Tray Bien

When I salvaged a very large baker’s sheet pan, I had grand visions of baking many cookies all at one time. I brought the pan home to show off, and quickly realized it wouldn’t fit in my oven, so I announced to my family, “Look at this great planter-tray I found!”

To fully appreciate it though, they would have to wait for my vision to become reality. I started by sanding off all the grime and grease, then spent a couple days spraying on layers of primer and paint (and annoying my studio neighbors with the fumes). The result was a waterproof planter-tray that fit perfectly on a side table I bought at Redux.

I already had two vintage planters I’d been looking forward to using, but I needed a couple more to fill the tray. I scoured the local thrift stores for ones to coordinate and go with my find of the month: a lithograph print, circa 1960 by artist Jean Pierre Tertre.

Unfortunately, it just wasn’t the right week for cool vintage pots, so I decided to make my own by drilling a hole in the bottom of two ceramic containers, which fit perfectly in my vignette.

Drilling a hole in the bottom of a bowl sounds easy, but there are a few things to keep in mind: First, Use eye protection and keep a layer of water on the drill-sight so bad things don’t end up in your eyes or lungs. Second, use a masonry drill bit (I first tried my “everyday” drill bit, and didn’t get anywhere). Lastly, wash everything down, including your hands!

What do you say Jean Pierre Tertre…? “Tray” bien?