Auction house odds and ends — emphasis on the odd!
Come in!
I’ve been curating my household of oddities, antiques, and collectibles — largely from my job at an auction house in San Francisco, and also fed by my love of local sales and thrifting. I think my finds add a charm to my home that was otherwise missing.
This is my house, where I keep all my Things and make my art.
How to paint a polka dot washer and dryer that will hold up over time
The laundry room has been a sticking point as we put together out house. It was such a cramped, cluttered nightmare that no one would want to see. U to the G-L-Y. BUT NOW, thanks to a polka dot stencil and some turquoise paint, my much-prettier washer and dryer are leading the way in laundry beautification.
Antlers, bones, and dead things as decor
I love dead animals. I mean, I like LIVING animals more, but bones and teeth and taxidermied things are my favorite type of decorative detritus.
So let’s look at bones in the home. I understand if this icks you out. There’s only a little shame in that.
What would YOU do with this historic brick building?
A friend of mine who’s a grad student in Idaho recently shared this amazing property in downtown Boville, Idaho:
GREAT HISTORIC BRICK BUILDING. STARTED OUT AS A BANK WITH A MASONIC LODGE LOCATED ON THE 2ND FLOOR. MAIN FLOOR IS SET UP AND HAS BEEN RUN AS THE ELK TAVERN FOR MANY YEARS. THERE IS AN APARTMENT IN THE BACK ON MAIN FLOOR. SECOND FLOOR HAS NOT BEEN USED FOR YEARS, MOSTLY ONE BIG ROOM WITH HIGH CEILING, FIR FLOORING, LOTS OF WINDOWS AND 2 FIREPLACES.
What would YOU do with it?
Daleks on a dinner plate, spring water for your home, and painting quotes on the walls — this week in reader photos
HELLO! Happy Monday! I know we are all very busy, so I’ll waste no time getting right to the photos I want to show you from the Offbeat Home Flickr pool this week. And in the Clicky Links I’ve got a soap-sludge solution, a tutorial on eyelash application, and a first hand story of what to do (and what not to do) after your house is hit by a tornado.
A photo guide on reupholstering metal-framed chairs
I redid our uggo old taupe dining room chairs, and found it surprisingly easy. It only took a few materials, and using new padding, a staple gun, and jersey knit fabric, I have totally like-new chairs!
Where can I get truly bad-ass fabric for home projects?
I’ve been super inspired by some of the DIY projects on Offbeat Home, but I have no idea where to get fabric that would make my home decor crafts really fucking awesome. When I go to Michaels or other big box fabric stores, it seems like I can never find anything that excites me.
Any suggestions for great online sources for bad-ass fabric?
Do you wish you had kept your car — or does car-less life ROCK?
People who have owned a car, but decided to get rid of it: what was the transition like? What do you do if you have an emergency or need to run to the store in the middle of the night? How do you haul large stuff around? And most importantly: do you regret the decision… or do you love it?