Vintage Friday - The Old Cinema

Lately I have a thing for vintage industrial filing cabinets and banks of drawers - mostly because I'm looking for display material for my store. I love The Old Cinema - they have the most amazing selection of vintage industrial furniture. I also hate them because their stuff is out of my price-range, and its waaaaay too far away (UK)! Oh well. I can still admire - the only problem now is that my standards are way too high! At the very least, I decided to feature the most drool-worthy items today for Vintage Friday, just to give you all something to lust for...

I really want this one....



this one too...

Pure Green Living - Barb from Knack!

I'm really excited for this one today! Its no secret that I love Barb and everything she does at her store...you can see an earlier post I wrote about her fabulous work here. So I was really excited when she agreed to submit some material for Pure Green Living, a series on Pure Green Design that documents individual and unique acts of green. No matter how small, I'm hoping to inspire others to find little ways to make your life greener! So, without any further ado...here's Barb on living green:

"I live in Greenville, SC and run my own little studio called knack where I take pieces of furniture that are unloved and transform or recycle them into useful pieces of art to love and appreciate for years to come. I don't claim to be the best at living green, but this is one small way that I can keep furniture and other recyclables out of the landfill and do my part to help cut down on mass production."

{before}

{after}

She never disappoints with her use of beautiful, nostalgic papers.


Thank you Barb! Be sure to check her out for more green-with-envy shots of upcycled furniture.

If you'd like to make your own contribution to Pure Green Living, no matter how small, contact me - I'd be thrilled!

Left Over DIY - 11 Wallpaper Projects

Ever wonder what to do with the little scraps of wallpaper left-over from a remodel? Maybe you found some great vintage paper in your grandmother's attic? These projects add a little graphic punch to any room, while making the best of waste!

Create a little privacy, or fold it behind the bed for an instant headboard.

Get some discarded plates from a thrift store and update them instantly.

Frame it.
(from AT)

Create custom wastebaskets or magazine holders.

(from Parents)

Adhere paper to plexiglass for easily cleaned but graphic placemats.

(From Parents)

Adhere to glass coasters for instant style.

(From Martha Stewart Living)

Love this one. Make one for each member of the house.

(From Martha Stewart Living)

(From Martha Stewart Living)

This one is classic.

(From Country Living)

Original and Bold.

(From Ferm Living)

Add interest to anything at all.

(From Design*)

* For another wallpapered beauty, check out Barb Blair from Knack tomorrow on Pure Green Living.

Designing Green - Jessica's Glamourous Foursquare

Jessica Helgerson is by far the most inspiring green designer I've ever come across. She's gotten no shortage of coverage in the blogger design world, but I'm surprised that no one has mentioned her green credentials. I'm only too happy to oblige! Jessica is always careful to design homes (along with architect hubby Yianni Doulis) that maximize efficiency and reduce and recycle materials during construction. You may remember her mid-century mod bungalow I posted about a few months ago... well, a trip to her website revealed a pleasant surprise, namely the (green-with-envy) photos you see here. A new project - a remodel of a turn-of-the-century Portland Foursquare for a 'hipster' young couple who wanted a glam home but still wanted to preserve its history. One of this home's green features is locally made sofa's, chairs and other furnishings, as well as a blend of modern and vintage. I love that Jessica has created balance, but its the design tension in the home that grabs you, making such a lasting impression - the ethnic patterns, the dose of contrasting green foliage, black against white, and even the texture she creates by using different materials and unexpected shapes, such as the bubble lamp over the dining room table. Really, really, wonderful.

Green Design - Shipping Containers

Would you ever have guessed?

When I posted last week about Molly Mutt, I said that what I loved best about green living is the ingenuity - the making use of waste materials into something more beautiful. Enter shipping container housing. I'm sure these have made the blog rounds by now, but I couldn't help including them on PGD as well. My jaw literally dropped when I came across them on The Daily Green last week. Amazing! From next gen RV, recreation housing, condos to university rez, architects and designers have proven how versatile and beautiful discarded stuff can be. While I may not choose to live in a metal container, I can appreciate how great they are.


Flip up your walls when you leave and you never have to worry about the cottage again!


The amount of light and space in these homes really amazed me. This one is home to an artist in Scotland.

Backyard Oasis.


Student Rez in Amsterdam - apparently, they love it!

This one's portable - notice the bamboo interior?

Saturday - EARTH HOUR

I just wanted to include a special shout out to Earth hour, tomorrow, March 28, at 8:30p.m. The loudest way we can speak and the quickest way we can change is by doing! Public action is impossible to ignore. This is such as fantastic way to support the Earth in her struggle to support us. Vote for the Earth and turn off your lights for one hour. Take the opportunity to reconnect with your family, play games by candle-light, practice your shadow-puppets and explain to your kids why this is important...click here to show your support. Visit the website to see what else you can do to make Earth Hour '09 a sucess.

Vintage Friday - 3 Potato 4

Its Friday, and I've got more vintage goodies. I came across 3 Potato 4 a year ago or so, and its a special treat to feature them on PGD - I love their stuff. Run by Janet Morales and Stu Eli, 3 Potato 4 is an online shop selling all manner of vintage curiosities: from letterpress stamps and prints, tableware and misc. home décor. "We've always filled our home with things we love and think beautiful stories can be told through the complimentary mix of modern and vintage objects." Couldn't agree more. Be sure to check out their blog too for a glimpse at the couple behind it all.

Love these letterpress handles. Racking my brain to figure what I can use them on!

Fair trade coffee bag by maya*made. Make sure you check out her great blog and etsy shop.

Molly Mutt

Here's what I love about living green: it makes you look at everyday materials and think "how can I use this another way, instead of throwing it out?" It encourages ingenuity and creativity, especially as a green designer! This is the principle behind Molly Mutt and the dog duvet. I was so excited to find this product on Green{Goody}! You can either cover your old bed in the attractive material (and wash it easily), or you can make your own using old clothes, sheets, towels (you get the idea) from around the house, keeping it out of the landfill. You just stick them in the 'stuff sack' and stuff the whole load into the duvet - voila! I'm planning to have my dog at the store, and I needed something good-looking for him to lay on - this is perfect. In fact, I'm hoping to sell them too!