Chez Larsson

Brainstorm #10 & Final

It's been a while since we brainstormed but here's a good one. I love these antique newel post toppers. They belong to my friend Carol.

She says: They are approximately 6" high and 3 1/2" at their widest point across. Oh and their kinda heavy too. They were on stair posts inside homes. 3 were found in the US and 2 in the Paris flea market (I couldn't resist the green one!). Right now they are just sitting in the living room bookshelves waiting for me to figure out what to do with them. OK,OK....they have been sitting there for 4 years now!

Actually I love them just the way they are as decorative objects but after four years on display here are some options.

They could be mounted to a board and used as a coathanger or jewelry hanger.

You could just bring them to the table and mix them in among candle sticks. I bet they'd reflect light in a cool way.

I could see one as a paperweight, mounted onto a round board for added stability.

How about an awards ceremony à la the Oscars?! Best Crossbow Hunter. Best Laundry Folder. Best Mom. Best Beard. Best Dish Washer. Best Dog Walker. Name it and you've got the award!

As door knobs?

Or they could be used as handles for large boxes.

How about as curtain finials and/or tie backs?   

Mount as many as you like on a shelf with pedestals and use as a hat stand. 

 

I know your family's quite outdoorsy so how about a deluxe climbing wall in the back yard? Actually, I think that's it, Carol!

So anyway, these are our suggestions. Any other ideas to share with Carol? She's all ears and so are we!

~

This will actually be our last Brainstorm. Ten is such a nice and even number, don't you think?! We've really enjoyed the ride and hope it's triggered that "what else could I use this for" in you.

Brainstorm #9

Brainstorm number 9 is coming to you live from the Sockholm suburbia.

A Swedish reader Anna sent them over. She works in a shop and these are actually supports on which lampshades get delivered on. As she can't bare putting then in the trash she's brought a whole bunch of them in all three sizes home ( so would I have!).

As soon as I saw these my brain started to itch to get to work but I did ask Martin and our loyal friends Sanna and Sebastian for their opinions too and here are our suggestions.

How about using the biggest one as a cake stand?

After the holidays Anna can use a few for storing her string lights.

By covering them in plastic they could be made into a kid's drum set.

 

A bit of cling film with a few holes poked for air circulation and Anna has herself some instant garden cloches. 

Also in the garden they could be used as trellises.

Imagine serving sea food platters on them. What a feast!

Since Anna has quite a few she can connect them with metal wire and cover the structure in rice  paper and make a Noguchi inspired lamp.

We're past Halloween but next year Anna can scare her neighborhood at a new level. 

 

By sewing a bag with drawstring for the largest frame it could be used for storage. Imagine a whole row of these on a shelf. Cute. if you ask me.

Speaking of cute, how about turning some into a set of play furniture by attaching little wooden tops?

Those are our ideas. Like I said, Anna has quite a few of these so more suggestions are welcome. Bring 'em on!

Brainstorm #8

Ready? Brainstorm time! This time it's Samarra's waffles as she calls them. Here's her e-mail.

I live in NYC which is often a candy store when it comes to finding curbed items that other people don't want. Over the years, I've found sooo many things and I now try to control myself as space in our apartment is limited. On a recent walk with a friend in Park Slope, I spotted these items leaning up against a fence, waiting for the trash truck. I passed them up the first time, but on the way back, I gave in. Each grid is about 16" square and maybe .5" thick. There's also a single removable edge-piece for one side of one grid. I have no idea what this thing is or was. If you play with it enough, all the pieces are removable, as they're only slotted together with no glue or nails. What on earth could I do with this (aside from putting it back onto the curb! 

Buckle up! Heeeeeere we go!

Samarra could cut the grids down in size and make one or several trivets.

Or use it as an egg stand.

After Martin came up with this idea my suspicion is that they may have actually been used in a radiator cover? No? 

 

How about using one cut down in size as a trellis for a potted plant?

 

By adding the waffle grid to a box type structure and adding a bulb thingy it could be used as a light. On the floor or cut down in size on a window sill?

How about art? By pasting images at the back making them look individually framed at the front. Tiny objects could be displayed in some of the spaces.

Ah! Instant Mondrian. Some black spray paint and some painted canvas at the back...

 

Here's an idea we all (Sanna, Seb, Martin and myself) came up with different takes on, all to do with planting. a) Used on a tray inside with soil in the spaces to sew seeds on. b) Outdoors in the vegetable patch to keep seeds in check while they grow and allow for easy transferring to bigger pots or into the ground. c) Using the grid to stamp the soil in a grid pattern and then add one seed per square. d) Placing it on the soil, sow and use the grid as support for those puny early stems.

Shoe rack! Martin would like to point out that the shoes on display are Clark's desert boots. The bestest boot ever made and that he has worn them continously since he was nine. Not the same pair mind you.

I like this idea of using the waffles as privacy screens.

And yes, I can't wait to start decorating for the Holidays and an Advent calendar is on my to do list (I AM aware that Wille's 15 and I'm forcing one on him this year. It's his duty as my son to eat the chocolate and shut up. He he...). By cutting the grid down to size there can be 24 little slots for mini gifts and a huge (Right, Samarra?!) 25th to be presented to Samarras baby boy on Christmas morning.

Samarra particularily requested suggestions brainstormed after some glasses of wine but looking back we seem to have been pretty sober... Any whacky (or other sensible) ideas for her? We are all ears!

Brainstorm #7

Time for another Brainstorm. This one's for Ibabe from Spain. She wants some ideas for her wooden cigar boxes.

Our friends Sanna and Sebastian came over on Halloween (a tradition with pumpkin soup and the works) and I immediately put them to work on providing some ideas for upcoming brainstorms including this one. Sorry. Thank you!

So here are our suggestions. They can be used with the boxes stripped from labels or as is:

By covering the box with paper and mocking a book cover it could be placed in a bookcase holding hidden jewelry for safe keeping.

To store cigars... (yes, we did have some wine on Halloween).

 I could use some in Wille's room for sticker collections etc.

One could be placed in a high traffic area and used to corral clutter. Lid on and it's gone!

 

Love this idea by Sanna; A surprise After & Before frame. Current photo (of son, daughter, boat, home, kitty etc) goes on cigar box lid and inside goes a before one.

By cutting holes in the lids and gluing pieces of perspex at the back of the lids the boxes can be turned in to deep edge shadow frames.

How about using one as a key cabinet?

I'd use one as  pencil case.

 

My favorite idea is to make them into memory boxes from trips and travels. A few photos, the theater tickets, a couple of candy wrappers, the match box from that great restaurant, a map, the subway stubs etc.

So there are our ideas. Lets here some more from you guys! 


 

Brainstorm #6 + Joey the Squirrel

  

Before I leave for Hong Kong and China on Monday, Martin and I have one more Brainstorm up our sleeves. I'm hoping you guys can help out on this one because it proved to be trickier than anticipated.

Here's the e-mail I received from Tina:

A friend's mother brought me some Rachel Ashwell fabric samples.  I use them to make quilts or sew two together and run ribbon through the grommets at the top to make gift bags.  The fabric samples came on these large hooks - one of which I used for belts and placed on a hook in my closet.  The wood pieces are roughly 40 cm long.  Do you have any suggestions how to use these pieces either separately or together? 

When I first got this I was all excited and thought I'd come up with a zillion ideas but like I said it's a tricky one. Here are our ideas so far:

I like the idea that Tina's already using one of the rings for, to hang her belts. They could also be used for scarves and other accessories.

I'm a list maker and keep a stash of paper scraps around and if I had one of these rings I'd punch holes in the corners of my paper scraps and hook them onto the ring. I'd hang the scrap paper ring in the kitchen and always have grocery list paper handy, just tear a piece off the ring.

To keep your pet rhino in check the ring will come in handy too!

The rings would make cool bracelets. Add fat wooden beads or simply wrap the rings in ribbon.

Oh, I know, I know! Curtain tie-backs!

The wood pieces could be made into signs by turning them upside down, painting them and using ribbon to hang. Gone Fishing. Welcome. Go round the back. Please take your shoes off. Merry whatever.

I always end up using our chop sticks to stir large cans of paint. One of the wood sticks could be used for that if you (we...) can't come up with anything better.

How about drilling more holes at regular intervals and adding dowels in them, paint the whole thing and you have a shaker style hanger. Like here for kitchen towel and pot holders.

If all else fails.

So do you have any other ideas for Tina?

~

Oh, and I couldn't resist showing you these:

 
Newly rescued


Stylish bedding

 
Getting bigger

 
Good Morning, Tina!

 
Residing in style 

Tina has rescued little squirrel Joey who was found on the ground after falling from a tree. She's been bottle feeding him until he was big enough to eat solids and is following instruction on-line by someone who has rescued many squirrels before. Tina plans to release Joey into the wild in a local reserve once he's bigger and stronger come spring but meanwhile he lives with her in a Tiffany box with Shabby Chic bedding in a pretty and practical bird cage. He sure is living in style by the looks of it. Awwww!

 

Have a lovely weekend!