Garbage (gär'bäZH) by Mitch Shivers

Yesterday I went to UP Diliman to:

1. Fix my documents for the board exam

2. Pass by our org tambayan and meet new applicants, and

3. See Mitch Shivers' exhibit at the College of Fine Arts on its last day

While commuting to UP, I saw this awesome mural at Philcoa. The paintings on this wall at the Philcoa foot bridge changes every now and then. 

Here's another mural that I came across at the facade of Bartlett Hall.

My sister met up with me at the lobby and gave me a tour of her teacher's work. GARBAGE (gär'bäZH) is an exhibit by Mitch Shivers which showcases upcycled furniture pieces out of salvaged items.

Here are some of the items that I liked in the exhibit. Captions below the photo.

Beat Box Carton Speakers
Repurposed cardboard packaging boxes

Reconstruct Track Light
Salvaged I-beam and repurposed G.I. pipes

Head Banger - Blue Head Speaker
Salvaged mannequin head

Maschine Coffee Table

Reclaimed wood planks and salvaged gears

G-55 Lounge Chair and Side Table Set with QR Pillow

Made from 55 gallon industrial container drum, salvaged SUV pistons, repurposed TV picture tube frame, lid of container drum

Night-Night Tenite LED Table Lamp

Reused iMac monitor stand, assorted salvaging metal parts, Tenite pendants

kWh (Kilowatt Hours) Clock

Upcycled electric meter casing, repurposed G.I. pipes

HARD (ware) & SOFT (ware) - Lounge chair with QR Pillow
Made from floppy disks, keyboard keys, reused extruded aluminum bars, salvaged automotive metal panels, upcycled polycarbonate TV projector panel.

Furniture Made With Rattan

There is something about rattan furniture that makes me think of outdoors, relaxation, or a vacation at the beach. It's interesting that many furniture designers are able to manipulate rattan into something beautiful and organic. Here is my list of favorite rattan pieces that I found through the internet, and some of these pieces I have seen in person at Manila FAME.

The Family Love Tree
The Family Love Tree is an Australian based company founded by Katie Graham. Her products are made of authentic rattan and manufactured in West Java.

Lady Peacock Chair

photo from thefamilylovetree.com.au

This chair that is so elegant and feminine. And you can see the peacock feather design at the back rest.

Rattan Glass Top Table Natural

photo from thefamilylovetree.com.au

Vito Selma
Vito Selma is a Filipino designer based in Cebu who has received numerous awards for his sleek and bold pieces.

Delilah Chair

photo from citem

Another chair that I would love to have. The curves are so sexy!

Baud

photo from vitoselma.com

I have seen this piece at Manila FAME and it's interesting to look at with its beautiful contours.

Locsin International

Another Philippine based company that exports furniture internationally, and is a constant exhibitor at Manila FAME.

Spartan Havana

photo from Locsin International

This looks really cozy, it's like sleeping in a rattan cocoon.

Foglia Rocker Chair

photo from Locsin International

DIY Childrens Dresser Makeover

It all started with this dresser. My mom got it as a gift from a family friend when she was born in 1953 and she said that the dresser wasn't painted nor finished. Eventually she got married and had kids. Her kids used the dresser when they were younger. She thought of having it painted in white so that the dresser would look brighter for a kids room. 

And then one of her young daughters (that's me) was such a little designer that she wanted to have the dresser repainted in the colors that she liked. And it looked like this:

The daughter grew up, left home, went to high school, went to the university, graduated, and after a few years unearthed the dresser that they used to have when they were kids. She thought of updating the dresser and giving it a more grown up look.

So she started making schemes.

She brought the dresser outside and sanded the hell out of it that she thought she lost a couple of pounds. That removed the layers and layers of paint that she used to like on the dresser.

And then she bought paint and hardware. She drilled the holes for the new handles, applied primer and a few coats of paint.

And in the end she asked a carpenter to help her add the mouldings for the drawers. Okay maybe this isn't 100% DIY. But still.

When the job was done, the dresser looked like this. Please don't mind that awful old wallpaper in the background. That will be one of my projects/makeovers in the future. Thank you.

Not sure why but in real life the dresser is a little bit grey, not blue. I think it's the camera settings.

Tada! Here is the before and after. By the way, this dresser is so heavy and I have no idea how they were able to carry it to the second floor. They probably lost a couple of pounds too.

What do you think of this makeover? What would you have done if this was your dresser? Let me know, suggestions are always welcome :)

Repurposed Furniture

I have been surfing the internet about repurposed furniture and I just love the idea. There are plenty of artists out there who gather reclaimed materials and transform them into something special. The best thing about repurposed furniture is that you can make your own piece too. If you have old items from your grandparents or if you gather materials at the junk shop, then maybe you can produce a unique piece. There's an old coffee table at my parent's house somewhere and someday I'd like to try and transform that into a repurposed piece.

Here are my favorite sites that I found:

1. REcreate

Katie Thompson is a designer based in Cape Town and is the owner of REcreate interior design and repurposed furniture. She uses different pieces of junk, combines and transforms them into a new piece of furniture with an eclectic flair.

Here is an old bucket that is upholstered to become a stool

Photo from REcreate

Old tea cups and saucers were used as the base for this lamp

Photo from REcreate

And my favorite from her collection, a vintage suitcase that is upholstered and added with wooden legs to become a pretty chair

Photo from REcreate

2. Thomas Wold

Thomas Wold has been featured in a lot of magazines and websites (I found his works through inhabitat). This talented artist puts together reclaimed materials into a quirky and colorful piece of furniture. Aside from upcycling, he also designs cabinetry for kitchen and bathroom.

I love the color scheme in this Fractured Fairy Tales shelving set

Photo from ThomasWold

This Donkey Cabinet is made from old cabinet doors and other unique scraps.

Photo from ThomasWold

He recreates a Primp Station for ReadyMade Magazine. Who knew a vanity could look so cool?

Photo from ThomasWold

3. ReFound

ReFound is founded by Jill O'Neill who works with different artists and designers to produce unique pieces out of reclaimed furniture. According to their website, "each piece is recreated in the style of the artist that 'refound' it, and since there is only one found piece, it will be unique to each and every customer."

These stools were painted By David McClellend.

Photo from ReFound

This chair was painted by Susan Whitla, making it look more elegant and feminine.

Photo from ReFound

 Catriona McCambridge added color and texture to this piece of furniture.

Photo from ReFound

Backyard Hangout

It's fun to stay outdoors and just by hanging out in your backyard or garden, you get to breathe fresh air and get your good dose of sunshine. And by adding some accessories to your backyard, it can provide opportunities for you to enjoy the outdoors with your friends and family. Here are some ideas that you can use for your backyard:

1. Light it up

Place votive candles in your backyard to light up a nice garden party. Citronella candles can provide protection from mosquito bites. This mason jar votive is a nice centerpiece on your outdoor dinner table.

From potterybarn

Aside from votive candles, hanging garden lanterns is also a good idea for party lighting. If you have a tree at home, you can hang lanterns on the branches.

From collegeprep

2. Swing high swing low

Build a swing or a hammock in your garden. This will surely be a key item in your backyard that children and even adults would want to sit on all day. Add some pillows so you can relax and read a book.

From tabletonic

3. Build a birdhouse

If you love to hear chirping sounds in the morning, how about building a house for your friendly flying neighbor? We love birds!

From duncraft

4. Pots and Planters

Some outdoor spaces do not have ground to plant on. That's okay, you plant your flowers, herbs and veggies on pots and planters. Hang rows of planters on the wall and it would look like this:

From happysleepy

 

From ideiaedecor

If you are planning to grow your own herbs, you can easily identify them by painting the  clay pots with chalkboard paint and labeling them with chalk.

From marthastewart

5. Your outdoor bedroom

If you have an old sturdy bed that is not being used anymore, you can place it outdoors and thrown in tons of fluffly pillows. You can take a nap in the garden, or even lie down while watching over your kids play.

From prudentbaby

6. Get in the mood

Of course an outdoor hangout isn't complete without music. An iPod dock or a simple radio is a necessity to get your guests in the mood. Or bring out the projector and the bean bags and have a movie night at the garden.

From potterybarn