Materials: LACK table, HEMNES nightstand
I lined a Lack table with comics. I used glue, old comics and varnish.
The other table I painted the top and lined the legs with comics using the same technique of the other table.
The HEMNES table I painted and glued a vintage map in the drawers using glue and varnish.
For the past 10 years, my favorite “down time” activity has been watching TV. Whenever I have some spare time to myself, settling into the couch with a pet on either side has been my preferred method of stress relief. But lately I’ve started to replace offset the amount of time I spend in front of the TV with time spent puttering from window to window taking care of houseplants. I don’t know if it’s all the light we get in this apartment (we are on the top corner of our building, so we get sun on three sides), but my plants have never been happier. And talking to them and checking up on them has become my favorite part of my morning. But I’ve started to get nervous about the impending cold and snow and what that will do for my new favorite pastime. So I started to look into winter plants and the idea of learning more about bulbs, so I’m ready for a colorful and plant-filled spring.
To get the 411 on bulb planting, I turned to my go-to girls, the team at Sprout Home Brooklyn. Owner Tassy de Give was kind enough to sit down with me and answer a few questions to get any novice bulb planter started on the path to planting. I was worried that bulbs were just for those lucky enough to have a yard of their own, but Tassy gave us some great advice about container bulb planting for those in smaller spaces and tiny city apartments. I hope this will come in handy if you want to keep your love of gardening going in the winter and are excited to plan for spring flowers. I’m just happy I still have an excuse to go check on little plants all winter. xo, grace
Click through for Tassy’s tips on bulb planting after the jump!
Materials: Moppe with 6 drawers and with large drawer
Stacked Moppe drawers and used Liquid Nail glue as adhesive. Cut out board and used wooden legs as base, stained all one color. All drawers were turned around and added label holders.
Materials: HUTTEN 9-bottle wine rack
1) Unpack Hutten wine rack, and (using a chop-saw) cut off all three shelves at the point just beyond the first cross-bar on each side.
2) Screw the top and bottom shelf to the side-brace (which now becomes the wall-bracket), and glue the middle shelf in using PVA (they’re pleasingly accurately machined, so you won’t even need to clamp it).
3) Drill 4mm holes through each of the corner points of the wall brackets, then sink wall plugs into the walls directly behind the holes.
4) Screw the racks to the walls and fill with lovely wine.
5) Delight in the saving of about £50 per 3-bottle rack over getting something identical that’s been custom-made.
6) Discover that the offcuts from the middle of each shelf make amazing building blocks for your 1-year old, be, if anything, even more delighted.
Another version.
IKEA table to buy-
‘Kritter Children’s Table’. Comes in red, blue, and white.
Foam boards I bought from Michael’s Craft.(any craft store) They sell precut. The size I bought-
20 x 30 x 3/16 inches (508 x 762 x 5mm). You then cut it to the measurements below.
The fabric needs to be wrapped over the plywood and foam board at least 3 cm.
I bought Spruce plywood at the hardware store. 1/2 inch, half sheets about $15.00-$17.00
(There must be room for the fabric and the crossover for the screw brackets between the plywood and legs of the table, at least 1/2 a cm)
The two sides of the table with the longest length.
Plywood and foam board should be-
44 cm length
49 1/2 cm width
The one sides of the table with the shortest length.
Plywood and foam board should be-
44 cm length
41 1/2 cm width
Flat-head screws-5/8″
Flat washers-1/6″
Flat brackets-2-1/2×5/8
It is best to get a small or medium litter box (with cover on.) A jumbo will fit but is might be a little tight. Pick a fabric pattern that complements the area. Put the litter cover preferably a low traffic/quiet area in your flat or house. Cats need a quiet area to do their business. I have seen cat litter boxes combined with food dishes. I would NOT recommend using these. Just as humans do not like eat in the bathroom (most anyways. LOL), same with pets.
It is a good idea to put a table cloths and scented diffusers on top of the table. I also put a BORRIS Door mat tucked under the front of the box to catch the excess litter.
I uploaded step-by-step pictures and instructions here.
With every new generation in every city across the country, there comes a time when people feel the urge to get away from it all. Whether it’s a gradual move toward the suburbs or a major departure from apartment to farm life, more and more young people seem to be leaving behind the stress and expense of big city living for a slower and more affordable lifestyle somewhere else. In the case of New York City, one of the most common escapes is the Hudson Valley region. With rolling hills and valleys, mountain views and stunning riverside vistas, it’s no wonder the Hudson Valley inspired an entire school of painters. It’s also inspired scores of New Yorkers to “head north” and explore the towns and hamlets that make up this stunning part of the state.
Julia and I have been feeling the pull to head north, too. I’ve been following a number of websites and magazines dedicated to “upstate” New York (precise geographic lines for this region are a matter of debate among locals) and one of my absolute favorites is AndNorth. Run by Westchester native and photographer, Emma Tuccillo, AndNorth is a guide to upstate New York that focuses on creative businesses. Featuring everything from delicious restaurants and talented artists and designers to home tours and hiking guides, this beautiful website has become my go-to for weekend visits and great day trips. Emma started the site as a way to celebrate an area she loves so much (where she also attended college) and connect the creative people living in New York City with likeminded people in the Hudson Valley. I’ve been wanting to catch up with Emma and her team to discuss their project and profess my love for their stunning layouts and photography, so I invited Emma to join me on-air this week to talk about the inspiration for AndNorth and her thoughts on the whole “northern migration” taking place with creatives in NYC right now. If you’ve never visited this part of New York, I hope Emma’s passion for the area will inspire you to check it out and check out AndNorth online – it’s got great ideas for fall and winter travel as well as some stunning home tours. xo, grace
Photographs by Emma Tuccillo, Kelly Merchant and Bri Stachowski
