DIY and Recession Home Decor: Contact Paper

Here is yet another post about low budget decorating. I live in a rental so painting is out of the question. I found some cleaver and temporary ways that you could use to fill up your blank walls.
Contact paper has other uses besides lining your cabinets. The two women that I am featuring creatively uses the sticky stuff to give their dwellings some flair.

Stephanie Sabbe has an awesome tutorial on her website about those lovely zigzags on her wall. I love how the colors work together to create a calm and peaceful texture. I'm not too crazy about the deer head. I'd rather see it alive than dead. Maybe a plush deer head would suffice :)

The second set of photos were discovered on Apartment Therapy. Adriane uses white contact paper to create thin strips for here fancy frames. The light on dark combo is super cute and chic! I think I want to try this technique. So far, I have some doilies in this weird flowy trail on the wall. I think this idea is much better.

DIY and Recession Home Decor: Thumbtacks

It's been a long time since I have updated. I have been busy with my Etsy shop and babysitting jobs. However, I am so excited about my next series of posts. Since I consider myself a housewife (minus the kiddos+kritters) I am always looking for cheap ways to decorate my home. I don't know what it is about blank walls that bother me. Being that my husband and I are both designers, we really appreciate handmade things I'm sure he wants to create some paintings for our home too but he just doesn't have the time. Anyway, today's post will feature thumbtack art.

SWARM-I found this post on Apartment Therapy that another blogger submitted. Such a clever idea! Especially if you have walls that are totally ruined. You won't have any regrets adding some more holes in there! It's also versatile, you can easily come up with different words and phrases.

The second set of photos are by Eno Henze. I also found the original post on AT. The artist uses pushpins with round heads to create this ephemeral piece. I LOVE concept art. Especially those using simple materials. I always wish I would have come up with the idea myself!

So if you have walls that are ready for another round of beatings, go to your local bargain store and pick up some pushpins!

Scumdiliumptious

Sorry, I have been away for a while. I am pursuing another career adventure: accessories design. Any who, Alex Mcleod's installations may look real but they are all cg! I absolutely love his creamy approach to these digital environments. These hyper-real renderings could easily be made into actual exhibitions-with real water and super shiny shit. Its definitely a place that would attract tons of visitors.

What a Sweet Shoppe!

I probably mentioned this before but I am obsessed with ice cream. And some of my most favorite designed spaces are yogurt shops. Yoli Frozen Yogurt by Amseldrossel, a German design studio utilizes white space with vibrant pops of color to lure sweet tooth aficionados in. I also love the use of grey paint in unison with grey stone; how sexy! Now I want icecream and I why don't these guys have a website (insert sad face here)?

Books are Back in the Building!

With the infinite rise in technology, most high-schoolers now a days are unsure of what a library even looks like. This installation of painted and stack books called “Book Sculptures" by Los Angeles native Mike Stilkey is not only green, but useful! I would even be tempted to take a few books out for a quick browse. Imagine if your local library displayed its books this way? Then again, it might be a pain to re-stack them.

Fun, Functional & Freakin' Cute!

Ooooo-M-G! I came across the cutest installation ever! I love ice cream (actually I'm obsessed with ice cream) and exhibits. The two combined must mean I have died and gone to heaven. If I actually did, then this installation is what it would probably look like. And of course there would be an unlimited about of Ben & Jerry's. But it would have to all be low fat. And no chocolate ice cream either. And warm. I don't like being cold. This fine exhibit was done by Adrian Chan. I don't have much info on her, I found the work on another blog. All of a sudden, I'm craving Cherry Garcia.

Casa de Turquoise

Oh my! How did I let a whole month go by without updating? I have been busy starting a new business that specializes in handmade accessories www.hotdogsandpoodles.com (for humans) and taking an animation course as well as a new job babysitting. Not to mention redecorating the bedroom I never use. However upon looking for inspiration for my new room I came across a great blog called House of Turquoise. The blogger and her fetish for turquoise interiors are combined to create an awesome collection of all things blueish-greenish. It would give any designer an artgasm! Please feel free to visit her site to see more. By the way, my room will be cream, slate blue with a hint of turquoise. I'll post photos when I am done, which is probably never.

Two of my favorite things in the world has combined to make a great exhibit; pop-up spaces and food! The Hatch is a pop-up food place that specializes in serving eggs. Designed by Studio Toogood and Arabeschi di Latte, the Hatch can be found at the 2009 London Design Festival. The best part of this interactive space allows visitors to create their own dish with a special kit. Its bright, colorful and wonderful. Just the way I like my food (dessert included).

Sorry, it has been awhile. I got married near the end of June so I have been on an extended honeymoon. This new post is fresh, exciting and can be found in my hometown, New York City. Corian Design Studio specializes in countertops and Morris Sato Studio designed Corian's new pad in the Flatiron district with a clean & crisp approach. The website even has a cool white 3d rendering of the office space. Morris Sato Studio also features the project. Check it out!

Beautifully Upcycled

The best part of finding green exhibits are ones that not only use found objects but are friggin amazing! I'm trying to cut back on my use of slang but you have to admit this shit is awesome! Tara Donavan's work at the Ace Gallery in LaLa Land, is a series of mass produced objects such as styrofoam cups, plastic drinking straws, paper plates, cotton balls etc. which is organized in a way that it creates surreal environments within the gallery space.

Still Life, Captured

Horacio Salinas work consists of still life photography which reinterprets everyday objects into something whimsical and eye catching. It's always intriguing to find inspiring work that challenges the creative outlook on the world. His work reminds me of my homey Vik Muniz!

3d Type Mobile

A fellow Brooklyn Designer, Ebon Heath creates wicked 3 dimensional type mobiles. I'm not sure if I am looking at a photoshop rendering (the 1st image) or the actual object. Word has it that it took him over 10 years of experimentation to create these masterpieces!!! I want one of these in my studio! Well, future studio. And maybe if I was rich. Or had a job :P

Dreamy Interiors

Ryuji Nakamura owner of his self titled Japanese architecture firm creates dream-like spaces with fairly simple materials such as paper, fabric and aluminum. These materials exceeds there original function and organically shape the space. Minimal colors combined with minimal form equals awesome!! (Have you noticed how often I use this word to describe everything?) I adore simple exhibition spaces and wonder why I never think of anything like that. Maybe its because I watch too much t.v. Or because I'm American. We tend to like visual garbage.

Not your average museum.

**See what happens when you are too lazy to download photos** The link is also broken. Oh well, at least I have my memories ;(

I found these awesome type loaded exhibitions at a few different museums in Berlin. I'm not sure what they say but it friggin rox! I have included a ton of photos and many more can be seen here. Enjoy!