Tea Cups

Pinky up, please!

This dainty mismatched tea cup collection adds a touch of interest and color to our dining room. Over the years I have bought various sets of cups, plates, and mugs ... and over the years and among multiple moves I find myself left with incomplete sets. Instead of cluttering up a cabinet I decided to display them on a shelf! Turns out, mismatched looks very pretty! These cups are a little conversation piece in my house... telling a story of where I was when I bought them or who I inherited them from.

I added a little wire with clothespins to the simple white shelf for some texture and dimension. Those are old family pictures clipped on. It's fun to display these pictures in a nontraditional way.

I think the end result draws you in for a closer look, what do you think? Do you display special dishware in your home?

-Linn

Kitchen Sink

 Gone Dishing!

The family and I were vacationing in the archipelago of Southern Sweden when my husband dragged me into a bait shop for a little "man shopping." He should know by now that I can improvise! I found this over-sized fishing bobber and was totally inspired. I have always found kitchen sink plugs necessary but..... unsightly. I simply strung this bobber up the standard drain plug chain and screwed it to our wooden counter top. I think it adds something unexpected to my country kitchen.

Would you add bait shop goodies to your home?  

-Linn

Fence Art

Another man's trash is this woman's treasure!

Every second Thursday of the month in my neighborhood is bulk trash day. Everyone puts their "junk" on the side of the road and it's like Christmas morning every month! I found this piece of fence and shamelessly snatched it up. Combine it with a recent obsession with Octopus and we have art!

I wanted to add a little functionality to the fence so I added a few coat hanging knobs to dangle some decorations. Little design tip: asymmetric features are key! Odd numbers are beautiful.

This little number resides on the front porch of our house. The black and white paint creates a nice contrast to our blue wood siding. Lots of different textures are at work here (the brick flooring, wood fence, rope, metal, starfish) and I think that it really makes this piece interesting in context. Have you ever snatched other peoples' trash and reused it?

-Linn

Duck Wagon Project

Quack!

I was asked by a friend to design a duck wagon/coop for her waddling friends on their family farm. It was such a fun project! I used simple bright colors for the paint to make the wagon lively and friendly.
Have you ever seen their eggs? They are giant! The last time I saw duck eggs were as a child and I had forgotten how impressive they were. I couldn't resist sneaking a couple eggs for breakfast....

 I found them to be much richer in taste than chicken eggs. Have you ever tried them?


-Linn