When I moved into my condo a few years ago, this is what my balcony looked like:
I know what you're thinking: This is where squirrels come to do drug deals.
So the balcony was my first priority since it was such a massive eyesore. I couldn't screw into the balcony walls since it's a condo, and condo associations have rules about such things. No problem: using redwood boards from Home Depot, I built mid-century modern-esque slat wall coverings that wedge and hold one another up, eliminating the need to attach them to the walls, and at IKEA I found the perfect floor squares and galvanized plant containers. Staining all the wood with BEHR waterproof deck stain #5-77, the whole thing came together. Much better, right?
But it wasn't quite done, the Room and Board chair was too big for the deck, the inherited ficus was never more than a half-dead spider habitat, the plants seem hidden down on the floor, and the wood to finish the project sat in my living room for two years. That's right, a small wood stack sat just like in the picture above...for...2...years.
Yes, I'm a bit of a procrastinator. Why are you staring at me like that?
Anyway, last weekend I decided to finish it up. We returned the wood pile to Home Depot since it didn't fit in with the redo. That money funded the wood we did need, some cinder blocks, black spray paint, and a few new plants.
The humble design origins.
The backside of the longest slat wall with a fresh coat of stain and the new pine shelf.
Tools needed for this job: screw gun, circular saw, deck screws, hand saw, deck stain, rags (for staining the wood, much better than brushing it on), rubber gloves, plastic tarp, sand paper and sanding block.
view from inside...
Thai basil next to some habanero peppers.
After the floor tiles were sanded and re-stained, the top of the walls were restained, the new shelf was cut to size and stained, the cinderblocks were spraypainted black, and the rosemary was planted, I spent a few hours assembling everything on the deck, and putting little legs on the deck walls to raise them a few inches higher to cover more of the hideous balcony walls.
I'm really happy with how it turned out. The plants (all kitchen herbs and hot peppers) now have a front-and-center position, and by aligning all the decking squares, instead of alternating their orientation, it feels visually calmer. It feels so good to have this project finished!
The humble design origins.
view from inside...
Thai basil next to some habanero peppers.
I first saw this whimsical yet elegant DNA pendant on Holly's Haus Maus site. Each segment can be added on to (or detracted from), and it's available in white (my fav), gold, red or silver. Created by a German company called Buro Fur Form; you can purchase it abroad at For Living.
The original drawing. Yes, it's a paramecium.
The stamp mid-carve. I used a #1 and a #3 cutter. I wish I'd bought a u-shaped #1 instead of the V-shape I did buy. It was harder to make curves with the V shape...
Negative and positive...
