Create a compact, stylish DIY coffee bar using an upcycled glass tray. This small coffee station keeps everything within reach, looks great on a counter, and takes up very little space—perfect for busy mornings. I’m a coffee lover and used to keep all my supplies tucked away in cabinets. Mornings are hectic, and hunting for … Read more

Pretty and Practical Bookcases the Easy Way For the past few weeks I’ve been working on my small apartment project and I’ll be continuing with more updates. This post shares the real, everyday look of the bookcases after styling and organizing them. Earlier I showed how I painted the bookcases with milk paint; those photos … Read more

How I Made Over an Old Wooden Bed Frame This was an old bed frame that had been sitting in my basement for a while. It’s slightly larger than a twin but a bit smaller than a full—just a nice, usable size. The original finish had that heavy orange-toned varnish that makes a piece look … Read more

I live in a small town in Southern Greece. Our farm sits just outside town on a broad plain between the Corinthian Bay and the nearby mountains. Lately there has been a flurry of activity around the farm: a new railroad is being built and a station is rising close by. One day I climbed … Read more

After four children and many years, I’ve had my share of cribs. I used two in New York because my boys were only 16 months apart, and after we moved I bought another for my two daughters. I gave the first two to family and friends instead of shipping them across the Atlantic, so someone … Read more

Summer arrived, and with it the urge to refresh my outdoor space. Between surviving a heat wave and sprucing up my balcony, I tackled a small but satisfying project: upcycling a vintage chalkboard stand into a charming, functional accent for my outdoor seating area. Giving New Life to a Vintage Chalkboard Stand I have a … Read more

A Tour of the Balcony — Part One I spent the past month cleaning the balcony and tackling a series of DIY projects to make it both functional and beautiful. It took time, but everything is finally coming together. This is the first part of the balcony tour — the space is large, so I’m … Read more

I’m getting ready for a yard sale. I had planned to hold it last month, but torrential rains postponed everything and left my house full of items I don’t need—too many mismatched cups and saucers, for example. One of those items was an oval mirror with a cheap plastic frame. It had an ugly yellow … Read more

I had an old chair—actually two—and a few years ago I shortened their legs so they would sit perfectly in front of the fireplace. They were cozy there for a while, but after years of use the chairs began to fall apart. As someone who likes to upcycle, I parked them in a corner and … Read more

While walking along the beach with my husband, we came across a damaged lifebuoy. It was clearly abandoned on the sand, but the shape and size suggested it had once been a useful lifesaver. Rather than leave it to the elements, we decided to rescue and repurpose it. My husband, an avid fisherman, picked it … Read more