I knew we were on our way to a Depression Era decorating mentality and now we have arrived. Thank goodness we have artists living at the poverty level to show us the way. As seen in this feature in the New York Times, an artist who makes sculpture from driftwood and his resourceful partner have…
As you well know, the rich are getting richer and the rest of us are going the other way. The whole economy is rigged that way and you wonder how long it will go on. As our new two-class economy unfolds, it seems disgusting for rich people to flaunt their riches, doesn’t it? So why…
I dunno about this. Maybe I spend too much time on the road. Or maybe I’ve gotten too many tickets. Or been cursed at by too many irate drivers. Whatever the reason, these chairs made from recycled street signs don’t give me any good juju. At all. See the whole story here On the other…
What do you look for in flea market chairs? Kitty Bartholomew of HGTV fame shares two tips: 1) Look for chairs with a seat that can be taken off and recovered. Turn it over and see if there are screws holding the seat to the frame. If there are, the potential for recovering the seat…
If you live long enough, most things of the past become hip again, or should we say groovy again? This carpeted conversation pit is a perfect example of a feature homeowners ripped out just a few years ago for being hopelessly outdated, but which now looks stylish. This trend will likely make the carpet industry…
A collection of painted chairs set to music. For inspirational purposes. 3 minutes
You already know about Angelo Surmelis if you watch the wildly successful Rate My Space on HGTV. You might have seen Angelo's own kitchen remodel featured in my Pardon Our Dust series for the L.A. Times. Now there's even more Angelo to love as he unveils his own furniture line, angelo:HOME. The first pieces, leather "Garbo…
I know, I know. The headline I put on this post is offensive. But as I was at one time a fat folk — topping 275 pounds — and have been maintaining a 100-pound weight loss through a food plan and exercise for more than 20 years, I guess I give myself a little leeway.…
I guess my friend and co-author Kitty Bartholomew is a visionary. For many years, long before it was eco-hip, she was finding new uses for old things that have served their purpose well and that deserve more than a slow ride to the landfill. Old leather belts are a case in point. Consider how much…
Somewhere in China, at some point in time, there was a mechanical breakdown in the manufacturing process at a factory, and metal fragments made their way into these good-looking pillows. Then, the pillows were packed up, loaded into freight containers, and shipped to America, where 120,000 of them were sold at various Costco stores between…