Home. Design. The Beauty of Both.
I came across this scene in a neighborhood composed mainly of modern architecture and design. I love this sculpture outside the front of the home where it can be enjoyed by passersby. It adds an artistic element to the home’s exterior as well as providing fluid lines and movement amongst the more angular lines of the home.
Do you have any sculpture outside your home?
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I love this week’s theme from the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge. There are so many opportunities to capture people in the midst of their everyday lives. What do you see in your life? Here are things I saw on a recent trip to San Francisco and back here at home.
Mobile phones are a big part of everyday life
Another phone user, this time at the airport
A window cleaner
Cleaning at the airport
And back home again, at the Centennial Lakes Art Fair
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A rental building in Minneapolis and the patio created by the artist tenant
A creative environmental message in Saint Paul, MN
A torn lace curtain in a window of a home in St. Paul, Minnesota
Learn about the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge here.
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What do you think of when you contemplate the word merge?
A piece of art becomes a moon on Nicollet Island
A view of the Minneapolis skyline through bridge supports
Merging nature with a man-made structure
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Artist Benjamin Bullins has taken a discarded bike and created a bathroom vanity. Bullins doesn’t stop with the bike vanity. The mirror has been fashioned from an old trombone case. A snare drum has been made into a ceiling light fixture. The bike’s handlebars are now towel bars (not shown). And what’s not to love about the basket as a towel holder?
Bullins aims to create sculptures that reflect the culture of his hometown of New Orleans. He successfully achieves this here and manages to be creative, functional and green at the same time.
What do you have around your house that can be re-purposed and re-used in a new way? I suspect many of you will love this bathroom bike vanity design. If you’re not the Do-It-Yourself type, contact Benjamin Bullins about buying his mixed-media artwork. Yes, artwork. And vanity and mirror. Both are available for purchase through the artist. Contact him at his artist website.
Read more about the very talented artist and photographer Benjamin Bullins.
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I came across this art and met the artist, Louise Harris, at the “Fall into the Arts Festival” in Edina. I was first struck by the three-dimensional aspect of the artwork. I then learned they were made from recycled furnace filters. Talk about creativity and vision!
Can you see the undulating waves of the smaller circles over the larger circles in this piece? I loved both of these pieces when I saw them.
Here’s a sampling of her smaller works. Ms. Harris is producing unique, beautiful and green art; she‘s also donating profits to non-profit organizations around the world. For more information, visit her website:
lhoriginals.com – The artwork of Louise Harris
Edina Fall Into the Arts Festival – Sept 8-9, 2012
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Washington Dulles International Airport
Wall of trees overlooking the terrace
This was the view that greeted me as I arrived on the ticketing level of Dulles last week. The window itself is beautiful; it’s further enhanced by the terrace beyond. It wouldn’t be nearly as pretty if it overlooked a parking lot. Also noteworthy is the reflection of the window, greenery and sky on the floor, all serving to double this picturesque setting.
Read more about the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.
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I attended an art exhibit one day. A glance upward brought this window into view. I found I liked this window more than much of the art hanging on the walls and displayed throughout the space below this window. (Photographed with a cell phone.)
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This week’s challenge is the theme “Together”. Here are a few shots I took earlier today while out seeing homes on the Minneapolis and Saint Paul Home Tour.
It was overcast when I walked by these two bikes in East Isles. I applied a couple of Photoshop filters to this one to create an art look.
Trees along the lake were blossoming and in the pink!
A father and daughter were playing in a tree, more or less unseen but heard. They said yes to having their picture taken and gave thumbs up about their experience in the tree.
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There are plenty of good tips in this article from The Associated Press. If you want tips specific to your home and getting it ready for selling, give us a call. Our background in antiques and interior design has paid off for our sellers with faster than average sale times.
When times are tough, women who can’t afford a new dress often purchase a new accessory or lipstick to recharge their wardrobes. Known as the “lipstick effect,” the tendency applies to homeowners too.
Barry Culkin, CEO of Questech Corp., a tile manufacturer in Rutland, Vt., noticed sales of his $5 cast stone and marble switch plate covers rose whenever the economy faltered. Last year, sales of their covers at major retailers were up 15 to 20 percent.
As homeowners rein in spending, more opt for small indulgences and postpone major renovations. Whether the goal is a new look for a worn kitchen or simply an injection of color in a room, here’s a list of some of the best ways to give a space a quick uplift. Many cost much less than a designer lipstick and a few don’t require any financial outlay.
“I am seeing quite a bit of Yankee ingenuity in my customers. They are getting pretty smart about using and repurposing items to add some zip to their living spaces,” says Shirley Walsh, owner of Kalembar Dune, a vintage home decor shop in Boston.
Simply moving furniture and accessories around and borrowing from other areas of the home can give a room a whole new look. If you want to splurge, consider hiring a designer who specializes in redesign.
The instant gratification of having it all accomplished in a day is hard to resist but “it’s also low stress because it uses familiar furnishings,” observes Pam Faulkner, owner of Faulkner House Redesign in Oak Hill, Va. The cost to have Faulkner make over a room ranges from $400 and $700 depending on the space.
A little elbow grease also can go a long way. Sparkling windows bring in light and make the entire house shine. Often, all carpets and rugs need is a thorough cleaning and they will feel almost new. The same holds true for wood floors and trim.
Nothing is a better quick-change artist than paint. But you don’t have to go all out. Rather than entire room, paint an accent wall, trim or piece of furniture. “Never underestimate the power of paint and pillows, always the best lipstick for your home in any shade,” advises Marcia Richards, a Phoenix, Ariz., interior designer.
Give a living room or bedroom a facelift by shifting the color scheme. Pillows add instant color, but to complete the look, mix in color keyed accessories, such as a throw and new lamp or lampshade. If your budget allows, go a step further and add a rug and/or slipcovers.
Orders for fabric by the yard are up, says David Petersen owner of Maine Cottage Furniture in Yarmouth, Maine. He notes that more consumers are re-covering rather than replacing worn furnishings.
Small luxuries can have a big impact on our moods and our homes. Flowers and new plants inject new life and color to any space. Try replacing regular light bulbs with full spectrum bulbs which are more like sunlight.
Sometimes all it takes to spark up an entire room is a unique accessory or piece of individual art.
New hardware is traditionally a quick fix for dated kitchen cabinets. But elsewhere, exchanging old doorknobs for polished bronze or nickel can give an entire house an up-to-date look. Using levered handles also increases a home’s universal design quotient.
And maybe you can’t afford to change the tub or the tiles, but a dated bath can get a quick uplift simply by altering a few elements. Instead of remodeling, Michelle Samuels spent about $150 to give a bath in her Mill Valley, Calif., home an update. She replaced her antique gold towel racks and faucets with updated brushed silver versions. She painted the frame around the mirror a soft silver with craft paint and completed the effect with new door handles.
Removing old fluorescent lights and replacing them with pendants or a more contemporary fixture also has a big impact.
Don’t wait until you can renovate to give your kitchen a new look. Sometimes changing only one facet can refocus the entire space. New hardware and light fixtures are quick and inexpensive. Don’t forget refacing or painting cabinets if new is beyond your budget. If the countertops are in good shape, consider tiling the backsplash. Reorganize cabinets so the space works better. Add new accessories or update countertop appliances so they coordinate.
Increasing curb appeal is traditional advice for anyone selling their home. But nothing is more akin to applying lipstick than revamping the entry. Replace a worn front door if the budget permits. Otherwise give the old door a new look with paint. Seasonal plants, new house numbers, a new doormat and trimmed walkway will make you feel like you are coming to a new house.
Shop thrift and consignment stores for some unique finds; then polish and paint. Also think about creating your own artwork in colors that will make a room pop. You will save a bundle and possibly discover an inner artist you didn’t know existed.
© 2010 Camilla McLaughlin, Associated Press
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October 30, 2011–January 8, 2012
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is opening a new exhibit featuring Japanese art. My mother has Japanese art pieces in her home and I have developed both a strong interest and appreciation for this style.
The MIA website states: “The exhibition showcases 160 of the MIA’s best prints by the genre’s greatest artists, including Harunobu, Kiyonaga, Utamaro, Shunsho, Sharaku, Toyokuni, Hokusai, and Hiroshige. With their crisp outlines, unmodulated colors, and surprising vantage points, the images are as fresh and captivating as when they were produced.” This is sure to be a wonderful exhibit.
Non-members of the museum will be charged admission. If you’re not a member, you can take advantage of a limited time offer to purchase a ticket for $1:
Google Offers: Edo Pop: The Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints
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I recently returned from a trip to Chicago. I’ve always loved Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park. It’s one of the largest fountains in the world. It’s another heat wave in the Midwest. Enjoy this visual/virtual relief.
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A short video of this beautiful fountain:
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Buckingham Fountain-Behind the Scenes
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Artistic Bottle Stoppers–Fabulous Colors and Designs!
Shimmering Reflections
Blue Bottles Have a Certain Popularity
Pashmina Model
Colors and Shapes are Everywhere
More photos to come!
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There’s a great variety of house numbers. Here’s a selection to provide inspiration for creating your own!
Aged and charming!
Elegantly styled in iron.
Fluid iron on solid, weathered brick.
A house number and a shamrock on a pillar.
Simplicity on a post.
Carved into a boulder.
Whimsical on a wall.
Striking in silver.
Golden on a lamp post.
Large and Lit –There’s no missing this one.
North Star Lofts Building in downtown Minneapolis.
The image matches the name: Stone Arch Lofts
The address marker for Washburn Lofts in downtown Minneapolis.
A historical site shown in a modern context.
Cool and contemporary outside a shop.
What does your house number look like? Send your photos!
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This charming scene enhances the side of a commercial building in Excelsior, Minnesota.
It beautifies the area and provides unexpected pleasure to passers-by.
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Yesterday I spent the morning with my photographer friend Valerie. We walked along the riverfront of downtown Minneapolis and across the Stone Arch Bridge. It was an overcast morning–not the best for taking photographs. But that’s what nature dished up for us. Here then, some of the photos from the morning walk.
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This is a wonderful part of the city to explore. There’s plenty to see and do. Take a Segway tour. Visit the Mill City Museum and the Guthrie Theater. See St. Anthony Falls from the Water Power Park on the other side of the river. Explore Father Hennepin Park and Island. Stroll along Main Street. Have fun!
66 Malcolm Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN
Most of the snow here in the Twin Cities has melted. The days are getting longer and warmer. I was browsing through photos and came across this one from earlier in the winter. I like the signage with the name and street address in metal.
Goodbye winter and snow and cold. See you again someday but not too soon!
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