You don’t have to be a certified appraiser (and I am not) to recognize that a vintage piece has value. First of all, the value only need be emotional – it’s a personal thing. I had an assistant tell me the other day that the fact that I encouraged her to hit estate sales and garage sales for our propping elated her. She also confided that another stylist she works with is skeeved by second hand anything. Etsy is as close to that “hippy crap” as she’ll venture (and even that’s only under duress). Her loss. Seriously.

This late fifties early sixties ceramic set is my latest score. Perfect in every way – condition, period, color. Two taper/pillar candle holders and a vase. Felt feet and certification sticker still beautifully in tact (tho I don’t really know how to interpret it). I’d love to see pics of your recent thrift finds.

Build a better mouse trap… curtain rods and brackets have historically been a design quandary (for me, at any rate). Extendable rods have an ugly impractical transition between the two halves. Finials are not pretty – almost without exception. Brackets tend to sag and can have a tough time holding onto or letting go of a rod. And just throwing money at a problem does not assure better options.

My solution is a fairly simple woodworking project that incorporates graceful, beautiful materials: 1 x 3 poplar (or maple) – actual measurement .75″ x 2.5″ (stocked at The Home Depot, if you must) cut into 4″ lengths and pre finished hardwood broom handles cut to length. Tools include a drill with a 1″ paddle bit and a 1/8″ bit, a hammer and 1 1/4″ finish nails, 2″ #8 wood screws, wood glue, a tape measure, 120 grit sandpaper, a wire hanger and wire snips. If you have the wherewithal to cut your own blocks safely out of reclaimed wood – fantastic.

Mark a point 1 1/4″ from three sides on the face of a wood block. Drill a 1″ hole cleanly through the block at the mark. Sand this piece  and attach it perpendicularly to the center of a second block with wood glue and finish nails (see above). The rods are not generally long enough to extend across windows over 42″ so a center bracket is necessary where the two poles meet. I like to cut them leaving the rounded end of the rod with about a 1 1/2″ overhang (NO finial). To keep them in place, mark the pole at the inside of the lefthand and righthand brackets drilling a 1/8″ hole through the rod at these points. Install the rods and curtains. Thread a 2″ piece of hanger wire through the holes bending each end slightly to keep the wire in place.

I find that attaching the brackets to the wall works well by pre drilling a 1/8″ hole center top (angled down) and at the bottom (angled up) through the block – yes, I did it differently in the pic above (I have a brad nail gun, okay?). Attach with standard 2″ wood screws. If your drapes are heavy you may need wall anchors.

I like finishing the brackets with linseed oil (prior to mounting). But it can be decoupaged, lacquered…

Truth be told, this was a project conceived for an editorial “backyard entertaining story” I styled. We ran out of light and it was never used SO I set it up in my yard and shot it myself. I’m not a fan of purple (at all) but love the way these three pieces play with that color range. I also dig the  various shapes and patinae on the pots. Pick a pot that is interesting (please). A couple things to keep in mind when paint dipping – use standard latex wall paint (slightly diluted) in any color, pour it into something wide enough and deep enough to dip your pot in up to the point you want, rest the piece carefully so that any excess will run off below your paint line. The beauty of paint dipping is the natural paint line. You will probably want to add a little water to your paint but go easy because it should be fairly thick to cover properly. Experiment! Dip your piece in a second color once the first one is dry… if you try this at home, send me pics!

Chalkboard as decorative object. I made these pieces as set dressing for a kid’s fashion shoot but I LOVE the idea of using them as interactive home decor. The form they take is limited only by your imagination (and hand/eye coordination).

Sketch the outline of your board on a piece of black 1/4″ Gatorboard (which is tempered with resin so more stable than foam core) available at most art stores. Carefully cut your shape out with a fresh #11 X-Acto blade (changing blades often). Spray 2 or 3 light even coats of chalkboard spray paint on the surface and edges of  your board (drying after each coat). Using the long side of a piece of white chalk cover the whole piece with a layer of chalk and then wipe off (leaving a faint mottled layer of white). This step “seasons” the surface and gives it an authentic old school blackboard feel. Now outline and draw simple details on the board. Tie a piece of chalk to white cotton string taping the loose end to the back. Mount to a wall or door with removable mounting strips. Send me pics of yours!

Consider it Craft College with a great gift shop. Reform School is a hybrid concept resulting in a beautifully curated shop of art, craft and display along with a roster of classes ranging from composting to ukulele. And the women behind the Los Angeles DIY boutique inspire the “my dad’s got a barn, my mother sews costumes, let’s put on a show” spirit that’s hard to resist.

Shopping for a photo shoot I was coveting a beautiful branch sitting in the corner of the store. “That one’s spoken for, but come back tomorrow and I’ll bring a bunch more from my yard for you” I was told. And they wouldn’t take a penny for them. They walk the walk. Reform School is no faceless one-note Etsy operation. They are about community and creating and subsequently create community.

As of June 1, Reform School welcomes a vintage clothing store in the back half. A clever way to meet economic challenges and a chance for the craft mavens to demonstrate their creative genius as they do a bit of spacial reinvention. I was happy to hear they’ll keep both front windows – their displays are my favorite feature. I’m not above window shopping for great ideas.

Organic is the only way to describe the process that originates in a medieval farmhouse near Sienna, Italy, travels thru the world of eBay to end up an idea on the ceiling of a ’70′s chalet in the mountains above Palm Springs.

Here’s the little guy that inspired the whole thing (the ’70′s mushroom lamp on the dresser). I’m thinking the moral is something like – stay open to the influences around you but don’t interpret them too literally…

You know what they say about necessity being the mother of invention – in this case it wasn’t so much needing a place to hang a towel as it was the need to get rid of the fugly faux oil-rubbed brass towel rods with cast “curled parchment” wall mounts (yes, someone paid good money for these).

As the forest surrounds this diamond-in-the-rough mountain house, I didn’t have to go far for a replacement. A manzanita branch has a beautiful twisted character, lots of sturdy branchlets for hooks and is exceedingly strong. And it was a broken branch so it already had the weathered silvery driftwood surface  I couldn’t recreate if I tried.

I embrace the grainy quality of low-light iPhone shots. Not just tolerate – but really like. Technical imperfections bring a human feel to a picture. And evening or night light injects that “what you don’t see” intrigue into a shot. A small porch light sculpts an entire house. A street lamp renders a news box a forlorn central character. Motion blur makes ghosts of anyone who moves…

Long term relationships are not to be entered into lightly. Living together for a while before making a major decision is generally a good choice. It’s the best way to know if it’s gonna work. Which explains why I didn’t touch the back wall of our living room for six years. We were into the idea but, built-ins are a serious commitment.

I first designed a picture window with an arch echoing a detail seen elsewhere in the house. The original Mediterranean/Deco transitional elements made Moroccan inspired plastered built-in shelves with a bench an easy leap. Though, as I applied drywall to the 2 x 12 framing I got a “Flintstones” comment from a friend who should know better. A few days later as the top coat went on, he ate his words.