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Knowing that Real Simple is all about simplifying life, decluttering, and converting the organizationally challenged into storage gurus--the idea of utilizing someone else's trash for your decorating needs seems like a total oxymoron, right? My thoughts exactly, until someone told me about The Other Man's Treasures. The artist Rodney Allen Trice has a way of turning ordinary items into quirky, useful, and aesthetically pleasing pieces.Who would ever think to make a coffee table out of a garden hose? Or turn an old suitcase into a medicine cabinet?! The artist's ability to see an item's potential as something else is truly amazing. Think bigger than the traditional, if your place lacks a conversation piece, TOMT has tons of options to choose from. With each item being created by request, the chances of your piece having a personalized element are highly probable. Check out a few of the items...What trash have you transformed into a treasure? Every piece of this hose (even the spouts) were utilized to create a non-traditional coffee table.
Antique suitcases work double duty both as a retro side table and as storage space for magazines and remote controls.
An easy project to re-create--cocktail umbrellas were used to give a fresh look to a traditional paper lantern.
This is thinking outside the box as its finest...old canisters were refurbished to create an attention grabbing lighting fixture.
Posted by: Elizabeth| August 22, 2008 at 01:56 AM These are great ideas! I made a suitcase table in college - it wasn't too hard - just need to find the perfect suitcase and legs! Those suitcase tables are so cute! How do you do it? This post is fantastic! I am loving the cocktail umbrella lantern and the suitcases side table..genius! Ha! I have those exact canisters! Mine are still happy containing sugar, flour, coffee and tea however. Happy to see that you all like these items, they really are so orginal and great! Diana shared how to make the suitcase table in case anyone interested. Thanks Diana! For the table I found an old suitcase and old retro table from Goodwill and a yard sale. I cleaned and painted the old suitcase with hardware paint (although now I wish I would have used a top coat finish or sealant. When the paint dried it was a little sticky and glasses left water marks). The metal table legs could easily be screwed off, so then I marked my suitcase for the legs and screwed them into the suitcase with a drill. A little time consuming, but really the directions are quite simple! Tip: Try looking for a suitcase you can drill into (metal might be too hard) and a table with legs that can easily be taken off. These are all amazing! The cocktail umbrella lamp really made me smile... so colorful. My kids would love that project. And the suitcase tables! Wow! I love the suitcase tables! Thank you for this. Loved the paper umbrella lantern! Still like to see stacked suitcases better than a suitcase on legs, but it is the same idea, so good trash to treasure! Very cute and clever indeed, but HOW do you make any of these things??? I love the umbrella light fixture! That is awesome. These are very creative... :~) I simply adore that cocktail umbrella laterne idea! I'm thinking about making one tomorrow! The suitcase side table is an excellent idea as well! Let me know how it turn out Brittany! |
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That cocktail umbrella lantern is fabulous!