Here is one of those small, simple and economical DIY projects that never got built. The idea was to have a ‘convertible’ building that could be locked up when gone but opened to allow for views/breezes when visiting. Steel tubes slide through u-bolts to lock the doors but then can be used to create an awning when opened. Screened panels fold down to protect you from those pesky mosquitos and ‘bunk shelves’ also fold down from the walls that can comfortably sleep four.

This would then be turned into a storage shed when the main cabin was built. In this case, the client built the cabin we designed first…!

Great little video on ways to stay creative. Enjoy each day, each struggle and each success. Check it out and get creative!

Yes, I could have gone to Bed, Bath and Beyond and purchased a slide-out tie rack that would fit into my closet system…but that would be boring! Instead, I thought about what I needed in a tie rack. A space for a dozen ties, maybe hold a belt or two, and someplace to keep my tie tacks so they wouldn’t get lost would do the trick. There was a small unused portion of wall just inside the closet -perfect for a wall-mounted something or other. The result is shown below. Using readily available aluminum angles, brass and steel rods, of course my favorite -truss plates, a bit of paint and then some small bolts pulled it all together. I smile every time I use it. Click on the images below to enlarge.

We love this! Makes total sense. What could shelter you while you wait for a bus…? How about a bus! Rather then taking retired buses to the junk yard, Artist Christopher Fennell created this fun and functional sculpture in Athens, Georgia. Creative, unique and another example of being sustainable by thinking outside the box.

See more of Christopher’s work here including this ‘Canoe Wave’. Awesome!

This fun video emphasizes that although we all are not sitting next to you in a mall, there are many of us who applaud those who make the effort to recycle. It does not take much to effect us all -directly and indirectly. Cheers!

Last fall, my wife and I had a discussion about raising a couple of chickens. It might be a fun hobby, provide fresh eggs and help teach our kids about where food comes from -let alone teach responsibility. I happen to be doing a Master Plan for some residential clients and yes, they have 5 chickens. It had to be karma. The local zoning ordanance for our property says we can have one ‘farm’ animal. That means one chicken or one cow! How does a cow equal a chicken? I made the case to the town that one cow should equal TWO chickens. They are in the process of evaluating a change to the zoning ordinance. I was on a roll!

This was going to be fun! Our chickens would have the coolest coop ever. Designs were spinning in my head and I was looking forward to those special bonding moments with my kids as we build this work of art together. My wife’s birthday was coming up and what a perfect gift to give someone you love (and who has everything). My youngest daughter and I made a little cardboard chicken coop complete with a walking chicken that laid gumball eggs. The big day came and we were excited to see my wife’s reaction.

We were shocked to see that our wonderful gift went over like a lead balloon. She didn’t recall our conversation and didn’t share in our excitement about raising chickens! I am still living with the ridicule from my wifes’s friends about my chicken birthday gift. Maybe I was more excited about designing and building a chicken coop then actually raising chickens anyway… It was still a ‘win’ for me -I never did have to get a different gift -maybe I will go golfing later today… Click on the images to enlarge.

Here are some links to what others have done:
Modern Chicken Coop in Seattle
Three Modern Chicken Coops by Studio H
All Cooped Up

Yep, more stuff I built using truss plates, misc. pieces of metal, etc. We interact with everyday, utilitarian objects all the time without taking notice. I love studying these objects and re-imagining them in a creative way…to make them a joy to use and look at. You can customize to make them function the way you want them to -and building them yourself is fun!…at least for me. The group of images below are of a desktop drafting organizer. I use it to hold my pens, pencils, triangles, templates, etc. A painted truss plate and several plastic pipe fittings are attached to a steel plate with bolts. A few ‘stick-on’ rubber feet and it’s ready to go! Click on the images to enlarge.

As you have read in previous posts, I love to see how simple items are creatively reinvisioned. Furniture is often the choice of these ‘redos’.  I was scouring the web searching for valuable content to add to our weblog this past weekend.  I couldn’t find anything so I thought I would post these!  (Kidding)  It is always fun looking at what others are coming up with!
Click on images to enlarge.

I love this coffee table that ‘morphes’ into a chair. The clean lines and pop of color makes this a winner…depending on how much stuff you have to move off of the table! Link to original post.

This ‘trampoline chair’ looks like fun.  Would you want to sit and read a book in it…I don’t think so.  Maybe this is great for those fidgety kids. Link to original post.

Um…  I don’t know what to think about this one.  I applaud its simplicity but find it hard to believe it would be comfortable…let alone hard to find!  Link to original post.

We love the ‘rawness’ of concrete. It is fluid yet solid, smooth yet textured, strong yet fragile…I could go on and on. Concrete is a basic building component that has leapt from the foundation and floor slab to other creative and decorative uses. It is inexpensive and readily available.

A newspaper published a weekly article following one of our projects and the number one question from readers related to the staining of concrete. The video below shows how we used Concrete Tile Backer Board (tile underlayment) as a fireplace surround. It gives a unique look to a traditional feature and meets the fire requirements. Take a look and let us know your thoughts. Thanks!

Too much time on my hands you say…? Maybe, but rethinking everyday items and building them myself is my way of relaxing. Truss plates are available at any home improvement center -they are inexpensive, galvanized metal and have a great pattern of predrilled holes. What else could we use these for?… hmm.

When starting my own company, way back when, instead of handing out just a business card, I thought a card holder might make more of an impact and something that would be kept on a desk reminding people to ‘Hire me!’. This evolved into an expanded version to keep organized all of the cards I had received. How about a brochure display? Easy! The point is to have fun and reinvent things to become other things. Everyday utlitarian objects don’t have to come from ‘big box’ stores or be premade. Surround yourself with the uncommon. With a bit of your own creativity you will put a smile on your face! Click on the images to enlarge.

As with any project, it is the details that can pull a project together, strengthen the overall concept, and just bring a smile to your face. Below is a video of how we designed an accent wall that became a headboard in a Client’s Master Bedroom. We wanted to add warmth and texture while being economical. We built a test panel for my daughter’s room and then let the pros -in this case Carlsgaard Finish Carpentry -build the final piece. Click on the video and check it out!

We love taking something that was meant for one purpose and then finding another creative and unique use for that object, material or ‘thing-a-mabobber’.  We try to layer physical transformations with meaning to reinforce the design of the overall project.  One example below is using corks for a bar stool – you might drink wine while sitting on a bar stool…

Discarded Cement Sacks into a chair.

Taking paper mache to a new level.  The sacks are coated in paste and layered over a plastic lawn chair.  Once dry, the ‘Sack Chair’ is slid off the form – ready for the next one.

Finished with that bottle of wine? Save the cork!

1200 corks are placed in mesh to create a stool cushion.  It might take 10 years to for me to make one of these ‘Cork Barstools’.

Don’t know what to do with that old stove? How about turning it into a ‘Stove Lounge Chair’.

Remove a some screws and panels, add a few cushions and you have made a real ‘hot seat’!