Category Archives: Design

by | 15 September 2012 · 6:23 pm

Saying Goodbye To An Old Friend

Dear Diary,

Yesterday I donated my car to KPCC, my favorite radio station. This is quite an easy thing to do and I highly recommend it if you A) have a car to get rid of and B) care about supporting news that isn’t sensationalistic propaganda (i.e. most mainstream news). The car was still drivable but needed so many expensive repairs that keeping it no longer made sense. And because it needed so many repairs I worried about the karmic repercussions of selling it to an individual buyer. Thus, I found myself yesterday morning clearing the car of all my belongings, shoving them all into those large blue Ikea bags. At which point I started crying.  Ugly sobbing all over the place. Tears of absolute loss and sorrow.

At first I didn’t really understand what I was so upset about. The car was clearly no longer practical for me and was sucking my already starving bank account even drier. But this is the irrationality of our relationship with objects. My 1999 Cross Country Volvo Station Wagon was no longer just my car. It was a trusted old friend. One that sometimes let me down but was always there for me.

I’ve been driving the Volvo since I was 16. My parents bought the car my senior year of high school and to me it was the epitome of Northern California glamour. With its supple leather interior, dazzling moonroof, and keyless entry, it was the most luxurious car my family had ever owned. Because my disgusting high school was a 1.5 hour drive from my house, I often ended up taking that car to school (my own car was a 20-year-old Volvo station wagon that couldn’t be trusted in the snow). The drive to school was treacherous, down the curvy Highway 140, a scenic highway nestled in the Merced Canyon. Whenever I drove that car I felt protected and safe, as Volvos are known for their sturdy structure and endless safety features.

In the years I lived back East for college and New York the Volvo was my California car, the car I drove every time I came home. In this period it represented home, familiarity. For native Californians living in New York there is nothing more comforting than returning to California and driving on our beautiful country roads, going to the grocery market and parking right in front without having to worry about schlepping your groceries ten humid blocks to get home. The Volvo represented this kind of Californian mobility, liberation from the cramped New York lifestyle.

My parents passed down the Volvo to me in 2010, after a year of tragic occurrences, the year my nephew died, the year my best friend lost her father. 2010 was the saddest year of my life. It was also the year I was cast to be on an HGTV show called Secrets From A Stylist. A job that changed my life completely while introducing me to one of my closest friends. My parents gave me the car because I needed it for work. Because I had just come back from New York and had no car. And because I was just recovering from an incredibly frustrating year of career downturns and personal loss.

I received the Volvo when I really needed it, and my parents act of giving at that time is representative to me of all they worked to give me my whole life, the amazing childhood they provided me. The excursions we took together, the freedom to talk about what we wanted to talk about, the encouragement to follow our interests. The car was just another example of the care I received throughout my childhood. And for this reason the car was no longer just a car. The car was love.

When objects stop being objects and start being the physical manifestation of relationships and history, getting rid of them can be incredibly painful. This is probably one of the reasons so many people struggle with hoarding, fear of losing the past, history. So today I am mourning the loss of an old friend and family member. I miss the Volvo.

Moving on to brighter territory, I did something I never thought I’d do. I bought a Prius. True, they are totally ugly. And true, they don’t have the cargo space that a Volvo has. But they get amazing gas mileage. As someone who drives a ton for work, I’m saving a lot on gas money while doing something small to show I care about the impending doom of global warming. Plus, my Prius is my favorite color, navy blue:

I don’t think I’ll ever have the personal attachment for the Prius that I had for the Volvo. The Prius wasn’t there for me in high school and it never welcomed me back from New York. But the Volvo will always represent my teens and twenties. And now that I’m 30, it’s time to move on to the next chapter.

Love,
Orlando

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15 Comments

Filed under California, Californiatimez, Design, Objective Affection

by | 6 September 2012 · 10:13 pm

Around The Apartment: Let’s Paint Something!

Dear Diary,

Lately I’ve been working at home a lot. Sometimes I love working from home. I can drink coffee all day whilst listening to NPR and not wearing any pants. But sometimes it makes me feel like a crazy person. The late summer heat makes me feel restless and being alone all day with only Facebook chat and the crisp, clear voice of Lachshmi Singh to keep me company can totally isolating. Thus, I’ve decided to go back to my roots as a lunatic artist. I figure if I have to be alone all day I might as well become a weirdo recluse that makes dumb paintings and spends the rest of the day rearranging pots of succulents. That is pretty much what I do anyway so this wont be a major change of pace for me.

This is what my dining room looks like right now. Mess. Kind of like your mom.

According to my scientific calculations, I like the color blue.

My glamourous (and clever) friend World-Famous Interior Designer Matthew Lanphier had this canvas in his living room, waiting for me to paint it. In the interim, he put some vinyl lettering on it and hung it above his sofa. Let this be a lesson to everyone. If you don’t have an artist friend you can manipulate into making a painting for you, just think of something witty and write it on a blank canvas with vinyl letters (you can get these at any hardware store). This will make people think you are smart and popular and everyone will want to be your friend.

For some unknown reason my new thing is painting geometric shapes and juxtaposing them against organic, watercolored fields of color. I have no idea what this means but it probably has something to do with the fact that I was raised in the middle of the woods but always wanted to have pores so tiny that it looked like my skin was made out of plastic.

This is what my bedroom looked like until this morning. I was never really satisfied with the composition of the art on the wall but I didn’t know what to do so I just lived with it. Kind of like Katie Holmes lived with Tom Cruise for five years before she ran screaming and flailing from the house.

I used to be obsessed with gallery walls and wanted to put them everywhere. But I’m sort of getting tired of them and now I just want enormous paintings everywhere. Collected gallery walls have their place, but you just can’t beat a big ass painting.

This is what the bedroom looks like now. I made this painting for Matthew Lanphier but now I kind of want it for myself. I hate it when that happens.

I had to put the painting in my bedroom because I loved it so much I wanted to sleep with it. Wink.

I’m also experimenting with having this gigantic cactus in my bedroom. I know it’s terrifying, but I love how sculptural it is. Plus, I grew it from a baby and I’m really proud of how big it’s gotten. I’ve had it since I was sixteen. Which wont be any consolation when it falls over on my face one night while I’m sleeping and I have to wear a Phantom of the Opera mask for the rest of my life.

How pretty is this succulent? The bright color makes me so happy I want to bite it in half.

A fun fact about me is that I am dating a convict and he stole this succulent and gave it to me. Part of that story is true (but I wont tell which part).

Like most modern homosexuals, I like to casually display books and plants to let people know that I not only love literature, I also love nature.

I made this piece for my kitchen. You really can’t go wrong with a pink painting. Ever.

I found this mask at Goodwill for $5 and fell in love with it. I have no idea where it’s from because I’m not a professional anthropologist but it looks like it could be from Mexico.

Perhaps I haven’t solved the issues of boredom and isolation that come with working from home, but at least I have a few more things to ogle while I do. And what is the point of life if it isn’t to sit by yourself, ogling the objects around you that will never be able to replace actual human companionship?

Love,
Orlando

24 Comments

Filed under Around The Apartment, Californiatimez, Collecting, Design, Interiors

by | 15 August 2012 · 5:56 pm

21 Shelves I Want In My Life Right Now

Dear My Non-Existent Shelves,

Each day I when wake up, dewy-eyed and ready to start the day, the first thing I think to myself is, “Gee, I wish I had some shelves to put all these stacks of books in.” Sure, stacks of books make a home look inviting and lived-in, but shelving is glamour on a whole new level.

These shelves look like something I would make if I had the skills. Rectangular and crazy looking (like my face). AND they double as stairs. (Double win).

These shelves are pretty minimal and would be boring if it weren’t for all the wonderful books crammed into them.

This is what happens in real life when a client wants shelving: They’re all “I want shelving to make my space look more inviting and lived-in, like an old library.” And then I’m all “Well you better have a TON of books and knickknacks, because we’re going to need a lot to fill those shelves.” And then they’re like “Oh I have plenty of books.” Then they hand me six books and cat figurine and tell me to get started on the shelves. Then I’m all “That’s not enough, we need like 30,000 times this much stuff to fill these shelves!” And then they punch me in the face and I leave and tell them to style their own shelves. Usually the shelves end up looking like this because everyone loves coral:

There should always be shelves under the stairs. It should be against the law NOT to have shelving under the stairs. Another thing that should be against the law: those disgusting chairs.

Library + huge windows = dream come true.

Library + no windows = room where insider deals are made and secrets are kept.

This fireplace/shelving combination makes me slightly worried that all those books would go up in flames, but it’s worth it because this looks so beautiful. Also, maybe they’re really bad books and they deserve to burn. Just kidding. Don’t burn books, it’s bad.

Look at this pleasant little sun room. Can’t you just imagine sitting in that chair, staring at all the books you never plan to read?

This shelving provides a clever room divider. You know what else is a room divider? Abortion. Never bring it up at a dinner party.

I love how chic and minimal these are.

How far would you go to have this office? That circular shelf on the ceiling is to die for.

Glamourous and bright with a million books. That’s how I want my whole life to be.

Another example of a stairs/shelves combo. This works every time. I’m going to write my senator about getting that shelves under stairs law passed.

The height of this shelf reminds me of that scene in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ where Beast takes Belle to see the library and it’s totally crazy and enormous and out of control and she gets, like, really excited. Sidenote: one time I took a guy on a date to see ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at a movie theatre. Word from the wise: don’t ever take a man on a date to see ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ Instead of making you look attractive and intelligent (which you are) it will reveal to your guy that you are, in fact, a seven-year old girl (which you are).

Whitewashed wood, modular seating, clever sconces. Me-OW.

I love this giant sofa for your one million friends to sit on whilst they read the one million books in the shelving above their heads.

I’m pretty sure this is just stacked Ikea Expedit shelves, but it looks GOOD.

I love diagonal shelves, although I learned the hard way (by making one myself) that they are totally impractical and hard to use (it’s hard to get the books out because of the weight). But hey, most pretty things are impractical so it would be worth it to see all these fun diagonal lines. I think….

This is the shelf I designed. It was impossible to use. But I loved it.

I’ve never met a person who didn’t want a secret room hiding behind a shelf-door. It is the most exciting thing one could have in a home. Think of all the fun you could have in your secret room, playing with your gold pieces and looking through your treasure chest.

Can you imagine if this were your shelf and someone was like “Can I see that book up there at the top?” And then you’d have to go out and buy a huge ladder, drive it home, and lug it up the stairs just to let them see your copy of ‘Reba: My Story’ by Reba McEntire.

I’m going to spend the rest of the day thinking about shelving whilst cursing the piles of books all over my apartment. And so can you!

Love,
Orlando

20 Comments

Filed under Around The Apartment, Design, Interiors

by | 19 July 2012 · 5:25 am

My Daddy Mac Needs a Caddy

Dear New MacBook Pro,

You are so expensive and fragile. As someone who is also expensive and fragile, I know the feeling. We need special protection. We like to be wrapped in beautiful things that shelter us from the harsh world around us. This is why I am seeking the best laptop case in the world. I want something that is both stylish and allows me to throw my computer across the room without breaking it. Thus far, I have no case and have been clutching my computer to my chest as I navigate the cruel homosexual world that I live in (imagine me, all alone, clasping my computer as I wait in line at Tender Greens amongst ferocious Gays clamoring violently for their delectable salads. Fear.). Below are some cases I’m looking at.

Felt Briefcase MacBook Sleeve from Etsy, $34

This one reminds me of a warm wool sweater on a cold college day. And let’s face it, what day in college wasn’t cold?

Hardback Leather Case from BookBook, $79

I’ve loved this one for a while. I know it’s kind of gimmicky but I love books so much and miss carrying them around. actually, let’s be real. I miss reading them, too. Now all I do is look at them quizzically and wonder why they don’t scroll when I run my finger down the page. Why aren’t any of the words clickable? I’m so scared and confused.

Protective Sleeve from InCase, $49.95

This one is really basic/boring, but that little pop of baby blue makes me happy. It doesn’t take much to make me happy.

Vinyl Laptop Bag from American Apparel, $34

I like this one because it goes along with my whole Japanese Rapper persona. What, you say? You didn’t know about my Japanese Rapper persona? You have, like, so much to learn.

Trompe L’Oeil Laptop Case from Urban Outfitters, $29

I like this one because it reminds me of being in art school. Which reminds me of being sullen and aloof. Which reminds me of how cool I used to be. Which fills me with anxiety for being such a dork now.

Grey Wool and Brown Leather MacBook Sleeve from Etsy, $79

The combination of the wool and the leather straps is doing a delightful 1940s American Schoolhouse thing for me. It works.

Tan Leather Laptop Bag from Topman, $95

Doesn’t this leather look soft and inviting? Like you want to rub it all over your supple cheeks? Even though it’s made out of the skin of a dead sentient being, bred solely for the purpose of being eaten and/or skinned? I still want it. I hate myself.

Wooden Laptop Case with Leather Lining from Rainer Spehl, $200

This is the heavy-duty case I’m looking for. While all the other ones are soft and pillowy (like my belly after the holidays), this one is hard and strong (like my boyfriend’s irritatingly perfect abs). I can imagine dropping this off a building, my computer emerging without a scratch.

Pendleton Laptop Case from Etsy, $55

I love this geometric pattern. This is the perfect case for someone who needs to bring their laptop along to Coachella or Cinespia.

Grab Laptop Folio from Hard Graft, $235

How cool is that hand strap? If I had this one I’d take it everywhere with me, just to feel cool for having such a beautiful laptop case. Also, if I had this I’d be homeless because, damn Gina! That’s expensive. But necessary? I don’t know what to do!

Which one do you think I should buy?

Love,
Orlando

6 Comments

Filed under Design, Fun Finds

by | 16 July 2012 · 7:06 pm

Before & After: Paintingtimez in the Bedroom

Dear Normal Person,

What do you like to do for your birthday? Do you like to eat spaghetti with your fiancé, simultaneously slurping on the same noodle until you eventually kiss? Do you like to go to Chuck E Cheese’s with a group of grown ups just to terrify the children and their parents? Do you like eat birthday cake, alone, in the closet?

What do I like to do for my birthday, you ask? Well, I like to force my friends to paint my bedroom with me while we drink wine and talk about how a life without art is not life at all. This year my delightful friend Erika Lawrence Gragg helped me paint. Below are the riveting images of how it turned out.

While buying paint for a client, I came across a great color called “Attic” from Porter’s Paints. To save money, I took the paint chip to Home Depot to have it matched. This taught me a very important lesson: trying to save money usually just makes you waste more money. The color produced by Home Depot’s color matching service looked like purple toothpaste and made me want to violently barf all over the place.

To solve the paint problem, I went to everybody’s favorite hardware store (Koontz Hardware in West Hollywood) and grabbed a few more pain samples:

I chose Benjamin Moore In Your Eyes (#715)

And Benjamin Moore White Rain (#708)

I really wanted In Your Eyes to work out just because the name is so ridiculous and amazing, but sadly it was a little too baby blue for me. As for White Rain, it skewed slightly too aqua and would have made my room look a swimming pool. And while I’ve always wanted to live in a swimming pool, I also wanted my room to retain some of its dignity. I ended up going with a grayer, more sophisticated Benjamin Moore color called Pale Smoke (#1584):

I liked Pale Smoke because it borders three of my favorite colors: blue, grey, and aqua. Like my mood, the color completely changes depending on how much sun is in the room.

Here are some pictures of what my boring, white walls looked like before I painted them.

After hours of toiling and getting paint all our faces, painting was complete.

I used a small trunk as a side table on my side of the bed.

I found this architectural drawing at the flea market a while back. The wire horse sculpture is from Emily.

This chair was purchased from a Goodwill in the desert for $10 and reupholstered in glamorous aqua linen for $80. I’m totally into the detail on the legs.

I found this little painting at an antique shop in Burbank. The Japanese print was a holiday gift from my mother.

I changed out the dark grey drapes for white ones. My room is so bright and sunny I thought dark, moody drapes seemed out of place.

This mirror from Ikea is kind of a ridiculous bargain. $129 and it’s enormous. Adds so much light and the illusion of more space.

I went to Long Beach Flea Market on Sunday and found this incredible sailboat. I’ve been wanting one for ages so it was a dream come true for me.

I put this painting over the bed but my boyfriend thought the color palette was too monochromatic with the rest of the room so I ended up changing it out.

A globe fills an awkward space where a plant used to live (until it died because there’s no direct sunlight over there).

If I paint any more rooms grey in my apartment I might have to rename the whole place 50 Shades of Grey.

The End,
Orlando

10 Comments

Filed under Around The Apartment, Design, Do It Yourself!, Interiors

by | 12 July 2012 · 4:00 pm

Wallpaper/Dollpaper

Dear Keith Haring,

Thank you for the wonderful body of work you left behind in your too-short life. I’ve always been captivated by the playful, graphic nature of your work. This is why I was attracted to the wall stickers inspired by one of your installations. When it came time to add wallpaper (or, rather, Dollpaper) to my dollhouse, I decided to add some Haring flare. Below are the images of the newly papered dining room. I can’t wait to move into my own falling down barn so I can put up the full-size version of this paper.

In other news, yes the dollhouse was supposed to be done, like, ages ago. New projected date of completion: May 24, 2017. The final product, however, will be nothing short of delightful.

Love,
Orlando

8 Comments

Filed under D.I. Why?, Design, Gays, I'm A Giant Dollhouse Challenge, The Artz

by | 11 July 2012 · 10:12 pm

10 Non Ugly Sectional Sofas

Dear Reader,

Do you ever sit up in bed, at a 90 degree angle, late at night, thinking about how much you hate sectional sofas? Me too. They’re often so ugly, annoying, and whale-like. They are the Ursula the Sea Witch of home furnishings. However, sometimes a room really needs a sectional. Usually when it’s too big for just a sofa, but too small for multiple sofas or a sofa and lots of chairs. I have a new client whose living room is, like, begging for a sectional, so I’ve had them on my mind lately. Below are a couple I like.

Room & Board Jasper Sofa. $2198.

Great shape with some elevation off the floor to give it an airy look that many heavy sectionals lack.

HD Buttercup Sectional. $2995.

The tufting adds a bit of visual interest while the piece remains relatively simple. Also, can’t go wrong with that navy color.

Design Within Reach Neo Sectional Sofa. $5777.

This is another clean example, no unnecessary lines. It’s weird because I’m not a huge fan of such minimal furniture but for some reason it makes sense in a sectional.

Talisman 1950s Sectional Sofa. Price upon request. http://www.1stdibs.com.

The sheen and shape of this one make it look like you’d slide right off, but it would be worth it because it’s so unique and beautiful. Just like you!

Blueprint Furniture Soho II Sectional. $2699.

My friend has this one and you can fit, like 45 people on it. Which counts for a lot when you’re having a party and there’s nowhere for people to sit.

Etsy Mid-Century Danish Sectional. $1250.

These are super contemporary (which I normally hate) but for some reason I still love it. Perhaps because it’s poufy and slouchy, like me when I was a teenager.

Retoration Hardware Shelter Arm Sectional Sofa. $5320.

While not very modern, this piece is appealing for its romantic, relaxed look. I can just picture it in a Nora Ephron (RIP!) film starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin as star-crossed, heartbroken widows who fall for each other whilst vacationing at Martha’s Vineyard.

Monunment Paul McCobb Sofa. Priced upon request. http://www.1stdibs.com.

This isn’t technically a sectional, but I’m into it. You complete the whole thing by putting a table between the two sofas. I love that there isn’t one superfluous line.

HD Buttercup Sectional. $2996.

This doesn’t look very comfortable. But sometimes one must sacrifice comfort for beauty.

Room & Board Murray Sofa. $1898.

This one is clean and simple. And my favorite color. WIN!

So, the moral of the story is that unless you are a lady (or a ladyface), you should probably just stick to a simple, clean-lined sectional. Otherwise your life will be ruined by a frilly, complicated, overwhelming sectional sofa mess. Booo!

Love,
Orlando

12 Comments

Filed under Design, Furniture, Interiors

by | 27 June 2012 · 4:59 pm

Cover Thine Naked Walls In Stickers.

Dear Empty Walls,

Are you ever sitting there all like “Oh my god I’m naked I wish someone would put a sticker on me”? And then you look around and all the wall decals out there are, like, totally gross? Well, I have found a solution to your nakedness. There a few wall stickers out there that will cover you in beauty and glamour. For the most part wall stickers are cheesy and gross and look like they belong in college dorms. But don’t lose hope! A few sophisticated options do exist…

Keith Haring Wall Sticker from Blik. $50.

I love me some Keith Haring, so naturally I want to put these large-scale wall decals all over my body. And my apartment.

Fishwall Stickers from Blik. $45.

For a kookie splash of color, these fish-scale inspired tiles do the trick. I don’t think I’d do a whole gigantic room in them, but a small room, a door, or another architectural detail could be cool.

Keith Haring Wall Stickers from Blik. $35.

Who doesn’t want little Keith Haring dudes dancing all over his house? Fun!

Chalkboard Calendar from Ferm Living. $100.

This is really practical and pretty for an office, but would probably be totally weird anywhere else.

Branch Wallsticker from Ferm Living. $110.

We used this one on the show (shown below) and it looked totally amazing. They no longer make it in that metallic gold color which is a shame but the black is beautiful too.

One note about wall stickers is that they are often dependent on a cool space. Just sticking one in the middle of the wall might be weird, but if you have a cool alcove or moulding that separates a space, it can be a great opportunity for a beautiful moment on the wall.

Custom Wall Sticker from Murals Your Way. Starting at $240.

Martha Stewart featured this idea a while back. I’m actually kind of surprised at how cool it looks because a lot of full-color decals look cheesy. But if you have a great source image you can make a beautiful wall decal.

Damien Hirst-Inspired Wall Dots from Blik. $40.

One way to make sure your wall stickers don’t look low-brow is to have them reference a famous work of art like these Hirst-inspired wall dots. They are playful, yet somehow still sophisticated.

Also playful and sophisticated are the original Hirst paintings.

Ten Pattern Wall Tiles by Threadless for Blick. $45.

For renters who can’t do wallpaper, these luxurious wall tiles provide pattern and excitement.

Psychedelic Garden Wall Tiles from Blik. $45.

I’m loving these floral wall tiles for a ladybedroom.

In The Belly Of The Beast Wall Sticker from Blik. $40.

This dying whale is kind of depressing, but I’m still attracted to it. Seems like it would be perfect for a kids room. Perfect for the goth kid who hates everyone.

Pine Tree Wall Sticker from Ferm Living. $55. 

The simplicity and elegance of the pine branch is what makes this one nice. Sometimes wall decals get a little bit too complicated/literal which makes them lame.

So there you go, walls. You no longer have sit naked, waiting for uber-expensive art to cover you up. Go out there and get some wall decals to cover your indecent self!

Love,
Orlando

7 Comments

Filed under Around The Apartment, D.I. Why?, Design, Fun Finds, Interiors

by | 13 June 2012 · 3:39 pm

Whut Glamour: Tham & Videgård

Dear Swedish Architecture Firm Tham & Videgård,

I discovered you a few weeks back when I was researching tree houses. You made this awesome treehouse:

Not only do you design glamourous tree houses, you also design modern, exciting homes for lucky, beautiful rich people. Below are a selection of my favorites.

House K

This one is pretty minimal, cold, and scary from the outside, but looks modern and delightful from the inside.

Nora

I’ve always dreamed of living in a little box like this one.

Garden House

This house is genius because it takes something kinda depressing (lattice), blows up the scale, and turns it into an unexpected design element.

House Karlsson

This is the little barn I’ve always wanted except way smarter. I love the red and all the fun skylights.

Archipelago House

This is their best house by far. It’s a way sleeker version of that Sonoma County House I really want.

Anyway, I’ll take one of each. Thanks so much.

Love,
Orlando

2 Comments

Filed under Architecture, Design, Gimme, Real Estate, Whut Glamour!

by | 4 June 2012 · 4:49 pm

D.I.Why? Secret Painting Bulletin Board

Dear You,

See this painting? I hope so, it’s right in front of your face.

But guess what? It’s not a painting. It’s a bulletin board. Would you like to know how I made it? Me neither. But I’ll tell you anyway. First, I went to the art supply store where scary artist sales associate helped me find canvas. It costs about $7 a yard. I got mine from Dick Blick.

I used acrylic paint I had leftover from a previous project. It’s a very pretty color of navy blue.

I watered the paint down to give it a tie-dye look. This caused a beautiful watercolor effect, which made me happy.

Now, a word to the wise. Never, under any circumstances, attempt to use this item:

It’s a miter box for a saw that I was trying to use to make a frame. And it’s the hardest thing in the world to use. I tried to use this one, sweating and crying for 45 minutes before I gave up and went over to my friend’s house to have him cut the stupid wood on his chop saw. For the frame of the bulletin board, I used 3/4″ x 3″ pine. And so should you. After cutting the frame I glued the canvas painting onto the bulletin board (which I’d painted blue before in a failed attempt to make it look pretty). I used school glue. Which you can pretty much use for anything.

I mixed the glue with water to thin it down and make an even coat on the bulletin board.

I used wood glue on the back to secure the canvas around the bulletin board.

When everything was dry, I glued the bulletin board into the frame I’d made (I don’t really want to talk about how I made the frame because it’s boring. Basically just screw four pieces of wood together). To attach the frame to the bulletin board I used wood glue, which is incredibly strong even though it smells just like white glue.

Then, I painted the frame white. With flat house paint. I wanted the look to be more matte, so I didn’t use semi-gloss or gloss like I normally would have. Flat paint scuffs up more though, so be ready to maniacally clean if you, too, choose flat paint.

This is what the final product looks like. It’s like a painting, but you can pin things to it. If you’ve ever fantasized about stabbing pins into pieces of art (and who hasn’t?), this is the bulletin board for you. My problem with most bulletin boards is that they are ugly and the cork is a gross color. This bulletin board solves all those problems and then some. So are you sold? Are you making yours yet? Hurry!

Here is the bulletin board with a few things on it. The one I made is actually for a client so the things on it aren’t mine. It still needs much more stuff on it but I thought it would be weird to fill someone else’s bulletin board for them so I left some blank space.

Up close, you can really see how pretty an watery the paint is. Glamour.

And here it is in the office it now calls home.

I hope you all go out and make a bulletin board disguised as a painting now. It’s much more interesting than one that just looks like an ugly old bulletin board.

Love,
Orlando

15 Comments

Filed under D.I. Why?, Design, Do It Yourself!, Interiors, Uncategorized