Friday 28 June 2019

An Upcycled Chair


This very old and very sad chair was in no condition to sit on.


Lots of pieces were missing but also some parts were rotten away. So as a chair it was trash, but I loved the backrest which was also in the best condition.


I sawed off everything of the chair that I did not need.


And added this wooden piece, to make it a towel rack.


I painted it dark green first.
And the next day with daylight a layer of teal and with some help of stencils and a rust-colored paint I gave it some rustic adornments.


The piece got varnished and turned out beautiful.


You can hang towels in your bathroom, kitchen or laundry room.


Or you can use it in your bedroom for shawls, scarves, ties, belts or necklaces.


Another mission of saving something from ending up in the landfill accomplished feels good :)


It is available at StarHomeStudio among many other home decor pieces.

Monday 24 June 2019

Newly Listed: Abalone Shell Bracelet


Sterling Silver Bracelet Abalone Shell Bracelet Art Nouveau Style Sterling Silver jewelry by StaroftheEast
All the other photos are taken by me, at various places in Turkey.

Thursday 20 June 2019

Upholstery Springs and What to do with them


So we have a whole bunch of upholstery springs, a byproduct of restoring vintage furniture. We do not use them in the chair again as they are not very practical. They are super strong and I love how the ends are twisted around. I thought they were fun but we haven't been using them.


They are impressive!


And turn out to be great to display driftwood!



They also turn out to be super handy to hold tools and brushes.


But after a search on Pinterest there turns out to be many possibilities like cool Steam punk style lamp caps.


Fun plant pot holders.


Vases by putting glass tubes in them, these are attached to salvaged wood making them more stable.


They also make for fun candle holders.


And even paper/photo holders!


Even wine bottle holders.
But also wind chims, earrings holders, Christmas trees, wreaths, even a chandelier and so much more that I start to wonder how on earth I have done without them all these years :)
If you'd like to tackle some of these projects or got even a better idea, they are available at StarHomeStudio :)

Monday 17 June 2019

A Bohemian Make over


This nightstand was in a very sad condition, I actually forgot to take a before photo, this photo is already after sanding and cleaning.


It has some cute legs but the wood veneer made it look cheap. It was also in need of a general tender loving care. We, of course, did not want to bring it back to its old glory but give it some new glory instead.


Taping the stripes off was the annoying bit, but it saved me time with painting.


While the outside became purple, the inside got a terracotta orange makeover for some color contrast.


The colors of the paint were chosen according to this beautiful tile patterned fabric.


All the veneer disappeared under this beautiful fabric.



What a difference, right?


The fabric got mod podge for fabric to make it dirt resistant. The beautiful porcelain handles we got in a shop in New Orleans, without plans, I just loved them so much and they turned out to be the perfect match.


I'm in love with it, if I had the space I would keep it :D




We have a big mid century cabinet which we are now thinking to give a similar make over.


The satisfaction of making these ugly pieces pretty is huge :)
The nightstand is available at StarHomeStudio among other one of a kind furniture pieces.


Friday 14 June 2019

Dragonflies


I've always loved dragonflies. Their delicate looking bodies and wings, yet I often see them balancing against strong winds like acrobats. I realized that although I love taking pictures of them I literally have no knowledge about them so thought it would be fun to look up some facts and share them with you along with a few of my favorite photos I've taken of them.


There are over 5,000 species of dragonflies.

Dragonflies have 6 legs, a thorax, a head, and an abdomen. The abdomen is long and segmented. Despite having 6 legs, the dragonfly doesn't walk very well. It is a great flyer, however. Dragonflies can hover in one place, fly extremely fast, and even fly backwards. They are some of the fastest flying insects in the world reaching speeds of over 30 miles per hour (source).


One of the best things about dragonflies is that they like to eat mosquitoes and gnats. They are carnivores and eat all types of other insects too including cicadas, flies, and even other smaller dragonflies.
To catch their prey, dragonflies create a basket with their legs. They then swoop in capturing their prey with their legs and biting it to hold it in place. They will often eat what they have caught while they are still flying (source).


They have been around for 300 million years. Prehistoric dragonflies were much larger and could have a wingspan of 2 ½ feet (75 cm)!!

At the shortest, the life cycle of a dragonfly from egg to the death of the adult is about six months. There are even dragonflies that live for several years as aquatic larvae before they emerge and live for a few months as adults. Most dragonflies don't die of old age but are caught by predators.  Even if they do survive, they still don't live much longer than a few months.
A surprising and interesting fact about the dragonfly is that they will spend only a very short part of their life span as actual adult dragonflies. They will live as nymphs (aquatic larvae) for up to four years, molting their skin between 8 to 17 times depending on the species, and finally, when they mature into adults, they can only live for a few months.


Quite a few things I did not know, how amazing each aspect of nature is! I love the beautiful creatures we get to see around here!


Dragonflies are insects that belong to the order of Odonata. ... According to the myth, after St. George wounded the dragon, his horse was cursed by the devil and became a giant flying insect. That's why in the Romanian language the word dragonfly translates into Devil's Horse (source).

Tuesday 11 June 2019

Newly Listed: Cowry Shell Earrings


Cowry Shell Earrings, Sterling Silver Cowrie Seashell Jewelry by StaroftheEast
Bubbles Black & White Photography Print Art Modern Minimalist Fine Art Photography by CarolynCochrane
Black and White Photography, jellyfish home decor, ocean animal print wall art  by LynnLangmade
Shell Photography, Beach Photograph, Sea Life Photo, Minimalist, Black & White Print by BLintonPhotography

Thursday 6 June 2019

Art Deco Pedestal Table Make over


This adorable Art Deco pedestal table has been waiting for some TLC for 3 years!


It had a lot of damage, most of the wood veneer was damaged or peeled off. We could have replaced it but we wanted to give it a new look instead.


After lots of sanding, filling, varnishing and more sanding it was all smooth and fixed. The feet all needed to be reglued as it was dancing like a drunken sailor.


After all the fixing the fun part could begin.
I painted it entirely cream.


But the top got only a border as I wanted to keep the lovely Art Deco design on the top and also still some of its original wooden look.


Then I went stencil crazy and gave it all kind of checkered details.


With some adorable vintage leaf transfers and some hints of green and pink this pedestal table is all fresh with a romantic vintage flair.


The checkered details remind me of old palaces with their marbled floors, like this one in Warsaw.




I'm in love with the unexpected combination of patterns and colors and am happy it finally gets the chance for a new life.


Or it would be like having a piece of Rome in your home :)



It is, of course, one of a kind and available at StarHomeStudio.