Martin Cooper

Bet you never thought IKEA picture frames — sans pictures — could be wall décor? Carol and Mel did just that. They arranged a bunch of the affordable FISKBO picture frames into a fretwork panel for their wall. IKEA Item: FISKBO Picture Frames (13 ea.) Other Materials: E6000 Industrial Adhesive Lay out frames on a large space that you won’t need for a few days. Arrange them into a formation that you like. Follow instructions on back of adhesive tube and glue the frames together. Pay attention to keeping frames straight and aligned with even spaces. Then, let the glue cure thoroughly. We used some heavy books to keep the frames down. Lastly, install your faux fretwork wall décor with the appropriate wall fixings. before after The total cost of our project was $41. ~ by Carol & Mel Davis You may also like these wall décor ideas #Affordable metal and thread wall décor Heidi salvaged two ALGOT metal shelves which had been smashed in the transportation. R...

Each year, Jacob’s Pillow campus  in rural Massachusetts, USA, hosts a summer dance festival with more than 200 free performances and other uplifting events. The cultural center challenged  Flansburgh Architects  to design a 6,000 square foot (557 square meter) dance studio, able to meet the growing needs of the artists all year round. The new building on the site is inspired by the rural barns in the area, but offers the latest in high tech. Its flexible design incorporates multiple program spaces and functions. It will serve as a warm-up and rehearsal space, instructional space, informal performance area and a residency venue for visiting programs. Wood and glass are the main components of the design, which the architects employed to create a farm-like aesthetic. At the same time, these elements have the ability to create a more natural and laid-back environment for the artists and their performances. “Oversized barn windows and doors create a strong linkage to the ...

I have 2 BILLY bookcases for some years now. And I wanted to close them up but not with the classical doors (heavy, not nice and expensive) and more in line with my living room style. So I decided to hack fabric sliding doors for my BILLYs. I tried to find some hanging system that could be fixed by the side of the rails but they were more or less all to be fixed at the top. Materials used: BILLY bookcases YRLA curtain Wood sticks Wooden dowels Screws Wood glue Tools: Drill Clamps Sewing machine How I made fabric sliding doors for my BILLY bookcases Firstly, I decided to use wood to create the rails and fixing system. Flat pieces of wood for the rails and round dowels for hanging the YRLA curtain. The fabric sliding doors looks a bit more stylish and less invasive in my space than other system. Better yet, it costs in total probably something around 5-6 eur for the wood. Next, at the top of the YRLA curtains sew a hem on to insert a dowel. This part slides above...

We’re here to help you get a jumpstart on spring cleaning. Image: Anchor Builders Believe it or not, winter is almost over. Warmer temperatures and sunny weather are both right around the corner, which means it’s time to start thinking about spring cleaning. Spring cleaning is the perfect opportunity for you to start afresh. If you’re ready to get an early start on your yearly clean-out, you’re in luck. We’ve gathered our five top tips to help you tackle your spring cleaning head on. Declutter before you clean Image: 9 square studio Declutter first Before you even think about tackling a deep clean, get rid of some of the clutter that’s piled up over the long winter. Doing so helps you focus on what needs to be done for your spring cleaning. If you’re unsure of where to start, try the “two-pile” method. Filter the items you intend to toss out into two separate piles: one pile for items still in good enough shape to donate, and another pile...

We have recently moved and my two “oldest” (3 and 2) are now having to share a room… needless to say this is not going well. I have looked into tents, curtains etc but they just won’t respect the space, I am needing some more “permanent” room divider ideas — however we rent so it can’t be too permanent! Any ideas? We are so desperate! Thank you. ~ Katie *** Hi Katie Sharing a room can be trying for kids, if they have not grown up with it. You did not provide any information on the size of the room so I can’t be too specific. But here are a few room divider ideas that can help delineate each child’s space. They are certainly more permanent than tents and curtains but rent-friendly too. Room divider ideas for kids room #1 PAX wardrobes as room partition Richard used the PAX wardrobe system to partition out a room for his son. The PAX wardrobe is definitely a good way to add storage and carve out 2 separate spaces for your kids. But you’ll quite a bit of room for this work. Any...