Archive of ‘Decor & DIY’ category

Jute Table Lamp

I am much more of a night owl than Trevor, so we like to have a lamp on each bedside table – that way if he turns in early, I can keep a little glow on my side of the bed. For the cabin I wanted to keep with a nautical theme, and was looking to have them be unique and interesting on their own since space issues dictate that the lamp is the only item on the table one side. I purchased two inexpensive lamps from Home Goods (if I remember correctly they were $20 a piece – with shades) and some jute rope from Home Depot. Grabbed the glue gun and in just an hour or so had two fantastic lamps for our bedroom. I love the texture and how the round shape contrasts nicely to the straight lines of the wood walls. Simple instructions are below, but if you are in the mood to skip the DIY aspect, some cute options are here and here.

DSC_4363_edited-1Our side tables don’t match, and Trevor’s is a bit lower than mine. Stacking a couple of books is an easy way to add height.
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Creating a Welcoming Entrance

The other night Trevor and I were talking about how interesting it was that we hosted friends at the cabin last summer before we had things on our walls or lawn furniture…or grass. Although our friends are pretty great, and completely cool with dirt under foot and giant rafts used as patio seating, this summer we wanted to do some things to make the place feel a little more welcoming. Creating a good side entrance was the first thing on our list. We wanted to soften the hard steel siding exterior and add a little color. Okay, maybe I wanted to do these things more than Trevor, but he was a good sport and did the heavy lifting with the project. We certainly had the common goal of camouflaging the septic tank access, which is located right where people walk toward the side entry. Below are some pictures of the simple and inexpensive steps we took to up our game a little bit from last summer.
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Water Ski Decor

One of my most vivid memories at the lake as a kid was the first time I got up on water skis. Not because I remember the feeling of finally figuring out the balance between pulling back on the rope and letting the boat pull me up or the sense of accomplishment of making it upright for more than a few feet, but because of the memory of trying to drop a ski moments after coming out of the water. You see, I have an older brother and had watched him for quite some time. If he could do it, why couldn’t I? Well, lots of reasons. I took a very big tumble that day, and both skis were firmly on my feet for a long time after that painful lesson. Those “Nash Jr.” skis got a lot of love over the years, and for that reason I wanted to incorporate them into the décor at the cabin. On the lower level one hangs with a lantern, whereas the other one serves to hold an extra throw in the bedroom. With the exception of removing the damaged, dirty boots from the skis, I left them as is. A lot of the cabin décor is painted, so I wanted to have these stay natural. More detail on the simple steps is included in the captions below.

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