Following years of avoiding things that tie me down, it felt like it was time to venture back into vegetable gardening – on a small scale. Since we obviously aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, why not? I wanted a smallish, modern, movable, non-wood raised bed and I’m really happy with the one I ended up … More Modern Container Garden
I’m not generally one to do gift guides, but I thought this one might be of help if you are searching for a little something for that minimal leaning mid century design nerd in your life. Here is a mega list of my favorite mid century design + architecture (plus a few IMO must have … More Gifts for Mid Century Nerds: Architecture + Design Books!
I’ve gotten so many questions about our bamboo blinds in the past month, oddly enough. I struggled to find a ton of info on natural window covering options before purchasing, so in the interest of having a one-stop destination for those inquiries, I’m going to share where we bought our blinds and what to know … More Bamboo Blinds Pros/Cons
September and October are our hottest months of the year. Weird right. We don’t have AC because it’s generally not that hot (though we did purchase a portable unit for rare heat waves), so we rely heavily on our ceiling fans over these warmer months. Design-wise, I’d much rather have a cute light on a … More Modern Ceiling Fan Roundup!
Our front yard Acapulco chairs are goners, although only a few years old. BUMMER. While the ones in the shade out back are fine, apparently the sun breaks down the PVC webbing and the chairs eventually crack into a million tiny pieces of plastic in your gravel. Or at least that has been our experience. So … More Modern Adirondack Chair Roundup
I’ve put in a few good hours looking for mid century-ish exterior wall lights and I thought I’d share some favorites at all different price points!Our newly bright white house needs some adornment after its fresh coat of paint. As in FIVE new exterior lights. When working on a project where there are so few … More Modern Outdoor Lights
I think I need to start a blog post category just called “Chairs and their Covers.” I have a problem. You may remember that I bought this dream vintage Bertoia diamond chair a few months ago but the pumpkin-orange original cushion cover was unexpectedly unsalvageable. It was immediately clear that this was a job beyond my sewing … More Diamond Chair Cover Thoughts
Somehow this has turned into a saga. Two years ago I bought some replacement covers (actually two different kinds ugh) for our backyard vintage butterfly chair frames and wrote this long post on places to find them. I have detailed info there, but to summarize: if you want replacement canvas covers for your (non folding) … More Circa50 Butterfly Chair Covers
With the new front door, I’m finding myself ready to swap out our DIY bamboo/spray paint mailbox situation for something more durable and permanent. The gold paint is starting to show finger prints and is ready for replacement or facelift. And with the major pieces are in place, I feel like maybe gold isn’t what … More Modern Wall Mount Mailboxes
Any self-respecting suburb lover enjoys a good backyard, myself obviously included. And any respectable backyard has fire. A favorite addition to our backyard was a simple, low fire pit. Even when it’s not fired up, it serves as a gathering spot, as places where fire happens often do.I purchased ours after a pretty exhaustive search and … More Modern Fire Pit Roundup
*2018 update: I’ve written a new post on this same subject with some updated information! I know butterfly chairs are a contentious issue but I am a shameless super fan. Some people say they look too dorm, but loads of Julius Schulman photos say otherwise. Plus, The Parker. Who you gonna believe? I nabbed these rusty and pitted vintage butterfly … More Vintage Butterfly Chair Covers
Fair warning, this is a monster post filled with locksets, handlesets, knobs, escutcheons, trimplates, backsets and more galore! I could go on and on, so I’m probably gonna.I casually mentioned before what a struggle it was to find mid-century leaning door hardware for the front door. As if just finding something cute and mid-century compatible in a sea … More Mid Century Front Door Hardware Sources
I can’t seem to sync myself with the holidays this year! It feels like Halloween should have just passed and everyone should put their Christmas decorations away for a few weeks. I’m not being Grinchy – it’s just that this time of year is my favorite and I’m uncomfortable with how fast things are moving. Is this what … More Buying a Vintage Aluminum Christmas Tree
2019 edit: Check out an updated fan roundup here! We don’t have air conditioning in the best town in the world because the weather, much like the people, is mellow and temperate. I love you, SLO. There are usually only a few nights a year that require supplementation to the ocean breezes blowin’ through the window. Those nights happened … More Cute, Modern, and Cheap(er) Ceiling Fans
For years I thought I was this one thing (a frugal relaxed camper), but turns out I’m this other thing (a snobby hotel vacationer). I was confused because I hoard cute things. Long ago, before I should be thinking about such adult matters, I decided I wanted an old travel trailer BAD. Specifically a late 50’s/early 60’s Shasta. They … More The Pros and Cons of Owning a Vintage Trailer
Let me guess…you can’t get those sweet 70’s fireplaces out of your mind since my last mention? Me neither. I’m pretty much ALWAYS thinking about them because very few things in life are better than strange old fireplaces that look like they are going to eat you up. So, what’s left to do but covet more for every room? … More Buying a Vintage Cone Fireplace
