Math was never my strongest subject, but lately I’ve felt a strong desire to play around with geometry. Inspired by the awesome tape artwork of artist Alex Menocal, I wanted to focus my geometric experiments on my walls but actually make a piece that is three-dimensional. 3D structures can be tricky to mount on walls,…
Today’s second project is another submission, and it provides a very nice contrast to our first project: Nick’s wood knife rack is rough and rugged, while this versatile flower pin DIY from Portland, Oregon-based florist Anna Mara is soft, pretty and feminine. I love the idea of taking a big, fresh bloom and using it as…
I love projects that make use of old materials, especially when they take just a few easy steps to complete. This quick and easy reclaimed-wood knife rack from Nick Ward-Bopp is something you could probably finish in a couple hours, and as he points out below, it’s a great way to make use of empty…
My knitting skills are pretty basic, but I’ve been wanting to expand them, especially for home projects. After a failed attempt at a blanket last winter, I hung up my needles and haven’t really returned to knitting since. This simple knit pillow tutorial is just the kind of project to pull me back, even in the…
When we moved into our current rental, it had a hideous ceiling fan and light hanging in just about the oddest place you could put it. Needless to say, it was the first thing to go. This left us with the dilemma of not having a light source in our dining and living room. I…
This project is perhaps the simplest I’ve ever done, but I don’t consider that a downside in the least. I’ve been letting my phone go “commando” lately—no case, that is :) I appreciate the minimalism, but I don’t like letting it just rest on the table, where I can easily bump it or accidentally pile…
I’ve been slowly moving into my new studio over the past couple weeks. Piles of stuff are, I’m sad to say, everywhere. It’s been an enjoying the chaos, however, because the sight of certain materials thrown together on the floor has inspired a few recent projects. Such is the case with today’s two DIY…
Spontaneous piles seem to form around my house. Mail is probably the most often piled culprit. Why worry about opening mail and filing it when you can stack it up for a week? If you feel the same but are looking for a way to appease the neat freaks in your life, why not make…
I’ve been totally into the geometric triangle trend we’re seeing now in the graphic design world, especially because this motif reminds me of a patchwork quilt. So I couldn’t resist jumping on the triangle trend and stitching up some triangle patchwork wall art for my (very bare) living room walls, and I thought I’d share…
Thanks for joining me again as we wrap up wall upholstery and enjoy the finished room. If you’re just joining us, be sure to refer to wall upholstery, part 1 before reading on. Last time, we padded, stretched and stapled our walls. Now it’s time to sew, glue and assemble our way to the finish…
After creating many projects for the site, I’ve noticed a DIY spectrum emerging. Some projects can be instructed down to the last inch, every material sized and sourced. Others are much looser, with a large element of chance and personal touch involved, and entirely dependent on what you can find and how the materials mold…
Around this time last year, Grace, Amy and I went to check out the “McMasterpieces” show curated by Sight Unseen as part of NY Design Week. We loved these pieces by Alissia Melka-Teichroew; they not only inspired one of our projects for last year’s summer newspaper, but they’ve been haunting me ever since. I love the…
Tights, furniture, hair — ombre fades are everywhere! I hope the trend continues; I think everything could benefit from a little ombre experimentation. I love the three-tone fade on this ombre dining chair tutorial from Jesse Dresbach of Nine Red Design. Jesse has a knack for brining modern techniques to found pieces of furniture — you may…
Curtains are one of my favorite things to sew for the home. They require only the most basic sewing skills, and stitching them yourself allows you to create distinctive, custom draperies that could cost a fortune to have professionally made. Luckily, if you have a sewing machine and a spare weekend, you can sew curtains…
Though I don’t have a green thumb, I am always looking to enliven a room by incorporating plants. One challenge that comes with this attempt is finding vessels to hold my plants; there are only so many ways to paint or recover a terracotta pot. Nearly every time I go to the flea market or…
I read an article recently about the demise of watches. It seems most folks these days don’t wear them, preferring instead to constantly pull their phones out of their pockets. Sure, it’s one less accessory to deal with, but I can’t imagine going a day without a watch on my wrist. So, as a great…
It’s wonderful to see so many DIY projects that take advantage of the humble paper globe light. Just when I think I’ve seen them all, I come across a new one that I love, like this version created by Heather Jennings of Poppy Haus. While browsing her local Anthropologie store, Heather was inspired by two…
With all the attention we’ve been giving to rope and pendant lights, this DIY tutorial from stylist Raina Kattelson couldn’t have come at a better time. We featured Raina’s gorgeous Hudson Valley home a couple years ago, and we loved the palette so much that we also created a Simply Color inspired by Raina’s kitchen….
One of my favorite aspects of working for D*S is meeting such open, friendly and immensely creative people. I’m constantly blown away by the design community’s talent and warmth. I met Heather Davidson while I was with Grace and Amy Merrick at the Portland Bazaar last December. She was teaching a DIY class as well,…
When we gathered here last time, we turned an uninspired coffee table into a boxed ottoman, and January brought us boxed cushion sewing. This month, I thought we’d think inside the box for a change and tackle one of the biggest upholstery projects to cross my path: upholstered walls! About a month ago, I moved…
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