We’re going on a hiatus but here are some past chic techniques that are, like always, easy on the eyes and easy on the pocketbook.
the bedroom/workspace project: part 1 & part 2
making the most out of your hallway
the surfer and the fashionista’s home makeover: part 1, part 2 & part 3
create your perfect gallery wall
how to make paper pinwheels (slacker’s DIY video)
She’s a business owner, a volunteer, a wife, and a mother of three young children – she’s Supermom. A busy schedule though left her Asian-style living room bare and untouched.
Supermom wanted her home to “reflect the peace and harmony of the ocean” while keeping it sleek, classic, and nature-inspired. Her and the family’s love for the ocean made it easy to pick the perfect motif for their living room…
A picture I took in Bimini was the inspiration behind this room. It conveys the colors and feel of this serene, elegant living room. Supermom loved everything – except for the slipper chair. So I gave her a few different ones to choose from….
Supermom’s recently redecorated family room wasn’t quite done- she wanted a few extra details for a special touch and asked for my help. Since the living room had more “under the sea”- type details I decided to go for an “above the sea” theme for a harmonious but different look. Sailboats, compasses, and lanterns also reflect this family’s love for boating.
I was headed for the West Elm in the Flatiron District (or at least I think it’s the Flatiron District) when I walked by the store Fishs Eddy. I had never heard of it before but the adorably vintage-looking kitchen items I saw through the window had me hooked. I had to stop inside.
This place is definitely for anyone who loves the Big Apple, whether they live here or not. There you can find dinnerware featuring New York’s skyline and a Brooklynese coffee set that has “Cawffee” on it’s mugs.
The plates in their Bridge & Tunnel Collection caught my eye since it included the Verrazano, the bridge nearby my Bay Ridge apartment. The coasters look great on our door-desk.
At Fishs Eddy you can also find serveware in all shapes an sizes, more kinds cake stands than you can ever imagine, and dinnerware in a huge variety of colors. If you love all things unique, have a thing for vintage kitchens, or have a place in your heart for NYC, this is place to go.
You can even create a gift registry with Fishs Eddy. You must admit, it would be way more fun to have your bridal registry here than with Bed Bath & Beyond. If only I had known that back in ’08 for my wedding.
If you’re nowhere near their Manhattan store, check out their online store. Don’t you just love how the internet makes where we are in the world insignificant?
In Brooklyn, certain things are a luxury – a dishwasher, a driveway, a daily commute that doesn’t include a homeless man, a mariachi band, bed-bug host, and the occasional weirdo. It all boils down to a lack of space; too many people in a city that isn’t cheap. Whereas many children across the US enjoy a room of their own, it’s a luxury in NYC.
One Brooklyn family of three just got bigger. They asked for some help turning their 3 year old daughter’s room into a nursery for two with the arrival of their new baby boy.
design challenges
Since Mom asked for a simple and elegant nursery, the room is made up of soft colors – pink and baby blue with light green as the neutral. In order to make sure the pink princess furniture harmonizes with the rest of the room, I used a prince & princess theme. Not overdoing it was key, so only a few pieces were needed to develop the theme – the wall plaques, a crown coin bank, a castle growth chart, and bed/crib canopies (diy’ed by nailing the Ikea curtains to the wall.)
For additional wall art, these customizable prints from Etsy seller Tambo Creations were the perfect fit. Everything else was either from Ikea or Target – two of my fave places to furnish on a budget.
Pictures of the completed room are coming soon.
After seeing the difference upright lights made at this party, I wanted them for the old hollywood party …badly. It would set the mood & help people forget they were in 2011… and at my grandmother’s house. Since food covered most of the budget though, I had to keep decor as cheap as possible – preferably free. Renting the lights were out of the question so I had to get creative using things I already owned or could borrow.
supplies:
{Song: This Modern Love by Bloc Party}
Can’t see the video? How to make a spotlight. See more of Chic Technique’s stop motions here & here. 
Speaking of DIY missions, I’d love some name ideas for my “how to” series.
It has to convey the simplicity of my diy’s- how they are as uncomplicated, unfussy, & unexpensive (oops, I mean inexpensive) as possible. They’re from a lazy crafter, & made for the lazy (or time-pinched, broke, bored, unenthusiastic, or all of the above) crafter.
This is what I came up with…
Any ideas?
