Drumroll, please...

Our shelves are finally finished!

The project began back in Atlanta when I spotted some old mill spools in an antique store, Vintage Village. Right away we began brainstorming ideas for re-purposing them. During our last few months in Atlanta our collection of spools grew along with the idea for a large wall shelf. Once we got settled in San Francisco we began the hunt for salvaged wood. We drove to a few places in Oakland and Berkeley in search for just the right thing, finally finding it close to home in the City at Building REsource.

DIY Spool Shelves Update!

We have made some serious progress on our custom spool shelves this week! Here is a peek at our progress...

Cleaning House

With the little lady gone for the summer I have turned my attention towards purging and cleaning our home. Apparently it's not officially summer for 19 more days so I can still call this spring cleaning. As we have settled into the space I have learned what does and doesn't work in regards to the furniture we brought from Atlanta. I want to make room for our custom shelves and some new pieces that will suit the space better. It's funny how you become attached to things... 

Treasure Hunt on Alameda Island

On the first Sunday of each month the Alameda Point Antiques Faire is held on Alameda island. This past weekend we made the short drive to seek out a few treasures for our new apartment in the city. It was a positively gorgeous day with a nice breeze, blue skies, and sail boats lazily drifting by in the background.

Let me go ahead and tell you - the fair is HUGE and entry is worth the ticket price. We arrived around noon and explored about 50% leisurely strolling for 3 hours. There is a variety of items from vintage to antique, a yummy kettle corn stand, and a smorgasbord of food trucks.

Sunday Funday - Treasure Hunting

Today we plan on heading to Alameda island for the Alameda Point Antiques Faire, where we just might find a few treasures for our new place. We are still in need of a couple pieces of furniture including something for media storage in the living room. I am on the lookout for something that doesn't look like a standard media console.

image via 

Scouting at Scotts

We decided to see what all the buzz was about and took a short drive OTP to Scott Antique Market. We came across a lot of interesting pieces, but to be honest one could easily shop around Atlanta's large offering of antique and vintage stores for interesting finds and better deals. The $5 entry fee, however, is definitely worth what turned out to be an afternoon of inspiration.

Antiques in the Afternoon

I recently spent almost an afternoon perusing antique stores for inspiration and a few items I plan to use in an upcoming project. I wandered through the Kudzu Antique Market, Decatur Estate, and The Fainting Couch. 

{wouldn't these would look fantastic paired with a white tulip table?}

Westside Walk

Jona recently spent an afternoon photographing the Westside Provision District (part of the larger West Midtown Design District). WSPD is home to on-trend home design resources, art galleries, and variety culinary experiences.

If you are looking for something to make your mouth water check out JCT Kitchen, Bacchanalia, or Miller Union. For something that doesn't hit your wallet as hard there is West Egg, Star Provisions, or Taqueria del Sol.

Decades Antiques and Vintage

Decades Antiques and Vintage is a local gem, located Cheshire Bridge Road, a unassuming destination for food and furniture lovers. The space opened this past year adjacent to long time antique dealer, Antiques & Beyond.

The mid century font on the facade of the building is holds true to both the buildings architecture and the classic styles inside. A variety of businesses have made use of the space since it was constructed in 1946, as a service station.

Catalog Love {Crate&Barrel}

Opening the Spring 2011 Crate&Barrel catalog images of beach houses and entertaining entered my mind. Perfect timing with the recent warmer weather in Atlanta.

Looking at these slatted beechwood Channel Chairs thoughts of the sun warming my skin danced around in my head.

I love that they recently ventured in a new direction that has continued into 2011, with new offerings that appeal more to my personal style than those of recent years.

In Need of a New Workspace

After finishing design school I purged a ton and sold off random furniture so that my new home, a small studio on 10th street, would not feel overwhelmed. In the process I unloaded my drafting desk, where I had spent so many creative hours. Wonderlust has helped to get my creative juices flowing and I have found renewed interest in old hobbies. My sewing machine is beckoning from deep within my armoire and art supplies are ready to crawl out of the boxes they have been stashed away in for far too long.

 

So this brings me a new challenge, I am on the hunt for the perfect workspace. I find myself drawn to white desks with clean lines, it's almost as if they leave more room for creativity to flourish.

Catalog Love

I have always had a soft spot for West Elm's parsons desk. The popular white has long been my favorite but it has recently been replaced in my heart by the new hand wrapped metal version pictured above.

While I love the glamor of the new mirrored version, I could not handle the maintenance of using it for an everyday desk. It would however make a lovely addition to a guest room or entryway.  

While perusing local vintage stores I often find myself lusting after old library card catalogues with an interesting sense of curiosity and desire. Unfortunately I cannot come up with a practical use that justifies making room for one in my studio apartment. Naturally I was happy when I discovered CB2's new archive credenza. The piece is inspired by vintage library card catalogues but appeals to my practical side, with doors that look like drawers, it can be used for anything from media to dish storage.