home Archives - Linda Nelson

MORE THAN JUST A HOME OFFICE

February 28, 2017

The past three weeks of my life have been centered around giving my home office a facelift. And, though I repurposed stuff I had on hand to pull this project off, everything seemed to just fall into place without a hitch.

Here’s a before photo, just prior to the prepping/sanding/painting stage. The room had previously functioned as an office, but it was dingy, tired and not in any way pleasing to the eye. It was very makeshift. My “new” office, in a way, is still makeshift, but a pretty makeshift. And, it’s more than just an office. I’ve gained a mud room AND a breakfast nook, too!

©Linda Nelson 2017

Ta-da!

©Linda Nelson 2017

The concrete floor was restored to a pre-finish condition, a job which I contracted out. Oh my goodness! I had never seen so much masonry dust in my life. It took me two days to thoroughly clean every crevice and cranny in that room. I tackled every other aspect of the project, the exception being the work table base; my friend built that for me. The window trim still needs a few more brush strokes, but I had to step away from that type of tedious work for a while; it was driving me nuts. I whipped up the simple cabinet curtains this morning. I see no purpose in tossing out perfectly functional, but mismatched storage containers; however, I wanted a clean and cohesive look. Curtains solved that conflict.

The little bistro setup underneath the windows….. that’s my breakfast nook, former home of my old work table. It was nice to look out the window while working on something, but very inconvenient to open the windows. The room feels so much more airy and spacious with the new layout. I gave a plywood round “tabletop” I had on hand a chalk-paint-ish treatment and did some humble-style carving into the surface prior to painting it. Carved are the words ‘sprout’, ‘grow’ and ‘bloom’ . The cast aluminum patio chairs are still awaiting new cushions and seat bases, which I’ll address in the next week or so.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Isn’t this a neat “squird”seed(short for squirrels and birds) storage container? My garage is full of repurpose-able crap.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Now, on to my “mudroom”.

My sister gave me this adorable coat hook many years ago; only, I had it mounted directly into the wall, and that was the extent of my mudroom.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Now, it accompanies a curious little collection of hooks mounted onto a board I made last week.

©Linda Nelson 2017

This folding stand is another treasure that previously lived in my garage, perfect for stowing snow boots and such. The (roadside find)drawer underneath stores my garden gear accessories, such as gloves, bandanas and knee pads.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Are you familiar with those vintage looking vinyl floor mats on the market? The patterns to choose from are so lovely, but their price tags just make me do an about face. But, I still wanted a waterproof “something” underfoot upon entering my office. I settled for a remnant of economy vinyl, which I purchased from a local carpet/flooring store, and cut it to fit as a runner. It does just as good a job as a pricey floor mat.

©Linda Nelson 2017

The pendant lamp is original to the house, but it has seen its day. I’ve obtained a replacement, a door to door delivery which I will have to hold out for until early April. Until then, this one will do the job as it has for many, many years.

And finally, a little “spur” of the moment repurpose I threw together last night.

©Linda Nelson 2017

No pun here; just a “bit” of horsing around to “stirrup” and un-“bridle” your imagination 🙂

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed this post about my “new” makeshift-mud room-breakfast nook-home office.

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MEET SOME OF MY CLIENTS!

August 14, 2015

Just kidding. But, you’re welcome to meet some of the blooming handiwork I created for them.

I usually make it a point to photograph most of my seasonal work, though some years, such as this one, I struggle to set aside the time. I did, however, manage to capture some images.

I love working with colossal-sized containers, such as this golden glazed urn. An advantage to large containers is that the soil temperature and moisture level is maintained for a longer period of time, thus preventing wet/dry extremes.

©Linda Nelson 2015

The ocean is just a stone’s throw from this home. Very few annuals are tucked into (purple scaevola in the foreground)this colorful perennial seascape I designed for my client.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Here again, big urns are just so easy to work with.

©Linda Nelson 2015

This dark red Rudbeckia has been blooming non-stop throughout the summer. It’s the first year I am using it, and will do so in the future. It’s a keeper.

©Linda Nelson 2015

This poolside vegetable garden is providing my client with sweet-like-sugar cherry tomatoes, perfect slicing cucumbers, bountiful bush beans and a nice selection of culinary herbs.

©Linda Nelson 2015

A cheery, playful home requires cheery, playful plantings.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Everyone who enters this home is greeted with a cool, colorful and crisp welcome, which is ideal for tempering the sweltering summer heat….. even if just visually.

©Linda Nelson 2015

That’s all for now, folks.

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WHERE DID THE PUMPKINS GO?

October 11, 2014

I enjoy creating holiday specific tablescapes when hosting celebratory meals. However, I don’t elaborate on “decorating” for holidays, Christmas being the exception. My home’s decor consists of an era-mixed acquisition of items and furnishings, drizzled with subtle hints of the season at hand. I rarely purchase accessories from home decor stores, preferring to work with hand-me-downs from family members and curious finds from thrift shops and yard sales.

Where is this topic leading to? The pumpkins. Yes, all those pumpkin tutorials and pictures I posted in the past month. You didn’t think I was making them just for your viewing pleasure, did you?

Now, I must apologize in advance for the less than ideal light source in the photos, as my living room faces west. It’s shadowy in the morning, garishly bright in the afternoon, and I don’t bother using photography studio paraphernalia.

Anyway, I just thought I’d let you see where my patch of crafty pumpkins ended up.

First of all, I love books, especially coffee table picture books. I will never want an electronic book. Ever. But, see how these pumpkins are casually sitting on the book? Like they snuck into the room and just nonchalantly placed themselves there. That’s my style.

That mason jar? It has a stash of “readers” in it. Decorative AND practical. And well, what do you know? Another little pumpkin snuck into the room.

Above are my industrial pumpkins. They’re keeping the okra seed pod company.

The nest of pine cones was a nest of seashells throughout the summer, and during the spring, a nest of little blue eggs. I love these pumpkins because they don’t scream Halloween or Thanksgiving. They could sit there all year long and fit right in. That’s the way I like it.

See the dental mold mixer in the right-hand side of this photo? That’s my halloween decoration. Because going to the dentist is scary, right? And the railroad spike makes for the perfect weapon in a horror flick. By the way, I pressed those Dusty Miller leaves almost one year ago. They maintain a slightly brittle, yet leathery sort of existence. Give pressing some a try, as they make great natural embellishments for crafty things. They’re not very scary, though.

I made this scrap linen and feather pumpkin for a friend who owns a little beachy boutique. I think it will look adorable perched at her register counter. I hope she likes it. Until then, it will sit amongst some of the others I’ve made.

I hope you enjoyed viewing my handmade pumpkin patch as much as I’ve enjoyed viewing all of the wonderful pumpkins created by so many talented people from all over the map.

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TAKE A STAND AND FACE YOUR GARDEN….

March 31, 2014

….literally, that is. When discussing design ideas with my clients, I bring to their attention that a garden bed may have more than one face. Pictured is the view I enjoy leading up to and away from my home office. The ability to appreciate areas of my yard is effortless, and that’s what I seek to deliver to my clients.

Below is a garden bed I designed for a client a few years back. Whether pulling up into the driveway, entering and exiting the front door, or looping around with a vehicle, the visual appeal of this bed is balanced. Planted directly behind my clients’ beloved Checker Cow are the tallest plants; behind them the plantings drop down in height again. Eyes from all directions have a vantage point.

Put your wellies on, stroll the yard and start visualizing. Be sure to consider and include vantage points from inside your home; the birds-eye view from the window of your attic turned study counts as a face, too. This is the ideal time of year for garden revamping and tweaking. Why should all of your invested and prized plant material be laid out in such a way that only street cars driving by can appreciate it, or only when you are sitting in that particular patio chaise lounge? A garden bed has the potential to strike many poses if given a little forethought.

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