Thank you, Vancouver Sun, for featuring my upcycled stools in the pages of your home and garden section. Y’all are the best!
P.S. Want to keep creeping The Anthology’s features and appearances? (I know you do, mom.) You’ll find the highlights here.
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Kelsey Dundon
It was a long road from the blah brown stools I found at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore to the stage at the Vancouver Home and Design Show.
But I made it. How? A little paint and a lot of staple gun magic. If you’re into upcycling (so fun! so green!) and you want to reupholster a pair of square stools, you’ll find a step by step (ooooh baby!) guide below. And trust me, if I can do it, you can too.
Unscrew the stool’s top and set it aside.
Prep and paint the wooden part of the stool. And don’t believe your friend Justin when he tells you sanding will take two minutes. It will take much longer, but it’s worth it to ensure the paint won’t scratch off. Prime (if you like) and paint. You may need to do two coats.
Choose your fabric and buy way more than you think you’ll need to allow for accidents and overhang. Fabrics with straight lines and/or symmetrical prints (like the one I chose, which I found at Spool of Thread) are the most difficult to use because you have to line them up carefully so they don’t get warped. Fabrics with random prints — or none at all — are much easier to work with.
Iron your fabric if it needs it and then lay it face down on a flat surface. Lay the stool top face down on the fabric. Fold the fabric over one edge, paying close attention to make sure lines in the fabric’s print don’t warp. Then, before stapling, tuck in the edge of the fabric to create a kind of hem so it won’t fray.
Pull out that staple gun and start stapling from the centre out to an inch or so from each corner. Don’t worry about completing the corners yet. Repeat this on the opposite side, pulling the fabric taught. Complete the other two sides.
Finish the corners by folding over the triangle of remaining fabric. Pull it tight toward the centre of the stool. You’ll end up with a few pleats, but that’s a-okay. Staple until they’re secure.
Screw the tops onto the legs once the paint has dried.
Et voila! New stools!
[Blouse c/o JNBY, pants by Lifetime Collective, socks from Gap, boots by Matisse, bag by Longchamp.]
P.S. I post photos to Instagram as I go so follow Kelsey Dundon there or on Twitter @TheAnthology.
I love any holiday that has its own kitschy, catchy tunes. I can’t wait until it’s time to play Hanson’s Merry Christmas Baby again (who am I kidding — I’ll listen to Hanson any time).
Guess what, fiends! Today is the day I look forward to all year because I finally, shamelessly get to play the Ghostbusters theme song. Again and again. I’m not kidding — I’m goblin it up as I write. It’s all the treat I need. Well, that and this outfit.
But if the thought of putting that song on repeat for 24 hours straight frightens you and you’re wondering witch songs to haunt your neighbours with tonight, may I recommend these spooktacular tunes from the playlist I put together for Vitamin Daily?
It’s creepy and it’s kooky, mysterious and spooky and all together ooky. It’s frightfully ghould!
[First image found here, second image found here, third image found here, fourth image found here.]
P.S. Follow The Anthology on Facebook and Twitter so I can haunt you wherever you are…
The Anthology’s Workspace column takes us inside the creative spaces of some very creative people.
She blogs, she vlogs, she bakes. Melissa Knight, better known as Miss Melissa, is the bubbly blonde behind the personal style site named, well, Miss Melissa.
In her own words she takes us through her closet/desk/vanity…
1. I had two options when deciding where to create a work space in my suite. Option one was in the kitchen where I would be arms length away from snacks and option two was in my closet. Taking into consideration my love for snacking and the fact that the room I turned into a closet was technically supposed to be a den to begin with, I opted to put my desk in my closet.
2. My brother framed one of the photos I took of our gorgeous city and gave it to my for Christmas. It’s really the only nice thing he’s ever done for me so I have it hanging above my desk as a reminder that miracles really do happen. No, I’m just kidding. I just really love how he framed the photo.
3. My desk moonlights as my vanity so it’s also where I keep my jewelry. I’m admittedly not huge on accessories so most of the time they are just sparkly decorations.
4. My laptop. The one place my work life and blog life unite. If someone ever steals my laptop they are going to be really confused as to what the heck I do.
5. I’m in a constant struggle over whether or not I want to fully embrace technology (no seriously, it took me years to switch from VHS to DVDs). I love my iphone and I use my laptop all the time but there is something about making to do lists or jotting ideas down in a notebook that just makes me so happy.
6. I always have work and blog business cards on me because I never know who I will run into. Sometimes I’ll bribe someone into taking one of my blog business cards by offering them a Big Mac card with it.
7. Caffeine in a pretty mug. Need I say more?
P.S. Click your way to Miss Melissa to see the fruits of her workspace.
P.P.S. Check out the first post in The Anthology’s Workspace column and find out how Niki Blasina of A Haute Mess smells when she blogs. Click through the second post to find out where Anya Georgijevic of I’m the It Girl started her footwear obsession. Find out how Kumiko Ide of Tribal DDB keeps her workspace fresh to death. Take a look at jewelry designer Justine Brooks’ works in progress and her favourite places to work very, very remotely. Take a look at Lisa Wong of Solo Lisa’s cat-decorated desk, Anna Cohen’s converted stable in Denmark, and Alicia Quan’s yellow suitcase desk storage is definitely an idea worth stealing. And peep the latest Workspace post: Erica Lam’s desk, where nail polishes outnumber books 2:1.
We shot Sterling’s fall/winter 2012 campaign in the middle of summer (take a look at the behind-the-scenes shots) and now that it’s autumn, it’s finally in stores. And I couldn’t possibly love it more.
It was shot by Evaan Kheraj, styled by Luisa Rino, and art directed by yours truly, the same team that put together the spring/summer 2012 campaign (take a look at the behind-the-scenes shots and the finished products).
It makes me want to frolic in the autumn sun. Stellar, no?
[Models are wearing Lifetime Collective, Kersh, Press, Cecile Benac and in the first photo, my ring.]
P.S. Follow The Anthology on Facebook and Twitter and you’ll be the first to see behind-the-scenes photos.
Right now, I’m in Hanalei Bay on Kauai’s north shore. Or, more specifically, I’m looking out over it. Let me tell you, this little gem of a spot should be on your travel itinerary — the hiking, the stand-up paddle boarding, the beach-laying…it doesn’t get any better.
But if you’re in Vancouver — or heading that way — I’ve shared a few of my favourite spots to eat, drink, shop and snowshoe on CheapFlights.ca. Happy trails!
Owning my own business means every day is an adventure. And right now every day is a…MINI Adventure. So what does that day look like? Well, it all depends, but the other day it started at Perry & Co. where I picked out French gray paint for the stools I upcycled as part of the Vancouver Home and Design Show Upcycle Challenge benefitting Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.
Then it was off to the new(ish) Splendid store at Pacific Centre to check out the bright, colourful space and pick up a little something cozy c/o Splendid (love the displays they had in store — would make a cool bookshelf DIY, no?).
Then to Nelson the Seagull to meet Courney McGeever who was in from New York to share Lush’s newest line of handmade, animal-friendly, eco-friendly haircare products (in stores in November).
Then to my new favourite fabric shop/sewing studio Spool of Thread to pick up fabric to re-cover those once-ugly stools (not as tough as you’d think — I’ll post a little how-to soon).
Then it was off to pick up my sister in my MINI Roadster (sun’s up, top’s down even in the middle of October — thank you, heated seats!).
And that was only one day. Want to win a year-long MINI Adventure from MINI Richmond? (Of course you do!) Click here to enter to win and up your chances by sharing your entry on Facebook and Twitter @MINIRichmond (#MINIadventure). Good luck!
Topshop’s biggest store outside the UK — all 33,000 square feet of it — opens today in The Bay on Granville Street in Vancouver.
“I’m still getting lost in it, I can assure you,” said managing director Mary Homer when I stopped by yesterday to get a first look at the space, which houses Topshop’s specialty boutique, a petite section, tall section, maternity wear section and gigantic shoe section. Plus, a personal shopping suite.
After my tour I sat down with a few of Topshop’s top people and here’s what they had to say…
Mary Homer on the pre-opening jitters
It gives us such a sense of pride that people are excited for Topshop. You hope that people are going to love Topshop but until people actually come through the door and buy, I’m always a little nervous about the reception.
Mary Homer on how the web’s changed the game
You’ve got an online business and it’s brilliant, but the stores have to be even better now. Our customer is quite interesting because she will go online and look and then she’ll visit the store and buy.
Talk to teenagers and ask them if they’re going to shop online and they say “Oh no. I want to go shopping, I want to have lunch, I want to try things on.”
Topman creative director Gordon Richardson on women shopping the men’s section
You shop Topman? Please say yes. [Well I will now that I’ve seen the sweaters – Kelsey]
A lot of women shop Topman because it’s just good, great clothes, it’s like weekend clothes. Put on a sweater or a big blanket-looking shirt with a boy blazer or a boy jean and it kind of works.
Gordon Richardson on evolving men’s fashion
I think men just haven’t been let free yet to explore. We were just talking earlier that it’s taken us 10, 12 years to build brand credibility within Topman. We needed to make it a cool brand and we needed to improve the product, which I think we’ve done and we’re now at this point where we’re a fashion-led brand every bit as good as Topshop is for women.
Gordon Richardson on what it’s like being creative director
It’s about the creative brushstroke that I have across everything, which is a great role but quite exhausting sometimes.
The stakes are higher, the pressure is there to get it right. There are some things that don’t work as well but you can’t run a fashion business on everything being right. Fashion is about creativity and constant change so you have to run with that.
Gordon Richardson on the big picture
You have to think globally now as well because we’re such an international brand although we’re very British-focused, a lot of our imagery and our look is British. Obviously we’re now going to have now consider international markets.
It has a very British slant this season with all the fabrics and tweeds. The tweed is actual Harris Tweed and I don’t think there are any other brands at our level working with it. It’s woven in the outer Hebrides, north of England. It’s proper traditional cloth gentlemen used to wear to hunt, and shoot and fish.
London calling? Put it on hold and head to Topshop Vancouver instead.
P.S. Follow The Anthology on Facebook and Twitter and you’ll be the first to see behind-the-scenes photos.
P.P.S. You’ll find all The Anthology’s interviews with the likes of designer Rachel Roy, J.Crew’s design directors Tom Mora and Frank Muytjens, and New York-based artist Jason Young right here.
Christine writes:
I’m an avid reader of your blog and this afternoon my cat Tui decided to take a look at your site as well. I couldn’t help snapping a picture and thought you might get a good laugh from it!
Tui, you have great taste. Thanks for sending that in, Christine!
In The Anthology’s Bookmark column we explore some of the most inspiring places on the wild, wild web.
If your favourite shots on The Satorialist are of people on bikes (and obviously they are) then Vancouver Cycle Chic will be your new favourite street style blog.
It cuts out all the people-on-foot clutter and gets straight to the good stuff: chic cyclists.
Vancouver’s is an official extension of Copenhagen Cycle Chic (there are offshoot in cities all over the world from Barcelona to Ottawa) but in my very biased opinion, this site is more beautiful than most.
So bookmark Vancouver Cycle Chic already and bookmark The Anthology while you’re at it.
[Images from Vancouver Cycle Chic obviously.]
This P.S. is a PSA: wear a helmet, people. These by Sahn will do the trick.