Vertical Gardening On A Folding Screen

Staying true to her love for botanicals inside the home, my mother-in-law transformed an Art Nouveau screen that she found many years ago into a vertical garden.  By using several Woollypocket's living wall planters she created a garden that's not only vertical but 3-dimensional and artsy.  Take a look:

This is the first stage of Natalia's vertical garden, and she would like to thank Alex for its installation.  As the plants thrive and grow, the planters will become invisible and a lush wall of shade loving plants will grace her bedroom.  This project inspired future ones, so stay posted for more of Cocoon Home's botanical designs.

Soon I will reveal more of Natalia's California home on The Way We Live.  Stay tuned for that as well.

Before And After: Magnetic Chalkboard Wall

Our basement serves as a guest room, a playroom and a mud room.  All of those functions are essential in a small home. Now that  our kids are getting more comfortable going downstairs on their own,  I wanted it to feel like their special space, while still maintaining its function as a destination for our guests.  A magnetic chalkboard wall was the perfect addition. Not only does it give our children a wide open canvas for writing and drawing, it allows them to hang their art work with magnets.  Take a look at how the wall looked before and how it looks presently.

Three coats of magnetic primer was applied at first, then the chalkboard paint was rolled on.

I love Umbra's flip wall-mount coat rack.  When not in use, the hooks flip back onto its base and the natural wood is easily painted to match any background.

To store the chalk, paper and magnets I used a Woolly Pocket.  The soft felt hangs close to the wall and its color blends into it seamlessly.