CREATIVE DESIGN

Key Associates

By: Allison Taylor

www.keyassociates.biz

 

I don't consider myself to be a designer, by any means.  My house is a mis-match of antique family pieces, hand-me-downs, and second-hand finds.  When it comes to furnishings, I am thrifty, practical, and love to re-use items that would otherwise go to waste.  In the past couple of years, I have gotten more bold in what I'm willing to try. 

 

First came the outdoor seat.  We had a large (and VERY heavy) rock that once stood up in our garden.  After several years in it's location, and some heavy rains, it took a fall.  So, as I studied this cool rock, I started to wonder, what else could I do with it?  Then, after having a tree go down, and looking over the wood that was destined to be split for camp fires, a light bulb came on.  What if I could lay a couple of wood stumps on their sides, and top them with the rock to make a bench?  I talked my husband into moving the rock into place for me, and voila - a bench was born!

 

 

My next idea was for a platform bed.  After trying to extend our full size antique bed frame to a queen with an extender kit, our new memory foam mattress started sagging in the middle.  We tried another frame extender, and still couldn't resolve the sagging.  So, I decided that if we had a platform bed, we could support and save our mattress.  I looked at many different beds, and couldn't find any that I loved.  I started thinking of ways to build one.  I was almost set on a design using old pallets, but the chemicals that can off-gas from the weather treatments of the wood ultimately deterred me from going that route.  After much contemplation, I decided that I'd build one using tree stumps and plywood...how much sturdier could you get?  I would need two sheets of plywood, so there would be a seam down the middle.  I figured that I needed stumps that were at least 12 inches across, and wanted one at each of the four corners, and then three down the middle at the seam.  I called our local saw mill, and told them what I had in mind.  I also didn't want to treat the wood, and after discussing options with the saw mill, they hooked me up with my seven stumps for about $75.00.  When determining the measurements for the plywood topper, I decided to add some length so that I could fit some big pillows between the mattress and the wall - as a headboard of sorts.  The plywood cost me about $50, and our locally run store even cut it to the dimensions I needed.  My husband thought I was crazy, but it has turned out to be a perfect design, and I love it!

 

 

On the more professional side, designers are coming up with new and unique approaches every day.  Here's a link to an article with some fun ideas from House Beautiful - and a peek at one of the article's creative designs, using a rope for a stairway railing, is pictured below.

 

   If you have a creative design idea, go for it!  The possibilities are endless.