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View Full Version : Wow--what a little creativity and a few trips to the dump can do!!


catherine
11-3-12, 9:30am
This is not a new article, but I just came across it. This frugal couple in Maine have created an unbelievably beautiful home... It helps that he's a driftwood artist, but still..

Here's the NYTimes link. (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/garden/in-maine-gifts-from-the-sea-and-the-landfill.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0) Also be sure to check out the slide show.

If you need to be registered with the NYTimes to read it here's a blog post about the same people: (http://www.puregreenmag.com/pure-green-blog/the-elegant-upcycle)
JaneV2.0
11-3-12, 12:01pm
I love this kind of thing. My mother was a talented designer who put together a beautiful home by gathering items from second-hand and antique shops, yard sales, and bargain bins at the home improvement store, doing everything from refinishing and recovering to wallpapering and painting (she got my father involved with the last two). I could count the number of "bought new" furniture items on one hand. Although I've inherited her love of good design, I have none of her skill. Thanks for posting.
Stella
11-3-12, 12:12pm
Beautiful!
Float On
11-3-12, 1:04pm
Nice!
My house has so much color that I really enjoy looking at homes featuring a lot of white. Maybe my next house.
peggy
11-3-12, 3:19pm
Beautiful! I love drift wood.
leslieann
11-3-12, 5:05pm
Lovely. Thanks for sharing this. The tone of the article is oddly formal....Mr. this and Ms. that...and the reference to their marital status was odd too. But the home looks great and if they are living on 17K, good for them. Staying warm in Maine can be quite a trick.
catherine
11-3-12, 5:26pm
The tone of the article is oddly formal....Mr. this and Ms. that...and the reference to their marital status was odd too.

Yeah, that's a stylistic thing the NYT has never departed from--they're about as traditional as the Catholic church in some ways, and I find it kind of comforting in a nostalgic sort of way.
HappyHiker
11-3-12, 7:31pm
What a beautiful environment this couple has created. There is something about furniture and accessories made from organic, natural materials that is so rich and satisfying in a way most man-made materials cannot be. Many stones, rocks and shells have made their way into our home. Now I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for driftwood. But alas, here in North Carolina, we do not have a rich supply of driftwood as our Northern and Western coastal neighbors do...
Tussiemussies
11-4-12, 1:21am
What a beautiful and simple home just love it...
SimplyL
11-4-12, 7:50am
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing the article.
Gardenarian
11-5-12, 2:47pm
Lovely simple home! But, I would never paint my floors white. Who needs the work?
catherine
11-5-12, 3:48pm
Lovely simple home! But, I would never paint my floors white. Who needs the work?

Actually I did think the same thing--not only with the floors, but with the white linen slipcovers. I wonder if they always look that pressed and white--even when the NYT isn't there on a photo shoot? But, still beautiful to look at.

I had hideous white vinyl tiles in my family room until just a few months ago when we installed engineered flooring in "American Handsawn Oak"--it's a dark-grained look and every day I wonder why the heck I didn't do this years ago. Cleaning is an absolute snap--a quick vacuum, and a spritz of vinegar/water once a week and I'm good to go. They always look great.
cattledog
11-7-12, 3:51pm
I remember reading that article when it came out, but I'm glad you posted it. It was memorable for me, because I was in the stage where I was deciding do I stay at work or stay home with my kid. I remember thinking, well if this family can live on 17K, surely we can live on twice that.

I'm surprised that their rent is that cheap! That's a lot of land and house for the price.

I liked the way she designed the house, but I can't stand the slipcover look. It seems so unfinished to me.
catherine
11-7-12, 4:10pm
I liked the way she designed the house, but I can't stand the slipcover look. It seems so unfinished to me.

I don't mind the slipcover look. I actually have an old lace tablecloth, which somehow acquired a nasty slit in the middle, serve as a slipcover for my chair/ottoman combination in my bedroom. I can hide the slit between the chair and the ottoman, and the cover hides the years of dust and dirt that has accumulated on the furniture upholstery.

It was a win-win situation--or as they say in the permaculture world, stacking functions--the chair looks cleaner and more elegant, and I don't have to throw out the tablecloth.