DIY & Remodeling With Margot Guralnick
To be filed under Eyesore No More: An easy-to-make, minimalist cat scratching post from crafty blogger Molly Madfis of Almost Makes Perfect. It might even allow you to uncloak your furniture and let it go naked.
Photography via Almost Makes Perfect.
Above: Madfis created the design for her own pets, Bodhi and Lucy, a brother and sister. "I like my cats like they're my babies," she says. "I even assisted in their birth (from a pregnant street cat that my friend had taken in)." In April, when the cats turned three, she came up with the scratching post as a birthday present.
Above: If someone in your house is handy, chances are you already have most of what you need.
Materials
- Wood (One piece cut into two. You can have your lumber store do the cutting for you: you'll need one long piece and a shorter piece to serve as the leg.)
- Wood glue
- Miter box or saw
- Clamps
- Twisted sisal rope, chemical free and safe for pets, such as T.W. Evans Cordage; 100 feet for $11.58 on Amazon
- Hot glue gun
- Staple gun (optional, for stapling the rope in place before you begin wrapping it; hot glue or duct tape also work).
Above: Figure out what size board is best for your cat(s); Madfis notes that hers are on the large size. As you wrap the rope, secure it in place on the underside in two or three spots per row with the glue gun. For step-by-step instructions, go to Almost Makes Perfect.
Above: The completed design; Madfis sprinkled some catnip on top as a finishing touch.
Above: It works.
Above: "Proof that they're siblings." Next solution? Go to Living with the Litter Box: 12 Inspired Ways to Conceal the Kitty Loo. And take a look at our gift guides for the Feline Fanatic, Part 1 and Part 2.
For another DIY project from Almost Makes Perfect, see DIY: A Color-Blocked Wall Clock for $25.
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Home Inspiration With Izabella Simmons
"Each piece begins as a rough concept sketch and is slowly brought to life through a careful alchemy of design work, material sourcing, and production methods," says Susan Connor of her hand-printed textiles.
The self-taught designer moved to New York in 2007 and fulfilled a longtime dream to live in a city full of life and diversity—and inspiration for fabric patterns. In 2014, Connor presented her first collection of limited-edition pillows and throws made in her studio in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Here's a look at her latest work and some of the steps that go into it.
Photography by Susan Connor.
Above: Connor's pattern designs begin as intricate hand-drawn sketches, which she then carves onto blocks for hand stamping textural patterns onto fabric.
Above: The fabrics have a bohemian, relaxed feel. "My work gives a nod to traditional block-printing styles and techniques, but pushes the boundary of detail achievable with hand-printing," says Connor.
Above: The Ponti Cushion of ivory linen is patterned with a hand-printed geometric design in indigo. All cushions are available in four sizes and come with a 10/90 down insert (10 percent down, 90 percent feathers). A 12-by-18-inch cushion (shown) is $115 from Connor's online shop.
Above: The ivory linen Inlay Cushion has a design inspired by a set of ancient wooden inlaid doors. The cushion is $150, insert included.
Above: The Tribe Indigo Chambray Throw is 72 by 57 inches and can be used as a bedcover, tablecloth, or picnic blanket; $160.
Above: A linen Vatta Cushion starts at $115 for the smallest size; a linen Totem Throw, with a pattern inspired by ancient tools and jewelry, is $160.
Above: Connor at work in her Bushwick studio. "From the start, the vision behind my company has been for my clients to feel as if they are in the studio beside me, in an artistic setting" she says.
Above: Connor's block carvings: "The goal is to allow the textural details in some of the carvings to become almost a second color, like a wash of texture." When asked what her blocks are made of, Connor told us she'd like to keep that detail her secret.
Above: The Sabine Table Runner is a collaboration between Connor and small-batch design group Mavenhaus Collective.
Above: Connor values linen fabrics produced in the US. Sourcing the right fabric to fit the printing technique is essential: "It has to be smooth enough to hold the print, yet soft enough to be comfortable for use in the home."
Visit Susan Connor to see more.
Browse more of our favorite artist-designed textiles:
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Domestic Science With Izabella Simmons
Spotted (and envied) on the Style Files: a closet converted into a practical utility space, complete with a sink and homemade built-in shelving. Styled by Dutch interior designer Kim Timmerman, it's the perfectly ordered and sparkling extra storage everyone could use. Here, a look at the closet and how to re-create it.
Above: A utility room that serves as a space for storing kitchenwares and washing up, it's tidily covered in white tiles and kitted out with shelves resting on brackets made from pegs. The same pegs are used as simple hooks over the sink. One of reasons the setup is so pleasing to the eye is its simple palette of black, white, and gray. Photograph by Louis Lemaire Fotografie.
Steal this look with the following elements.
Above: The American Standard All-Purpose Sink is designed be wall-hung and measures 22 by 30 by 9 1/2 inches; $680.16 from Amazon.
Above: The Elements of Design Vintage Wall-Mounted Vessel Sink Faucet with Double Cross Handles has a 9 3/4-inch spout reach from the wall; $113.99 in polished chrome via Wayfair.
Above: Ikea offers several basic white shelving options. The Ekby Hemnes, 31 1/8 inches wide and 7 1/2 inches deep, is $14.99. Companion brackets also available.
Above: To create shelf brackets and wall hooks, consider Wooden Building Blocks or a Hardwood Dowel cut into the desired lengths and painted white. Drill a hole in the back of each, insert a screw, and attach to the wall using anchors.
See our post DIY Instant Hallway Hooks Made from Blocks for tips. For ready-made options, take a look at 11 Favorites: Pegboard Storage Organizers and 6 Wooden Storage Pegs.
Above: The Kaico Coffee Pot by designer Makoto Koizumi is made in Japan of enamel-coated steel with a maple knob; $130 from Emmo Home.
Above: The French-made Staub Cast-Iron Mini Cocotte in matte black is currently on sale for $70 (marked down from $93) at Williams-Sonoma. Looking for more options? See 10 Easy Pieces: Cast Iron Dutch Ovens and The World's Most Beautiful Dutch Oven (By Way of SF).
Above: The One Gallon Amber Glass Jug with a handle and cap is $8.69 from My World Hut.
Above: A six-inch-deep crocheted Hanging Storage Basket is $25 from Etsy seller A&B Design Studio of Arizona. Shown here in cream; other colors available.
Above: These Scissors are made by a Chinese scissor and knife company in business since 1663; $16 from Brook Farm General Store.
Above: Sized for ice cream, the Dessert Bowl in onyx is part of the Heath Coupe Line designed in the 1940s; $25 from Heath Ceramics.
Above: The Ilse Container is an all-brass receptacle designed by Ilse Crawford for Georg Jensen; $275 via The Future Perfect.
Above: Matte on the outside, high gloss inside, Yield Design's Ceramic Pitchers come in gray or white; $95. See the design put to use as a French press in our post Beautiful Brew.
If, like us, you love looking at storage options, peruse our image gallery of Laundry & Utility Rooms. Also see our post 10 Easy Pieces: Inventive Wood Wall Hooks.
This post is a rerun; the original ran on December 2, 2013, as part of our Early Bird issue.
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