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The task: Create a loft bed, fort, reading nook incorporating two double beds.
The clients: Two young twins- one drawn to performance arts, the other drawn to horseback riding. One wants pink, the other says yuck. Ones a bit tidy the other not so much.
The challenge: The mom wants something unique, more fort than furniture! She loves modern yet has a rustic touch to her style. The girls need organizers bulletin boards, space to stash their collections of things and an extra bed for sleepovers.
The result: A studio built grey and white washed horizontal planked custom bed loft fort unit. Custom wall organizers with pegs, dry erase, paper and storage. Extras: a display wall for art and a whimsical mount of their senior aged basset hound Clementine.
The clients: Two young twins- one drawn to performance arts, the other drawn to horseback riding. One wants pink, the other says yuck. Ones a bit tidy the other not so much.
The challenge: The mom wants something unique, more fort than furniture! She loves modern yet has a rustic touch to her style. The girls need organizers bulletin boards, space to stash their collections of things and an extra bed for sleepovers.
The result: A studio built grey and white washed horizontal planked custom bed loft fort unit. Custom wall organizers with pegs, dry erase, paper and storage. Extras: a display wall for art and a whimsical mount of their senior aged basset hound Clementine.
Custom loft, fort, reading nook bed unit for two double beds by Aaron Christensen
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I needed a few New Years Eve poppers to display as a centerpiece, so I scraped up some of my holiday craft left overs and cranked up the computer. Rather than have to adorn them with sequins, go glitter crazy and go through great efforts to use a lot of fabric colors and textures, I scanned the ingredients and printed them. The prints were super easy to cut up, fold, fan and glue.
A little bit of this and a little bit of that stuff like beads, glitter, tinsel ribbon and glass crystals were added to finish them off.
Prior to tying them off you could fill them with candy, glitter or encouraging notes for the new year. If you're like me.... hiding treats in these might prevent bad snacking. After all the New Years Resolutions start in less than a week. {yikes}
So don't recycle those empty wrapping paper tubes and download yourself a set of the papers below.
Prior to tying them off you could fill them with candy, glitter or encouraging notes for the new year. If you're like me.... hiding treats in these might prevent bad snacking. After all the New Years Resolutions start in less than a week. {yikes}
So don't recycle those empty wrapping paper tubes and download yourself a set of the papers below.
Free treat popper ephemera and paper / textures downloads
As with all of the downloads I offer, I ask that they be used for personal use only. They are not for commecial use, all rights are reserved. © Aaron Christensen 2016
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My younger self was a professional window and holiday display designer and visual merchandiser for high end department stores. 20 years ago when I left that world to start Embellishments Studio, I retained a few of my freelance clients. Flash forward to 2016, I've created dozens of trims for several clients. The trims that quickly comes to nostalgic memory are the ones I've created for my client in Vancouver, Washington called Willows. It's a clothing and accessories boutique.
Holiday trim elements include mixed metal foliage, frosted accents and tons of lights.
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FREE VINTAGE LOOK CHRISTMAS CRAFTS SPRAY DOWNLOAD BY AARON CHRISTENSEN
Just for fun! I'm sharing my original Holiday spray labels. For me they represent all the years I've spent creating retail Holiday trims. I think of them as mementos. For you, they can be a fun item to display, create hijinx with your Elf on a Shelf or beef up your Jack Frost street credibility.
The images are sized for a traditional spray can. If you need them larger just dial up your print percentage. I recommend using empty spray cans of course. You wouldn't want lil' ones spraying black spray on your frosty windows.
The images are sized for a traditional spray can. If you need them larger just dial up your print percentage. I recommend using empty spray cans of course. You wouldn't want lil' ones spraying black spray on your frosty windows.
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By popular demand, I've added a new series to my Speedway Racing Collection of wall art. The new pieces explore the thrill of speed with images of a race car, mx motorcycle, mechanic type ephemera, vintage signage and more. The works are available as individual images or combined into a nine image collage with either a cream or black grid border.
Racing Inspired Wall Art Decor "Throttle" by Aaron Christensen. Available in a nine image collage and as individual pieces in stretched canvas and poster print.
Visit my shop's Transportation category to see this piece and many more race inspired pieces perfect for boy's rooms, teen spaces and of course the man cave.
Mx, Motorcycle, Race Car and Auto Ephemera Mood Board with ideas for Boy's, Teens and Men. Featuring wall art by Aaron Christensen.
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INTRODUCING THE LINE UP COLLECTION
BY AARON CHRISTENSEN
We welcome the latest additions to our extensive sports wall art collection. The Line Up series features term and imagery from the sports Baseball, Football, Soccer, Basketball, Lacrosse, Rugby and Cricket. Check out these and dozens of other sports pieces below. Be sure to take advantage of our New Release November's free shipping offer.
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Often when I design props for store displays or fixtures for merchandising they are purely from my imagination. The challenge lies in bringing those ideas to life. I recently proposed a farmhouse chic style trim for one of my apparel boutiques. In my mind I saw old water/wind mills, old barn doors and abandoned relics.
To create vintage look props its easiest to find old wood and supplies to build them out of. One of my local haunts, The Rebuilding Center serves me well. There I can find treasures to build my ideas from. For this particular trim I came across old packing crate supports, degraded galvanized flashing and oddities, old cast wheels and a ton of reclaimed bits of wood.
Staring at the items in my checkout cart I decided to build a windmill out of the flashing, an old hoe and the packing crate supports which were rich with rusty character.
The wheels, some old mahogany wheelbarrow handles, old galvanized channel and 2 x 12's would become a vintage look florists or fruit vendors merchandising cart.
Random chair parts, old wood, part of a tv roof antennae and miscellaneous bits of hardware would become an abandoned swift bird house.
Staring at the items in my checkout cart I decided to build a windmill out of the flashing, an old hoe and the packing crate supports which were rich with rusty character.
The wheels, some old mahogany wheelbarrow handles, old galvanized channel and 2 x 12's would become a vintage look florists or fruit vendors merchandising cart.
Random chair parts, old wood, part of a tv roof antennae and miscellaneous bits of hardware would become an abandoned swift bird house.
Old furniture parts, odds and ends, and reclaimed wood are transformed into a birdhouse. One that would be stationed by a field crop to be occupied by swifts or bluebirds. Weathered paint techniques and distressing turn the new piece into something that looks decades old.
Old rolled flashing is reworked into windmill blades. An old garden hoe, miscellaneous metal pieces and packing crate supports are used to create the functioning windmill. Distressing and weathered paint techniques age out the newly made piece.
Reclaimed wood, old metal channel, a piece of metal railing and oxidized wheels become a rolling merchandising cart like a florist or fruit vendor would use.
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Garden mural project
It started five years ago when I was asked to paint a nursery mural. The McClure's wanted something watercolor like, soft and indicative of their new hometown Portland.
We decided upon a park like landscape. A flowering cherry tree (a Portland favorite) served as the focal point over the crib's location.
We decided upon a park like landscape. A flowering cherry tree (a Portland favorite) served as the focal point over the crib's location.
Some happy inhabitants were added for whimsy and for future conversation with their daughter.
Flash forward four and half years, they called me back to help them with their backyard eyesore, a cinder block garage wall. Their fresh landscape and beautiful hot tub gazebo and deck built by a friend of mine, Dave Izer were fantastic. The backside of the neighbors wall not so much. It was decided to cover the wall with a landscape that extended their yard visually.
There of course was a special request by their daughter (who's nursery I painted). She wanted a unicorn. With Mom and Dad's nod, I tucked a sleeping one into the painting. It's a magical surprise when you approach the mural but its not really visible from the house or deck. That way the illusion wasn't affected by the appearance of a large mythical creature.
Below is a time lapse video capturing the evolution of the mural. There were a few days with no cloud cover and I could not shoot into the sun falling behind the wall.
In the evening the sunlight bounces off the house's windows and beams directly onto the wall. You can see the almost round highlight in the tree below. It will be interesting to see where those reflections point as the seasons come and go. Could one hope for a beam of light on the unicorn....who knows.
In the evening the sunlight bounces off the house's windows and beams directly onto the wall. You can see the almost round highlight in the tree below. It will be interesting to see where those reflections point as the seasons come and go. Could one hope for a beam of light on the unicorn....who knows.
Time Lapse Video
Here's one reason I love my job. When I completed the mural, it happened to be one day before my birthday. Well, my lil' client brought me a card she drew and a mandala she colored in. My heart melted. Good thing it was the last day because nothing could top that moment. Thank you McClures for your faith in my work and of course treating me like family. You're amazing!
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I hurriedly met with Mr. D as a response to his heartfelt plea for help. You see, he and his wife just divorced and their three year old daughter was not adjusting well. Her world of routines, togetherness and familiar places had just been turned upside down. The sale of their home had mom and dad leaving for separate new places. Mr. D found a quaint farmhouse to rent. He had one week until Jane's first visit and that's where I come in. His plea- "will you make her room amazing?"
Finding myself with little notice and a newly divorced man's budget I scoured my retail haunts for furniture and findings that would fit lil' Jane's personality. She loves to draw, make forts, play dress up, be read to and the colors purple and pink. The plan was for me to help her adjust to her new home by making her room "hers". Outside of a few stuffed animals and some dress up clothes, I had to find treasures to fill the room from floor to ceiling, and stay on budget.
One week later, the white walled, dark floored room was filled with what I would hope she would come to love as "her room" and "her things". The end result....well....
Rather than my babble further, here's what Mr.D sent me- "Aaron, I wanted to extend to you my sincere appreciation for your hard work with Jane's room. There are so many wonderful options for Jane and her new room signifies the wonderful girl she is. At one point while she and I were in the room playing I almost broke down crying because it just felt so right, right for Jane and I in this moment. She adores her new room and I can't even tell you how special it is to have you come into our life at such a difficult time and help make it better. We couldn't be happier!"
I'm happy to report that Jane is doing much better, she and her new kitty "Tiger" are enjoying her and her daddy's new home. Mr. D, having experienced this makeover, now has me working his new bedroom into a manly refuge. I'll post about it soon.
Rather than my babble further, here's what Mr.D sent me- "Aaron, I wanted to extend to you my sincere appreciation for your hard work with Jane's room. There are so many wonderful options for Jane and her new room signifies the wonderful girl she is. At one point while she and I were in the room playing I almost broke down crying because it just felt so right, right for Jane and I in this moment. She adores her new room and I can't even tell you how special it is to have you come into our life at such a difficult time and help make it better. We couldn't be happier!"
I'm happy to report that Jane is doing much better, she and her new kitty "Tiger" are enjoying her and her daddy's new home. Mr. D, having experienced this makeover, now has me working his new bedroom into a manly refuge. I'll post about it soon.
...while she and I were in the room playing I almost broke down crying because it just felt so right...
To fill Jane's room on a modest budget, I relied upon some big bang for the buck items and a few fast and effective fixes.
- Adhered paper pennants around the light fixture to create a starburst.
- Spray painted off colored items into golden treasures.
- Using adhesive and wire adapts shelf and table top accessories to work in a gallery wall setting.
- Went big with the ever popular tissue flowers.
- Stuck with the white rental walls the changing of white accessories to color gave them weight and interest.
If you have a trick or tip on transforming a plain white walled rental, I'm sure my readers would love to hear about it. Your comments are welcome!
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Score free shipping on you order* and make Pops happy on Father's Day with some new art! Enter the code DADS16 at checkout! *on domestic orders over 99.00.
