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grace's odd & ends
i really enjoyed these last two weeks on the design sponge guest blog! i want to thank grace, not only for the fun opportunity of kicking off the d*s guest blog, but for her amazing dedication to helping independent designers. thank you! to end my guest posting, i asked grace to send a photo of her apartment or workspace. So here's a peek into grace’s home.
OK! toodle-oo!
(i'm back to posting on my own blog now)  GRACE BONNEY
1. what is your occupation?
freelance writer and kitty mom to turk and ms. jackson. the former takes up most of my time though.
2. explain the background/story behind three of the items in your photo.
well, this is the one spot in the house where i can be as girly as i want to. it's also the only spot that isn't covered in paint swatches and fabric samples. let's see...there are two prints from hammerpress that i love (and really need get framed), fall shoes that i have yet to wear but love to look at. (i think i'm more of a shoe admirer than wearer) if i could surround myself in pretty, colorful heels i would, but 9 times out of ten i end up in flip flops when i leave the house. there's also a pamela barsky piggy bank which has finally gotten me to organize my loose change.
3. what are three of your favorite places for finding things for your home?
the golden calf, williamsburg brooklyn. (they have a great collection of affordable little vases, glasses and odds and ends. i'm a big odds and ends person)
rare device, park slope brooklyn (rena and i have very similar taste so i can always pick up a fun print or little vase if i need a new detail for the house)
tinyshowcase.com and art star philly for affordable prints. i'm way into illustration these days so i like to gather up as many affordable prints and drawings as possible. then i frame and group them on picture ledges for little pops of color throughout the house.
4. what are three things on your wish list?
a couch that will fit in our home AND be cute. has been tough to find so far.
a great vintage danish modern buffet or console. i've been hunting like a mad woman lately for the perfect piece in the right color... patent leather mary janes with a 2 inch heel and slightly rounded toe. everything has been flat or super high and i'm looking for a pair i can actually walk in.
deck chair dreams
 earlier in the summer, the royal parks foundation in london commissioned the design of fabric-slung deck chairs by some of my favorite designers: celia birtwell, eley kishimoto, julie verhoeven, paul smith, and many more (24 in total). the chairs were displayed in hyde park, and the signed original canvases were auctioned off for charity in june. reproductions of the chairs are available to purchase here. again, i love the idea of using something simple, like deck chair fabric (or tea towels), as blank canvases for designs.
 (left: peter saville, right: alexander mcqueen)
 (left: celia birtwell, right: julie verhoeven)
spring yellows
 i had a busy week because of this, and wasn't able to ogle over the spring 07 fashion show photos as much as i would have liked. but one thing i definitely noticed was the lack of bright colors, except for yellow, in so many of the shows. my favorite color! here's an ode to warm, buttery yellows...
raul's home
 RAUL GUITERREZ
1. what is your occupation?media/design consultant and sometime photographer.
(raul's photography is currently being exhibited at the nelson hancock gallery - check it out!)
2. explain the background/story behind three of the items in your photo.i collect retablos and ex-votos (mexican paintings of saints and miracles) which i always have hung with antlers. in my old house they were on a brown wall and my wife hated the room. "too explorers club," she would sigh. when we moved back to new york my wife chose a bright korean blue for the wall which changed everything. she even let me keep the antlers.
3. what are three of your favorite places for finding things for your home?e. buk, a dealer of the odd and unusual, 151 spring street, NY
paula rubenstein ltd., 65 prince street, NY. i always find great eclectic pieces at paula rubenstein. she often has good vintage photography and always has top notch textiles.
my favorite places for pure browsing pleasure are flea markets. the rose bowl flea market in pasadena and les puces de saint- in paris are the two best i've attended.
4. what are three things on your wish list?
antique korean herb cabinet
an original copy of man ray's book photographies 1920-1934
a collection of vintage volcano paintings
los osos
 designers eric ludlum and laurence sarrazin, of los osos, have added a felted rug, blanket, and throw to their collection. these gorgeous textiles are all made in limited quantities. according to their site, los osos works to define natural principles of form and apply them to design. the primary source material and inspiration of their project are the natural regions of the united states' pacific northwest. check out los oso's other cool experimental design on their website. 
inside sherise's home
SHERISE LEE1. what is your occupation?prints and graphics for apparel. sometimes stationery and card prints, too.
2. explain the background/story behind three of the items in your photo.
the thomas campbell print is a gift from my husband, david. the ceramic piece is from a shop on shabazi street in the neve tzedek area of tel aviv, a quaint residential neighborhood with a mix of historical and modern architecture, artisan co-ops, cafes and shops. the wooden cupboard is from two jakes in williamsburg, brooklyn.
3. what are three of your favorite places for finding things for your home?artwork by friends: prints + plates from lena corwin (thanks!), a photograph by doug aitken, a painting by keith wood and a drawing by adeniji adeyemi
nadiff bookshop in tokyo for rad art books
the sunday market in the chiang mai, thailand for textiles, pottery, handicraft and jewelry 4. what are three things on your wish list?since i'm 9 months pregnant, i can't wait to have sushi! so, i would love a sushi breakfast at the tsukiji fish market in tokyo.
a painting by gustav klimt, chris ofili or pablo picasso a mix and match of home goods by eley kishimoto (especially the "flash" print) and twinkle living
galbraith and paul upholstery
 i wanted to show this great chair by designers galbraith and paul, even though i received it a little too late for my post on patterned upholstery fabric. i think it's a really good example of a more subtle, but still fun, upholstery choice. for me, it's a little too subtle-- i love bright colors! but sometimes it makes sense to go with a fabric that's understated. i love that all of the galbraith and paul fabrics are hand printed, and this is one of my favorite designs of theirs. plus, i would love to have a simply shaped and very comfortable chair like this. all my mid century vintage furniture is great to look at, but not so great to curl up with a book on.
still life with aloe vera
 i fell in love with these illustrated tea towels by british company unity peg, when i saw them in elle decoration back in january 2005. furniture designer jane atfield and her artist husband robert shepherd started unity peg in 2001. i love the concept of their business: using something as simple as a tea towel as the canvas for their designs. i adore their still life series. 
jenny's studio
 JENNY PFEIFFER1. what is your occupation?photographer/artist
2. explain the background/story behind three of the items in your photo.
the floor was painted by my sister and myself. she is a muralist so she did most of the work. the desk chair is from a trip to the dump, as i was leaving i saw it and asked if i could have it. i also love my art deco pottery on my desk, i found it in an antique store in ohio.
3. what are three of your favorite places for finding things for your home?
alameda antique market, happens once a month
tail of the yak, berkeley, ca
antique/thrift stores in small towns around the country
4. what are three things on your wish list?a new couch
a puppy
some piece of furniture to organize all the stuff i took out of my office for the photo (click to enlarge and see the floor detail!)
spring fabric
 it's a few days into new york fashion week, and taking a look specifically at the textiles, the overall trend is soft, natural tones. the color palette is every shade of brown, taupe, off-white, and stone. very few spring-y florals, instead most of the prints are more abstract-- waves, zig-zags, leaves, and amoeba shapes (plus stripes and plaids). splashes of color include lots of yellow and pinks. i think this trend for natural fibers and colors is in line with the eco trend in home design.
stone drawings
 
sue lawty is an artist in residence at the victoria & albert museum in england, and has been collaborating on a significant new body of work with the their textiles collection. in addition to large woven pieces, lawty creates "stone drawings" -- natural stones on gesso, arranged in simple, beautiful patterns. she has a blog, called concealed, discovered, revealed, where she writes about her work and experiences at the v&a museum.
petra's studio
 PETRA BORNER
1. what is your occupation?i am an artist/illustrator/designer i guess2. explain the background/story behind three of the items in your photo.
so, one of the most inspiring pieces in my studio is the green painting (which i am also doing some weird posing with) my friend neil gilks made for my birthday last year. the textile samples is what I am working on today. they will be part of an eclectic box of inspiration, in collaboration with my friend and textile genius daniel reynolds. colored paper is one of my favorite things, so i collect it wherever i go, new and old.
3. what are three of your favorite places for finding things for your home?oh well, the best place for me to find treasures is at yearly flea-markets in the swedish countryside during the summertime.
myrorna (charity shop/ salvation army) malmoe- ystad vagen (sweden)
emmaus björkå (charity shop) kirseberg, malmoe (sweden)
columbia flower market has a tiny flea-market on a Sunday morning (london)
4. what are three things on your wish list?i guess this is not the space for wishing for eternal love, happiness and peace..?
the soundtrack for the roy anderson movie 'en kärlekshistoria' ('a love story') from the 70's, which is a great and beautiful film.
coffee or and tea cups to go with my stig lindberg crockery collection, 'blomma' from the 30's (i have never seen them!).
a nice, big black chalk board for my studio, it seems fun to sketch ideas on.
jaime hayon
 thanks ben loiz, for reminding me about jaime hayon, a spanish designer whose work includes lighting, ceramics, and furniture design. his AQ hayon collection of bath fixtures (made with manufacturer artquitect) won the elle decor international award, best bathroom 2005/06. i'm really inspired by (and envious of!) designers who work in a variety of materials. and i always love getting a peek into a designer's studio, like the photos above of hayon working on ceramics. more incredibly inspiring photos here.  (it appears from his site, that the plate and pots/sculture above were made for an exhibit, and are not available to purchase)
ben's studio
 BEN LOIZ
1. what is your occupation?designer2. explain the background/story behind three of the items in your photo.this is one of my studio walls where i pin up work, sketches and pieces of inspiration. on the top shelf are a few record jackets that i've designed throughout the years. most recently the wine colored "chase the butterflies" cover. the hanging black tote on the left was the first bag that we created for our product line neenoon in 2002 and the grey silkscreen print on the top right was designed for a solo exhibition "time to fly" in may of 2004.3. what are three of your favorite places for finding things for your home?tortoise in venice, CA
grow nursery plant shop in cambria, CA
a+r store in silverlake, CA
4. what are three things on your wish list?looolo: windows throw blanket in mauve
saul steinberg: all in line, duell sloan 1945
jamie hayon's animals from another planet, pink ele pig
jill bliss prints
 i bought one of jill bliss's native herb posters for a friend's birthday earlier this year, and every time i visit the blissen site i think about ordering one for myself. each poster is a limited edition print, made with soy-based inks on recycled matte cardstock. it's hard to choose between the blue eyed grass, yerba buena mint, or yerba mansa design. makes me nostalgic for california! i can't wait to see jill's window display at rare device next month.
bold upholstery
 i love, love, love patterned upholstery fabrics. here are some favorites--
above: chaise with josef frank fabric from svenskt tenn
below: (top left) foot stool with josef frank fabric from svenskt tenn, (top right) my own chair with fabric by elizabeth eakins (bottom left & right), couch and chair from hable construction.
 
hoping for happy accidents
 KELLY COOPER
1. what is your occupation?i'm an artist, freelance writer, and also a grants administrator in a arts funding organization.
2. explain the background/story behind three of the items in your photo.
on the coffee table there is a wide vintage thai solid teak bowl that is soon to become a planter for a cactus, since its a bit damaged. i made the pillows on the chair and sofa. they are sewn from a vintage linen tablecloth (from the late 60's or early 70's) that i bought at angel thrift shop in chelsea last year. i am totally in love with the geometric pattern and the colors - a very deep warm brown and a perfect gray-green, trimmed in cream. the vintage mid-century chair with original black upholstery was bought from a guy on the street selling a bunch of old and new furniture near our apartment in brooklyn.
3. what are three of your favorite places for finding things for your home?
darr on atlantic avenue in brooklyn, new york (actually atlantic avenue is pretty golden for me in general...i always have luck finding interesting things in the shops there)angel street thrift shop in manhattan
ebay, of course
4. what are three things on your wish list?tivoli model one radiohalogen pendant lamp by miwa koizumi for bddwthe perfect vintage wooden desk...been searching for one for about two years, but no luck yet.
paris in a bag
 i love wooden blocks (stems from my montessori schooling)... and like the clive & sunshine dolls, i think these blocks from muji would look great on a mantle or coffee table. also available: new york, london, tokyo, and suburbia.
adrienne rogers
 i heard adrienne rogers discussing her hand knit blankets and throws on wnyc recently, and looked up her website. she makes beautifully textured pieces, and i love the natural color palette. i've been on a hiatus from yarn projects during the summer, so seeing these makes me excited to start again. i usually do more free-form and experimental crocheting/knitting, but i would love to attempt a blanket project.
sarah's workroom
 SARAH NEUBURGER
1. what is your occupation?
artist + designer. i make art + everyday objects for sale online, almost exclusively, through my own shop, the small object. however, a portion of my work week is also spent with my 4 year old niece + nephew.
2. explain the background/story behind three of the items in your photo.
the sewing desk was purchased a local antique mall for $20 which being deemed an "antique" mall was a great deal so i snatched it up. the lamp was from a thrift store that has since closed down. the red arms of a chair you see is an old metal desk chair that i have painted + reupholstered three times in the past five years. it's a favorite of my cat, chloe who also doesn't like to get her nails trimmed. (hence the frequent need to re-upholster this item.)
3. what are three of your favorite places for finding things for your home?old mill antique mall in columbia, SC
at home in savannah, GA
craft shows like the renegade craft fair in brooklyn + chicago, bust did a great show this past december in brooklyn at the warsaw called the bust craftacular, even smaller local craft shows like the mutation craft fair in savannah GA (which happens again in early October)
4. what are three things on your wish list?
a storage cubby system that holds at least 25 pull-out trays (like you see in kindergarten classrooms)
a drawing by maxwell loren holyoke-hirsch
a potholder rug
clive and sunshine
 i love the handmade doll trend, including these delicate animals from clive and sunshine. i've seen them in person at cog & pearl, and they're so well made, and just beautiful. i don't have children, but i would love to have a few of these to put on my mantle or coffee table.
virginia johnson
  textile designer virginia johnson is one of my favorites-- she's really been inspirational to me. i've been a fan since first seeing her line at erika tanov, and i love her use of prints, colors, and fabrics. like me, she's also an illustrator, and has a background in fashion. she recently added homewares to her collection, and when i was looking at her newly updated website, i followed a link to an audio interview with her from toronto life. i highly recommend listening to it! it has a great slideshow showing her design process and inspiration sources. i love her new scarf designs (shown above). 
camilla's home
1. what is your occupation?
artist, illustrator
2. explain the background/story behind three of the items in your photo.
this is where i usually sit when i think and make sketches. a very heavy concrete pot that i've made with my brother who's a construction worker and works with concrete. the little porcelain figure is from my great grandmother and one of few "fancy things" in my apartment. a platter from karin eriksson with a pair of earrings from abigail percy lying on top of it.
3. what are three of your favorite places for finding things for your home?
r.o.o.m. furniture and design, gothenburg, sweden
myrorna, a secondhand shop, gothenburg
designtorget, a commercial market place for unique design, for customers and designers that value style, function and innovation, Gothenburg
4. what are three things on your wish list?
a really big furry carpet
a new kitchen
always - chocolate :)
more from madeline atelier
speaking of great rug design... grace posted about designer madeline atelier last week, and i think her carpet patterns are fantastic.
 
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(left: grace, right: goodies in rare device)
