House Things

Kicking off Top Three Thursdays on Etsy is a little animal magnetism with this fab vintage chair that’s been given new life with a touch of zebra … print that is. The chair, which is about 38″ high, has been lovingly restored by in the shop of Inged Design and Decoration. Shipping is free via Greyhound. Price is $460.

I’ve been a little obsessed with terrariums recently. I just love the idea of a mini gardenscape someplace in your house or say on a desk at work where you can daydream about being somewhere else. I do not, however, have much of a green thumb. (As I type this, I am not sure that two of the five plants currently in  my office will be alive when I arrive there on Monday.) Anyway, this terrarium with an air plant that requires no soil at all — and virtually no water! — caught my eye on Etsy. The glass globe, which has a flat bottom so it can sit on a desk or be hung, is about 5″ in diameter and high. Each kit includes a tillandsias, or air plant, dried poppy pods, cream colored reindeer moss and neutral stones. Just soak the plant in a bowl or faucet once a week, allow it to fully dry before putting it back in the container, add a little light, and you’re good to go. Price is $25 and it’s available in Sea & Asters’ shop.

And finally because while  I don’t own one, I find it virtually impossible to pass an Eames chair of any kind without clicking. This classic Eames wire chair is from the early 1950s and apparently in great condition. It’s available in Cathode Blue‘s shop for $275 with free shipping in the continental U.S.

And if you’re still wavering, here it is with its original bikini covering!

A lot of bird feeders are more function than form. This one from Joe Papendick‘s shop on Etsy, though, is a stunner that would add a bit of art to your backyard. Hand crafted and welded from steel and copper, it is about 6 feet tall.  The design allows for the roots of surface vegetation to reach through and firmly anchor the piece into the ground. The top ‘feeder’ portion is designed to allow for enough gentle movement to replicate the subtle natural motion of tree branches. Price is $325.

Clearly I’ve got a metal thing going this week on Tope Three Thursdays, our weekly celebration of all things Etsy. Just take a gander at this fabulous holiday display from West Vintage Trading Co.

Each electric star fixture is made out of wood and metal. There is a in-line switch that turns the lights on and off and you can get them in colored lights if you prefer. Size is 24 X 24″. Price is $150. Meets UL specifications. LOVE THIS!

And finally, something decidedly not metallic. As regular readers know, one of my fantasies is about starting a reupholstery business in which I find sad furniture, re-paint/sand/reupholster, and sell it to adoring fans on places like Etsy. Delusional I know but in the meantime, I also stop when I see someone like the mother-daughter team behind  Found Design Miami who is doing it.

This ottoman started out as a small table with a marble top circa 1960. They removed the outdated marble and built a cushion upholstered with a hand silkscreened Dia de los Muertos fabric. Just perfect I think. Price is $75.

A lot of bird feeders are more function than form. This one from Joe Papendick‘s shop on Etsy, though, is a stunner that would add a bit of art to your backyard. Hand crafted and welded from steel and copper, it is about 6 feet tall.  The design allows for the roots of surface vegetation to reach through and firmly anchor the piece into the ground. The top ‘feeder’ portion is designed to allow for enough gentle movement to replicate the subtle natural motion of tree branches. Price is $325.

Clearly I’ve got a metal thing going this week on Tope Three Thursdays, our weekly celebration of all things Etsy. Just take a gander at this fabulous holiday display from West Vintage Trading Co.

Each electric star fixture is made out of wood and metal. There is a in-line switch that turns the lights on and off and you can get them in colored lights if you prefer. Size is 24 X 24″. Price is $150. Meets UL specifications. LOVE THIS!

And finally, something decidedly not metallic. As regular readers know, one of my fantasies is about starting a reupholstery business in which I find sad furniture, re-paint/sand/reupholster, and sell it to adoring fans on places like Etsy. Delusional I know but in the meantime, I also stop when I see someone like the mother-daughter team behind  Found Design Miami who is doing it.

This ottoman started out as a small table with a marble top circa 1960. They removed the outdated marble and built a cushion upholstered with a hand silkscreened Dia de los Muertos fabric. Just perfect I think. Price is $75.

Back in the day, I was a flamingo fan. I just thought they were kitschy and funny. My husband didn’t — still doesn’t — and it was not uncommon for my flamingos to suddenly be discovered legless and therefore unusable. My husband would feign shock and surprise, but I think we all know where those legs went.  Anyway, he might have liked this funny garden decoration called, aptly, Gnomes Be Gone. Just instead of gnomes, he would have placed flamingo. You can get this at Uncommon Goods for $125.

Our daughter got married in our backyard nearly two years ago, and one of the benefits was all the work we did to get it presentable. We’re still reaping the benefits today. One thing we added were solar lights along the walkway and driveway. We’ve managed to run over or crush them all, but I’m definitely thinking of replacement ideas. We also strung white lights inside a massive forsythia bush at the time. We borrowed those, however, and haven’t had any fun lighting since. Here are a few things at Gardeners Supply Company that caught my eye. And they’re reasonably priced to boot!

Solar Powered String Lights, $79.95 for over 100 LED lights

Solar Teak Accent Lights, $39.95

Solar Star Lights, $24.95

Mother’s Day will be here before you know it — yes, it’s true — and as a favor to help those of you who present your mothers with gifts (and if you don’t, well, I guess you like to live dangerously), I’m dedicating this week’s Etsy round-up to some gift ideas that could work (or at least would work for me, in case any of my children are reading).

First up some tea candles with a touch of Mother Nature thrown in. Regular readers know I’m a rock freak fan, so these immediately caught my eye. They would look lovely on a porch or deck or patio for sure, since the season of more outdoor living is upon us here in the East. Available in Cairngorm Rock Design‘s shop, the trio comes with three tea lights in a small burlap bag. Each is about  10” around and about 1 ½” high. Price is $33.

While flowers are a lovely Mother’s Day gift, why not give something that shouts your love day in and day out? How about a terrarium? This lovely hanging one, available at Immortal Monkey Design,  is apparently almost impossible to kill. Each hanging terrarium is approx. 6″ tall x 4″ wide), and comes with a small bag of lichen friendly soil mixture, a small handful of stones, a few moss and lichen coated twigs and an assortment of lichens featuring specimens of the much sought after Cladonia “pixie cup” along with other fruticose lichens. They will also include a few premium accents to add a little spark and pizazz! (these may include things like crystals, shells, rough or polished gemstones, fossils etc.) Price is $28.

Finally everyone needs a bowl of her own. These happy little numbers hold about 2 1/2 cups each and are available in Owl Creek Ceramics‘ shop. Each one is $21 and is microwave and dishwasher safe. Sweet!

Stopped by Farmhouse Wares the other day to see what was new and fell in love with some outdoor stuff (clearly I have a major case of spring fever, folks. Just seeing ground, no matter how brown, has me excited). Anyway thought these items would make good additions to a garden or patio. I’m looking at my gardens more and more as places to decorate beyond just the flowers and foliage. These bee skeps, which come in natural and vine colors and are about 13″ tall, would be an interesting addition, don’t you think? $35 each.

Or what about this decorative and environmentally friendly way to rid yourself of pesky flies when you’re eating on the patio? All you do is add a little sugar water, which attracts flies (especially fruit flies) and wasps into the hole on the bottom and traps them. No more disgusting fly strips. Ugh! Instead this bug trap features beautifully sculpted bubble glass nestled in a rustic woven willow basket. Price is $21.95

I’ve been seriously into real herbs recently — what a difference in taste from dried!! — so this hydrogarden from the folks at Branch caught my eye. The hand-crafted recycled wine bottles come with soil, USDA certified organic/heirloom seeds, clay pebbles, a wool wick and plant nutrient. Each is  8″ tall x 3″ diameter, making them the perfect size for a desktop or windowsill. Just add water and voila! instant herb garden. You can pick from oregano, chives, basil, parsley and mint. Each is sold individually and costs $38.