One of my old dining chairs broke, so I took off the broken seat back and ended up with a stool. I decided I wanted it to be black and textured, so I cut triangles out of a black suit fabric and used a glue gun to attach to the seat.
Modern Interior Design
Category Archives: Accents and Accessories
Chair Rescue
IKEA Chairs Hack
I got these new dining chairs at IKEA for about 20 each. I painted the legs red and I feel like it makes them look like something different and original. IKEA meets DIY equals awesome in my book. For more IKEA hacks, visit IKEA Hacker.
Coffee table update
I have had this creation in my back pocket for some time now. I was hoping that these table covers were still made and sold. They are not, but this creation by an LA designer is something I always come back to in my mind. I think this concept translates well into various interior design possibilities. If you’re crafty, some fabric and fabric paint can transform your old coffee table into a modern work of art.
Vintage Luggage Finds Modern Expression
Walking by the Louis Vuitton store at the Century City mall, their window display caught my eye. I love the idea that you could even take a shoe box, paint it white, and then add the details of an old suitcase. And voila, you have cool, modern storage that hearkens back to days of old.
Distorted Photography as Wall Decor
We’ve all done it. Look through a glass when we drink from it. I loved looking through mine so much this past weekend, that I decided to snap some photos through the glass. Pictured above is a photo of a window and blinds, but with the distortion of shooting the picture through the side of a drinking glass, the image is distorted and blurred in an interesting way, taking on the form of water almost. I think this type of prints would look great in a modern home. If you try it, send me your pics and I’ll post them.
Chandelier from repurposed materials
My friend Cait, shared this discovery with me. This chandelier by Stuart Haygarth is made out of discarded eye glass lenses. I love the placement of individual lenses such that together they produce the spherical, floating shape. You can apply this same principal to create one yourself out of other materials. Remember these other lamp diy’s? Check them out for inspiration for how materials can come together for a new found function.
Algue in my home…
I am finally a proud owner of Algue bythe Bouroullec brothers. I’ve been appreciating it for years and drooling over it until I finally went for it. Deciding on a color was tough and because I have always loved all things transparent, I decided to go for the clear Algue. It will always match my decor however it changes over time. The fact that hanging Algue allows for interchangeability as well is really fun. I’ve been through a few configurations already. I think it looks best as a room divider, but I really need something over the couch, so it is there for now. It is also in a corner behind the door echoing the cluster above the couch. I’ve placed one separate from both clusters on its own. It looks like it has broken off from the clan and is running for the ceiling.
Coloft “Work, Network, Prosper”
Cameron and Avesta, the founders of Coloft, brought to life a place they wanted for themselves. They are entrepreneurs with their own small businesses and they needed a place to work where they could be productive and have a chance to connect with other entrepreneurs. Out of their own wishful thinking, they recognized a need for a laid back space to work out of and plug into the entrepreneurial community. Coloft opened a month ago on Santa Monica Blvd and 10th. They have already received front page press in the Santa Monica Daily Press and the entrepreneurial community is embracing their space and their warm, open spirits with open arms.
Just as they envisioned it, they hatched a co-working community with flexible office hours where freelancers and entrepreneurs reign. This is a non-corporate atmosphere. The fascinating duo were not afraid to get their hands dirty when they dove right into revamping, styling and decorating the space. The striking chalk wall is a place for community members to post notes, quotes, events and whatever they feel led to write or draw. They also have a community wall with community member photos and blurbs about what they do and who they’d be interested in connecting with. If you were to create a Facebook group for freelancers and entrepreneurs and then give them a physical space to come together, this would be it. The concept of co-working has been sweeping city centers where business professionals feel a need to connect with like-minded people. This is a great option for someone who would otherwise be working out of the isolation of their own home or has been doing so for some time now. In addition to working space, Coloft hosts a variety of networking events, classes and seminars. These are geared towards small business owners, freelancers and entrepreneurs. Avesta says, “Anything we do…the first question we ask ourselves is how is this going to benefit the community.”
While they are not ashamed to say they got a lot of furniture from IKEA, they splurged on Herman Miller Aeron chairs as well as Herman Miller Caper chairs in brown and red. The other dominant red chair in the space is the HON Olsen chair. It has a spring-like quality for comfort and looks. They have two meeting rooms and a lounge space with soft leather arm chairs from IKEA. Their wall art is pulled from various sources. The collection of posters by the chalk wall (pic 2) is from a rock show art book “Gig Posters.”
The other prominent piece of art is a white canvass with red writing. It is a quote from Og Mandino’s Great Trilogy and it is a great anthem for the freelancer entrepreneur making their own way in life and an inspiration for anyone who is thinking of trying anything new. The overall color scheme is both soothing and punchy. A soft green is accented by red chairs, door frames and accessories. Two corners of the space are warmed by IKEA floor lamps. These add to a feeling of coziness in a spacious environment. Hanging stainless steel lamps add to the natural light that floods in through the large windows. The design duo used a combination of light and dark wood in the same space which adds warmth and dimension. They left the floor concrete and painted it a warm rusty brown. The wood wall with the clocks displaying time for Hong Kong, New Delhi, LA and London was done by Avesta himself. He painstakingly laid each piece of wood to create this warm accent wall. More than anything, the couple stresses that this is a space that belongs to the community and they want to remain flexible and attune to the community’s needs and wants. Cameron says, “We want this to be a great place for people to collaborate and work together in a relaxed atmosphere where they feel like it’s their own space.” Contact Coloft for a free week pass.
Speakers Book Shelf?
Boombox has captured my heart in more ways than one. Watching this insanely popular SNL short on hulu, the speakers wall caught my eye and sparked an idea for a fun book shelf. What if you stacked old speakers in a haphazard fashion, attached them to your wall, and hallowed some of them out creating spaces to store your books.
Low Hanging Chandeliers
I came upon this apartment tour on Apartment Therapy. The entire place has a great flair, but what stood out to me in particular are the low hanging chandeliers.
I love the idea of cozying up in bed with a low hanging light and a book.
