Friday, March 14, 2014

MODify: DIY Spice Rack, New Mod Furniture "Uses" and "Free" Childhood Home Finds

I love to use what I have and get creative before I buy a retail solutions, it's the Buy Nothing New/Non-Consumerist way and saves money, win/win! Here are some ways I've been using what's already around for home problem-solving lately:


My mom bought two towel racks on clearance at IKEA during our pilgrimage for organizing supplies and they've been sitting in my kitchen unused for months until I was trying to find a spice racks solution. I love my new "towel rack spice rack" minimal and modern, it goes with the vibe of my apartment. Not the best solution for earthquake prone areas perhaps but that will never be a problem on the raised sandbar that is Florida.


I remember this guy sitting on a dresser in my brother's bedroom throughout childhood and was surprised to rediscover it helping my mom the garage. Every day I have a certain number of things I need to finish, 10 listings, catch-up on 10 blogs, tasks like that. I used to mark it on paper but using the 20-something year old contraption above makes it more tangible and erases the need for scrap paper everywhere. Win-win. Yep, I'm a very strange mark-as-I-go worker, always taking notes all over the place.


Oh this hutch and it's matching credenza need to go! Many have come to see and ask about the set but no one is willing to pay the very reasonable price of $300 for both pieces of American Martinsville 1960s Mid Century Modern furniture; $300 only doubles my investment, I try to triple what I pay in or more. Anyway, I have to live with these pieces for now (I will never, ever buy big furniture again, I was guilted into this set) so I moved this piece out of the way to the bathroom as a huge, attractive towel rack and it fits perfectly there. Makes my large, empty master bathroom a little more cozy.


And yet another free find from mom's garage, seems like there's gonna be a few of these as I help her purge (we wanna build a work-shop in there to make more mod-repo furniture). When I took it home I had no idea how to use it but it's perfect behind my bedroom door hosting my small scarf collection. I also hang my favorite batman hat, purse, and sometimes outfit for the new day on it.

What have your been MODifying around the house lately? I'm on the hunt for lots of freebies to use in the garden. It's seed-starting time! Can't wait to get growing.
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27 comments:

  1. How cool you found your old abacus!

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    1. Thanks for the name, I've never know, been calling it a counting-thing or something similar my whole life! I used to play with it, rarely used it practically.

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  2. It's one of the first things on the right side bar, the small text links at the top right. Looks like I need to work on the blog layout some more, oops.

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  3. looks like you really got some great stuff!

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    1. Thanks, I have to do a full house tour soon. I have tons of art and collections.

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  4. I loveyour little arrangements particularly your lucky cat

    retro rover

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    1. Thanks! I'm always making new ones and want to do a "curated corners" segment. Always making vignettes for product photo backdrops...and to satisfy my hyperactive right-brain.

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  5. That abacus looks super cool displayed like that! x

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  6. Very cool! The cat is so funny ;)

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    1. So many have tried to buy my Maneki Neko. I'd love to produce more like it!

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  7. Love the lamp in the pic with the abacus. The spice rack is very clever-one of the reasons I thrift is I think outside the box for decorating, storage, etc. and would rather repurpose something unique than big box solutions. Yeah, Van!

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    1. Thanks Suzie, agree, I love using what's around rather than going out for new solutions.

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  8. Love the spice rack - great idea! I have to say I really like your little kettle too - very cool looking.

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    1. Thanks, it's an electric one, I use it for tea all the time. Love it!

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  9. Aw! I've always wanted one of those golden Chinese waving cats!!

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    1. It's Japanese, it's called a "Maneki-Neko", "beckoning cat". I have three but want more, absolutely love 'em. :D

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    2. Although this guy is likely MADE in China, haha.

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  10. Very cool spice rack! And I love how you're re-purposing what you already have on hand :)

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  14. lol, i have same room arrangement then, though at a point it became scary to us.

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