3 DIY Vase Projects for Spring Flowers

I have a massive forsythia bush at the edge of my driveway that looks as if it has remained untrimmed for years, which is a good thing in my book. I moved into my home in July so I’m still getting to know the landscape and all of its trees and plantings. I haven’t seen this forsythia in bloom, but I’ve been looking forward to it for eight months and from the few specs of yellow I spy from my kitchen window, the explosion of color is imminent. And I am so excited.

Grace did a gorgeous roundup of handmade vases a few weeks ago that inspired me to create my own “in the stores now” roundup and now I’m on the hunt for DIY vase projects so I can choose carefully from all price points. Last Friday in our newsletter, I addressed the issue of “affordability” and asked our newsletter readers to chime in and help me process my thoughts on the issue with other opinions, thoughts and circumstances.

The response was overwhelming and the responses were varied, thoughtful and insightful. If you’d like to join that conversation, but aren’t a newsletter subscriber, you can click here to read the “Affordability” edition of the newsletter. You can help me with my dilemma around the issue and either chime in here in the comments section or follow the link in the newsletter to send your thoughts directly to my email. I’d love to hear from more of our audience on the subject and I feel like this conversation will make its way to this site soon.

In the meantime, I’ve decided to try to DIY before I buy and these three projects require minimal time, skill and investment. I always schedule time on the weekend to work with my daughter on some type of creative project, and our about-to-burst forsythia has us excited to tackle at least one of these projects this weekend.

First up is a very simple and fun take on the bud vase, which holds such a special place in my heart because it reminds me of my grandmother. My daughter and I might create this project first for the sole reason that it involves puffy paint. I’ve always poo-poo’ed puffy paint, but this seems like a practical use of such a strange product. Thanks to Erica from P.S. I Made This for this nostalgic DIY!

Click through for this vase DIY and two more in more modern styles that are completely doable in an afternoon! –Caitlin

Images above: 1. Forsythia suspensa illustrated by L. van Houtte in 1845 & included in Flore des serres et des jardin de l’Eurpoe, Volume 12. Via plantillustrations.org // 2. Narrow beaded vase by Frances Palmer // 3. Erica’s Faux Porcelain Vase DIY

I had to include a shot of the puffy paint part of this DIY! You can find the full instructions right here.

If you’re into to more sculptural forms, this copper vase DIY is right up your alley. It’s kind of an entryway showstopper.

Get the full instructions for this beauty right here.

And finally, if you’d like to have a permanent place for fresh or dried flowers, this mounted wine bottle vase is a clean, modern take, perfect for a bathroom, above a nightstand or perhaps next to the kitchen sink. Experimenting with different bottles and sizes seems completely appropriate here to customize this project for your space.

from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2017/03/3-diy-vase-projects.html

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/157869097679

Caavo Intelligently Simplifies Home Entertainment

Caavo aims to be to your home entertainment set up as Marie Kondo is to your closet: an all-on-one eight HDMI input solution that magically tidies everything up at the touch of a button or using a voice-activated remote or using an Alexa-powered Echo or Dot connection.

So what exactly problem does this 4K-compatible device solve? Engineered by the minds behind Slingbox, Jawbone, Harman, Dish, and Xbox, the handsomely wood top finished media controller box is an AI/Android-powered gatekeeper, automatically unifying the disparate components normally connected to a television into a singular experience – streaming media boxes, consoles, Blu-ray players, cable television.

Anything connected to Caavo automatically becomes accessible and controllable via a streamlined interface and single remote control – regardless whether your binging preference is served via Amazon Prime, Netflix, HBO, Hulu, or one of the myriad of streaming services. Caavo hopes to seamlessly serve content in plug-and-play fashion, an experience further supplemented with a voice-activated controller that operates like a microphone. Just ask it to watch a program and Caavo’s Android-powered AI will find and deliver content.

Launching with Alexa compatibility, Caava’s voice activation will later invite users partial to Google Assistant and Siri. The remote shares similarity with Apple TV’s remote, with the addition of more controls.

One of four different wood finishes cover the underside of the remote, complementing the main device top. Caavo’s designers seem to have been inspired more by furniture than the usual tech gear design language.

• Auto Detect. Plug in whatever device – AppleTV, Roku, FireTV, cable and satellite and gaming – into any port and Caavo configures it.
• Unified Control. A single simple remote controls pay TV, streaming and gaming (plus, compatibility with game controllers and old remotes).
• On-Command TV. Speak into the Caavo remote, and your TV turns on, finds what you want to watch and plays from wherever you left off.
• Universal Search. Search once for a show or movie and find it across all your content, including pay TV.
• Universal Watchlists. See everything you’ve recently watched, organized onto one screen sorted by service.
• Total access. Find all your favorite apps and services together in one place. Everything from iTunes to Netflix to Amazon Prime is there, side-by-side.

Ultimately, Caavo is a niche premium neutral node aimed at discerning home theater enthusiasts seeking to streamline their viewing experience to its most simple and accessible conclusion (and willing to part with $399). Caavo recognizes which streaming services are attached to which device, allowing for easy stop/continuation viewing), thus eliminating the need to juggle between remotes and streaming services.

Whether viewers will prioritize simplicity at this premium is yet to be determined, but it’s undeniably Caavo’s team has identified the need to unify what we watch into a unified experience in a time when many of us subscribe to numerous services, ultimately reserving viewers with the nightly perplexing question only they can answer: “What should we watch?”

from Design MilkDesign Milk http://design-milk.com/caavo-simplifies-home-entertainment/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/157867566524

Balance Lamp by Victor Castanera

The Balance light appears to carefully suspend a series of spheres, almost as if time has stopped and they were caught in mid-action rolling down the sloped slats. Victor Castanera paid thoughtful attention to material choices when designing Balance so the lamp would stay, well, in perfect balance. Designed for Oblure, the light will add a feeling of playfulness and will keep your curiosity piqued as to how it stays in place.

Balance combines a heavy black marble base with handblown glass and metal spheres atop steel boards. Custom LEDs were designed to spread light evenly and to last a long time.

Balance also comes in a brass version, if you prefer.

from Design MilkDesign Milk http://design-milk.com/balance-lamp-by-victor-castanera/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/157867566259

A California Family Sacrifices Square Footage for Soul

Oftentimes we’re led to believe the bigger the home, the better. Grand staircases, chef-worthy kitchens and walk-in closets are what we’re all supposed to long for, right? I’ll admit I’ve occasionally fallen victim to this “keeping up with the Joneses” virtue of more, but I have to say it’s absolutely exhausting. So much so, I’ve begun to prioritize something totally different. Lately, I long for a house I can craft into my very own and a space that feels safe — no matter the size.

Like me, Shavonda Gardner is one homeowner who isn’t afraid to trade in a sizable home for one she can inject with some soul. Two years ago she convinced her partner Naomi to cut their square footage in half in order for them to snag a new house with more character, a cozy vibe and projects she could sink her teeth into. Luckily, right before closing on a house they admittedly weren’t crazy about, a 40s-era bungalow in Sacramento, CA that needed the perfect amount of love popped onto the market. They snagged it real quick.

Soon after moving in they kicked off the rehab, totally gutting the kitchen and den. Black-and-white tile, new butcher block countertops and shiny new fixtures sit pretty in the cottage-inspired space now. Open shelving even shows off some colorful accessories, and a unique stair-step tile backsplash gives anyone cooking something eye-catching to gaze upon. Like the kitchen, the home’s outdated den was also stripped down to its core. With little use for a second living area and in desperate need of more bedrooms, Shavonda and Naomi claimed it for themselves. It now serves as their owners’ suite and features a global mix of colorful, thrifted finds including stellar drapery and rich textiles.

As you’ll see, their bedroom isn’t the only space to be peppered with eclectic, patterned goods. Every other room in the quaint home — from the living, dining and even the back porch — is adorned with something unique. At the end of the day, the couple tells us that decorating and layering with these little additions has made an undeniable difference in how at home they and their two children feel in their new house. It’s been so successful, in fact, the couple works every day to find new ways to beautifully fit double the square footage, twice the number of bedrooms and three times the number of bathrooms worth of style into their new Golden State abode. Click through to take a peek and enjoy! —Garrett

Photography by Shavonda Gardner

from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2017/03/a-california-family-sacrifices-square-footage-for-soul.html

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/157867545304

Desktop Wallpaper: March 2017

“When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge.” – Tuli Kupferberg

Shattered Light wallpaper is one of several inspiring printed wallpaper designs in a collection created by Toronto-based wallpaper innovator Rollout, in collaboration with BC artist and designer, Brent Comber.

The pattern is derived from the original LED light embedded wood installation by the artist, who is known for creating large and vivid constructions made with salvaged wood pieces from west coast forests. The imagery itself hints at alternate possibilities, appearing as a disjointed collection of shapes and light, it is a pattern broken to reveal hidden light.

The original artwork was photographed to be prepared by Rollout for use as commercial wallpaper. By working with Rollout to produce the wallpapers in this collection, Comber is empowered to exploit digital technology to effectively uncover textures and nuances in his woodwork, to explore light, shadow, depth and scale as it relates to architectural interiors, revealing new narratives around familiar natural imagery.

Click on the size below to download:

DESKTOP: 1024×768 \\ 1280×1024 \\ 1680×1050 \\ 1900×1200 \\ 2560×1440

MOBILE: iPhone 6 \\ iPhone 6 Plus \\ iPad

See more of Rollout’s wallpaper at here and Brent Comber’s work here.

View and download past Designer Desktops here.

from Design MilkDesign Milk http://design-milk.com/desktop-wallpaper-march-2017/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/157865581784

15 Rugs To Swoon Over

One of my favorite things to do when I need a pick-me-up is to scroll through the amazing photos you all share in the #DSNiceRug feed on Instagram. I love it mainly because it’s a color and texture fest, but also because I like seeing if people can come up with creative ways to display huge rugs outside of the “hold it up in front of your face” style that most rugs and posters are photographed in. Today I’m sharing 15 of my favorites that make me want to drop everything and head to the nearest vintage store or flea market to see what sort of treasures are hidden in stacks just waiting to be discovered. xo, grace

Image above by @hamletinteriors

Image above by @anson_london

Image above by @allisonlindinteriors

Image above by @carlaypage at @hamletinteriors

Image above by @carlaypage

Image above by @graybenko

Image above by @katandmaouche

Image above by @katiehodgesdesign

Image above by @luloomlife

Image above by @morugco

Image above by @morugco

Image above by @retrodentulsa

Image above by @shage.co

Image above by @simply.bohemian

Image above by @territorydesign

from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2017/03/15-rugs-to-swoon-over.html

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/157865454079

Philippe Starck Reimagines the Director’s Chair for Magis

The director’s chair has been around for ages with little to no changes in design… until now. Philippe Starck takes the design for a spin and reimagines it for Magis with a little help from technology. Stanley combines a single, scissor-cross support system made of fiberglass-reinforced polypropylene with a seat and back in a high-performance fabric that results in a fresh new approach to a universally used chair.

Stanley works both indoors and out and in various situations, thanks to its durability. It happens to be the first folding chair that’s passed the highest level strength and stability tests offered on either side of the Atlantic Ocean.

from Design MilkDesign Milk http://design-milk.com/philippe-starck-reimagines-the-directors-chair-for-magis/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/157862220979