Naomi, Sage – Author at Plaster & Disaster

February 22, 2016 | By Naomi and Sage |

(More) Craigslist Finds: Awesome or Terrible?

It’s been awhile since we did our last (and first) post about the wonderful world of craigslist in which we shared a few pieces where we couldn’t decide for ourselves if they were awesomely full of potential or truly terrible and asked you to vote.

We had a lot of fun with the post and you guys seemed to as well, and so today we thought we would share a new round of items we’ve recently found on craigslist that seem to be right in that strange sweet spot where our aesthetic judgment is totally befuddled.

So get ready to vote and tell us whether we’re totally crazy for thinking some of these pieces might have potential!

First up, this chest of drawers:

The geometric design caught Sage’s attention (geometric designs are IN, you guys), but we’re still puzzling over whether “unusual” is a good thing in this case. Plus, the wood is in rough shape, so it would need to be refinished or painted. Would it be worth it? Are there cool things that could be done with paint? You tell us!

Next, check out this coffee table that Naomi found. It is kind of a train wreck — messed up finish, orange-y wood, bulky, 1990s shape…

But do you think it has potential? The wood pattern on the side is kind of cool, and it has some neat built in storage.

Obviously it can’t stay the way it is, but picture it in a glossy white. Could it have the impact of a sleek modern coffee table, like this one which sells for $499 from CB2?

Shroom Coffee Table by CB2

Or not? What do you think, would this be worth a DIY transformation?

What about this bamboo chair?

Okay yes the cushion must go, without a doubt. But look past that and imagine it with a new, less-germ-filled seat and painted a sleek white or even a bright color.

Would it be an awesome addition to a living room? People are totally obsessed with similarly-shaped hanging chairs, after all.

Are these craigslist finds great or terrible - play along at Plaster & Disaster

Source: Domino

There is also this wood headboard, selling for a mere $25.

Would the wood pop against a white wall, or would the shape be really cool in a bright color? Is it strangely awesome, or just strange?

And lastly, we just couldn’t help but share a few unquestionably terrible posts. Sometimes people put things on craigslist that just make you scratch your head and wonder why they never thought, “hmmm, maybe I should focus the camera when I take this photo.”

Take, for example, this outdoor furniture set:

Or rather, what someone claims is an outdoor furniture set, but we’ll have to take them at their word. At least they acknowledge that “the picture is bad.” But do you feel like you have the information you need to determine if you’re a seriously interested buyer?

Then there’s this person:

Either they’re in witness protection, or this nightstand is home to some seriously inappropriate items. Either way, couldn’t they have taken 3 minutes to remove the offending items from the photo? Style it with a stack of books you will never actually read and some ceramic animals, and you could jack the price up by at least another $25 (which, since it is currently free, would be a profit increase of infinity percent).

Of course, this is the same person who also posted this:

Free stuff on Craigslist is usually code for “I want someone to come do the hard work of moving this out of my house for me.” You’re going to have a hard enough time convincing someone to take a free mattress, but your best bet is probably to either a) make your bed, or b) strip off everything so someone can at least see the mattress. This picture feels like the worst of both worlds.

And then there’s this:

For the one person out there looking for a cat door that will automatically groom their 22 lb cat… they will be getting quite a good deal. Craigslist is really filled with bargains.

So what do you think, should we be jumping on any of these items? Or have we just discovered a lot of trash that would sit in our basements indefinitely awaiting a makeover? Clearly we have no judgment of our own, we need your advice!

February 17, 2016 | By Naomi |

Clean/Dirty Dishwasher Magnet (AKA The Easiest Project Ever Just When You Need It)

The project I have to share with you today was so easy that I feel guilty passing it off as a blog post. But the truth is, I sort of needed an easy but satisfying project right now.

There is no question that the big and transformative home renovation projects are what really make me love DIY, and reason that I wanted to join with Sage to start this blog. However, sometimes those just aren’t attainable. Rather than throw in the towel and take a break from making things all together, it feels really good to do something quick and easy. I’m sure you’ve all been there, too.

I mentioned a little while ago that I recently started a new job. I’ve been there nearly 3 months and I LOVE it. After 5 years in one spot doing nearly the same job it is super refreshing to have a change. The work I’m doing now (nonprofit fundraising and marketing) is significantly different than what I was doing before (internal planning, speechwriting, and event prep) and it is great to have a new challenge. I adore my new co-workers and the work that they’re doing!

Still, it is a lot to take in, and starting a new job means learning new systems and proving yourself to new people. It’s tiring. I’ve also been working really long hours to get up to speed on the new role. It is all good work and I’m VERY happy, but it’s squeezing out time that I used to spend doing other things, like home projects, working on the blog, or… cleaning the house and sleeping.

That’s where this project comes in. After watching the dishes pile up when I come home exhausted late in the evening every night for a week, I knew there must be a better solution. That solution includes having Brad load the dishwasher as he makes dishes. This is something he’s always said he’d be willing to do if he could only tell without opening the dishwasher whether it was filled clean or dirty dishes.

So, when I ran into annoying roadblocks on not one but two projects related to my bedroom makeover that I was going to share with you this week, I decided to ~~kill two birds with one stone~~ feed two birds with one nutritious and delicious seed and make a quick Clean/Dirty magnet for the dishwasher. I’m so glad I did. It took less than an hour, and gave me the satisfaction of completing a project just when I needed it!

I started with a piece of thin plywood that I had leftover from another project, and marked off a segment about 12″ x 4″.

With a quick cut of the circular saw (which I am no longer afraid of) I had the surface of my new magnet.

I gave it a good sanding to round out the corners and smooth the surface, then cleaned it off and covered it completely in strips of tape. I then used my ruler to mark every inch on one side and the half inch mark on the other side (so, 0.5″, 1.5″, 2.5″, etc.).

I then connected them with lines to create a triangular pattern.

I used my X-ACTO knife to trace the lines, and peeled away the tape to reveal an impromptu stencil.

I filled in the open spaces with black craft paint, peeled away the tape, and coated everything with polycrylic to help it stand up to kitchen use, and glued some magnets onto the back. And then I was done – that easy!

I appreciate how it makes the dishwasher look like squinting, pointy-toothed monster.

When the black side is at the top, the dishwasher is ready to be loaded with dirty dishes. When I run it, I just flip over the magnet to show that the dishes inside are clean. It’s not as obvious as the magnets that just say “clean” and “dirty” on them, but since both Brad and I are in on the secret code, this will work for us.

Looking at these photos, I can’t wait until I can do a proper kitchen makeover (rather than the half-makeover we’ve been living with) so I can fix up these cabinets and replace this dishwasher, but for now I’ll settle for it being easier to keep this one clean. Hopefully the magnet will help!