apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

While I will always approve of sticking something bright orange in one's planters (and have the bright orange fish -- with waving fins! -- to prove it), I'll admit to being a tad puzzled by how buying a basic unfinished birdhouse at your local craft store and spray-painting it roadwork orange is "very design-savvy."

Not that a bunch of those plain birdhouses in a range of bright colors (orange, lemon, lime?) wouldn't be devastatingly cute against more ivy... the little birdies could drink pina coladas.

But Wende - won't the birds get confused if they think they're in the Caribbean at the wrong time of the year?? :->>

Just kidding!!! I like your idea much better than just the one lonely little house.

I was actually going to post that I'm really not into birdhouses (even tho I do have a beachy looking one in my garden) but my neighbor is, and the more rustic the better. I think I can replicate that one on the right, and since her birthday is coming up...

Wende - that's the spirit! Would love to see that.

I don't often see someone having a bit of fun with the front of their townhouse or building (except on Halloween). And I actually LIKE the fact that it was most likely quick and simple. It does bring a personal touch. I am not saying there are not better solutions - but that was a welcome sight. As for design-savvy, that was just a little tongue-in-cheek humor, imagining the birds deciding to build a second home next to their more traditional structure, and looking at paint chips. It's Saturday and we all should let our imaginations have some fun.

The best part about blogging is that the community can always contribute. Who wouldn't agree that there are better birdhouse solutions out there? What kind of birdhouse would you put up if you had real estate here in NYC?

I might go for a row of these:

http://modernbirdhouses.com/birdhouses.php

And this one would definitely make me laugh every time a bird would come and go.

Have a great weekend,

Matt

Love the "modern birdhouses"! In the city, I would do a sheet-metal loft birdhouse, and the birds would probably hate me for it.

Now you have me wanting to get some textured spray paint and do up a Michael's birdhouse in "adobe" for any birds that feel they need to fly down here for the winter. How do birds feel about golf?

My mom seemed to grow more interested in bird 'observing' when I left for college.
One year, I sent her a cute clay birdhouse in the shape of a cat with an open mouth. Too cute.
Although she thought no self respecting bird would live in a cat.

How does one start a new thread on this website? I'm a newbie. I'd like to add a picture too...

I'd have a little bird house with a copper roof.

But I love how these houses solve the very real design problem of those tree stumps, and they solve it quite well.

Oh, now I NEED one of those with the faces!!! Thanks, Matt!!

Rocjos: this is a website that is added to by various contributors who run it- It isn't a forum. Though if you have a good idea or a picture, you could email it to the editors and they might post it.

I've never been a huge fan of bird houses and I agree with the first poster that this is a little bit silly. But I've noticed that quite a few things seem silly to me on AT, because the editors have the responsibility of finding so many new and varied things/ideas. However, I always enjoy the enthusiasm.

I'd be interested in seeing bird feeders that attract hummingbirds. I'm supposed to adopt a hanging cactus whose flowers attract hummingbirds--not sure what the name of the cactus is yet.

Thank goodness for the silly, trivial and sometimes head-scratching unusual! I personally love the orange happy little home for the birds because it's both simple, colorful and fun; I think all it's missing is a little extended perch rod in front of the entry.

All-

Totally off topic, but please forgive me as I'm an amateur. I was quoted $1800 to paint 2 rooms a hallway and do some touch up, brush work in other rooms. This doesn't include the cost of the paint. Seem like the right price? Would love any guidance.

Thanks,
Jordan

Modern Birdhouse has some great modern designs.

http://modernbirdhouses.bobbyberkhome.com/

Birds would never nest in something this brightly coloured, but I'm sure it's very "design-savvy".

This *is* AT NYC, is it not? The rules are different elsewhere- rarely do I see "cute" here the way I would in suburbia. Thankfully.
Do we ever have hummingbirds in NYC??

I like the clean lines and orange of the little plain birdhouse, much better than the pinebark rustic crafty one. As for whether birds would use it, I suppose it would depend on the species of bird -- who knows, there may be some varieties that either like orange or are color-blind ..

From the photo I would call that color Hermes Orange, which is more East 80s than West 80s but regardless, entirely appropriate for a city (or rather, The City).

I would agree w/ Deborah's color comment- Hermes Orange (or Herm-ies, as I like to pronounce it), as I needed to paint a ladder that color for a Window prop in their Chicago Store- & gave the man at the Paint store one of their boxes to match the color.
I've designed and built some Birdhouses over the years - not all of them "functional" in the purest sense- but fun....http://www.kramerdesignstudio.com/birdhouses.htm

I made a bright yellow birdhouse when I was a kid that several sets of birds called home. It was right outside my bedroom window. Boy would they wake me up early when the window was open!