Coffee table advance

Materials: Malm Storage Unit, Galant Monitor Stand

Description: Only a little hack ;)

The Malm Storage Unit is perfect to hide things like the TV guides, bottle opener, the reserve of sweets, ... but they are not big enough for a coffee table. So I have expanded it with a Galant Monitor Stand and 3 short table-legs. To stop the stand from slipping I used double-sided adhesive tape (the black under the table-legs).

~ Ingo, Cologne, Germany

Oscar 2011 Best Dressed

We didn't see much color on the red carpet at the 2011 Academy Awards but what we did see looked great!  The hands down favorite for best dressed goes to Mila Kunis in lavender Elie Saab.  She looked ridiculously gorgeous and probably made Jessica Biel sorry she didn't attend the ceremony with Justin Timberlake! 

Pregnant Natalie Portman looked pretty in plum Rodarte as did Scarlett Johansson in a similar shade of Dolce & Gabbana. This dress was not well received by most but I kind of liked it and thought she looked very pretty.

Both Michelle Williams and Cate Blanchett make short blonde hair look amazingly chic!  Michelle was wearing Chanel Haute Couture and Cate was in a very fashion forward Givenchy frock.  It was also not well liked but if anyone can pull off that type of dress, it's Cate Blanchett!

I still can't decide if I really like Gwyneth Paltrow's custom Calvin Klein dress and Louis Vuitton jewelry but shimmering pale shades were popular this year.  I thought Celine Dion looked amazing in her Giorgio Armani Prive gown with long sleeves.  I really hope sleeves make a come back.

Mandy Moore looked like a movie star in nude illusion Monique Lhuillier and 14 year old Haille Steinfeld looked like a princess in Marchesa.

Halle Berry also looked magnificent in Marchesa while Hillary Swank looked gorgeous in metallic and feathered Gucci. 

Hostess Anne Hathaway chose vintage Valentino in a stunning shade of red.  I hope Jesse James was regretting his decision to ever cheat on Sandra Bullock after seeing how beautiful she looked in her red Vera Wang gown. 

Orangey red was the choice of two Jennifers.  Versace made Jennifer Hudson's gown that was gorgeous.  I would have liked it even more if they had used a little more fabric on top.  While 20 year old Jennifer Lawrence looked age appropriate in a simple Calvin Klein sheath.

Reese Witherspoon was channeling the 1960's with her swingy ponytail and Giorgio Armani dress that was a huge hit.  I'm a little undecided about Amy Adams L'Wren Scott dress.  I love the dark blue color but the cap sleeves were a bit unflattering and the necklace was a bit high.  It's too bad they hadn't made it with more of a t-shirt type top.  But all in all, I think all the ladies looked great as did most of the men.  Who was your favorite this year?

Introducing Peanut

Hello all! Hope you had a fantastic weekend!

It’s been a great one around here for more reasons than one. :)

I finally, FINALLY got the decrapification of the basement done. I mean, almost every single bit of it. There’s just a few minor things I want to go through, but the big stuff is DONE!

I even finished up going through the guest room closet, which has been on my list for about a year now.

The house feels like it may just float away it’s so light. :)

I was going to show you some of that massive accomplishment tonight, but then something came up.

This little guy:

We found him this weekend, and before we saw him, adding a dog to our family was the last thing on our minds. I mean, for a while I’ve been telling hubby I’d really like to get a dog for the Bub. But we’ve just been talking about it, here and there.

But lately, when I see a dog, something new has been pulling at my heart strings. It’s kinda been weirding me out -- I mean, we’re cat people. Always have been. We’ve both owned dogs in our life, but it’s been a long time for both of us.

But today, I picked up that shaking little guy and he cuddled his wet nose into the crook of my neck, and something in me just absolutely melted.

He cuddled into me, as if to say, please don’t let me go.

It was the same thing this one did the day I found him:

And it was hard for me to shake that feeling. I put him down. Walked away, went back, picked him up. He hung onto me again. Put him down again…walked away. And went back again. This time, I had tears in my eyes.

It was so incredibly hard to walk away from this pup. That last time I put him back down, trying so hard not to cry.

And after that, all I could think about was him. I couldn’t figure out what in the HECK was wrong with me. I had absolutely fallen deeply in love with that face. Hubby thought I was losing it. I thought I was losing it.

After making MANY phone calls to friends with dogs, doing a ton of research online and much discussion with the hubby…we brought him home:

Look at that SQUISHY face.

I can’t believe we own a DOG.  :)

The cat’s are adjusting amazingly well. He’s nuts about them. (For real!) So funny.

Peanut has made himself right at home:

He ADORES my hubby. We adore him.

Now excuse me, as I head to bed extra early tonight. It could be a long one. Wish this new Momma a restful night. ;)

But seriously…isn’t he the sweetest thing you’ve EVER seen??

Oscars Greenroom

Michael Smith must no longer be busy decorating the White House. He found time to design the official Architectural Digest Greenroom at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards. The room was inspired by a 1940's library and even included Mr. Smith's own books. Since the Greenroom is the place where celebrities wait before going on stage, he thought that a library would be most relaxing.  If you watched the show, it seemed like all the stars were really relaxed so it must have worked. 

"It's terrifying to have to stand up in front of millions of people live," said Mr. Smith. "The most that you're going to spend in here is 15 minutes but I thought, everyone is comfortable in a library, right? It'll be a quiet place to collect your thoughts." 

“Having lived in California my whole life, I have always been thrilled by the movies, and the design and architecture that surround them,” says Smith. “I am always inspired by film. It is an honor to participate in the most prestigious of all Hollywood events.”

Photo by Roger Davies for Architectural Digest

DIY Slide Projector

Materials: Isbrytare lamp (no longer in production)

Description: This is not mine but I thought you'd be interested. Instructables user derte84 build a lo-fi projector to display photo slides on a huge wall. Also works for lomo slides.

See the step-by-step instructables [via Unplggd].

~ Owen

Dreaming in Brick

I have been waiting until my blog was redesigned to share this fabulous brick home with you. Of course this house is stunning but it is captured spectacularly by architectural photographer, Peter Montanti of Mountain Photographics. He is a master at photographing interior and exterior architectural details with over 30 years experience.

The house, nestled in northern Georgia, is built with post and beams and General Shale brick. The details of the house are just amazing. I fell in love with this photo of the twilight reflecting off the metal roof.

I adore the meandering brick bridge to the back door – We often see this type of connector with very straight lines, but the way this curves is just a delight. Notice the detailing on the roof line and around the windows. Also notice the lovely copper overhang – beautiful. Now for a real treat let’s see inside!

Look at that fireplace, quite an architectural feature. The post and beams come right to the floor which I think is very interesting. The wood ceiling and floors balance the expanse of brick. One of my favorite details is the metal band around the fireplace. Also notice the arched entry ways which is repeated in the arch of the fireplace opening.

The kitchen is stunning! Notice there are almost no upper cabinets – the wall of arched windows is breathtaking. The black honed counters are nicely balanced by the black cabinet on the left.

Finally let’s have another look at the outstanding details on the exterior. It is wonderful to see such craftsmanship. A special thank you to Peter Montanti for his wonderful photo tour. Click HERE or on the small photo below to see more of his outstanding work. The fabulous architect was Clay Chapman. To see more of his work click HERE. To read his Blog click HERE. To see more brick homes by General Shale Brick, click HERE.

(All Photos Property of PETER MONTANTI not to be copied with out written permission)

Lack Bistro Table

Materials: 2x Lack side tables, 1x Lack coffee table, Loctite construction adhesive, Polycrylic

Description: We had a tiny "breakfast nook" in our newly remodeled (Ikea Adel MB!) kitchen and wanted an affordable way to add a small table for two. The space available was *very* narrow (we had to be able to open the pantry and access the window/trash can), and we wanted something pub-height so we could use the same stools that are at our breakfast bar. I had been wanting to hack-a-lack for a while, and when I saw the $19.99 coffee table, I was sold!

Step 1: Purchase 2 Lack side tables, 1 Lack coffee table, construction adhesive, and poly (for the table top, we used water-based). Cost: approximately $40-45.

Step 2: Set one side table top on the floor, shiny (paint) side up. Glue four legs to the corners of the top surface. It can be tricky to get these square and/or level, so be aware you may need to adjust a bit as the adhesive sets. Try to wait until almost completely dry before proceeding.

Step 3: Glue the tops of the four 'first-tier' legs to the bottom (not finished side) of the second side-table top. Weight and wait for it to dry.

Step 4: Repeat step 1 on the top of your new "box" to create the second-tier legs.

Step 5: Measure carefully on the coffee table top to center the table base/legs so overhang is the same on both ends. Glue the tops of the second-tier legs to the bottom of the coffee table top, add weight, and wait for it to dry completely.

Step 6: Apply 2-3 coats of poly to the table top. We only did this on the very top (the coffee-table piece), since that's where beverages, etc would be set, but you could apply it to the entire structure if you were ambitious. Use very very fine sandpaper between coats to remove bubbles.

Step 7: Voila! Bistro table for 2 that fits in a very narrow space. We added felt pads on the corners of the bottom layer to protect the floor.

Leftovers for other hacks: coffee table shelf (same size as top but thinner), set of 4 Lack legs.

~ Blair, Knoxville, TN