"Raised" Beds Made from Parts of Office Chair + Recycled Wood

A friend of ours  unloaded a bunch of chairs for super cheap. I really like the chairs because they have a great retro vibe and figured my rickety generic chair from Office Max could use a style update. However, when 6 chairs arrived at our shop, I began to wonder how I was going to find space. I’d already decided to create a bench using the chair seats and create a nook a la Six Feet Under(the nook in Keith’s house). More to come on this project on a future blog. So I unscrewed the roller base of the chair since I won’t need it for the kitchen bench and began to brainstorm on how I could utilize the whole chair. I remembered seeing a blog post back in the day where another designer had used the roller base to make a planter mobile, and had loved the idea. With my tomato plants and bell peppers quickly sprouting up from wee seeds a few weeks back, I needed to find a larger space and replant them. Using reclaimed wood from other furniture projects, I created 2 mobile planters. I decided to create a cutout in one box, and lined it with wire to allow the soil to penetrate and warm up the soil from the sides, as well as the top. The second box is a bit smaller and sans cut out. Once I started planting, I really embraced the idea! I was able to avoid back pain by eliminating the crouching and bending that comes with planting in the ground, and love that I can move my plants to spots with more sunlight based on daily cloud activity and push my plants to the hose for rehydration. I’d like to create more, so if you have ideas send them my way. I’ll keep you posted on the progress of my plants in my “raised” (truly raised) beds.

Buckhead Spring Arts and Crafts Festival

MDC Interiors was involved in their first festival, and we are happy to say it was a success!  We participated in the Buckhead Spring Arts Festival in Chastain Park.  Although thunderstorms were expected all weekend, we didn't see a single drop of rain.  Saturday (May 14th) was actually perfect- not too hot and not the usual Georgia humidity we have come to expect, while Sunday was a bit chillier (but no complaints).  MDC Interiors launched their first line of eco-furniture, all made from local reclaimed wood  and from pallets found down the street at the Dollar General and a local steel company down the road.  The goal was to find materials locally within a 20 mile vicinity, and we are happy to report that the mission was successful.  Not only are the discarded materials rejuvenated and brought back to life in our furniture pieces, they also traveled a minimal distance from the trash bins to our studio, saving fuel and reducing emissions.  The age, travels, and history of the wood also provides great character and aesthetic to each piece.  For example, in an attempt to use the natural space created when 2 pallets meet, we created the Glow Table, and used the space to create a cup holder with an accent light glowing from below to create beautiful light and to use the color from your beverage as a filter.  The light is placed on a dimmer so you can adjust the brightness based on your desired ambiance.   MDC Interiors is looking forward to expanding the line and creating new pieces. If you would like more information or would like to share your thoughts on our new line of furniture, be sure to contact us or leave us a comment.