Why didn't I think of this before?

I have a confession... I don't make our bed everyday, so usually the throw pillows that go on top our bed are always in a little pile next to the wall next to my night stand.

I have been dreaming of getting a vintage wooden crate with casters to put them in to keep them nice and organized. Like this one:

 But, it is not really a priority right now, so the little pile of pillows just sits there. Until, I thought about the trunks I have in the guest bedroom.

I have a pair of vintage brass cedar trunks that are hand me downs from my maternal grandmother. She used  them as side tables for her guest bedroom at her old house and when she moved a few years ago, she gave them to me. I currently have them one on either side of the dresser in our guest bedroom. The trunks currently store memories from my childhood (aka. some of my favorite stuffed animals from my enormous childhood collection.) 

I could fit all the old toys into one of the trunks and leave that in the guest bedroom. And move the other one into our bedroom to store the throw pillows. This would also free up some space in the guest bedroom (it was getting a little cluttered on the right side next to the easel). There is a little spot in our bedroom next to our dresser that one of the trunks would perfectly fit.

Now one of the little trunks sits next to the dresser...

...and it neatly holds the throw pillows.

 

Why didn't I think of this before? Using furnature I already have... genious!

Inside both trunks were the original tags. So I know these decorator trunks were made by the Deco Trunk Company. There isn't a year on the tags, and I asked my grandmother, but she doesn't remember when or where she purchased them. I am guesstimating that she bought them between the 60s and 80s. These were supposed to be knock offs of the 1930s Hollywood Regency style.

I got curious about those lovely trunks so I did a little more research. I found a couple listings for exactly the same trunks and they have sold for $200-$300 (a piece). Also the listings I found were for a single trunk, and I am sure a pair would fetch a little more! And Mr. Engineer wanted to get rid of them when we were moving from our old apartment into our house. I am so glad I kept them, and I think I will hold on to them for a while!

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Architecture Costumes

Since Halloween is next week, it is appropriate to start thinking about costumes. I am going to a party next Friday night with a bunch of my old classmates from architecture school, so I thought I would think of something to dress as to relate to that theme...

I could dress as an Instant Architect:

  

All I need is Instant Architect Glasses, Architect Costume Shirt, and carry around a Moleskine.

These guys know what I'm talking about!

... Or I could go as my Favorite Building:

All I need is some cardboard, tape and some creativity!

Philip Johnson knows what I'm talking about!

What do y'all think? Any other Architecture related costumes?

Art Insipired by Architecture

Architecture can be found everywhere... and I don't mean by literally looking outside. Cityscapes, buildings, and architectural details often inspire art. Here are some of my favorite art pieces that features architecture:

Artist Stephen Wiltshire's talent is that he is able to memorize a city scape during a helicopter ride and recreate it using only his memory. This piece is entitled The Globe of New York.

Anne Valverde is an artist who photographs urban spaces in black and white and then highlights certain buildings, monuments, or other details with bright colorization. This is one piece of her Paris series.

Graphic Designer Jay Fletcher selected 25 landmarks in Charleston, South Carolina and he illustrated these notable monuments on this poster.

Mattias Adolfsson is a freelance illustrator who draws some fantastical architectural designs in sketchbooks. This is one piece of his Architecture series.

Artist Chuck Sperry created this Black Keys Poster which features interior architectural details of the ornate molding and coffered ceilings. 

DIY Fall Decor

It is finally cool enough to actually feel like fall, so I wanted to get into the spirit by decorating. I inherited the urge to decorate from my maternal grandmother and she has a huge collection of decor for every holiday. I am still adding my collection of holiday decor, and don't have many things for the fall season. But pumpkins are a temporary way to get in the fall mood, and they are sold everywhere around this time of year. Instead of carving the pumpkins and having a big mess, I like to think of other ways to decorate pumpkins.

Last year, I opted for an easier way by using sharpies in order to create a contrasting silhouette on my pumpkins. I made four different pumpkins:

Our Family Name
(I put this one by our mail box)

The best NFL Team Logo
(Who Dat!)

Our Dogs' Silhouette
(This was the first holiday that we celebrated after adopting our new pups, so I had to incorporate them in some way!)

A Holiday Message
(I wanted to have a pumpkin that would be for both holidays during the fall, so I had an idea to make one pumpkin double sided. One side says "Trick or Treat" and the other side says "Happy Thanksgiving.")

This year, I thought I would do something more contemporary, but still very easy. So, I got out a can of silver spray paint and made these beauties:

I got three medium pumpkins and five small pumpkins (I bought all of them at Stein's at $2.99 each for the medium ones and $0.99 each for the small ones.)

I arranged the three medium pumpkins and four of the smaller pumpkins around my door and sitting them on some black cloth to set the mood.
(I used the remaining small pumpkin, which I spray painted, in the project below)

I wanted a wreath to match my silver and orange fall pumpkins.

Last year I had made my first yarn wrap wreath with a yarn wrapped monogram and felt flowers.

Instead of making a new wreath, I wanted to revamp the old one. 

First I started with the existing wreath

Then, I removed the yarn monogram and the felt flowers. They we only attached with hot glue, so it was easy enough for me to pull off (also if it was giving me trouble, I could have heated it with a blow drier for easier removal.

Next, I removed the purple yarn.

Then, I added more orange yarn to cover all the hot glue spots

Finally, I added one of the silver pumpkins that I spray painted and some polka dot ribbon.




Voila! I think it turned out pretty cute and it matches the rest of my fall festiveness!

Happy Fall Y'all!

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Architecture Bucket List

Every aspiring architect has a list of buildings and sites they admire and plan to visit. I have been lucky enough to have done a great deal of traveling. I have seen many amazing buildings in the places I have visited, but there is still a long list of architecture I desire to see. Below are some of my favorites (in no particular order):

Fallingwater
Yes I know cliche', but what architecture nerd wouldn't want to make the trek to Pennsylvania to see the most famous work of the American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. He ws the first architect I learned about, and left a major mark in architectre history with the development the only true American style. There are many other buildings I would love to also see (Ex. The NYC Guggenheim and Taliesn ) But this is the most iconic of them all. This residence is literally on top of a water fall.

Throncrown Chapel

I would love to experience the deeply spiritual space this chapel in Arkansas designed by E. Fay Jones. He designed it with all light frame timber because of the limited site access. Although it looks like a natural, exterior structure, there are glass panels between the light wood frame; and it is actually a conditioned space.

Brion-Vega Cemetery
When I traveled to Italy during my summer abroad, I visited other buildings designed by Carlos Scarpa and they are masterpieces of design craftsmanship. This cemetery in Treviso, Italy that Scarpa designed is worth the trip back to Europe. I studied it in detail for a project in graduate school and the details he designed are so amazing. Also Scarpa is buried here; he literally designed his own grave and tombstone, which he is buried standing up.

Notre Dame du Haut

I would love to take a pilgrimage to this chapel located in Ronchamp, France which was designed by Le Corbusier late in his career. Corbusier's sculptural design highlights light as it's main feature. I studied the South wall of this project in grad school. This facade encorporates windows varing in shape an size which lets in light of different color at various angles.

Milam Residence
I want to see his home in Jacksonville, Florida which was designed by Paul Rudolph in person. The brutalist style Rudolph designs in is perfect for the weather conditions of the beach. The structures that extend past the facade are actually brise soleil, which provide sun shading for the large expanses of glazing. 

 Bailey Magnet High School

This modern building in Mississippi is a little closer to home. It was designed by Louisiana native A. Hays Town. Although, he is more well known for the traditional, Antebellum style homes he designed, this school shows a different style. Town shows off a modernist style with this monolithic concrete design with this building he designed early in his career.

I would love to make a trip especially to see these buildings, and one day I plan to all these off my list and also so many other buildings I would love to see!

DIY Antler Jewelry Organizer

I am from the South, therefore hunting and fishing is a major part of my way of life. Growing up, my mother had a rule that no "dead animals" were allowed in her house. So as an avid hunter, my father's trophies were confined to the shed, his office, and the sun room (separate from the house). That is still where they are to this day, and he has quite the impressive collection.

On the contrary, I wouldn't mind a little wild life in my home. I happily send Mr. Engineer off to hunt, so he will be able to bring home the perfect ten point! But, while waiting for that day... I wanted to incorporate a natural element into the decor. My dad gave me an old antler he had laying around, but I wanted to spruce it up a bit.

This is the antler jewelry organizer I made with the old antler. I thought I would make it beautiful, as well as useful. I am going to go through step by step instructions if anyone wants to try it for themselves. 

Supplies for this project:

- drill and bits

- paint (I just used some paint I already had -for the background I used Ultra White - 70143 Valspar interior semi-gloss paint, I also used La Fonda Artisan Green - 5009-7 Valspar interior flat paint and Black - 11002 Acrylic Anita's Craft paint, but you choose whatever colors suit your project)

- spray paint (I used Bronze - 233 Design Master Metallic Finish and Caramel Latte - Krylon Brushed Metallic Satin) 

- paint brushes of various sizes
- metal craft wire 
- plaque (I picked up mine from Michael's for $1.99)
- antler (if you don't have access to a real one, faux antlers are sold at decor stores)

I started with a wooden plaque. I picked out a small plaque with some simple details, I didn't want it to overpower the antler. 

First, I painted two coats of the Ultra White paint 

I also started with an old five point. It is a little damaged, but that adds some "character."

 I wanted to jazz up the antler, so I decided to spray paint part of it. I taped off and covered sections I didn't want to paint with electrical tape and plastic bags

 I lightly coated the antler in spray paint in a well ventilated area (my back yard). I did two coats of the Bronze and one light coat of the Caramel Latte.

Then I embellished the antler with Green and Black paint. I kept layering that stripes to cover up some of my mistakes.

I then had to put the two pieces together, so I marked and drilled holes in the plaque.

I used the wire to secure the antler to the plaque and twisted it in the back to secure it. This connection is subtile, and also isn't perminant; so I don't damage the antler and I can always take it off and repurpose it in the future. Finito!

Here is it on our bedroom wall next to my night stand. Animal trophies are a new trend all over the design and Pinterest world to be used as decor. Although, this is not a new trend to display antlers in the area where I am from, this is a contemporary twist on the to display traditional trophy.

Here is some of my jewelry displayed on it. I am loving this new new addition!

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