Studio Improvements - Barn Board Wall

So, this weekend my guy made one of my latest visions a reality. He took on the task of building me a moveable barn board wall as a backdrop for my photos.

Last weekend we went on a bit of a country adventure to pick out which boards I wanted for the finished product. We laid out the pattern together (I wanted a say in the final design after all) and then I left him alone to work without my hovering, perfectionist eye. 

He did an amazing job and it turned out exactly like I had pictured in my head!

He started by building a frame out of 2" x 4" studs. He spaced the studs more sparingly than you would for a structural wall at about 36" on centre. Next, he trimmed the boards down to the correct length and started to attach them to the frame with nails.

Some boards came up a little short, which was unavoidable. He made sure that all of the voids would occur a the ends of the wall and used scraps to fill them in.  

On rows that were made up of two boards, the seams sometimes fell where there wasn't a stud. In order to hold the boards tight to each other without a stud to nail into was tricky. He solved this by using the 2" x 4" scraps to create a "bridge" between the two boards. 

Once constructed, he lifted it into place, leaving it leaning against the wall on a bit of an angle to ensure that it wouldn't topple over on me or my pieces. We didn't affix it to the wall because I wanted to have the option of sliding it out of the way and having the white wall behind as another photo backdrop.

Ta da! Isn't it pretty?!

P.S. Yes, that is one of the Kijiji chairs I was trying to score last week. With a little ingenuity, they found their way to our house!

I spent the rest of the weekend re-shooting all of my product in the shop and the orphanage with my brand new backdrop and I couldn't be happier with the results! What do you think?

Reclaimed Roundup

Well, we're all trying to live more green these days and one great way to do that is to incorporate reclaimed materials into your renovation or decorating project. These five companies offer some of the most beautiful in reclaimed wood products. Whether they do it by giving a dying tree new life as a dining table or repurposing antique boards from barns, bridges, warehouses and mills, the result is stunning! 

These have to be the most magnificent floors ever! These character-rich floors are from the Cooperage Collection at Olde TimberStone. Made from authentic wine barrel heads, each plank is truly unique. The wood is milled to display the original stamps and markings from the barrel as well as the stain colour left by the wine. A wood floor this fabulous doesn't come cheap, but the warmth & history it will add to your home is worth it! Just don't lay down the dough until you're sure you're living in your "forever" house.

"Made from trees that would have otherwise been discarded", each piece of furniture from Urban Hardwoods tells a story. These console tables are my favourite from their current inventory. Although I'm sure that I would be constantly dropping my keys through this last table, it's sculptural beauty would make up for the inconvenience!

There is nothing more beautiful than exposed, wood, ceiling beams. They are so much more beautiful than the boring drywall ceilings we all have now. If you have a soaring ceiling, then what better way to up the WOW factor of your space than to clad it in reclaimed wood beams from Elmwood Reclaimed Timber?

The craftsmen over at George Nakashima have continued the tradition of quality workmanship as set forth by George himself. Each piece of reclaimed wood speaks to the craftsmen and they develop the concept of each piece based on "what the wood is asking to reveal".

If you love the look of vintage, wide plank flooring, but aren't jazzed by the markings of the wine barrels, then reclaimed hardwood from Canadian Heritage Timber is for you. These charming floors work with any decor style. They can add a rustic edge to a modern space or timeless elegance to a traditional home.  

Image Credits (from top): Olde TimberStone, Urban Hardwoods, Elmwood Reclaimed Timber, George Nakashima, Canadian Heritage Timber

Upcycled Furniture Roundup

These five designers/artists are masters of upcycling in it's purest form. They salvage what's left of forgotten furnishings and give them new life. They rescue drawers, legs, hardware and shelves from several different pieces and bring them together to create something functional, beautiful and truly unique. In most cases these parts would have otherwise been headed for a land fill. Instead, they are reinvented to serve a new purpose. Now that's green thinking! I'm amazed by the artistry, the vision and the patients that goes in to creating each of these one-of-a-kind pieces.  

Isn't that just the coolest little cabinet you ever did see? And that table...show stopping! In describing his work Valentin Loellmann states that "the challenge lies in cultivating an alternative perspective on the things around me" and says that "my aim is to reverse the process of adopting rigid assumptions and reopen my mind to new possibilities, to be able to rediscover my childhood appetite for wonder and curiosity". Inspiring! In my opinion, he's done what he set out to!

Rupert Blanchard has collected drawers for years...but only drawers that no longer belong to any sort of housing. He won't use a drawer in his work if it has a use elsewhere. It took over a year to collect and design the pieces and parts needed to create the piece in the first two photographs. 

Schub Laden creates simple encasements that let these reclaimed drawers become the focal point of each piece. I love this last one on castors, a perfect mobile storage vessel for magazine-a-holics like me!

Nightwood's specialty is "reincarnated furniture". They assemble new furniture from many bit's & pieces of old furniture and let the variation in wood tones and grain shine in all it's glory. They describe their pieces as having a "modern rusticity that emphasizes hand crafted one-of-a-kind products".

Ah, Thomas Wold...the master himself. I love his recreations! Each part is meticulously selected and fitted together to become one with each of the other parts. This creates one magical, unified piece. Not only do I love the way he builds upwards and outwards, but I love the way his colour selections harmonize and complete the look! 

Image Credits (from top): Valentin Loellmann, Rupert Blanchard, Schub Laden, Nightwood, Thomas Wold 

Eco Chic Fabric & Wallpaper

Exclusively offering organic cotton upholstery fabric and vinyl-free wallpaper, Mod Green Pod is an awesome eco-friendly option and they have the graphic patterns you crave. Based out of Texas, the female trio that operate the business have no shortage of talent, creativity or passion. Head on over to Mod Green Pod to check out the full fabric & wallpaper lines as well as their super cute collection of tote bags.

Image Credit: Mod Green Pod

Organic Bedding That's Stylish Too...It's Almost Too Good To Be True!

It does exist! Eco-friendly, organic bedding from Amenity Home is fun, graphic and easy on the eyes. All designs are printed on 300 thread count, 100% certified organic cotton using eco-friendly dyes. Here's a sampling of my personal faves, but head over to their website to check out the entire collection of bedding, furniture and more.

Don't forget about the sustainable hemp throw pillows. No room is complete without throw pillows...in my opinion anyway!

Image Credit: Amenity Home