Cucumbersome » inspiration

Bricolage

britt — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:51:50 +0000

Yes, it has been a while, but I refused to come back here until I had a brand new site and a sufficiently snobby-sounding title for myself. Britt McMaster, Bricoleur. I think I’ll get business cards made up.
From Wikipedia: “The term is borrowed from the French word bricolage, from the verb bricoler, the core meaning in French being, “fiddle, tinker” and, by extension, “to make creative and resourceful use of whatever materials are at hand (regardless of their original purpose)”. In contemporary French the word is the equivalent of the English do it yourself, and is seen on large shed retail outlets throughout France. A person who engages in bricolage is a bricoleur.”
There’s been a whole lotta’ bricolage going on around here, and I’ll be showing you the results real soon.
In order to boost the activity here, I have added a tumblr feed to the side column. I often come across photos or ideas that I want to share, but I have so little to add that it doesn’t really warrant a full post. In most cases, the photos speak for themselves. For example, the photo above is from the most beautifully curated shop here in Gastown (Vancouver) called Old Faithful Shop. All I really have to say is if you are in the area, you must check it out. Also, if you are thinking of buying me a gift, absolutely anything there will do (real subtle, I know).
Thanks to my darling husband for redesigning my site!

When It Rains

britt — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:16:49 +0000

My plan to share some shots of our new place has been thwarted by the never-ending rain. Yesterday the sun peeked out momentarily through the greyness but by the time I turned my camera on, it was gone. As a firm believer in natural light, I have decided to wait out the rain and instead share some of my recent inspirations.

Rifle Paper Co. (#1) is brilliant. It’s like what would happen if Wes Anderson and Martha Stewart got together and created the best line of stationery and greeting cards ever. [Side note: Whoa. I was just googling one of the fonts used by Rifle called Archer, and apparently it was originally commissioned for Martha Stewart Homes. I totally called that.] With a similar feel, I’m also loving the wallpaper in this shot (#2) by Johnny Miller, the lights from Rie Elise Larsen (#3), and the photography of Hilda Grahnat (#4). Lastly, Ferm Living’s new collection (#5), as pointed out by Holly of Decor8, blew me away. I just want to move into the set of their shoots and live surrounded by their knit poufs, button cushions and geometric wallpaper. Yes, I could be happy there.
In other goings-on, Becky Stern has created a video on Craft on how to make a recycled bike tube headband which is loosely based on my tutorial for the chain-link necklace. I love her version. She also generously sent me this Maker’s Notebook, which I am very much looking forward to using for my long list of projects. Notebook, you had me at grid paper. Thanks, Becky!
My dad is wrapping up his second week over at Teach a Man to Fix. His post today titled “There is No Mechanical Black Magic” (or, “Things Will Not Explode Just Because You Look At Them”) is a must-read.
Have a great weekend!

In The Dark

britt — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:20:34 +0000

It’s moving day tomorrow and there is lots to do, but I have decided that blogging is much more important. Last night we painted a wall in the office the charcoal color that I mentioned before (top left photo above). I’m eager to see what it looks like in the daylight. The other photos are just for your viewing pleasure.
Yesterday I was trying to pack everything up with the blinds closed and the lights turned off because I have a scratched cornea (long story) and light made my eye slam shut and water like crazy. Packing in the dark is difficult (and dangerous – so many obstacles), so I eventually made my way to an optometrist. Now that I can see, things are getting done much faster. I’ll share some photos of our new place soon!

Sources: Design*Sponge, Abigail Ahern, Hashai, Desire to Inspire, StudioIlse

A Celebratory Post!

britt — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:54:35 +0000

My brother is getting married! Congrats to Jordan & Steph. We’re really looking forward to going to Toronto in April for the wedding. This is such a great excuse for me to peruse the gorgeous wedding blogs. Just look at this gem…

Images from Once Wed, shot by Our Labor of Love and designed by Joy Thigpen.

Closet Office

britt — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:42:32 +0000

In our new place, I am hoping to convert one of the closets into a workspace for me. I’m very much inspired by Anna’s office, shown above. There are also great storage ideas in this post on closet offices. Of course, if it doesn’t work out, I could always do an armoire closet, like Jordan Ferney. Closet or armoire… I really just want some doors to close, that’s all.

Pink

britt — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:06:06 +0000

Gorgeous photos by Lina Jaros and Chloe Elise.

Inside: Tour of Sandrine Place’s Home

britt — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:42:06 +0000

These images are from a sneak peek on Design Sponge back in November, so it isn’t a new tour but it is one of my absolute favorites. I love how Sandrine Place mixes neutrals with color. The way the reds, pinks and yellows play off the natural tones… well, it’s enough to make me want to study color theory. A few months ago, I created this color palette in Kuler based on the above photo.
Now for some more beautiful photos from her home:

Sewing & Simple Syndication

britt — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:36:03 +0000

These patterns really inspire me to start sewing again. The dress with the white lace around the neck reminds me of a dress that I fell in love with at Athropologie. The bodice was so cute and fit really well, but the bottom half was wonky and unflattering. All these photos are on Burda Style, which is a great sewing community where you can download patterns from Burda (like the ones above) and from other members.
Patterns (top to bottom, left to right): Minna | Melissa | Gail | Marie | Anda | Jenny

Thanks to Re-Nest for the shout out the other day! This might be a good time to let you, my darling readers, know about my subscription options. You can subscribe to the RSS feed via the button in the header and add Cucumbersome to your reader. (Sidenote: With Google Reader you can read the posts in your RSS feed on the original pages by installing the “Next” button in your browser bar. I’ve been doing that ever since I read about it here.) Now I am also providing an email subscription option. If you would like to receive a weekly email with links to my posts from that week, please use the contact form in the sidebar to let me know and I will add you to the list. It will really just be a notification, and you’ll have to click through to read the full posts. Phew. Enough business. Thanks for your support, everyone.
We’re planning on checking out some of the free events going on this weekend. There will be free concerts every night of the Olympics, just a couple blocks from our place. Have a great weekend!

Hellooo, Dream Office!

britt — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:42:56 +0000

Yes, in my dream office there is no need for proper office chairs with, you know, lumbar support because they are ugly. There are also no cords and very little paper in my imaginary workspace. Fortunately, there are a couple realistic elements here. The paint color, for one. I love it when people give the specific names of paint colors in house tours (thanks, Laura!) and I think we’re going to give this one a try. We also do want some sort of wooden slab of a desk. Oh, and we did buy that little flip clock. The big Dinamac sign is great, isn’t it? We go into the store and visit it every once in a while. Maybe one day it will be on sale and then we can justify buying it.

Sources: “Dinamac” sign is from a local antique store; White Eames chair from DWR; Cord pendant light from Rejuvenation; White flip clock from uma, but we bought it at The Cross; wire baskets, vintage (shown from here); Pale green vintage industrial cabinet from Factory 20; Wood for desktop, reclaimed; Paint color called Deep Space by Benjamin Moore, seen in this tour.

Inside: Ace Hotels

britt — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:44:16 +0000

The cataloging of my favorite interiors continues with the Ace Hotel. There are locations in Seattle, Portland, New York, and Palm Springs. Aren’t these photos just the perfect mix of modern, industrial and vintage?

I would love to figure out how to achieve this balance. In my opinion, modern furniture can quickly become lifeless on its own. It can feel a little cold. But too many vintage, worn-down items can make a space feel like a thrift store or something. Maybe the key is simplicity. The Ace Hotels seem to be very utilitarian.
Ryan and I really want to drive down to Portland soon (did you know it’s only a five hour drive from Vancouver?). I know what hotel I want to check into!
[Photos from Remodelista and Interior Design]