If you're like us and collect stray dinnerware and chairs from ebay, craigslist and flea markets, here's some inspiration on how to pull them together as a set. Demelza Hill, a product designer with experience working with Thorsten van Elten and Tom Dixon, made a few modifications to some second-hand glasses, and we love how she turned them into a charmingly put-together family...
When we saw this collection of different glasses that designer Demelza Hill brought together and made into a new "set", we loved what she did. In her "New Lease on Life" project, Demelza took orphaned stemware, dyed the bases the same color and frosted a simple line at a set height . Even without dying the bases, we like how a simple line at the same visual height pulls together all of the different heights and styles.
Etching patterns on glassware isn't that difficult to do, here are some instructions from Craftster.org, one of our favorite sites for hip, off-beat, crafty DIY projects (started by local Bostonian Leah Kramer).
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I like the frosted glass a lot. My own method of making unmatched glassware match up is by pouring wine into them and handing them to friends. No one seems to notice or mind. Plus, the unmatched-ness negates the need for those little trinkets hanging from the stem.
view travislessness's profile
My mother started a tradition of giving me crystal champagne flutes in different styles & makes for an occasional b-day or Christmas gift. When I got married we registered for more unmatched flutes. Now we can toast a rather large crowd with beautiful & elegant glasses. All of our other stemware matches--but these are special, each unique, and I always get complements on them too!
view somes's profile
love the frosting, not so much the dying (or at least not both on the same pieces). this is great to give an ecclectic collection a more formal feel. I love mismatched glassware even without a 'unifying element', though.
view foodefafa's profile
Not a fan of that. I think it takes away the charm of mismatched crystal ware. Just tacky and with a dime store quality. It also does nothing to unify the pieces.
view catfishriches's profile
I thought the dyed bases were interesting, but don't like the frosting at all, looks like the lines on a road.
view renata's profile
I think the stripe is clever and modernizes/deformalizes (is that a word?!) the more Grandma-ish styles. No need to dye the bases, though.
view farmhousemoderne's profile
the stripe is a fun idea.
view maike's profile
Going against the grain... does anyone know how they dyed the glass bases?
view majamuerta's profile
I agree about the dyed bases being clever, but the stripe seems like vandalism. How do they dye the bases? Does it come off?
view monarda's profile