Tree Stump Tables

As you may have gathered from my other blog posts, I'm a big fan of furnishings and accessories that can work equally well in traditional and contemporary homes. Tables made from tree stumps fall nicely into this category, in my opinion. In a cottage they're cozy, and in an urban loft they're eclectic. I've spotted enough of these now that I had to blog about them. If you're "stumped" about where to find one, read on.

The tables on the top left are from Pottery Barn and are priced at $199-$299. West Elm (Pottery Barn's cheaper, more contemporary cousin) also offers a natural tree stump side table for $199 (photo top right). Page 38 of the March 2008 Issue of Domino Magazine featured a pricier tree stump stool from ABC Carpet and Home ($1,695, pictured bottom left). (Ah yes, that one must have been made from the stump of the fabled money tree!)

If you're a do-it-yourselfer and you want to "branch" out and make your own tree stump table like the ones in the lower right photo, Martha Stewart offers DIY instructions here.

Three Unconventional Floor Coverings

Sure, gleaming hardwood floors are gorgeous and tile is timeless, but I can't help but appreciate the creativity of these unconventional floor coverings:




















Wine Crates
A Domino Magazine reader sent this photo for inclusion in the "Cheap Tricks" section of the Domino website. What a clever way to repurpose wine crates! I'm a little puzzled by the fact that this is a bathroom floor though--this idea seems more appropriate for a kitchen or a casual dining space to me.















Brown Paper Bags
Kathy Wilson, whose official title is "The Budget Decorator" offers this tutorial on how to create a rustic faux leather floor using torn brown paper bags. She adds that repairing damage to the floor just involves ripping up a new bag!















Recycled Leather Belt Floor Tiles
At $75 /sq.foot, these modular floor tiles from Ting are pricey, but what a neat idea!

Great Money-Saving Tips From This Old House

Looking for ways to save a little moolah on home-related expenses? Check out "50 Nifty Tricks for Big DIY Savings" from This Old House. My favorite was tip #3: keep closet doors closed. Now that's my kind of easy DIY project! Not only will you save $50 per year on energy expenses, but you'll be improving your home's Feng Shui!

Photo Credit: Amy Bell

Calendars as Art-- Cavallini & Co.

This is a good time of year to start sleuthing out 2009 calendar sales. Buying a wall calendar is a great way to purchase a series of frame-worthy prints at a terrific price. The key is to find a calendar that doesn't look like a calendar.

Cavallini & Co. calendars are printed in Italy on heavy ivory laid paper, and they are gorgeous! The large wall calendars are rectangular, rather than square, giving the images a very un-calendar-like "framability". They also offer small desk calendars, which would yield little prints to frame in a series. The vintage nature images are well-suited to a more traditional home, while the vintage travel and city images would be at home in transitional or contemporary settings.

Feast your eyes on their entire 2009 collection here . Photos above are from Calendars.com.

Looking for another use for vintage calendar pages? Here's a lampshade that I covered with a few pages from an old Cavallini calendar.

A "Picnik" in the Dead of Winter!

Picnik is a fabulous, free online photo editing site. It's unique in that there is no need to download a program to your computer (or even sign up for an account for that matter). Users can upload their own images to the Picnik site, edit images directly on the site, and save the newly edited images to their personal computers. The editing tools are a snap to use, and the creative possibilities are virtually limitless! Transform your digital photos into a striking gallery of black and white or sepia images to display in your home, or go beyond the basics to create original works of art by layering text and shapes with fun special effects. I edited my image above using Picnik. Caution: photo editing can be addictive!

Print , Pattern, Paper

I recently stumbled upon Print Pattern Paper, the website of Wisconsin-based artist Rebecca Peragine. Reproductions of her cheerful collages are available for purchase in a number of forms ranging from note card sets to gallery wrapped canvases. These would be so fun in a child's room!

Glass Lamps With Stuff In Them

Lately I've been noticing more and more decor sources offering clear glass lamps designed for displaying small objects (A.K.A "lamps with stuff in them"). If you want to get your very own glass lamp in which to put stuff, here are some possibilities. On the left is Williams-Sonoma's Simon Pearce Nantucket Lamp for $495. (Note that the rocks are not included. Sheesh, what do you expect for a paltry $495?) In the center is Pottery Barn's Atrium Glass Table Lamp for $139. Pottery Barn also offers the Bacchus table and bedside lamps (not pictured), which are also clear glass lamps. On the right you'll find JC Penney's Linden Street Clear Glass Table Lamp for $99.99. Feeling crafty? Make your own pharmacy funnel glass lamp with DIY instructions in Martha Stewart's book, Good Things From Tag Sales and Flea Markets.

DIY Artwork - Butterfly Collage

Looking for a fun, simple weekend project? Check out this striking collage idea from author/designer Ali Edwards. Using a butterfly craft punch and miscellaneous paper--including junk mail (!)--Ali created a work of art that can work in both traditional and contemporary settings. I love the fact that this project can be customized to your color scheme. Fabulous! Images are from Ali's blog.