Teacup Candles

Today I will be showing you how to make these cute teacup candles. It's a nice gift idea for someone who likes vintage things and scented candles. All you need are teacups, old candles, chop sticks, and a pot to melt the wax.

You don't have to buy a new expensive set of teacups for this project. I found these teacups in a thrift store near our house.

And I found these old candlesticks in our cupboard. Nobody uses them anyway. First, melt the old candlesticks in a pot or sauce pan.

Make sure to save the wick. Wind it around a pair of chopsticks and place it on top of the teacup. This will keep the wick stable while you are pouring the hot wax.

Add a few drops of essential oils if you want your candle to be scented. After pouring the hot wax, let it cool.

And when it's completely cool, light up your candle!

There you have it. I prefer using vanilla or coffee extract for a yummier scent. And you can even add food coloring to make it look like a real drink.

Let me know what you think of this cute DIY project. :)

Spring Fling

This spring, I am leaning towards cottage style or shabby chic with a lot of lilacs and mints. I love how distressed wood, vintage items, and floral prints go well together. And let's not forget the fresh flowers that bring life to a room. I hope you find spring inspiration with this mood board that I made!

1. Lulu & Georgia, via Erika Brechtel

2. Potted plants via Vibeke Design

3. H&M Home Bedding (2011) via Redesign Revolution

4. Dining table styled by Dreamy Whites

5. Spring styling via Vibeke Design

Chairloom's Mission of Second Chances

A couple of months ago I was reading Lonny and I stumbled upon this ad:

It said "Reuse and Reinvent" and that got me curious so I went to Chairloom's site and absolutely fell in love with it.

Molly Andrews and Tracy Jenkins are partners at Chairloom, an upholstery company located in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. They find antique furniture and bring them to life with color, patterns and beautiful fabric.

Chairloom has two guiding principles behind their work: "One: The value of being found.  We cherish the good bones beneath torn, faded or otherwise timeworn fabric.  Two: The importance of second chances.  Life is all about second chances and there is always the hope of being found when we are lost."

It's classic vintage furniture pieces paired with unexpected choices of fabric in a more contemporary style.

These two chairs are my favorite. Ikat at the back and geometric in front.

These are so gorgeous. Check out the hot pink fabric on the settee that was passed down through three generations.

Check out their website here and their Facebook page here.

Images via Chairloom

Hollywood Glamour Inspired Living Room

Hollywood Regency, or I call it Hollywood Glam is one of my favorite styles in interior design. The style came in during the golden age of Hollywood in the 1930's. The actor turned interior designer William Haines and Dorothy Draper were the first few who popularized the style. And after how many decades, it has been revived once again by Kelly Wearstler and so many others.

From Nate Berkus

From houseofmovi.blogspot.com

From decorpad

Here are key points to get an all glammed up room.

Color

For the color scheme, black and white is mainly used. These colors are then complemented with metallic colors like gold and chrome. Add a little pop of color like fuscia, turquoise, bright green and yellow on small items.

Texture and Pattern

The style focuses on geometric shapes, angular patterns and bold curves. Carpets with geometric and rhythmic motifs or animal prints are often used. Mirrors with sunburst patterns cast a sultry glow to a room. Velvets, silk, satin, and shag area rugs are tactile materials that are important in this style.

From Phyllis Morris

Polished Surface

Polished and shiny surface was a major characteristic in Hollywood Glam. They used laquered furniture in black or white, used a lot of mirrors on the walls and on consoles as well. Chairs and tables also had legs plated in chrome or brass.

Furniture

The chairs and sofas usually have plenty of tufting, nailheads and tassels. The shapes of some furniture pieces are geometric, exuding the art deco vibe. There is also chinois influence as seen on the bamboo chairs. Stools with faux furs are paired with lacquered tables.

From HGTV.com

Lighting

In an old hollywood theme setting, it's all about mood lighting. Use sconces to cast indirect lighting, which is important to set the perfect “glamorous”atmosphere. A crystal chandelier can be put up at the ceiling as a theatrical accent.

From biid.org.uk

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