Reuse & Repurpose: From the Vine

Who can take a jumble of Goodwill furniture and turn it into a fabulous visual merchandising display?

If you're Carlo Orrico who just opened Le Vigne, an artisanal Italian wine shop in Greenwhich Village, you call up Mad Lab Architecture and Design for a creation that's complementary to your historic store front yet modern in its topsy-turvy eye appeal.

I visited Carlo's shop the other day and marveled over the creative use for old furniture, from old tables with flip-top lids to hid precious wines to tables and desks that make for clever shelving solutions, all created with an eye for style and a respect for budget.

Editorial note: I received a kind note alerting me to the fact that this amazing installation was created in collaboration with SPURSE, an international art collective. Go visit them at www.spurse.org!

Hope you enjoy the video!

For more creative reuse and repurpose ideas, pick up The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating with Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details at Borders, Barnes & Noble, Amazon or Powell's.

The Elegant Thrifter

Always Frugal, Always Fabulous!

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Reuse & Repurpose: On A Paper Roll

Lately, I seem to be reading in the most unlikely places. Last week, I took in a tale transported by wreaths fashioned from elegant old texts by Lana Manis at Honeysuckle Lane's Simple Joy space.

And then this week while taking a leisurely stroll in my neighborhood, I peered back to 1930s Barcelona via vintage newspaper La Vanguardia at a Catalan restaurant called Mercat on 45 Bond Street. Simply affixed to the exterior wall and left to weather as they will, the images will transport you through time to the time before Barcelona fell to General Francisco Franco during the Spanish Silver War.

When John Derian used old books to wallpaper his foyer that I featured in The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating With Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details, he used nothing more than white glue and water to create alluring wall details.

I'm looking forward to dining at Mercat, and just in case there's a wait, I'll be sure to take along some of my own reading material to peruse while lounging on the bench made from a trio of old school desks.

For a gorgeous take on French accounting ledgers turned into place mats by Coastal Living's Heather Chadduck, check out The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating with Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details at Borders,Barnes & Noble, Amazon or Powell's.

All this mealtime talk is making my stomach growl....

The Elegant Thrifter

Always Frugal, Always Fabulous!

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Reuse & Repurpose: The Floating Bus

Sometimes a boat is a bus and a guy is a girl, especially if it's July 4, or a day they call The Invasion in the Fire Island community of The Pines. It's a festive day when people dress in wigs and heels, board a ferry in Cherry Grove, and "invade" The Pines.

This year's ferry was preceded by a pink square that mysteriously appeared on the horizon across the bay. As it got closer, we realized that some pals of ours had shrink-wrapped their houseboat, painted it pink and turned it into a scene from "Priscilla Queen of the Desert," where everybody aboard dressed their parts. One of my favorite costumes is this colorful dress made out of flip-flops. Now there's a thrifty shift for you!

If you happen to be near Mill Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area tonight, July 9, come see me from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Maison Rêve where we'll be celebrating The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating With Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details.

Always Frugal, Always Fabulous!

The Elegant Thrifter

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The Find: On the Street

I've told the story about this wrought iron chair before, but it's a find that was literally sitting on a Brooklyn Street that my dear old pal Deb Kelt spied, rescued from the garbage and dragged several flights upstairs to her apartment. Sometimes, street finds need some extra TLC, such as a brisk scrubbing or a coat of paint, but this one, and its mate that she discovered at the same time, needed very little refurbishing except for a new seat covering that she crafted out of some fabric swatches she nabbed from the home furnishings publication where she and I once worked.

You might notice that it's actually a garden chair and quite heavy. Oh, I've bumped my head on its weighty scrolled back several times, and you have to get into proper lifting mode to move it acros the room. (The best thing about it is that when you plop down in it, it never moves!) I've since put rubber casters on its feet, since it likes to scrape the floor, and my mother made me some green velvet seat covers to replace the old fabric that stained and tore on its journey to my Manhattan apartment.

I've had these chairs around my dining table for almost 15 years and think about Deb, who packed it up and moved to Austin many years ago, every time I glance at them. So even on a rainy, spring day I have my indoor garden chair that always brightens my mood.

For more tips on repurposing furniture, check out my book The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating With Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details atBorders, Barnes & Noble,Amazon or Powell's.

Dreaming of a cold lemonade -- The Elegant Thrifter, Always Frugal, Always Fabulous!

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The Object of My Desire: Boxed In and Up!

I'm always pleasantly taken aback by objects created out of wit and charm, especially when I am introduced to them in an unlikely locale, say the John Barrett Salon in Bergdorf's. 

After my dear friend had trim, I started chatting with Head Stylist Ted Giza about my upcoming book, The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating With Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details, and then he flipped out his iPhone to reveal an object so fabulous that I couldn't believe my eyes. There in his palm was a photo of a reuse and repurpose masterpiece -- a massive tower of Hermes china boxes that he installed in his gorgeous, sun-drenched 1,200-square-foot loft in Asbury Park, NJ. 

Ted  wedged some 48 boxes of varying depths and sizes from floor to ceiling to create his awe-inspiring sculpture, which he dubs,  "Excess 2008: Medium Hermes Boxes." 

Always Frugal, Always Fabulous -- The Elegant Thrifter

For more ideas on fabulous uses for

 unexpected objects, pick upThe Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating with Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details at Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Powell's.

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