One overriding theme around the house is to do stuff for less. The beauty of this approach is that quite often if a home project costs less, it's also inherently easier on the environment. Now I know if my partner reads this, he's going to laugh his ass off. On top of thinking I'm crazy, he gets a kick out of my mickey mouse approach to so many projects, especially in the garden, where I rule my kingdom with a green fist.
Moving from a 2 BR loft to a 4 BR house meant getting lots of stuff we didn't have. A patio off the dining room called for extending living space to the outdoors in the tradition of mid century modern living popularized by the Eichler dynasty. Starting with Craigslist I set up an RSS feed http://www.craigslist.org/about/rss and then watched for the terms 'modern patio'. It was over an hour driving round trip but for $70 we picked up a 5 piece modern patio set. Then I found a simple little pot at Home Depot for $12 and dug up some succulents laced with a bit of wild grass. Hubby thinks the grass is a weed, but isn't a weed just a plant growing in someplace you don't want it to?
Personally I love the unique and graceful lines of this living modern center piece. The complex texture of the chicks & hens succulents with the wisps of wild grass provide depth and movement to the delicate lines of the table and chairs' metal mesh. Yes domestic plants need a weed free environment to thrive, but sometimes I think controlled use of nature's brush paints a
far more refined portrait than an of us mere mortals could possibly create.
And besides, you gotta respect those damn weeds.
Total project cost: $82
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