Archive for the ‘den’ Category

ART & STUFF

Friday, June 10th, 2011

We had to move around some stuff to accommodate a few new pieces, which hopefully I’ll get around to thinking more about soon. A casualty of the updates in the bedroom was the womb chair. It hadn’t fit so well in the den’s previous incarnations, but now with the shorter chesterfield and missing wall unit, this thing fits like a champ. Well, a champ sans the ottoman; the ottoman is surprisingly tall and sadly too big for this small space.

The womb chair is possibly the perfect TV watching chair. So comfy. So lounge-y. So pretty. It’s like a La-Z-Boy with actual aesthetic style.

Slowly an methodically, I’ve been trying to get the den details right. So, why not toss a portrait of a coral lipped gasping lady into the mix?

I procured her gaspyness off Summer during the big sale and it was love at first open-mouthed neck grab.

I’d been looking around for something to throw up on the walls and when the womb came in she just sort of meandered in here as well. I enjoy imagining that she is incredibly offended by what’s on TV, which knowing our taste, is probably pretty offensive.

I’d still like to add a fiddle leaf fig, some more art, a few accessories, maybe paint the top potion of the wall a light gray, add some new pillows, hang the tv and get the desk in order. Lots more still to do as always.

I tend to spend most of my time in the den, working on the computer and such, so I think it’s probable that all the extra exposure has made me laser focus in on this room and overly adjust things to try and get it just right (desperately want this room done and over with so I can relax and stop worrying about it). Apologies for den-palooza as of late, but it’s so hot outside that it’s killing my motivation for outdoor projects.

Also, it’s Friday so that means a couple new things are up in the BHM SHOP. Firstly, an incredible and super rare Sarreid Ltd. brass chest from the 1970’s and Spain. Secondly, a sassy rust colored Milo Baughman swivel club with chrome base and extra comfortablness. Check out these and soon to end items HERE.

I’m actively attempting to keep the less than exciting shop posts to a minimum. Summers are rough around here, they are stupidly hot and energy robbing and make me want to hide inside and ignore all the house projects. Of course things have also gotten super busy and any free time is spent working, trying to cool off or getting as far out of town as possible. Looks like the summer lull might be in full effect for realzzz.

Have a great weekend homies! Eat something super terrible for you and kiss a baby animal. ON THE MOUTH.

POTENCE STYLE DIY LAMP

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

The Potence lamp by Jean Prouvé is one of those elegantly minimalist lighting solutions that appears easier to construct than it actually is. Well, for me at least. I tried and failed, MISERABLY, to build an affordable DIY version for our bedroom and eventually gave up hope. Then? This email popped up brimming with pictures of a homemade version of the Potence that blew me away. Logan of ONEFORTYTHREE had written a comment long, long ago when I first posted about trying to build one of these thangs –

“Logan on February 1, 2011: I like the lamps but you’ve inspired me to try and make that wall lamp. It looks cool but too expensive to consider buying. If I can, YOU can! cause I’m a self-taught DIY’er too.”

Then? He totally f*cking did it. Like a DIY champion. Also, nope – turns out I can’t.

BOOM.

Did I mention that I kind of slobbered all over his emailed pictures and was like ohhh, ahhhh, woooow, you are a master fabricator, you are amazing, it turned out so great, mine failed so miserably…wink wink, nudge nudge.

So, Logan had been building a few of these tester lamps for friends and family while figuring out kinks and streamlining the fabrication process. I somehow ended up being lucky enough to get my hands on not one but TWO of the prototype versions. By unashamed groveling, perhaps?

One white version for the bedroom – which can swivel and swing to illuminate whichever area your heart desires.

And one black version for the den. Both areas we tend to relax, enjoy a good book or perhaps a long game of Words With Friends.

See? It swivels! You use the little wooden handle to move the lamp into position.

I love the detail of the braided cloth cord and handy little on/off switch positioned a little ways down the wiring. Logan worked it out on the little details to keep the lamp sleekly minimal but with areas of warm texture.

Chihuahua for scale.

My lamps are about six feet long and are perfect and I love them. Loved them so much and was so impressed by their handmade completely from scratch construction that I may have been a little forceful about Logan making a few available for sale. Maybe because I want to put them in all the homes I’m working on? Maybe out of complete selflessness? Weld! Weld till your fingers bleed!

Be sure to check out ONEFORTYTHREE for the DIY how to as well as even more of Logan’s great DIY projects and home renovation. A limited run of these lamps will be available in his newly minted ETSY STORE. Check them out and be on the lookout for additional handmade items to be added in the near future (wink wink, nudge nudge Logan).

*Also, homeboy just got engaged to his lovely, talented and hilarious lady. Congrats! Roxy was rocking some Vegas style bling at the big sale for realz.

REMIX

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

Slowly the house is getting put back together and rearranged to reflect the much less hoarded out state we had been living in for the past few months. I can’t even show pictures, it was just too horrifying. You will just have to imagine stacked piles of furniture and odd bric-a-brac overwhelmingly overflowing through the entire living and dining room.

It was so bad that we had to create a single hoarder style path to the front door. So, so incredibly bad that delivery people gave us funny looks when the front door wouldn’t open all the way and kept asking if we were in the process of moving.

Now we are blissfully decluttered and I’ve been rearranging all the leftovers into some sort of coherent floor plan as well as getting excited about acquiring a few new pieces.

During the big sale, I deaccessioned a large part of my studio pottery collection. While there is still a ton of ceramics sprinkled here and there, it feels good to be able to go a little more minimal in vignette town. Now to somehow resist the urge to scoop up peoples old high school ceramic projects…

Here’s a peak at a recent Craigslist acquisition. It’s a Danish rosewood credenza which is currently being repurposed as a media unit in the den.

We still need to mount the TV on the wall, but this thing is so much better than the dresser we were using before. This puppy hides away all the cables and ugly boxes and frees up so much visual and physical space that my heart is all aflutter. I can’t wait to have everything fully installed and looking banging…but I just do the furniture thing. I’m leaving it up to Jeremy to figure out the boring electronic stuff.