where i work. part 2

With a lull in the day I thought I might follow up with the rest of the studio tour. Here it goes:
This is a big empty frame that hangs above my computer desk. I simply taped a piece of fancy paper from Paper Source and started adding things on top of that almost as if it was attached to the frame. The little Buddha and small stone are there to keep things in perspective.
This little wire basket is the mate to the corner shelf/basket thing hanging on the wall in Part 1 of the studio tour. Here it holds bowls of chain and wire for the jewelry we make. The little square is actually a ceramic egg holder from Anthropologie for about $9.
This dresser is one of a set of my-best-friend's-mom-from-when-she-was-a-little-girl-in-the-1960s. My best friend from childhood, Carol Beth, used it when she was growing up and when she got married she didn't need the set anymore. When it arrived in my hands for $0, it was worn, bright white with fading flower appliques, and had yucky yellow brass hardware. I sanded it, painted it "popcorn white" and added all antiqued knobs rather than handles. I adore the double knobs rather than traditional pulls but really it happened out of necessity. They actually don't make drawer pulls the same size as this piece any longer.
This little piece is the nightstand to the set from my-best-friend's-mom-from-when-she-was-a-little-girl-in-the-1960s. It serves here as a entry table and spot to store some running stuff.
GREAT IDEA! Since my bathroom has no storage besides a medicine cabinet I needed a place to stash my blow dryer and cleaning supplies. So I bought this vintage picnic basket from my trusty Ann Arbor thrift store to do the job. (The wine holders hold the blow dryer and brushes.)

So there it is. All in all when I moved to Chicago in August of 2007 I think I spent a total of $2000 on all the furniture, accessories, and trusty U-Haul. No cushy corporate moving and relocation reimbursements, but it's pretty darn cute anyway.

where i work. part 1

So for those who wonder why "makeunder my life" is the title for my blog, I will explain (a little). In part it has to do with my belief that great things come in all sizes, large and microscopic, and that my life though humble, does not need to be void of style. Even if one (read: me) doesn't have a lot of money to invest in her environment, that does not mean she cannot enjoy great design.So I thought I would share some photos of my studio (which is now actually the Jess LC jewelry studio exclusively- but at the time of these photos taken last summer, I also had a bed to sleep on in the studio as well). Please keep in mind this is a ~400 square foot space - about the size of the dining room in my parents house. I did mention I had a "humble abode," right?
This is one of my favorite tablescapes ever- the table itself is a bench repainted (twice) that I found on a run with my dear friend Catherine in high school. The black box was $4 from a thrift store in Ann Arbor, Michigan which I dearly miss here in Chicago. The plants are all under $6 from Trader Joes. Loveseat is from Ikea.
The (fake) painting was $100 from Bed Bath and Beyond and the adorable bird statue is from Ann Arbor's awesome Heavenly Metal.
A $4 Urban Outfitters lampshade got a makeover with my Grandma's vintage pins.
The two green hang-y things are from my high school days playing decorator in my old bedroom. They are filled with pine cones from old holiday decor and the middle piece is actually a corner shelf hanging with it's bottom against the wall. Inside that are some pine cones and a birds nest. The strings actually are not really supporting the pieces- they are there to make that dowel rod from my old Christmas decorations look like it actually has a purpose.
These keys got a lot of attention on the Apartment Therapy blog post about my studio. They were about $12 and in a rusty black color when I bought them. Using a foam brush I painted on a gold coat to make them look more "schmancy." The big glass vase is standing in a vintage candy dish, the candle holders are my Grandma's, and the two glass votives were $1 each.
This is one of my favorite (and really easy) projects. Inside this simple frame is a $4 document I found at an antique store from October 21, 1865. It is a deed to some land in Georgia - but it's current validity is under suspicion. The 'mat' is actually just a fancy embossed paper cut the width of the frame. Voila - a historic piece of art for about $12.

All this storytelling makes me wish I could decorate some new spaces... any takers?