Lego Landmarks in RIBBA By: Robert

Materials: RIBBA frames

I wanted some original art in my hallway at home, and have always liked the RIBBA box frames. After some thinking I decided to do a play on the classic ‘London, Paris, New York‘ trio. I purchased models from the Lego Architecture range, one for each city, and a set of three large RIBBA box frames.

I painted the backing board of each RIBBA frame with light blue paint. I then built the Lego models, making adaptations where required so that each model would be able to fit in the 1.1/8″ recess of the RIBBA box frame.

Working with printed images of each city, I was able to cut out various shapes of coloured cardboard and glue them all into place to create backgrounds/foregrounds for each city.

Quite pleased with the end results!

See LEGO Architecture range.

via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1hv5bl9 From Robert

Schoolhouse Electric Spring 2014 Collection By: Grace Bonney

There are very few brands I go back to over and over again, but Schoolhouse Electric is one of them. I’ve gotten to watch them grow from a small shop to the owners of a huge warehouse in Portland, Oregon that not only houses other brands that we love, but supports and hosts events for independent design on a regular basis. They’ve truly grown into a community of talented artists and I’m so thrilled to share the first peek at their Spring 2014 collection here today!

In addition to beautiful new lighting, Schoolhouse has introduced a beautiful new series of bedding (I love the + sheets), tabletop, lighting fixtures (I’m ordering those brass switchplates for sure) and, my favorite, brass geometric knobs that feel very of the moment and perfect for giving cabinets a modern update. The entire collection definitely moves in a more modern, streamlined direction, but still holds on to the vintage/industrial traditions that Schoolhouse Electric is known for. I can’t wait to see these all in person- those brass pulls are coming home with me for sure. Until then, you can check out highlights from the collection here and more after the jump- including an interview with Kirsten Nieman of Schoolhouse Electric designer. She’ll walk us through the the new collection, its inspiration and where they’re headed as a brand. Thanks to everyone at Schoolhouse for the sneak peek! xo, grace

Click through for an interview with Kirsten Nieman of Schoolhouse Electric!

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via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1nNxsV6 From Grace Bonney

Dog Crate AND Bedside Table By: Leslie

Materials: GULLIVER Changing table in white and MATILDA Sheer curtains

It’s an age old story: Girl has dog, Girl loves dog, Girl doesn’t love dog crate. And of course, like many dog owners, I’d love to have something for my doggie to sleep in that is comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. But at the end of the day, I can’t quite bring myself to shell out the big bucks for furniture that doubles as a crate.

Enter the Gulliver changing table. The dimensions are a perfect fit for my dog crate (which sleeps dogs up to 40lbs). And, the open bars on the side allow for great air circulation and light. Plus, the best part is the hack is super simple (which is key for those of us who don’t have a woodworking background, own saws or still get confused when adding fractions).

Steps are as follows:

- Put Gulliver changing table together

- Omit the middle shelf

- Insert dog crate

- Add a small tension curtain rod and some fabric (I used a Matilda sheer curtain, cut it to size and iron hemmed them—No sewing here!)

And voilà! You’re now the proud owner of crate/bedside table that doesn’t make you cringe every time you go in your bedroom.

via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1pyHxK5 From Leslie

After the Jump: Etsy Wholesale + West Elm By: Grace Bonney

Etsy’s new wholesale program is one of the biggest opportunities and developments to hit the world of independent design in quite some time. The new expansion was both the result of increased demand from shop owners and designers as well as a response to the changing nature of retail. Stores are no longer only meeting designers at trade shows or with in-person linesheet appointments. They’re searching online- and so are designers- for the best goods and the best retail outlets for them. Working online for the past 10 years, I’ve gotten so used to the idea that shop owners regularly search Etsy for goods to sell in their store, but the traditional retail/wholesale rep system hadn’t yet caught up to reflect that virtual system. So today I welcomed Etsy’s Senior Manager of Wholesale, Vanessa Bertozzi, along with Abigail Jacobs, VP of Brand Marketing and Public Relations for West Elm- one of Etsy’s new wholesale partners.

One of the biggest hurdles independent businesses have is finding a way to get their foot in the door with retail outlets. Trade shows have traditionally been a good option, but they’re expensive and have increasingly become less of a feasible option for new businesses. But with this new program, sellers have the option to work with Etsy to connect them with larger national brands, like West Elm to not only place orders on a bigger scale and to a larger audience, but to learn more about how to improve their pricing structures, take better product photography and work with brands to develop lines that are more retail-friendly. I’m completely fascinated by all of the doors this could possibly open for makers, so I was thrilled to have Vanessa and Abigail on-air this week to talk about what all of this means for independent design, retail and the wholesale world. I think movements and changes like this mean greater access to local, independent work for everyone, so I’m excited to see where this program goes. Thanks so much to Vanessa and Abigail for joining me and thanks to all of you for listening! xo, grace

*I was very happy to learn on-air that West Elm made a public commitment, as part of the Clinton Global Initiative, to purchase $35 million worth of handmade goods over the next two years. That means more handmade work at a national, mass-market level and more than 20% of West Elm’s products will be handmade. In addition, they’ve pledged to be transparent about the ethical making and sourcing of those products.

LISTEN: You can download the podcast on iTunes here, or stream it here on Heritage Radio

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1gXApO2 From Grace Bonney

KVARTAL wall art panels By: Alaskan Energy

Materials: 2 rolls of panel curtains (reed-like paper), 2 sets KVARTAL top & bottom rails, 4 KVARTAL wall hardware mounts, KVARTAL 55″ single track rail (cut in half)

I needed to fill a tall empty wall flanking our gas fireplace stack. The KVARTAL wall system provided the perfect backdrop for an upcycled art project. First I hacksawed the single track rail. I mounted the wall hardware and installed the panel in the top rail holder (only) to get an idea of how it looked before scissor cutting it to desired length. I then took the panel down, cut the other one to matching length and worked on them flat on the floor.

I used a fancy art-store stencil to spray paint a few background designs, along with carefully burnt-edge tissue paper squares. I used vinyl folders to make the other stencil patterns. I then cut my designs from old wallpaper sample books the local paint store was done using. The tissue and wallpaper pieces were glued on using Mod-Podge. When all was dry I added the remaining top and bottom rails and hung them in their tracks.

Voila! Museum-quality-looking art panels custom-designed for my home! Even the bear looks happy!

via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1iVnNv5 From Alaskan Energy