Almost Finsihing Touches

Finally! We're at the fun part of the kitchen process where we get to start accessorizing!

We gathered something we had, along with some material & color samples to compose this pallet.

One of the main element we're most excited about is the idea to integrate copper as an accent color & material that adds the prefect amount of warmth to the overall feel.

We wanted to use vintage knobs and found these simple standard 50"s copper knobs from Second Use to go with our oak and europly cabinet fronts. It's one of those things where we weren't totally sure if it was going to make everything look too dated or out of place....

But once we put them on, the whole kitchen instantly glowed....it just felt 100 times more special and complete! Who would have thought that something as small as cabinet knobs cab make such a difference!

Here's the special nook for our collection of found glass jars with cork tops. I love how the onions even goes with the whole pallet!

I was especially happy to have found couple of these simple copper light sockets to hang above our island  area! I was actually debating on whether to splurge on these brass ones from Restoration Hardware for almost $100 each for a simple light socket!!
Good thing we waited, did more research, and ended up finding these similar ones from Grandbrass for only a tenth of the price! I should take that extra cash I saved and  buy some bottles of champagne to celebrate this triumphant score!

We're getting SOOOOO close to the finishing line I can smell it!  I'm picturing all our friends and family awaits for us at the end with warm towels and hugs....it's gonna be great! :)

Block Party

 

I know I really should be banned from going to anymore estate sales...and you can see why! I somehow came back with a whole box of these vintage building blocks with amazing colors & shapes. 

Why? you ask?...I say, more like why NOT?! 

Wooden blocks is probably one of my favorite things. 

It's simple, versatile,  and is an amazing medium that allows anyone at any age to create something physical in the most basic way. 

Even now as an adult playing with the blocks, I find that they're extremely useful for our design process as we can play with it to quickly create mini models,  explore forms, structures, and compositions. 

It's just amazing how entertaining they are for the fact that they're just bunch of pieces of wood....yes, I'm very easily entertained.

Although, I have yet come up with specific ideas on what to make with them...
Something will come of this I'm sure...but until then I'm just gonna have a party playing with these building blocks!

Object of Desire

I'm excited about Charlie Schuck's upcoming Object show happening on JUNE 17th!
It's a beautifully well-curated & carefully hand selected collection of objects showcased in his own studio. It's a mix of objects by local artists/designers such as Iacoli & McAllister, &c., Chadhaus, Emmet Smith, Free Time Industries, Far4, with unique one-of-a-kind vintage/antique found treasures....
pretty much everything I love and can't resist looking.....

Back to the Land Homes (part two)

The much anticipated part two of my Back to the Land House post! The hardest part is not including every image of every interior of the book, but these are my top picks.

These and more on Flickr.

Imagine a studio like this!

Or one of the many glorious geodesics.

Some inspiration for our kitchen!

I love the Japanese feeling of this space combined with the massive string art (the text caption is from the book...the way the whole thing is written...not sure what they're talking about most of the time)

These have me dreaming of an Adobe shack...

Circular windows!

Back to the Land Homes (part one)

In the late seventies after a failed attempt to live out of a VW microbus, my Dad had the bright, romantic idea to drop the nomad lifestyle, move to the country, and live off the land. So he did the only sensible thing a twenty-something in that time period could think of, he bought a lone chicken coop on a couple of acres and decided to make it his home. So began years of trials and tribulations that are a prominent part of my family's folklore: a lost cow, brush fires, a roof-climbing goat named Jemima and the transformation of that chicken coop into a modest passive solar home worthy of his back to the land dream.

Like many similar utopian visions of that time, the romance inevitably wore off, practicality set in and we became city dwellers once again, but my Dad still shakes his head and says "I'm so glad I did that." I can't help but feel the same nostalgic romantic feeling from time to time myself. Should we drop everything and head for simple country life?? Could we cut it out in rural life? Scratch that. We'd probably go crazy, but it's fun to think about the possibilities.

While I try to dig up the few photos that were taken of my Dad's own chicken coop transformation, I thought I would share three amazing books that inspired him to take that plunge (and has got me thinking rustic myself). All Their Own, The Craftsman Builder, and Woodstock Handmade Houses

Below are some pic excerpts of some of the exteriors. Interiors (my fav) in part deux.

More scans on Flickr.

I'm just blown away by the creativity, thoughtfulness and resourcefulness that went into these homes. They were built over time and evolved organically with limited resources, but ultimate freedom...it's authentic rustic charm...not the kind you read about in real estate listings...it's genuine character. Geodesic dome on top of a cedar-shaked double-wide character!

(abv) Love the gesture of this structure's roof line...it was actually architect designed and built as his personal hippie home.

The above is built partially into the ground for heating/cooling. The slanted roof runs to the ground to head off the north winds another passive solar feature and one my Dad used on the chicken coop to ward off the Michigan winter winds.

Not exactly sure what's happening here, but I think this is his artist studio/workshop. I could definitely work there!

Sweet treehouse! Me want! The triangular window collage is such a cool feature. Not sure if that staircase is code...

Ok check out Flickr and stay tuned for Part Two.

Sneak Peak of L&G SPRING SALE

More pics of our Spring Vintage Sale this weekend!!
We really letting go....
See? No joke.
But just to warn you, you might see us cry or fight you a bit on handing certain things over...but we promise we won't make a scene out of it...We'll try to stay strong...

SEE event details here and see more of what we gots here....But really, You need to just come HERE!

Our sale of the century!

Hey there Seattle area readers. Scoot your butts over to Ballard this weekend for our first ever L&G Studio Vintage Sale.

May 21st-22nd. At the L&G studio/homestead at 2430 NW 62nd st, Seattle

Our addiction to raiding thrift stores and estate sales has gotten the best of us and before we end up on the show "Hoarding: Buried Alive" we thought we'd do some much overdue spring purging.

Our wonderful assortment includes (see more pics):

• Classic design brands (Dansk, Hornsea, Braun, Catherine Holm, Alessi, Stelton)
• Antique Curiosities (globes, housewares, tchotchkes, handmade ceramics)
  
• Obsolete technology (typewriters, reel to reel decks, film cameras)
• Vintage design, craft, and kids books
• L&G original seconds, samples, and one-offs
  

MAY 21st, SATURDAY: Come for the choice finds!
MAY 22nd, SUNDAY: get 50% off (items will be discounted all day)!

It will be hard to see the treasures we fought so hard to find leave our hands, but we know they'll be going to appreciative new homes and that just makes us feel so warm and cozy.

Excited to see you there!