes a great base and elevates the pot just a bit! There are so many different pots, urns and vases that are somewhat rustic and the frame gives it an elegant feel.

The simple clear candle plate was so inexpensive, but with the frame... terrific! This could hold up to an eight inch candle or several candles clustered, where can you get a great candle holder for just four bucks? No where!

Next, for about the same price as the candle plate is the small dessert plate.. and how cute would this be with a cute little cake or cookies at a party? There were also some great domed covers that would add a lovely touch to this pairing. The best part is that it's not an old light fixture anymore, it's a great cake stand/dessert tray!

Now, my favorite and the one I have now sitting on my kitchen counter is the glass vase! I love the simple cylinder and the frame is just like icing on a cake! I have it now with candles in it, but I will fill it with Christmas ornaments, decorative orbs, vase fillers and a candle and, of course, flowers!

So, let's say this is not exactly your style? This would also be great painted white or off white and sanded off a bit on the edges for a great shabby chic look, or paint it black for a dramatic look in more contemporary settings.

This one is made of cast iron (antique I think), and it's very heavy, but newer lights are made of brushed nickel or other materials that might work with your decor... keep your eyes open and if you find another idea to do with old light fixture parts... please share! I'm excited and inspired and will definitely be looking for more old lights and making more cool accessories with them!

Updates on some old posts...

If you've followed for a while you know there are some posts that need a little follow up, so here goes...

* I was looking for a great website to find all sorts of cabinet and furniture hardware and promised to share with you, well here it is... knobsandhardware.com ... they have a great selection and the prices are pretty reasonable! I think you'll find anything you could need there, including inspiration even if you aren't in the market for new hardware!

* My parents' house is coming along nicely, not as fast as progress was going before, but it is all in the dry and weather tight enough to make it through the winter and that was the big "push" when I was there. I will post photos as soon as I get some, I've got to depend on my parents to send photos and they are busy working on the house, not taking pictures!

* Amber's master bedroom is in progress still, with the holidays and other home improvement projects she had on her plate, the final details are taking a while coming together, she has promised she'll send photos as soon as it is all in place... hurry Amber, we're all as anxious as you are to see it come to fruition!

* Volunteers needed for house tours... I've got one and will be working on getting photos and completing an interview with her about the home she and her husband built themselves, how they decided on style and design and what, if anything, they'd do differently if they had it to do over... watch for this upcoming! AND! if you're interested in sharing your home with us, your design successes and not-so-successful attempts, then please contact me, I'd love to not only share your home with everyone, but give you some advice or ideas to improve your space!

I think this just about catches up the loose ends I left over from 2010. If there is anything else I left you hanging on, please send me a note or post a comment! I want to hear from everyone who reads my blog, sometimes it's like I'm talking to myself here! :)

..... gotta get to my real work now.... have a great day!

Things I Love!

Today I thought I'd share photos of things I love and great things I've found lately...

The Green Ant - a great Mid-Century Modern/vintage store across the block from my condo... they have wonderful pieces and a fantastic owner who I enjoyed meeting as much as finding the store!

Hand Chair from mid 1960s *

The Marshmallow Sofa *

Swan Chair by Arne Jacobsen 1959 *

The Wiggle Chair *        




The great things about this type of furniture is that it is not only a piece of furniture it is art and most of them are still being produced today!

I, personally, am a huge fan of Mid-Century furniture, accessories and architecture. My favorite chair is an Eames Lounge Chair which has been in production since the 1940s by Herman Miller. This chair is not cheap, it's like investing in a good used car, but the up side is... this chair holds it's value. I saw one at The Green Ant for $3200! Actually increased in value since it was purchased! And, they are sooo comfortable!

The Wiggle Chair by Frank Gehry is now being produced by Vitra. Again, not cheap, but these are investment pieces and a part of history as well. Most of my favorite Mid-Century designers are architects as well, and so I'm equally as taken with their building designs.

If you have followed me for a little while, you know that I had planned a trip to see Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Wisconsin in November. Because of bad weather I had to forego that plan for now, but will be going back to NC in May for a reunion and hope to be able to make that part of the trip then.

If you are a Mid-Century (M-C) fan like I am, then I recommend you check out these publications/books...


    


Even if you aren't a big fan of M-C fan like I am, find your style and then research the origins of that style and who the main "players" were in the design of your style. Once you know what you like and who you like, you'll find it easier to pick furnishings and accessories for your spaces!

*these photos were taken at the Kirkland Museum in Denver, Colorado, but similar pieces are at The Green Ant. 

Feeling Less than Inspired

So, I'd been feeling a little "uninspired" lately! So,  I've been going out almost every day and exploring my new city with my new friend Derya Aksoy. We've visited tons of great vintage shops and antique stores, thrift stores and consignment shops and we've seen tons of cool things! But I'm feeling sad because I have such a small space and no where to do crafty things, or to store great finds and I want so badly to be creative.

Derya is a jewelry designer and makes gorgeous one-of-a-kind pieces. She's just moved to SLC as well, (her husband and Perry work for the same company) and is having a bit of a struggle while living in temporary digs, like me. So, we've been on the hunt for creative outlets!

Turkish Coffee Set

We've had some wonderful adventures around town finding our favorite coffee shops, our favorite places to shop and eat. One of those places is The Copper Onion which is not only our favorite restaurant so far, but also has the best coffee. And that started...

...a sort of  "coffee pilgrimage". There we discovered Caffe Ibis a Utah coffee company and we LOVE it! We bought french coffee presses at Ikea and watched a youtube.com video of how to make the coffee so we could enjoy it at home!

Derya has introduced me to Turkish Coffee and a friend of hers from Turkey sent me a coffee set! Now, I'm not saying this is going to replace other coffees for me, it is quite strong, but I did love "reading" the coffee grounds afterward! Talk about creativity!

I've done some fairly creative things with "photography" (which doesn't take a lot of room in the condo, but is eating up the memory in my computer; gotta get an external hard drive!) Derya also introduced me to picnik.com, which is a photo editing website and it is so simple, anyone can create great photos! I'm working on a website to display my photography, will post again when it is complete, I never realized how many photos I take!

"recycled" necklace

One of the most fun things I've done is work with Derya on a necklace that I wore on Christmas Eve. We made it from an old necklace, a brooch, and plastic trash bags!

This, along with visiting a few vintage clothing stores and seeing the beautiful vintage ladies hats has given me a new idea. I am going to attempt to create lampshades with a "vintage milliner" feel.

I had to find a way to combine the inspirations I've seen into the passion for decor that I already possess. I haven't started the lampshade projects yet, but have purchased a few old lamps and shades from thrift shops to begin with. My goal is to make these projects from mostly reclaimed or vintage materials, so I'm gathering bits and pieces together and will definitely share more when I get something completed!

So, with these projects I've got a pretty busy next couple of weeks, and will be out and about looking for materials, ideas and inspiration. While this is not really about interior design, it is about living in your surroundings... sometimes what we encounter while out of our homes, can greatly impact how we feel in our homes... and as is my philosophy about interior design... the spaces where you spend your time should feed and rejuvenate your soul! (even if they are not inside your home.)

Happy New Year!

Decking the Halls

My finished tree...

I love this time of year, there is nothing like having the house all decorated up for Christmas. I love sitting around in the evenings listening to holiday music, sipping a warm drink and just stare at the lights ( I would stare at a fire, but I don't have a fireplace).

It doesn't matter whether you live in a cottage at the beach, a cabin in the mountains or a condo in the city; whether your style is country, contemporary, modern or traditional, Christmas trees and lights go with them all! This year in my tiny condo I opted for a sleek, no frills decor on my tree. I have a 9 foot tree, but I left off the bottom section and is only a little over 6 feet now. I have only white lights and blue and silver glass ornaments.

This may go back to the change in my attitude toward accessories, or the small size of my space, but I'm loving the tree without garlands and various ornaments. It just seems to give the tree more importance on it's own. The color palette is also very different for me. I've always used golds, reds, greens and for the past several years some purple with that. However, this year my space has very little color and the accent color is pale blue, so I decided to use the blue for a little bit of a change.

Back in the fall, I wrote about holiday decor that goes with the design of your space. I used this same principle with my Christmas decor as well.


I had these beautiful mercury glass ornaments and I hung them from ribbon on my bedroom door. I usually hang them from the curtain rods in my dining room, but this year I had to be a little more creative. I love the color and texture of these ornaments, so I wasn't about to leave them packed away!

I found these great little dove figurines with the filigree design. I think they are perfect for my bedroom in color and they are "love birds", how wonderful!

While going through my stash of Christmas Decor to see what I had that would work with my new color scheme this year, I was surprised how much silver I already had!  I even found that I had a Santa figurine and hand towels that were mostly teal... who knew?

Because my decor already had so much brushed nickel and silver accents, I didn't have to do much to make it look festive.

You can see more photos of my Christmas decorations and holiday sights I love on my facebook page.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Tree Trimming

Design Happens » Archive » Christmas Countdown: Tree Trimming

photo from HGTV.com 

Today I'm trimming my tree, and I have decided to do it all in light blue and silver or gold (I'll decide when I get to the store and pick out the exact ornaments). I'm only going to put a few ornaments and let the tree be the "star" of the whole design.

I love the tree shown here, I found it at the above link, the blue is the same as in my living room so I'm going to use it as my inspiration, but I have a green tree. I'd love to see your trees or other holiday decor, share them on my facebook page at Regeneration Interiors.

Check out the tree inspirations on HGTV.com at the link above. I'm probably the only person I know who doesn't have their tree up yet, but just in case you're as slow as I am... here's hoping you'll get the tree-trimming-bug! Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

Change of Plans

Well, weather caused us to change our plan to go north on the return to SLC. So we retraced the trip I'd made about a month ago and visited with friends the past two days, but I had to somehow work in some Frank Lloyd Wright time. So, I found a museum in Denver, Colorado that showcases some FLW works.

We visited the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Arts.  I had so much fun seeing pieces of furniture and art; in person; of the many designers I had learned about in school. I sat in a FLW chair and the windows were his designs too! I was sad to see that I had by 3 days missed the Eero Saarinen exhibit. Saarinen is said to have been the most prolific architect of the 20th century. He designed some of the most iconic buildings of his time before the age of 50. He designed the St. Louis Gateway Arch, which is where we were day before yesterday.

Looking forward to getting home for a little while, but am loving the traveling and exploring all of the history and beauty in our wonderful country! I am not on my own computer so I will post photos later, but check out the websites I've linked here. If you are a lover of art and design, you'd love a visit to these places!!