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I want it all. By Kaufmann Mercantile in Brooklyn NY.
Dustpan and broom. Butcher’s twine. Cocktail bitters (no idea what for but I love how they look). Leather (!) fly swatter. Denim apron. Aaaah.
La-la-love all the cool utilitarian stuff. So practical. So good looking. So inspiring.
And I so need the bag.
I haven’t felt this inspired by a web store, or any store for that matter, in a long time. Totally inspired.
Happy Weekend!
I’ve been having a fly problem this summer. Both lots of the regular big flies but that was earlier (they’re almost gone now) and these past few weeks fruit flies. I searched online and found all sorts of fly traps you can make; glass with various sweets (a fruit gone bad, balsamic vinegar, coke, “saft” etc) inside which entice flies, glass with paper funnel, glass with cling film with holes etc. Nothing really worked.
Until I realized that whenever I had a glass of rosé wine out those little buggers came and sat down on the rim or took a swim in my drink. So I took a glass, poured some rosé wine in it, added a couple of drops of dish washing soap (make them unable to land on the surface) and left it on the counter top.
At first nothing much happened but after a day or so I saw some casualties and after that they started piling up in there! There’s even a mosquito and a wasp so the wine turned vinegar must be really tasty now. A votre santé, creeps!
So after that post where I showed you the dotty wallpaper I panted over it.
A bold yellow on one wall and the rest white.
I picked the yellow because I already have some bright yellow accent pieces dotted around the house.
But it was only up for a couple of days and then I painted over it all again.
Now it’s a calm and soothing white. What can I say. White is me. I’m happy now. The color looks a bit yellow in this shot but it’s actually pure white above and below that grey piece of trim (that I might also paint white once I’ve decided what to do with the stairs.
I added some temporary art until I’ve found the perfect piece/s. The frame on the left holds a wallpaper scrap original to the house and the frame on the left images of Wille from when he was a toddler.
Still figuring out what to do with the stairs but I’ll get there!
As many of you know I was born in Finland. Waaaay up in the north as a matter of fact in a town called Kokkola. I only lived in Finland (in Helsinki) until I was four so I haven’t really spent much time there as an adult but I’ve always felt really at home there in a weird way (not speaking the language at all or knowing any people there).
Lately I’ve had this real yearning for all things Finnish so when I saw this lot of Alvar Aalto stools come up for auction (new hobby of mine to scour the online auctions) I knew I wanted them. And since I actually needed extra occasional seating I wanted them bad! At he same auction there was also a bench so I figured if I could get that at a fair price I’d go for it too. I set my limit after checking how much these things go for new (they’re all still in production) and crossed my fingers.
Yay! My total score is one stool with white laminate top which now resides in the living room near the dining table which is where I need it. There is also one stool with black linoleum top which is currently in Wille’s room. I also have a small kid’s chair with red linoleum top and back rest which I don’t need but it’s so cute so I’m hanging on to it anyway.
The lot also included this Y-leg stool with linen webbing seat. This one I didn’t really want or need but since it was included in the lot I decided to also include it in my home. I now love it at the foot end of my bed where I can toss the extra pillows when I go to bed.
If I were to buy all these new I would have had to pay a total of USD 1770 but I paid a little less than what the two three legged stools cost new. I know I got two things that I didn’t really need but all four pieces are design classics and I like the fact that I can offer some cool designer pieces to Wille when he moves out one day.
Double yay! I got the bench too at a little over a third of the price new. It now sits in my bedroom against the wall that faces the bed. It’s already proved to be perfect there for when I get stuff off the shelves behind the curtain. Now I can rest the boxes on the bench instead of on the floor.
Birch to me is going a little crazy and out of my comfort zone but I like what it does to my bedroom because it’s all grey and white and warms things up just enough. I might dip the feet of the bench in white for a little extra freshness though. Not in paint but another way. Will show you if it turns out ok.
2nd image from Stadsauktion.se
My deck is starting to go grey. Love it!
Mini doing her toilette on the windowsill in the living room.
Finally! The skylights are being installed. The work has been delayed for a few weeks but I’m SO happy it’s getting done. Wille tries out the new height. He can actually stand in there now. We have a whole new view from there now with the glass being all nice and new and the window being a smidge taller.
One skylight done, one to go. The new one’s on the right (slightly ajar) and the chunky old one is the one in the bathroom on the left. That’s being switched out today!
Bonus, my man. He does not like the fact that there are guys working in the house. He stays away most of the time they’re here only to quickly sneak in for a bite to eat and then quickly out again.
The textile printing book I ordered arrived. Tons of inspiring projects. My hobby room is currently packed with skylight parts and tools but as soon as my contractors are done I’ll try my hand at printing.
Some more changes (aside from the Expedit being gone, are taking place in the living room so I have lots of stuff piled up instead of nicely laid out.
Basically our home has been a bit of a mess this week with the installation of the skylights and the changes to the living room. No point in cleaning properly over the weekend when there will be a big mess again today and nowhere really to put stuff away right now. I look forward to the end of the week when things will start coming together again.
