DIY Vol. II - Three Projects for Under $25

As the air gets cooler, there's nothing I crave more than to snuggle up in my apartment with a good beer and make stuff. This week I am going to show you three super simple and super cheap DIY projects that you could finish in less than a weekend.



1. Chalkboard Magnet for the Fridge
I know there's an app somewhere for writing the grocery list but I'd prefer to play with chalk while being productive. There is just something so nostalgic about writing on a chalkboard. To make your very own chalkboard magnet you will need a small piece of wood (or plastic), some chalkboard paint, magnet strips, and gorilla glue. I used one of the left over wood tops from my wine crate boxes for the chalkboard base. Make sure to sand the wood if you use an unfinished piece of wood so the chalk will erase more easily. Simply sand the wood (if necessary), paint with your chalkboard paint, and then glue the magnetic strips to the back of the board when the paint has dried. I tied a small string to a piece chalk and stapled that to the back of my board to keep the chalk handy. Stick to the fridge and start chalkin' it up! Total project cost: around $20 [Gorilla Glue - $5, chalkboard paint - $15, scrap piece of wood - free!].

Head over to Gungho Guides to read the entire post. Stay tuned twice a month for the rest of the DIY series!

Christie Thompson

Antiques in Manchester

Antiques in Manchester's first Saturday market, image via AIM's flickr.

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of visiting the first Antiques in Manchester (AIM) Saturday market. Antiques in Manchester is an upscale, open-air antique market co-sponsored by Micheal Sparks Design, Ghostprint Gallery and Maurice Beane Studios. From AIM's Facebook page, "Located in a covered walkway between period brick buildings, the venue has a distinctly European flavor. Exhibitors will be displaying a wide variety of quality goods including Mid-Century Modern, 18th and 19th century antiques, architectural elements, Art Deco, Primitives, etc." Each Saturday they will be open from 9 am to 4 pm under the covered walkway beside 205 Hull Street in Richmond's Manchester district.

I was excited to check out the market but honestly was skeptical about how affordable any of the items would be. I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of items and relative affordability of most of them. Furniture pieces ranged from $40 to $350, clothing items from $20 to $80, and small antiques were anywhere from $5 to $400. I imagine if you are a better haggler than me, you could probably talk some of these prices down too. There was something in practically every price range and some incredibly beautiful furniture pieces worth saving for. I will definitely be making a trip out there again soon.



Check out AIM's website and Facebook for previews of items they will have available each week.

Christie Thompson

I Spy DIY

For my inaugural Minimalist post, I decided to write about something that I am constantly dreaming up new ideas for: DIY projects. Living in the city on a tight budget and being surrounded by incredible designers and talented artists, it’s hard not to get a little jealous of the things you can’t afford. My solution: make it yourself. All of the projects I am going to show you cost me less than $50 each (and most of them less than $20!).

MCM on the Cheap

Today I had to drop off some donations for an organizing client at Diversity Thrift. I always like to pop in and see what Mid-Century Modern (MCM) furniture pieces they have - about a year ago I found an upholstered Eames DCM for $5, which sells for $250 on eBay! While it may not be an Eames chair, this retro sofa bed (currently at Diversity) has a lot of potential:


The color is much nicer in person.


Yep, just $59!

Ultimately it needs to be reupholstered, but it has great lines and would look very crisp with neutral furnishings and some graphic patterned pillows. The sleeper sofa aspect is handy for urban dwellings that lack a guest bedroom.

Kristen Ziegler

Mortise and Tenon

Check out this great interiors inspiration blog started by Minimalist contributing writer Emily Jones!

Mortise and Tenon

Kristen Ziegler

'Tis the Season for Fun Labels!

I once had an organizing colleague declare to me, "You can't be organized without a label maker!" To each their own, but I disagree entirely with this comment. I could be more organized with nothing more than a bike, the clothes on my back and no label maker in site - but that's for a longer rant. To be honest, I hate the things. My colleague's helpful comment came from the fact that I was always leaving the device at home on jobs. Looking back, I think that my forgetfulness was subconsciously deliberate, if that's not too much of an oxymoron.

Granted, label makers have their place in the world - plastic bins in garages, attics and closets, filing systems - general places where aesthetic is less of a priority and function leads the decisions. As a minimalist, I am all about form following function, but the goal is for all things to be beautiful - not function=ugly. And I am sorry, but those little ticker tape labels are Ugly (notice the capital U). If you have some beautiful examples of Brother label tape in all its glory, please do send them my way via email and I will post. Perhaps I am being too harsh.

My One and Only

After reading through the program for the LifeEdited competition (mentioned in a previous post) I started to think back on old projects from architecture school. One of my favorites was a piece of furniture I designed and built during an industrial design summer lab.

At the time I was living in an old house with wonderful character on Roanoke St near downtown Blacksburg. My bedroom was very spacious (about 12' x 13') and had wonderful natural light. The space posed one major issue, however - there was no closet. Entering my third year of college and moving straight from the dorm rooms, I didn't have any furniture for storage either. I decided to make a design project out of the challenge and worked with my industrial design professor and the woodshop guys to make it a reality.

Apartment Therapy in Richmond!

Next Thursday, November 11, Apartment Therapy's co-founder Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan will be speaking in Richmond at La Différence in Shockoe Bottom from 6 to 9 pm. Tickets are $15 for one or $25 for two and all proceeds benefit the School of Richmond Ballet's need-based scholarship fund. I say it's worth it - a guaranteed-to-be-awesome speaker and money toward a good cause! Read more and buy tickets here.

Kristen Ziegler

Design*Sponge

Everyone seems to have a blog these days! Despite the overwhelming number out there though, Design*Sponge is still one of my absolute faves. Monday through Friday the Design*Sponge team posts the most amazing little nuggets of goodness. Scroll through their categories and you'll find plenty of DIY projects, before and afters, city guides, recipes and more. One of my favorites elements of the website is the "sneak peak" which never ceases to surprise and inspire. Enjoy!

Emily Smith

Reduce. Reuse. ReStore.

(And of course, recycle.)

The Habitat for Humanity's Restore is a retail outlet that sells used and new building and home improvement supplies at substantially reduced prices. I made a trip over for the first time last week and was very impressed with their selection. Not only is it a great place to buy, it's also an excellent donation spot for items that may not otherwise find a good home - used paint, old plumbing fixtures, casework, etc. You can also find bathroom vanities, blinds, doors, light fixtures, sinks, toilets, trim, windows and screens, and a bazillion other building parts in the massive warehouse. If you are doing any sort of home renovation, a visit to ReStore is a must!

They have a small thrift store-like section with furniture as well. I saw some nicely priced pieces - a Mid-Century desk and dresser and a sweet farmhouse kitchen table caught my eye.

I love the ReStore's concept of recycling building materials via bargain resale to the public. It's a win win for sure! Check out the Richmond location at 1901 Roane St.

Kristen Ziegler

Calling All Architects and Designers!

Herman Miller is having a 70% off sale on their Eames molded plastic chair collection for qualifying A&D (Architecture & Design) firms. I have lusted after the iconic Eames Molded Plastic Rocker (RAR) for awhile now and just might use this opportunity to get one. I no longer work for an A&D firm, but I have friends whose orders I can piggyback on (wink wink). So basically, I would be getting this chair for $179 rather than $500-ish after tax.

The most important question is, which color? I have been obsessing all evening, and think I will get the "Greystone". I am not a woman of bold colors. My closet is filled with mostly white, grey and black. It's just who I am. The "Aqua Sky" is alluring, but I worry I would be making a lifelong commitment to that color which I'm not ready for. I like to keep my staple pieces neutral and mix in color via textiles and other accessories. Then when I get bored, I can change it up for cheap! That's my money saving design tip for the day. Over and out.

To get more information on the Herman Miller sale, contact your local representative. For Richmond, that would be Trip Vint with American Office @ (804) 673-8107. He's super nice and was actually the one who suggested piggybacking on a friend's order - very cool!

Kristen Ziegler

Barter and Haggle!

I am super bummed! I used Murphy's Oil Soap to clean my vintage table and it ate the finish. So, word to the wise, don't use the stuff on antiques. While the table looked impeccable, I am assuming the finish wasn't as solid as it appeared. It is over 50 years old, after all!

In any case, I have a solution to my dilemma. I have never refinished a piece of furniture before and certainly did not want my table to be the guinea pig. I was looking at an unhappy price tag of about $200 to have it professionally redone. Enter the subject line of this post (Barter) and my friend Bart of Killer Junk. Ha, "Bart"-er. I made a joke!

I consulted him about my table issue and, furniture fixing being a favorite pastime of his, he offered to repair the finish in exchange for more home goods (I gave him some IKEA planters in exchange for repairing a chair awhile back). What a great deal, and what a nice guy! Check out the Killer Junk blog often - they are currently running a series called "How to Anger a Purist". Good stuff.

Bartering and haggling is not a common practice in the US the way it is in other parts of the world. It's a great thing though. A trade of services or goods is often more fulfilling for both parties than a monetary one. Craigslist even has barter listings. I highly recommend haggling as well. I always try to get people down on price, even in big box stores like IKEA. About a month ago I was looking at a piece in the "AS IS" section of IKEA and got the price down from $50 to $35. In this economy, people often just want to make a sale. It never hurts to ask!

On that note, let me know if anyone is interested in trading my organizing services for a sweet piece of Mid-Century furniture (or a nice home cooked meal).

Kristen Ziegler

At Last!

I finally found the Mid-Century Modern table and chair set that I have been daydreaming about for over a year now! Even better - it was only $400 (with tax) for the whole set, which included 6 chairs and 3 leaves for expansion. The furniture is immaculate, which is rare for this period especially with larger pieces like this one. After selling my IKEA dining table and chairs this weekend for $150, my net is only $250. Not bad!

The place? Goodstuff Consignments in Forest Hill. Right now the entire store is marked down 40% - 50% to make room for new merchandise (hence my table/chair score). I enjoyed some solid conversation with the owner, Peter Burnet, about photography, art and design. The small store was impressively organized and the basswood crates he was using to display merchandise were great. The idea is so simple (which I love) and they had a really beautiful rhythm in repetition. He purchased the crates from the Mennonites at The Green Dragon in Lancaster, PA. IKEA has a similar product that I am a fan of - the IKEA PS Bintje. Surprisingly expensive for IKEA though.

Best of all, the entire table fit into my car (the chairs, admittedly, were a second trip). I'm telling you, EVERYTHING fits in my car. I once fit a full-sized mattress in there...

I am currently in the process of reupholstering the chairs and will post pictures once they are finished!

Kristen Ziegler

To IKEA or Not to IKEA?

That is the question. I have seen many a heated blog discussion on such sites as Apartment Therapy (a favorite) about the merits, or lack thereof, of IKEA. People seem to either love it or hate it. My perspective is somewhere in between.

The Good list

1. Accessories

I have to agree with the IKEA-haters that an all-IKEA home is a little bit dull and uninspired. However, many of their accessories are very well designed and can add a modern touch to any space. Because they are accessories, their presence amongst other pieces doesn't scream "IKEA"! Frames, kitchen accessories, lighting, organizing product, plants, pots, textiles - all A+ in my book for both price and design. One IKEA accessory I can't bring myself to buy is the artwork. It's mass-produced and I do feel that art is something, more than other things, that should be personal and unique.

Ralph's Warehouse

I have been remiss in my blogging efforts this week! Things have been busy, which is good for the wallet.

Last weekend I discovered Ralph's Warehouse. There isn't anyone there named Ralph, but it is in fact a warehouse. Located in the VCU area near the intersection of Broad St and N Belvidere St, the warehouse (not shop) is stocked with the cool Mid-Century finds of Susan Auman (owner and estate sale junkie). She's super nice and opens on Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30 pm or by appointment.

I spotted several Saarinen and Jens Risom deals while I was there - nice!

Kristen Ziegler

My MCM Obsession Continues

So I think I might have a mild hoarding issue...with Mid-Century furniture (especially chairs). Last year I helped a retired architect reach his goal of moving back home to Seattle. He had tried to move many times in the past, but his anxiety about paring down his Eames / Saarinen / MCM collection stopped him in his tracks every time. He literally had 15-20 Eames shell chairs strewn about in his attic (drool). Long story short, I helped him design a decision making process and he was finally able to move. But I can totally see myself with an attic full of Eames chairs 20 years from now. I just can't help it - the stuff is incredibly beautiful to me.

On that note, it's even more beautiful when it's cheap! I had a super lucky thrifting weekend. I found an authentic Eames DCM dining chair for $5 at Diversity Thrift - flawless condition. I am thinking with a price tag of $5, the manager had no idea what it was (the same chair sells for $250 on eBay). Also, I went to the Killer Junk yard sale on Saturday morning and picked up a super cool Mid-Century lounge chair for only $35. All it needed was a good scrub and it looks like new. For a grand total of $40 I have two new pieces I absolutely love! What makes me not a hoarder? I am selling my IKEA chairs that the new ones are replacing. In one, out one!

P.S. - I ran into John Cheski of Free Run Wine Merchants (previous post) at the Killer Junk yard sale. Richmond is a small world. Love it!

Kristen Ziegler

An MCM Search Follow-Up

I found this great blog called Killer Junk by a couple of guys who collect modern furniture, fix it up and sell (some of) it for super cheap! They are located in Manchester. I will be checking their blog frequently for that coffee table...

Kristen Ziegler

My Mid-Century Modern (And Soul) Search

Today I ventured out to Forest Hill Antiques on the hunt for a mid-century modern coffee table. I've been searching for this piece of furniture for about 4 years now with no luck. Everything I love seems to be way out of my price range, leaving my living room feeling a bit naked. That's okay though. I would rather have nothing at all than a bunch of stuff I don't feel good about.

I almost lost track of that attitude today in my quest to purchase a coffee table. I've only recently begun to frequent antique shops and thrift stores for the pieces I want, and I'm realizing it might take some time. After a period of frustration today, I've decided I'm okay with that too. A wonderful 80 year old woman named Bitsy at Forest Hill Antiques brought me back down to earth. We got to chatting and realized we have a lot in common. She's a child of the depression era (the original one) and knows a thing or two about living minimally. After that conversation I was reminded that life is about experiences and people, not having the perfect (fill in the blank). It's easy to get side-tracked when I'm on a mission.

Despite not finding my coffee table today, I did enjoy checking out Forest Hill Antiques. Everything seemed very reasonably priced and they had an awesome selection of mid-century modern furniture and decor. Highly recommended! Also, if you are ever in Northern VA, check out Mom's Memories (13231 Gordon Blvd, Woodbridge, VA 22191). The prices are absolutely jaw dropping and they also have some mid-century pieces mixed in. I almost purchased a coffee/side table set for only $110, just to give a feel for how inexpensive it is. We're talking IKEA prices. I have also seen some nice "fixer upper" pieces at Diversity Thrift here in town. Good, quality stuff is definitely out there - it just takes some patience to find it at an affordable price.

Kristen Ziegler