Remember that Chelsea Sofa that Fashion for Home sent me a few years ago to review? Well, even back then I was a bit worried about how well the fabric would hold up to the abuse of two kids and my admittedly negligent self. It only took two years, and this sub $1,000 was looking pretty grimy. The lower cushion had acquired some stains that I was unable to get out, so last night on a whim I grabbed an old orange wool blanket I had picked up for $20 and recovered it. I was surprised how well it came out considering #1 I stitched it all by hand, #2 I was fairly occupied catching up on Walking Dead. Who knows how well the orange will hold up. In the meantime, it looks like I may need to rethink my pillow colors.

What do you think?

Best Made threw the whole internet into a tizzy when they first released their equally beautiful and functional axes. At least I assume they are functional. Chances are if you are going to take one into the woods to let your inner Paul Bunyan out, you might want to keep that pretty thing protected while in transit. Enter the new Best Made Canvas Axe Case. 

Coincidently, if you'r not looking to drop a bunch of money on a Best Made Axe, check out my friend Chris's tutorial on how to make your own DIY painted axes.

Best Made Canvas Axe Case $110

So a few people asked about the clothes rack I made for the Evo Conference a few weeks ago. While it's a pretty straight forward project I figured I would do a little write up in case anyone else is interested.  First and for most I should give a shout out to Patch Davis a used-to-be-local friend of mine. I first saw a very similar design in his shop 6 months ago, so credit goes to him. And now for the how to….

The basic idea is to get a large rustic beam and use it as a heavy base for a free standing clothes rack. You will need the following:

Wooden Beam

Black gas pipe

Drill

Drill bit

For this specific project I wanted to make two decent sized "cups" to hold T Pins for the real world Pinterest pin boards they had, so I used a hole saw and hammer and chisel for that part. It's totally optional, but it is a nice touch, and a good place to put some random items.

Probably the hardest part was sourcing the wood. This particular piece was approximately 8" x 14" and just under 4' long. You will probably have the best luck looking for something from an architectural salvage place, or if you are lucky a local saw mill. The rougher the better.

Once you have your wood, and it's cut down to length (I had to use a bow saw) all you need to do is drill holes for your gas pipe. I was aiming for around 54" of clear space so for the vertical pieces I bought one 10' piece of pipe and had Home Depot cut it in half. The horizontal bar was a pre-cut (and threaded) 36" pipe. I used two 90 degree angles to hook it all together. I think the pipe comes in 1/2" or 3/4". I like the look of the 3/4" better.

To drill the holes into the wood I bought a 1 1/8" flat bit. 1 1/16" would have been a tighter fit, but they didn't have it. Hook all your pipes together, measure the distance center line to center line, and then lay it out where you want it on the log. Drill the holes nice and deep, say 4" (or as long as the bit is) and then just slide the pipes in. Walla, you have a clothes rack. 

As I mentioned above, there are some small touches that make it look a bit better. The "cups" I just used a 3" hole saw, then used a hammer and chisel to clean the holes up. I also mounted some scrap 3/4" wood I had laying around on the bottom of the beam. I set it back 3" or so from all the sides so you wouldn't see it. The result was a nice little shadow line all the way around the bottom.

Total cost? About $60 for the pipe and drill bit plus whatever you pay for the wood. 

Questions? Comments?

I love these reclaimed apothecary matchstick bottles. In fact I love them so much I borrowed the idea (actually my gf did) for our bathroom. Our bottle is a little different, but the idea is the same.  The one thing ours doesn't have is the etched glass for striking the matches. I know you can buy glass etching stuff at craft stores, but I wondered if anyone has tried it, and how well it's worked?

For the non crafty, get your reclaimed apothecary matchstick bottle on Etsy for $20

On my way to Palm Springs last week I stayed in LA for one night in a AirBnB apartment.  It was tastefully decorated, bright and cheery. Looking around though, it was obvious that there was a lot of Ikea furniture in there. A lot.  Not that I'm anti Ikea. God knows I've bought my fair share over the years. But what does one do if they are on an Ikea budget but are looking to express their individuality. Pretty Pegs is a Swedish company that makes different styles of legs so you can swap out your Ikea ones.

Anyone try these?

Have any other good sources for furniture legs for DIY projects?

I posted a while ago about some great modern wooden spoons that had colorful handles.  I've been in love with the idea for a while, and wanting to try a DIY myself. Unfortunately there just aren't enough hours in the day. The good news though, is that someone has done it, and shared all the secrets. The picture above is from Little Bit Funky who made a great combo with unique spoons and bright colors. Check out House Of Earnest too for a more color subdued but equally charming version (picture below).

Thanks to the Wantist for the links. :)

Have any of our readers tried this? How did it go?

I seem to have amazing luck when it comes to Tulip tables.  When I first moved to Salt Lake City, I found an old tulip table base behind my apartment next to the dumpster.  While that particular one unfortunately met an early moving related demise (long story) I have recently stumbled across a similarly amazing deal. A good friend and owner of  local, and absolutely amazing MCM furniture store Green Ant, hooked me up with a base and laminate top for a screaming price. The top is a bit larger than I need, so I'm thinking about cutting it down smaller, and the base needs a good sanding and repaint.

Does anyone have any good restoration resources for Saarinen Tulip tables?

Looking for your own Tulip table? Check out The Green Ant, or these Tulip Tables for sale on Ebay.

Photo via.

Coat rack designed by Anna Lee Nashem. Brilliant idea, and could be an easy DIY project. I've got plenty of black pipe laying around...

Via www.annaleenashem.blogspot.se/

I'm talking about the Nixie Clock, of course! Some of the older readers may know remember what I'm talking about... vintage digital display vaccuum tubes revived with new electronics as digital clocks. Let's face it, the aesthetics of modern digital clocks leave much to be desired. I vote for Nixie for my next clock sitting on my nightstand! Available as kits or completed units with stylish metal or lucite cases. However, I'm leaning toward an exotic wood cabinet from my woodshop to compliment that warm glow.... The web abounds with kits & completed units from such places as NixieClock and TubeClock. And for the DIYers, plenty of build stories like Pimp My Nixie.

OK, I fully admit it. It's pretty easy to get my attention. I'm sort of like a bird that's drawn to shiny things, except instead of shinny things I like wooden things with bold colors painted on them. So yes, I would like this Cross Paddle from Atelier 688 thank you very much.

Cross Paddle $190

I've been seeing a lot of nice origami lamp shades lately like this one by Emma Johansson on Coroflot, and I wondered how hard it would be to make a DIY version of the shade.  According to the video below, it's totally doable, and I have a big gold star for the first reader that pulls it off.

I love my Karim Rashid designed Slice scissors, but I have to admit, these Craft Design Technology scissors are pretty sweet. Made by Lion and hard to find outside of Japan, the $80 is a bit steep up front, but it's something that will last a lifetime.

CDT Scissors $80

I love things that can be personalized. It makes me feel just a little bit less of a part of the machine.  TOAST is here to personalize your iPhone with classy laser cut wood veneers. They have 8 standard designs, and you can add any text yo want to them. It's a decent little kickstarter project that needs some serious kickstarting to make it's deadline in 6 days.  If you like it, spread the word, and quick.

Toast iPhone case starting at $20

I honestly can't believe that another year has come and gone. 2011 was a roller coaster for me, but I've got high hopes for 2012. I'll hopefully have some exciting new projects to announce shortly, but in the meantime, lets do a 2011 roundup and look at the top 5 most read post from the year.

#1 The fantastic Loop 3D chair was quite the hit. With those gorgeous lines, it's no surprise either.

#2 Everyone like a good DIY. With my post on DIY vintage cage lights and a little elbow grease, you can have the look without paying the high price. Those looking for something that involves a little less elbow grease, keep your eye on the Modern Union etsy shop. I'm working on getting something up there with some amazing cloth lamp cord soon.

#3 Arian Behzadi left us all swooning for more graphic collage goodness. Let's hope 2012 doesn't leave us hanging.

#4 Speaking of graphic goodness, Jill of Beau Ideal hit all the sweet spots with her screen prints.

#5 Last but far from least come the intelligent and attractive twin one cutlery utensils. Putting sporks to shame all year long.

Thanks to everyone for supporting Grassrootsmodern by reading and sharing with your friends. We couldn't do it without you! Also a HUGE thanks to our sponsors. Without them we couldn't afford to keep blogging.

I had this exact Expedit bookcase in my old office (along with a million other people), but I never liked the door and shelf inserts that were available from IKEA.  If it were still in my possession, I'd be more than half tempted to try this raw wood door hack that Karla Jean Davis and James Abercrombie shared recently on IKEA Hackers.  What do you guys think?

I don't know if these lamp shades by Debbie Powell are for sale, but my-oh-my are they gorgeous!  They could certainly inspire a DIY lamp shade makeover, don't you think?  Check out more of her work here.

LINK: debbiepowell.net

[via Design For Mankind]

I love these upcycled material tea light holders from London-based designer James Tattersall.  With the right skills, I have the feeling they'd make a pretty easy DIY project, too!

LINK:  www.jamestat.com

When I think "bench" almost automatically the next word to come into my mind is Nelson. Undoubtedly the Nelson bench is one of the most iconic bench designs out there, so it's no surprise to see many present day versions trying to get in on some of the classic flavor. The Sixty-Two bench from Petrified Design takes a standard Nelson style top made of reclaimed cedar and pairs it with a rough steel base. While it still doesn't hold up to the original, you can't deny it's a good looking bench.

For all those DIY inspired people out there, make sure you check out Chris's how to on making your own Nelson bench. Thoroughly informative with good step by step instructions.

Sixty -Two bench $475

Cutting boards are a secret obsession of mine, mostly because they all look so easy to make, and I'm hankering to turn out a bunch of mine own. These Trapezoid Bread Boards from Task have some nice subtle details.  Made from blonde hickory they are the perfect thing for cheese and charcuterie.

Trapezoid Bread Board $84

It seems like just about every online store has a blog or twitter account these days, and while most of them tend to struggle with balancing the self promoting with solid content, the 2modern blog seems to shine among competition. I'm not just saying that because our own fabulous Capree blogs over there every once in a  while either.

This week they have everything from a fantastic DIY side table (via design sponge) to a thanksgiving chair roundup.

What are your favorite blogs to read? (Bloggers feel free to shamelessly self promote here too!)