Friday, August 9, 2013

The Half Hour Project

This summer, although everything turned out completely differently than planned and scheduled, we somehow did manage to accomplish two projects for our house that we´ve been longing to do for quite a while.

Two rooms were promised to get a makeover and were on our list for over a year.

The kitchen was the first one and although we did not manage to add a new part of the counter, I sanded and repainted it during an exceptionally warm May week. I am still planning a blog post about that. Sorry for the delay!

The next room that was desperately calling for remodelling was our tiny, very poorly equipped and decorated bathroom. I am proud to say that we are just finishing some last touches and I will soon post about it too.

While planning the improvements and changes in our house, we had two main aspects in mind.

It had to be on an extremely low budget and we were to incorporate as many natural materials and elements we could possibly get our hands on. The reason for the second is simple. It complies with our philosophy of living as sufficiently, naturally, rugged and sustainably as possible. 

Besides all that, Jachym and I both enjoy surrounding ourselves with natural things and materials, mainly from wood, stone and metal. We enjoy tremendously making decorations but also practical things such as hangers, shelves, racks, etc. from gifts of the nature. And if we find those by ourselves while walking with our dogs in the woods or by the lake, or during our hiking and camping trips, the better. This way all these items, furniture and accessories carry beautiful memories of our adventures and time spent together in the nature.

So what is it that I am blogging about today, when not the kitchen and not the bathroom?

It is actually something I have been toying with in my head for a while but did not have on any list.

During the last (and exceptionally beautiful) hike around the lake with my beloved Granite, just days before his sudden health downtwist, we found an old, drifted log. We would have never found it hadn´t we taken that hike along the shore, while the water was still very low after the winter. In summer, the log would have been sunk deep down in the water, rotting away.

I had no idea what it could be possibly handy for, but I loved its old, faded gray color, shape and size. 
So we dragged it home, which wasn´t that easy task. Here it dried out on the summer sun.

Yesterday, before feeding the dogs, we found an idle half hour. We looked at each other and I immediately got a picture in my head. "Let´s do a thing with that drift log we found with Granite", I suggested. Expecting Jachym to say "no, not another project", accompanying it with a very characteristic expression, I was surprised to hear: "Ok, we have half an hour. Let´s do it."

In brisk minute I brought in the log and showed Jachym my idea. Another surprise as he replied: "oh yes, that would look really nice".

I searched through the bag in which we keep leftover parts of chain after we make tethers or hook up stake outs, and found a suitable piece. Four self-screw hooks completed the material needed for the project.

And voila, here it is:

 
It really honestly took only thirty minutes.


And it costed zero. Ok, twelve leftover chain loops and four self screw hooks. That maybe equals a dollar.


Plus a few small nails and a few hooks for hanging stuff on.


While it is decorative, it is also practical. And vice versa. And it is definitely rugged :) 
Dried and drying herbs, onions to be at hand while cooking, mushroom and flower picking baskets, spices, etc. find their spot here now.

Now all we need to do is build that extended kitchen counter underneath. Maybe in the fall :)

Do you have any DIY project ideas for simple, natural, or even rugged home decor or practical things for organizing or storing stuff? Please do share, I would love to see your ideas!

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