Julia Rothman’s Nature Anatomy + Giveaway! By: Grace Bonney

One of my absolute favorite pasttimes as a child was collecting insects, wildflowers and greenery in those little ‘junior explorer’ kits you could buy at toy stores. I loved being able to look at nature up close and learn more about everything, from ladybugs to buttercups. Now that I’m getting close to my mid-thirties, I still feel the exact same way. Living in upstate New York feels like one giant explorer kit, in that every morning I’m outside following tracks, taking pictures and trying to identify animals or plants everywhere I can. That same spirit of excitement and wonder fills the pages of Julia Rothman‘s new book, Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World .

The follow up to her illustrated guide to life on a farm, Nature Anatomy approaches everything from clouds and flowers to feathers and mushrooms with the same curiosity and wonder that we all had as children. I’m not someone who needs a nudge to want to learn more about the structure of a leaf and what the phases of a moon look like, but if you’re someone who’s ever walked outside and looked up (or down) and wondered how the natural world around you work, this book is a fun and beautiful guide to learning more. There are over 700 illustrations in Nature Anatomy and each one comes with interesting facts, a story or a lesson that helps you understand more about the natural world. I can’t wait to read through this (a few times, probably) and for one reader today, you won’t have to wait long, because Julia and Storey Publishing are giving away two copies of her book! All you need to do to enter the contest is leave a comment in the section below answering the following question: What was your favorite nature-related exploration or discovery when you were younger? Share your story below and two lucky readers will have a free copy sent to their door. Click ‘read more’ below to see pictures from the book! xo, grace

Excerpted from Nature Anatomy (c) Julia Rothman. Illustrations (c) Julia Rothman. Used with permission of Storey Publishing.

Julia Rothman. Her new book Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World is out now.

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1BR9ToA From Grace Bonney

Desk in a Bookcase By: Madam Rosmerta

Materials: JOKKMOKK Tabletop, VISDALEN Bookcase

When you have a small living room and urgently need a desk I can show you a very simple and quick hack.

Our old VISDALEN bookcase was perfect for the 30 minute project and so we took a remaining JOKKMOKK tabletop, cut it to the right size (we cut the length and the width from the tabletop is the new length for the desk) and used 2 legs from the former table. That’s all – now the new “bookdesk” is ready for use.

The best thing is that the JOKKMOKK tabletop fits perfectly to the VISDALEN shelves in the bookcase. I think I will paint the legs from the desk in the same white colour.

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via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1AYfmo0 From Madam Rosmerta

Samla Box Table Saw By: mabe

Materials: SAMLA 45L box

This really saved me a lot of money and I am really surprised how good this works. So I did not use the saw a lot cause it was really loud. With the box now it really brought down the noise to a level where I can even saw without ear plugs. I think this build did saved me around 50 EUR. The parts I did use was no more than 10 EUR.

See more here.

CAUTION!

I think there would be issues with the stability of the box when cutting wood. Please do not replicate his hack without understanding the risks. ~ Jules

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via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1unNNCe From mabe

A Jewelery Maker’s 400-Square-Foot Nest in Philly By: Sabrina Smelko

When I graduated from art school and was working my first “big-city job,” I lived in a small, all-white 300-square-foot studio apartment in Toronto that I coined my “nest.” I’d ride my bike to work and back, so my $40 spoked beauty became a permanent fixture in the entryway, leaning in the space under a floating shelf. When jeweler Madeline Tolle shared with me that she jokingly calls her white 400-square-foot studio apartment by the same name and that one of her biggest concerns is the function of her bike, it felt like déjà vu! “I need my furniture to be in a way so that I can get my bike in, and rotated around to then hang on the ceiling!” And, oh, do I commiserate!

But even though Madeline’s space may be small, it’s darn mighty. As an independent jewelry maker who runs her own business, she spends most of her days away at her studio, so when she gets home at the end of a long day designing and producing her jewelry and managing her business, Georgraphy 541, her humble studio apartment is her sanctuary where the name of the game is calm coziness. -Sabrina

Photography by Zack Gross

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1CG9F00 From Sabrina Smelko

An IKEA HERMINE blanket coat By: Veronika Endrodi

Materials: HERMINE blanket

Easy way to sew a nice coat from a blanket. Need to cut one hole for the neck and another two buttonholes for the belt.

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via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1t2kE44 From Veronika Endrodi

Akurum floating credenza – wall storage By: Lydia C.

I wanted a modern, space saving, unique, floating credenza. Scoured the internet for some cool ideas and decided on the floating Akurum IKEA fauxdenza hack, aka Akurum kitchen cabinets. This IKEA hack is an easy weekend project for home improvement enthusiasts. I am very happy about the way it turned out and love the richness of the stain on this beautiful Birch wood grain.

TOOLS NEEDED

- 2 IKEA Akurum cabinets (doors, shelves, door hinges – I went with the 30″ wide x 24″ tall x 12 7/8″ depth.

- Wood 1″x7″ of your choice – I went with Birch for my wood wrapped topper. Poplar is a softer wood with more of a green tone.

- Birch is similar to Maple but cost a bit less. Birch may run you about $5 to $8 a sq foot. It will be tough to find a plank over 13″ in width, therefore buy 2 – 7″ wide boards and cut to 6.5″ each. Clamp and glue both together to get 13″ wide boards to fit over the IKEA Akurum (depth of your boards may vary depending on which Akurum depth you chose).

- Orbit sander and 80 to 240 grit sandpaper to smooth out your wood planks.

- Tite bond 2 or 3 – this glue is supposed to be strong enough to hold 100 + lbs. Glue your precut boards together and clamp overnight (suggest 24 hours to cure).

- 3 – 4 clamps – to keep your boards together after gluing. These clamps are also very useful for other wood projects.

- 1 IKEA akurum suspension rod – This 6 ft long wall mounted rod should be cut to your desired width. I cut mine to 58″ since my credenza was 60″ wide.

- Stain of your choice – Minwax Provincial shown above. I tested out 3 stains. Usually Ganahl Lumber allows you to test out stain colors on the wood of your choice.

- Sealer of your choice – Minwax matte finish shown below.

- 1.5″ wood screws to secure your boards into the credenza.

TIME

Roughly 3 afternoons due to staining boards, waiting for the glue to dry etc.

For assembly instructions, refer to this hack.

See more on Lydia’s blog.

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via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1y2hfhi From Lydia C.

Lack it or not… office space divider By: SchilderScholte architects

Made of hundreds of IKEA Lack tables, this 32 meter long 3.2 meter high office space divider designed for a communication office. It represents an abstract view of the Rotterdam skyline the silhouette is also visible in the floor pattern.

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via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1yMmtot From SchilderScholte architects