Search Results for: label/book%20reviews/2010/06/the-urban-homestead/2011/04/making-it

1107 results

Chair Troubles

Avatar photo
Design
7 Comments
...enter into a challenging comfort vs. aesthetics dialectic. Even though I’m making a reproduction I still have to consider and modify all of these details since I’m working from photographs, not physical measurements of antiques. Just choosing a chair was an excruciating process. After drawing up plans for potential chairs in Sketchup, I made full size models out of scrap wood. My first scrap wood model was a three legged Art Nouveau throne that yo...

Read…

More on How to Make Clear Ice

Avatar photo
Food
...ding to English. I also learned that the enigmatic David Rees (author of a book on sharpening pencils!), and one of the smartest people I’ve ever met, did a whole National Geographic special on ice that includes a segment on making clear ice. And did you know that clear ice sometimes happens naturally? Behold this viral YouTube hit, “Walking on beautiful clean ice in Slovakian Mountains:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WBqX7MSqWw Lastly, I want...

Read…

Our new front yard: history

Avatar photo
Back to the Garden, front yard series, Garden Design, Gardening
19 Comments
.... The slope looked alive, but it did not look loved. It’s hard to admit to making a mistake, particularly when its a costly mistake, or a mistake that you’ve made publicly, or a mistake that you’ve been making for a long time. This is why people keep climbing Everest even when they see a storm is rolling in. This is why we ended up with an ugly yards full of struggling trees. The cactus, however, grew exponentially. Its position was front and cent...

Read…

The #700 Bookshelf

Avatar photo
Design
17 Comments
...t I did pick up a few new skills. While my solder joints are a bit messy, I got to learn how to make a leaded glass window thanks to some great advice from Stained Glass Supplies in Pasadena (they have classes if you’re interested). Making the bookshelf was easier than paring down our book collection to fit in it. I made sure to leave enough room to display the plaster neanderthal skull which every aging 1990s hipster in Silver Lake owns. Next up...

Read…

My New Thoughtstyling Throne

Avatar photo
Design
7 Comments
...The principle one was not reading the fine print in the directions in the book of plans I was using that noted that Stickley added two inches to the legs between versions make between 1901 and 1909. I was able to counteract the lack of height by having my upholsterer make a thicker cushion. Since Kelly and I are of the tall tribe I need to pay better attention to customizing fit. If I’m going to go through the trouble of making furniture myself I...

Read…