TheDesignFile

Make these fun DIY pedestal servers

It’s been a little while since I’ve featured one of Shelly Leer’s fabulous projects but the wait is over.

Shelly – my upholstery teacher at the ModHomeEc Studio – writes the DIY Journal for The Indianapolis Star and I just had to share a great, quick thrift store project that’s great for the holidays.

 

Shelly made these adorable pedestals with goblets, vases, plates and platters she found at Goodwill.

“Here’s a DIY project you can whip up in about 30 minutes, let the glue dry, and then wrap up a few to present as a shower gift or housewarming present,” Shelly writes on her blog at ModHomeEc. “They’ll be the hit of that party.”

Want to see more? Check out the photo gallery at the IndyStar.

Q&A: The making of an heirloom dresser

I’m a day late posting the Q&A with my father-in-law that I promised after showing you the incredible dresser and jewelry chest he created.

I wanted to give Joe the opportunity to describe his process a bit and to talk about the materials he used. And I’ve mixed in a few photos I took of the project in process. The photos – including the one of Joe posing with the dresser’s frame early in the process – were shot in Joe’s woodshop.

Here’s what he had to say:

Question: How did you come up with the design for these amazing pieces?

Joe: I sat down with pencil and paper and started playing with shapes. I knew I wanted to make a dresser and jewelry chest but had no specifics in mind.

The dresser's shape came easily and was quickly approved by Barb (his wife and my mother-in-law) as the direction to follow. The jewelry box changed dramatically after the dresser was almost completed (as you can see in the photo at right).

The "boxy" model just did not match and I wanted to add a "crown" to the dresser. Even during the construction I had no plan for the backstop. One day it just popped in my head and I created it.

My father-in-law's gorgeous, hand-crafted dresser – you just have to see it!

I’m lucky to have a wonderful husband who does some beautiful woodworking on the side. He gets the talent and the work ethic from his dad – Joe Weidenbener - who is retired now and in is work shop almost full time, turning out some gorgeous pieces of furniture.

I wanted to show you one today.

Joe designed and built this stunning dresser and jewelry box set and now has it for sale!

Both pieces – which are separate but designed to work together – are completely made from hardwoods, except for backs and drawer bottoms.

There are several things that make these pieces special: The unique design, the quality craftsmanship and the interesting, spalted maple and poplar pieces used for much of the construction.

Spalted wood pieces have unusual figuring – or essentially lines and colorations – typically caused by fungi or other significant stress on a tree.

For these pieces, Joe used spalted maple that was collected from a single tree. He also used solid walnut dividers and highly figured spalted poplar on the drawer sides and backs, which make the inside as beautiful as the outside.

There are just too many details here to mention. But I love that on the jewelry box, Joe created drawers with dozens of compartments that can be used for necklaces, rings, scarves and other accessories. It’s really as much the perfect piece for practical reasons as it is for its beauty.

Joe entered the dresser (the jewelry box wasn’t finished yet) in the 2012 Indiana State Fair, where it won second place. Can you imagine what first place must have looked like?

You can see more photos of this amazing piece on a “for sale” page I’ve created for him on this website.

And tune in tomorrow when I'll share a Q&A with Joe about how he created this fantastic piece!

The great front yard makeover: Part 2

Yesterday, I showed you our front yard, driveway and front walk before our big overhaul this past fall. I know, I know. It was pretty awful!

Today is the pretty post – at least I think so. You get to see the after.

If you checked out yesterday’s post, you can see right off the back what a dramatic change this has been.

Here are the key parts of the project:

• A new, much wider gravel driveway, which we absolutely love!
• A new limestone wall along the front walk and landscaping beds just behind it.
• Rebuilt, radiating front steps built from pavers.
• A paver landing with curving sidewalks to the driveway and front walk, with limestone slab steps at the front.
• An overhauled front garden with new plantings. The only thing that stayed was our two cone-shaped boxwoods, which we had planted several years ago and were thrilled to keep.
• A gorgeous weeping Japanese maple tree in a small bed along the driveway.

The landscape was designed by architect Cheryl Jacques of Brower/Jacques Design. My husband and I hired Cheryl after struggling for years to try to figure out how to solve our issues. She was fantastic!

Her husband oversaw the crew who did the work – and completed the project in less than four days! They were both incredibly responsible and helpful, even as we had to scale the project back a bit to fit our budget.

Here’s a panoramic shot I took with my iPhone using a great program called AutoStitch.

The obvious thing about this project is how much better the whole thing looks! But really, what my husband and I can’t get over is how much better it all functions.

For me, the big change is the much wider driveway, which allows me to get out of my car onto the gravel, rather than onto the grass.

There’s plenty of room to park, walk along side the car and load things in and out of the car.

That seems like a basic, but after living for years with an old, skinny driveway, it’s truly a luxury!

I was really worried about the gravel. But I have to tell you that now I wonder why more people don’t go with gravel.

I love the way it looks. It drains like a dream. And it’s really packed down so nicely. Plus, there’s that fantastic gravelly sound every time we drive in. I love it!

I can’t believe that we ever even thought about going with concrete! Combined with our neighbor’s drive, it would have seemed like a parking lot.

The great front yard makeover: Part 1

I bought my house long before I even met my husband, and one of the things I knew I wanted to change right away was the front steps and walk. Fifteen years later, I’m prepared to show you the project.

Today’s post is really about the before. Tomorrow, I’ll show you the amazing after, thanks to our landscape architect Cheryl Jacques of Brower/Jacques Design.

The reason for the project was clear: The steps were not in good shape, the sidewalk was crumbling and the peach-painted, scrolled iron railing didn’t look anything like me or my house. Plus, there was no way to get from the door to the sidewalk along the street except walking on the driveway.

Oh, and that driveway! It was just two thin strips of concrete, which looked good because the drive runs along a neighbor’s concrete drive and the grass between the strips kept it from feeling too much like a parking lot.

But with a car parked in the drive, there was no room to walk. That meant getting in and out of the car onto grass, something that worked OK until it was wet or snowy. Midway through spring, the grassy slope on which I got in and out became a mud slide.

Meanwhile, some yucca plants were taking over the front garden.

Home tour: Striking design in downtown Indy

I love modern homes set into historic urban neighborhoods and that’s just what I found in this beautiful Indianapolis house. It’s no surprise the owners – and designers – are an architect and interior designer.

The couple “wanted to challenge the status quo when designing their dream home,” says the listing for the home, which is being sold by Joe Everhart of the Sycamore Group. “Mission accomplished.”

“Obsessive attention to detail has created one of the most impressive homes that the downtown market has produced to date,” Joe writes of the home. “The sense of proportion and balance are excellent.”

The main living area includes a two-story great room with built-in cabinets and exquisite finishes. It has a modern kitchen and open – if not sparse – dining room. There is a finished studio above garage.

In all, this place has 2,800 square feet of space, three bedrooms and bonus space – plus a basement. Check out this tour:

 

What do you think of this place?

The Couch Show: The spaces, the art revealed

I’ve been talking for several weeks about The Couch Show, when opened last night with a reception at the Stutz Art Space in downtown Indianapolis.The exhibit seeks to “consider the place of fine art within a living space,” according to the promotion for the show.

Today, I’m finally revealing photos from the show, which continues through June 24.

My part of this show was the creation of a living room space (see above) in which art could be showcased.

I worked with my friend Keith Hochstetler – who has a booth called Vintage Vibes at Midland Arts & Antiques – to create a retro room inspired by some gorgeous pieces from artist Rene Crigler.

We used art by Peter Boerger, JanettMarie and Carol Tabac-Shank in our space as well.

I also styled an entry table that served as a base for paintings by Carol L. Myers (you can see Carol at right with her art).

I had an especially great time working on that entry space because I used my own wooden vase collection to play up the rustic feel of Carol’s textile art. Frankly, those vases have never looked so good and it’s making me rethink how they’re displayed at my house.

The pretty sofa table was loaned by Chuck over at Domistyle, a great vintage furniture store in the Fountain Square neighborhood of Indianapolis.

Fab designer Brandy Ketterer of Brandy Ketterer Design Co. created another living room space in the gallery that included work from Andy Chen, Victoria Gillieron and Leigh Dunnington-Jones. It was gorgeous!

I absolutely love Brandy’s mirrored tables, the grey chest and the touch of pink.

The Couch Show debuts this Friday

I’ve been hinting around a little about The Couch Show at the Stutz Art Space which opens with a reception from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and then continues through June.

The idea is to help people who attend see how they can incorporate art into their own homes.

I’m lucky to be participating in the show and am working with my friend Keith Hochstetler of Vintage Vibes to create a living room vignette that will feature five pieces from artists at the Stutz, including Rene Crigler, whose carbon fiber painting called Evita is at right.

Keith & I have decided to do a vintage room, one where almost every single thing (save the art) is used or recycled. We’ve been shopping like crazy at Goodwill, on Craig’s List and in vintage shops throughout Central Indiana.

I’ve got a huge mood board that is stuffed with so many things that it has become hard to even look at. So I’ve condensed it down to give you just a sense of our direction. But I’m saving some surprises as well.

This project has meant not only a lot of shopping but hours of spray painting and other projects (see a peek of the transformation of a $14.99 brass floor lamp from Goodwill to a green one above right) as well.

My husband (see him below), meanwhile, has been busily creating a faux fireplace over which we plan to display some of our art. This is what it looks like unfinished but it will look much different when you see it in the exhibit.

I really hope many of you will consider joining us for the opening on Friday.

One of my favorite local designers – Brandy Ketterer of Brandy Ketterer Design – will also be doing a vignette. I don’t know anything at all about Brandy’s plans and am so eager to see what she’s doing!

I know Brandy plans to incorporate the work of Leigh Dunnington-Jones and Victoria Gilleron into her space. And I know it will be beautiful.

It will also be intimidating!

Keith and I are not designers, of course, My experience in design is writing this blog, fixing up my own home and giving some advice to friends. Keith has one of the cutest houses I’ve ever seen (I’ll be featuring it here later this summer) and has his Vintage Vibes booth at Midland Arts & Antiques in downtown Indianapolis.

But we have chosen some beautiful artwork from amazing artists, including Rene Crigler, Carol Tabac-Shank, JanettMarie (see her Subtle 77 piece above right) and Peter Boerger.

WHAT: "The Couch Show" art exhibition
WHERE: STUTZARTSPACE Gallery, 212 W. 10th St., B110 (Enter from 10th Street via Bearcat alley)
WHEN: Friday, June 3, 2011, at noon with an opening reception from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Exhibition open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. through June 24.
COST: Free
ADDITIONAL INFO: (317) 503-6420

More showrooms from the Indiana Design Center

I attended an event at the Indiana Design Center in Carmel earlier this month and I’ve been slowly showing you photographs of some of the great businesses that have moved into the new space.

The beautiful building is separated into two floors. The bottom floor is full of showrooms open to the public. The upper floor is a to-the-trade section that specifically caters to the designers.

I’ve already shown you the Holder Mattress space, which is open to the public. Today, I’m going to show you some other showrooms – including some available only to the trade (the pillows at right are from The Trade Connection).

One of my favorite places was the Drapery Street Design Boutique, which is open to the public. I was in wonder at all the beautiful textiles and draperies. So lovely!

I love the chair in the middle photo above. One of the employees at the studio told me that she found the chair at Domistyle (one of my favorite shops!) and recovered it with this fantastic fabric showcasing old Hollywood celebrities. It was really fun.

The to-the-trade shops were just fascinating to me. I’m not a designer and so I’ve never seen those places. They were full of the most beautiful furnishings, fabrics and accessories.

I could not stop looking at the fabrics at The Trade Source (photos below) – on the racks as well as on the beautiful furnishings.

See what's new at the Indiana Design Center

Do you ever feel like all the good stuff happens when you’re busy? I’m having a flash of that right now as my husband & I get ready for a family event this weekend.

While I know we’re going to have a great time, it does mean I’m going to miss a special Showroom Preview Night at the Indiana Design Center in Carmel.

But you should not!

The preview night is your chance to see the Indiana Design Center’s recently opened first floor shops and showrooms. Then after you’re done, you can do the Gallery Walk through the Carmel’s Arts & Design District.

Among the attractions Saturday at the Indiana Design Center: