Sunday, January 29, 2012

Upcycled Plant Tables



Since my recent fail at a plant table I have been looking for ideas to make my table more sturdy. I like this old treadle sewing machine base with a custom top made from metal flashing and vintage wood blocks. The red paint really makes it zing.



I don't see any reason why these suitcase tables couldn't be used as a plant stand. I would pick a quirky plant to keep with the theme.



How lovely is this ladder plant stand? I like that it's painted a pretty blue. Makes me wish I had a corner like this too.



I would totally use this desk as a plant table, like the legs and narrow top. It's supposed to be a diy, but they seem to skim over the how on the site. Anyway,
I need to fix what I have.



I like this funky plant stand/ bric a brac holder and it's quirky charm.



I love this trio of stools, they could take the weight of my slab of wood. This is the idea I'm going with and I've been looking for some stools that are interesting. I've been going to thrift stores and watching craigslist, they haven't turned up yet, but it's just a matter of time, right?

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Plant Table Saga


Today I tell the sorry tale of the plant table saga. The story begins with some hens and chicks succulents I had in pots on the deck outside, but never got into the ground before the cold weather came. I decided to pot them inside for the winter. 

There were so many hens and chicks that I bought some other types of succulents to mix it up a bit. This created several pots with some hens and chicks still left over. I forgot to mention that when I was buying the other types of succulents I found a cute little norfolk pine that I also purchased. This led to a crafty project of revamping a worn planter that you can view here. Plus, when my brother was coming to visit he was going to bring me a Christmas cactus, but later changed his mind and didn't. So I decided I wanted one and went out and bought one.

Now I have a lot of plants and a plant table was very much needed. After researching my budget I decided to make one. My complicated plan involved a slab of lumber on top and legs underneath. (Sorry if this is long, but I've never known a saga to be short.) Sooo, after looking and looking I found these legs at my local UW Swap shop for under $10.




I liked the look of these legs that just needed a cleaning. So I removed the legs from the table top and set to looking for a slab of wood. I wanted a length of six feet to fit under the window in our den which faces south and gets really good sun. I went to Home Depot, but decided against new wood. After searching craigslist for a while I found someone who was selling old wood bleacher tops!
I paid $10 and the seller even cut it to length for me. I was in business!


To my dismay I discovered that my table legs were too wide for my slab of wood. Gak! So I looked and looked for different table legs (second hand of course). This took weeks. I finally found some at our local Dig n' Save (they're not kidding).


Here they are, quite different than the first, but I like them. All they need is a cleaning and to be mounted.


Anxious to start I didn't bother to pick up or close the closet door before taking a photo. There is my slab of wood and one of the legs. Tools are at the ready, let's do it!


Here we see my handiwork - this girl knows her way around a drill and a screwdriver! Since my table is six feet long I put this extra support in the middle.
Clever, yes? See how well I measured and centered it? That's great, because I had to remove it and put two legs in the middle as the table was wobbly. With a sore arm from 28 screws and an ominous feeling that something was awry, my daughter and I turned it over and set it on the floor. It was still wobbly. My mood went from pissed off disheartened to dark. Please don't talk to me right now. 


I put the plants on it anyway, it looks great, but IT IS WOBBLY. Its fine until someone accidentally bumps into it. And in this house, someone will - my plants are not safe. The legs are steel and on tight, but the problem is aerodynamic. I can look at it as an engineering lesson I guess...

My next thought is to find three identical wood stools (used) and mount them under the slab for legs instead. Unless anyone out there has suggestions for making this table stable? I would appreciate any ideas. I will let you know how this saga ends. I think I'll call it "The Expensive Plant Table and Why Can't Anything Be Simple?"

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Mid Century Plates

It's my belief that just like shoes, you can't have too many plates. And some of the reasons for indulging are the same too - functionality, different seasons, occasions, holidays. Here are some beauties I found while perusing online.


The Wary Meyers Shop

I like these Bennigton Pottery Appetizer plates, the colors are great too!


Mid Century Mania

I think these Narumi Tango pattern plates are my favorite



Wooden donkey

Wooden donkey has many objects that could happily come my way, like this Arabia of Finland cheese plate.

Relique


If I had these Georges Briard Strawberry Trays I would hang them on the wall.

SPECKLESS

I have to admit I didn't know what these plates were for when I first saw them. Now that I know they are fondue plates, the design makes sense!

ETSY SPOT

If I had this atomic design platter I would use it a lot for entertaining

Gone Thrifting

Here are a couple plates I thrifted and posted about.

The Wary Meyers Shop

The Wary Meyers Shop has nothing but great stuff on their site and this italian Progetti platter is no exception.
MID-CENTURIA

This artistic plate is display worthy


antiques.estates

I like the color and pattern of these dessert plates and cups - wouldn't tea and scones look great on them?
lisa congdon

Lisa Congdon displays her mid century kitchenware from Scandinavia and Japan. It looks so bright and modern, especially on white. This makes the collecting even more fun!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Liquor Cabinet

I've been looking for a liquor cabinet/sideboard to put in my living room.A cabinet with an air of sophistication - one that Frank and the rest of the Rat Pack would be at home with. 
Not too much has turned up on my local craigslist, so I decided to take a look on ebay. BTW, I'm in looking and thinking stage, not the affording stage.



emar9788
This one is a beauty with a price of $140.00, but is a pick-up only in Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey. Too far for this Wisconsin girl.

vintagewayfurniture


What I really need is something more like this to house my glassware. We actually don't have very much liquor in our house. Teenage son, need I say more?


This cabinet is swank and sophisticated, but too short on storage for my needs. It's gorgeous, but also very expensive.


I could live with this, it's got a good mid century vibe going. Looks like it would store a lot of glassware too.


This lovely sideboard/buffet is a buy it now for $50.00, gak! But a pickup only in Weatherford, Texas. That's a long drive from Wisconsin. Well, it's not exactly what I need, but a steal nonetheless. (I'm so easily distracted.)


This is very nice. But I'm quickly realizing my champagne taste and beer budget mean that I'm going to have to save my pennies awhile lot longer.


papermuscle

Now this I like. Look at the legs on this piece. Lots of storage and presence galore. The price is fair, but a local pickup again, this time in St. Louis, Missouri. 

I actually drove to St. Louis last spring to pick up a pair of steel barrister bookcases I won in a ebay auction. I did the round trip in a day, so exhausting. It was worth it - you can't find them around here and I got a great price as the University was selling them and not a dealer. 


Here they are, I use them to house my collection of children's picture books that I use in my other blog, The Art of Children's Picture Books


This walnut sideboard is great, love the design, but sadly too rich for my blood.



Would I buy this gorgeous lacquer and lucite buffet if I had the money? Hell yes! But then the rest of my living room would look frumpy.



This Paul Laslo sideboard is a dream too, especially at $2375.00


This gorgeous exotic wood sideboard can be yours for $5600.00, because it can't be mine. I'll bet old Blue Eyes would have liked this one too.