Glamping with Style!

let me tell you about the time I turned a 20' X 20' party tent into a Glamping Tent!

Inspired by bedouin tents and high-end resort cabanas, I pulled simple elements together

and designed a temporary living space that ended up being a true show-stopper.
My late husband and I actually LIVED in this tent for four days,
at the Battle Ground, Washington BarnHouse vintage marketplace event in 2009!
[The other vendors at the show were the ones who dubbed it 'the Taj Ma Tent']

 The floorplan:

The bedchamber is on the top right.
The kitchen area is on the lower right.
The rest is lounge space!

The elements:

Canvas drop cloths, white netting curtains, and white vinyl tarps became walls and floors.

Lightweight / collapsible furnishings are plastic chairs, blow-up beds, and an old door + some sawhorses as a kitchen counter.
Candle lanterns, tap lights, and one killer chandelier provided light in the evenings.
A small metal Oriental coal heater held sections of a firelog to warm up our toes each morning.
A collapsible gas barbecue allowed us to cook our hosts a pretty nice meal, too!

The design:

[btw, those netting curtains looked really stunning when they were hanging loose... as shown below.

But it was so windy, they had to stay tied or they ended up a tangled mess.]

The BEST and most unexpected detail was the giant chandelier hanging from the apex of the tent!

And yes, it DID light up - thanks to a car battery temporary power supply.

During the two days that the BarnHouse Marketplace vintage event was open to the public, 

the meadows were filled with cars and other campers, and thousands of attendees & shoppers.
Many of them thought that the Taj Ma Tent had been created as a resting area for them!
Since we were off in our booth selling our wares, we didn't mind sharing.

Professional photographer Robin Laws took the preceding three photos of the Taj Ma Tent.
The last one appeared on the title page of her article about the BarnHouse event

in the Winter, 2010 issue of Somerset Life Magazine.

Now, it WAS a lot of work setting that baby up. And tearing her down.
But it was fun!

I'm sharing it with you because I think this idea is something anyone can do.
OK, maybe not as overboard as a 20X20... but what about using a 10X10 popup as your base?
Set up your own cabana in your backyard for summer entertaining and relaxing,

or get brave and actually take it to a campground or beach!

I used a 10X10 popup as the base for our tent for two years, and decorated it in a similar fashion...

The walls were canvas drop cloths, and a few shutter panels to let fresh air in. 

The door was mesh curtains. The floor was vinyl and canvas tarps.

Furnishings were a blow up bed, a few crates to hold stuff, and plastic lounge chairs.
No chandelier.
Much simpler. Much faster. But people still took a lot of photos!

Just goes to show that you can scale an idea up or down and make it work for your needs.
Now go be creative and get Glamping!!!

Find Robin Laws Photography here

Sadly, the BarnHouse Marketplace event is no longer in business.

All American Style: Dresser Makeover

Looking for some inspired and LOW COST ideas for your Summer home decor?
Here's what can be done with a little bit of carpentry work and a few coats of paint

to a piece that may start out very UN-inspiring...

The mid-century (1950's) dresser shown in the 'before' photo wasn't too appealing-

except for the fact that it was found for free in the remnants of a friend's garage sale!

Combined with some old boards, new knobs and feet, a little router work, and paint treatments,

the one-of-a-kind piece in the 'after' photo is ready to be a star 

in an an entryway, guest room, family room, or even on a patio for Summertime fun!

* The long tapered legs (very dated look) were chopped off just below the case. 

Then four large ball feet purchased from the hardware store were screwed into place.

 * A new top was added over the existing dresser top, 

made from some old, peely-paint T&G siding pieces, placed side by side. 

The new top measured @ 3" larger all around, to add more dimension to the piece.

* 2" crown moulding was added to make the new top a seamless fit to the old piece.

* Up close, you can see the grooves in the drawer fronts - cut in with a thin router blade to mimic barnwood.

* The entire piece was painted white.
Then, the drawers and cabinet door were all painted dark blue, then more layers of  white and red were applied. 

A dry-brush application of white over the blue and red followed, 

then a careful sanding with fine-grit sandpaper revealed the graduations of color 

and made the grooves stand out on each section.

Best part? The paint was free at the garage sale, too!

* Simple round white ceramic knobs were added to the original drawer pull holes on the piece - 

their quirky offset placement was charming!

The finished piece has no hint of the dated, Danish-inspired design it began with. 

Instead, it displays classic country lines with charming All American Style!

[This project was completed in 2010 by my late husband and I for our business 'Retreat'.
It was purchased and lives in a beach house on Camano Island, WA ]

30 Upcycled Outdoor Decor Ideas!

Have you heard of hometalk?

Hometalk is the largest home & garden knowledge hub on the web. 

It's fueled by the firsthand experience & advice of hundreds of thousands of home enthusiasts and professionals...

a virtual 'think tank' of information about decorating, fixing up, remodeling, and maintaining a home!

I'm part of the hometalk community, and always find loads of inspiration there...

[Yes, there are lots of photos - but it's more than that! 

You'll also find info, tips, tricks, recommendations, and feedback]

hometalk has asked me to curate a clipboard of ideas and inspiration for

Upcycled Outdoor Decor

and I found 30 INCREDIBLE ideas to share with you!

You'll see amazing feats of repurposing, upcycling, and reimagining,
from furnishings and garden decor to entertaining ideas and seasonal touches 
that all make your outdoor areas a usable part of your home for the summer months...

click on image above or here 
to view my clipboard on hometalk!
(you don't have to be a member to view - 

but after you see what's there, I'll bet you'll want to become a member!)

a few of my most popular outdoor ideas are included,

along with fabulous creations by other talented and inventive hometalk members 

and they are sure to inspire your summer outdoor projects!

Serving Up Plants in Style!

 Sometimes finding the perfect centerpiece for a last-minute party or barbecue

is as simple as looking into your kitchen cabinets...

If you're like me, you'll probably find stuff that's been shoved to the back in the corner

because we all tend to think of some items in one way, for one use.
Like soup tureens.
They're for serving SOUP, right?

Well, yes... but they're not JUST for soup!

I didn't unearth these from my kitchen - I found four of them at a local thrift shop.

For two bucks a set (tureen, platter, and ladle).

They were cheap because they just don't get much use anymore... I changed that.

The white ceramic tureens now serve up color on the table!
Paired with white dinnerware, they bring  fresh, fun style

and a very unexpected & inexpensive way to dress up a tablescape.

The plants and flowers are a mix of  4" sizes from the nursery, 

planted into a plastic 6" pot that is then placed inside the soup tureen.
You could also just grab a flowering plant in a 6" pot.

[yes, you can plant directly in the tureen - just add a layer of gravel first to help drain the water]

Try these items from your kitchen to hold flowers or plants:

o
* a stainless steel stock pot or dutch oven

* a big enamelware coffeepot

* the wooden bucket from an old hand-crank ice cream maker

[and it already has a perfect metal container for cut flowers, too!]

* a set of metal canisters
* a cookie jar

This is also a great way to make use of hand-me-downs from mom & grandma...
Keep looking in those cabinets, drawers, closets and garages
for ways to create seasonal decor with everyday materials!

The Colors of Summer

This photo (that I snapped on Wisconsin's lovely Lake Geneva last spring) 

contains the bright, clear colors that make me think of summer decorating and entertaining....
Red * White * Blue

and a little bit of green, yellow, and tan.

 You know, for years, I've lived with a neutral palette... tan, white, cream, and silver...
in my home and also in the products I created and sold at vintage shows.
I loved the calm, peaceful mood they evoke,
 and the way that even the smallest details stand out in a pale palette.

Every once in awhile, though, the desire to create something colorful would come over me,

and the result would be a product line that looked like this:

Furnishings and decor created from salvaged materials in the summer color palette of 

 Red * White * Blue

.
I'd create the booth design and displays with color in mind,
and the result would look a bit like this at a show or in a store:

at our Retreat space in Poppyseeds, Stanwood, WA

 

At the BarnHouse Marketplace in Battle Ground, WA

sometimes one piece of painted furniture can be the showstopping accent
that will lift your home decor out of the blahs and into the spotlight!

Original products shown here were created in 2008 - 11 by myself and my late husband 
for our former vintage business in the Pacific Northwest, 'Retreat'.

Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue!

 Memorial Day Weekend is the official kick-off to Summer
[and oh, are we glad it's here!]

For our first Summertime post, I offer you some Patriotic Inspiration

for Red White & Blue table decor...

and a fun way to add something special to your place settings:

use old game boards as placemats!

It's pretty easy to find Scrabble boards (nice because they are red, white, blue, and tan)

and other old game boards at thrift stores - 

usually, the pieces are missing from games but the boards are still in the box.

If you DO find one with pieces, you can spell out your guests' names!

Don't forget about my tutorial for making Giant Letter Tiles as coasters, too!

shared online:

A Little Claireification | Best of the Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors | Party Junk

Tutorial: Coffeepot Birdhouse

 I was looking for something in my mom's garage today, 

and came upon something that I made for her over FIFTEEN YEARS AGO.
It was a product that I made and sold in my small home decor store and at street markets...

Birdhouses made from Vintage Coffee & Tea Pots!

The perch is a silver spoon - and the lid lifts off for cleaning!

It's a simple project for a darling accent for a yard or patio, and makes a great gift.

 Vintage Coffeepot Birdhouse Tutorial

Supplies Needed:
aluminum coffee or teapot (vintage or new)
one tea or soup spoon (stainless steel)

one 18" length of baling wire
one small screw & nut
steel wool

drill with small bit and 1 1/4" hole bit

screwdriver . needle nose pliers

1. Drill a hole in the front of the coffee / tea pot body using the 1 1/4" hole bit on the drill.

Use the steel wool to sand / soften the sharp edges of the hole. 

2. Bend the spoon just below the 'bowl' so that the bowl angles down at a 90 degree angle.

From the inside of the coffee pot, put the spoon handle through the 1 1/4" hole,

place the bowl of the spoon up against the pot wall, 

and drill a small hole through both surfaces using the small bit.
 

Attach using small screw, with nut on the inside to secure, to form the perch.
[OPTIONAL: hot glue the spoon into place!]

You must bend the spoon before attaching to the pot.

3. Drill two small holes @ 1/2 inch apart above the pot handle using the small bit.
These should be on the body of the pot - NOT on the lid.
Feed the bottom 4" of the baling wire through the upper hole, into the pot, then out the other hole.

Use the needle nose pliers to curl the end of the wire around the screwdriver shaft to create a curlicue.
[this prevents the wire from slipping back through the holes]

4. Drill one small hole above the pot spout using the small bit.
Feed the bottom of the other end of the baling wire down into the hole, and out the spout -

this causes the middle of the wire to create a U-shaped loop over the top of the pot.

Use the needle nose pliers to curl the end of the wire around the screwdriver shaft to create a curlicue.
Bend it upward to look like steam escaping the spout!

Remove the lid at the end of the season to clean out the birdhouse - 

just rinse and dry!

You might want to name the birds who nest here

Starbuck, Peet, or even Juan Valdez...
__________________________________________