A Summer’s Day to Night in a Multitasking Space
This post was sponsored by Terrain. All photos & opinions are my own.
As is the case in most smaller homes, every space here — whether indoors or outdoors — multitasks. Here’s a glimpse of the most frequently used, and most versatile, spot on our porch:
Above: Reclaimed Work Table with drop-down sides.
By day, this is a potting zone, largely open to the elements, but shaded from the hot sun via the reclaimed pine ceiling (and blissfully protected from the mosquitoes thanks to the screen). Come evening, this is a conversation bar — a spot where we can gather with neighbors and friends to connect and brainstorm without disturbing the kids in their shared bedroom off of the kitchen.
Above: Cotton Tablecloth + Stargazer Strands
As usual, this area is comprised of a mix of thrifted, hand-me-down, and repurposed items. Everything is supported brilliantly by an expandable recycled + reclaimed potting surface from Terrain. The table’s combination of two drop-leaf sides and a back rack with shelf make this design particularly friendly for smaller spaces in need of increased versatility. (It would be a wonderful piece for a deconstructed kitchen.)
Above: Slip-on clogs (made from recycled materials) by an adjustable secondhand stool.
I customized the table by attaching a secondhand tension rod paired below the built-in shelf to create a spot for hanging tools and linens.
Above: Watering Can + Cotton Tablecloth
Above: Garden Carry-All Basket + Snips
I also added a small, thrifted towel rack with repurposed curtain clips to the face of the table for a spot for hanging our family’s gardening and work gloves.
Above: Eartha Pedestal Planter and a thrifted towel bar turned into a rack for my Long Gloves and other garden + work gloves.
The end result is a spot that can easily transform from utilitarian work zone by day to a hosting zone by night, regardless of the weather.
Above: Optic Glassware + Solar Lamp
Here’s to making every space count — inside and out.
Above: A Copper + Brass Tulip Sprinkler watering the upcycled garden space just beyond the porch.
Low Waste & Limited Budget: Upcycled, Removable Kitchen Counter Skirt
Low Waste & Limited Budget Home Decor Project: Upcycled & Removable Kitchen Counter Skirt
I find such joy in making adjustments within our little home (which is also my full-time office) in order to creatively improve our household’s day-to-day routines. But I have zero interest in wasting material resources, spending money or acquiring new items in order to switch things up. Instead, I strive to find ways to work with what we’ve got to make impactful changes. These little endeavors usually involve a bit of repair, customizing, crafting, and/or trial and error. Sometimes things play out perfectly. Other times the project ends up a complete disaster. But either way I delight in trying.
Recently, while shuffling things around the house, we stored some extra produce and cooking ingredients, emergency storm supplies and library books in the built-in cubbies of our kitchen island. I found myself visually overwhelmed by everything, which can happen easily in a smaller space with an open layout. I wished I could conceal the cubbies when desired without making any permanent changes and without buying new goods. Usually I quite like the cubbies, and they’re certainly highly functional. I’m glad they’re there, and that we didn’t opt for cabinets instead, as I appreciate the character and depth the cubbies offer. But every now and then — particularly when I’m working on creative projects for others — my mind and eyes need a reset, or at least a calmer canvas of sorts.
A counter skirt / kitchen island curtain seemed like a simple solution. And our younger beagle-mix rescue helped me bring the concept to life by digging a hole in the bottom of our flat sheet on our bed, leaving me with a lot of leftover linen fabric to repurpose. (She’s a menace, that dog, but we love her just the same.)
With a few Command hooks and a telescoping sash rod (we have two on-hand here because we find them as ever-useful as tension rods and s-hooks), I was able to swiftly install an imperfect but entirely passable counter skirt. No damage, no waste, no bulk — everything can be removed and reused as desired.
These simple Command hooks are only visible when ducking below the counter.
It’s not fussy or flawless, but it’s perfect for our home, priorities and needs, and that’s what matters to us here.
Items used:
Telescoping Sash Rod
Repurposed Flat Sheet (cut and sewn to specs)
Repurposing Project: Boot Rack Turned Stemware Storage
We don’t need a bigger space — we just need to creatively enjoy the space we have.
One of our little repurposing / upcycling projects for the Rightsizing in Real Time series in my newsletter was this secondhand boot rack turned stemware storage:
For me, this is a great reminder that most of the time we don’t need a bigger space — we just need to creatively enjoy the space we have.
Repurposing Bottles Around the Home
One of the DIY-lite projects I’ve long enjoyed is using branches and repurposed bottles to craft space-savvy garden stake vases.
Above: Photo from an East Coast wedding I produced in 2015.
After completing a recent creative project for which I was hired by Wonderful Wine Co., we had some leftover bottles that I decided to repurpose around the house and garden. (Transparency note: this blog post is not sponsored.)
It’s estimated that almost half of a wine bottle’s carbon footprint comes from the production and mishandling of packaging. These particular bottles are made with lightweight glass that requires 20% less energy and 12% percent less water to produce, cutting back this company’s carbon emissions by approximately 26% overall, and making the bottles particularly usable for upcycling projects.
With the help of a few materials + accessories already here at the cottage, we turned the bottles into the garden stake vases, a dishwashing soap dispenser, a candle holder, a nightlight, and a simple vase to prolong the life of a tomato branch that was snapped off by a particularly rude mouse.
Remember: only a small percentage of recyclables actually gets recycled.
So before you chuck something into the bin, explore its other potential uses first.
Additional photos below.
