A new use for granite headstones.

I think this is one of my most favorite reuses yet: using the granite from old headstones to make a walkway or stone path.

A friend of mine in Darlington, South Carolina, went to Blackmon Memorials (www.blackmonmemorials.com) where they gave her ("gave" being the key word, as in "for free") pieces of granite from old memorials, pet tombstones, etc. She used the pieces to make a walkway around the front of her house. She'd seen a similar design in a magazine; this is her version, and it's unique!

The "Dot Man:" Folk artist Sam McMillan from Winston-Salem, NC.

When I first started looking for ideas for Rethink and Reuse, it was suggested that I check out Sam McMillan, a self-taught folk artist in Winston-Salem, NC.

You're probably wondering what a North Carolina artist has to do with rethinking, reusing or repurposing objects. Well, McMillan, sometimes referred to as "The Dot Man," will paint his signature dots and landscapes on anything. Tables. Chairs. Beds. Picture frames. Doors. Walls. It's a great way to turn something ordinary into something wonderfully different.

I'm hoping to get some pictures of McMillan's work. Until then, I'll send interested individuals to the following website: http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~dacrotty/mcmillan.html.

A little inspiration from The NY Times: "The Slow Life Picks Up Speed."

This past January, I read an article by Penelope Green in The New York Times called "The Slow Life Picks Up Speed." Ms. Green's article helped inspire me to start Rethink and Reuse. Some of the artists and designers she mentions in her article are a bit out there for my taste, but there was one woman in particular who intrigued me...

The article features a company/designer from Florence, Alabama, called Alabama Chanin. I'm fascinated by her work, her ideas. The company does more than just home interiors; she dabbles in fashion, sewing and jewelry.

One of these days I'm going to make it down to Florence and interview Ms. Chanin; be on the lookout for a company profile of Alabama Chanin.

Image by Leigh Wells. from nytimes.com.

Company Profile: Parker Sims Interiors

I have to confess that I was particularly thrilled to receive an email from Ivie Parker, partner and account manager with Parker Sims Interiors (http://www.parkersimsinteriors.com/) in Charleston, SC. There are two reasons for my over-the-top excitement: 1.) the incredible repurposing work her firm did for their local 30th Anniversary Habitat for Humanity Model home and 2.) it means word is spreading about my Rethink and Reuse project.

Charleston’s 30th Anniversary Habitat for Humanity Model home is the organization’s first “green built” home; they partnered with the Sustainability Institute for the building education and then with Parker Sims for the interior design, which was headed up by Adrian Sims, partner and principal designer.

Parker Sims Interiors reused existing materials as much as possible in an effort to educate home visitors that all of us can incorporate more environmentally friendly characteristics and features into our homes. Ivie dubbed their repurposing of objects as “eclectic, hip and unique,” and I think those are very suitable adjectives.

Parker Sims Interiors is the second interior design firm that has offered great ideas about repurposing objects, fabrics, etc., and I’m thrilled to know that there are designers that are willing to reinvent a landscape using old materials.

Please see below for photos and information about the interior of the 30th Anniversary Habitat for Humanity Model:

All of the living room furniture was re-upholstered from existing pieces from Sea Island’s Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Light fixtures were repurposed from existing objects: a vintage chandelier was rewired and repainted with Sherwin-Williams Harmony paint (low VOC, or low volatile organic compounds); a distressed basket was wired as a dining room fixture for a great cottage feel; and a salvaged bird cage was wired and painted (also with Sherwin-Williams Harmony paint).

Natural accessories – bamboo baskets, reeds and grasses – were used as accent pieces.

The entrance to the house boasted a vintage ceiling tile mirror, an architectural remnant lamp, a weathered and reclaimed wood console table, and an antique wooden dough bowl.

An old piece of iron was welded into a dining table.

They used custom-designed driftwood beds with hand-crafted headboards made with driftwood found on South Carolina’s low-country shores. The beds assembled by wooden pegs – no nails or hardware.

Parker Sims Interiors custom designs these driftwood beds.

From The State: Transform old china into bird feeders.

Back in April, The State newspaper ran an article about turning old china into bird feeders. It's as simple as mounting a bowl on a metal stake and will give a mismatched piece of china a new purpose. This article provides a detailed list of the materials needed as well as step-by-step instructions.

http://holiday.niethestate.com/?p=353

Lighting: vases as lamps.

As I mentioned previously, there are so many objects you can turn into lamps. These examples are from a friend's house in Greenville, South Carolina; she's turned vases into lamps.

The Story of Stuff.

Something worth watching: http://www.storyofstuff.com/. It's a thought-provoking 20-minute video about production and consumption. It's an interesting look at consumerism that provides a million and one reasons to rethink and reuse items around your house.