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oh, Anthropologie...
 There's no question that of all the chain stores in the US, Anthropologie tops the list with store display and photo styling. Year after year they find ways to update their look while staying true to the worldly & unique feel of their products.
peek keep
 The online shop Peek Keep specializes in Scandinavian design. Their products celebrate organic forms and functional design.1 ~ what's your name, shop name, and shop location...Heidi Nigen The online shop peek keep based in California 2 ~ tell us about some of the objects in your display...This is a picture of a handmade bud vase from Louise Langgaard of Copenhagen, Denmark. 3 ~ describe the mood, what inspired you, or what you intended when creating/arranging these pieces...I wanted to express it's handmade quality, so I didn't want too much in the photo to distract from showing that element. I also find the bud vase so charming and thought it looked "in it's place" next to the old phone on the little table. 4 ~ what are 3 objects/pieces sold in your store that you are dying to have or... you already have and love...I Want, Covet: Baby Alpaca Throws from Denmark and an Ivana Helsinki Bag I Have, Love: This Ivana Helsinki Printed Case case is perfect for toiletries; you can see everything! It always gets admiring looks at the gym. 5 ~ list three things that provide you with inspiration...good food, good wine, and good friends
michele varian
 Michele Varian's pillows are often seen in the pages of Lucky and Domino Magazines. Her shop is a wonderful mix of her designs and the work of other designers whose work she admires.1 ~ what's your name, shop name, and shop location...Michele Varian Michele Varian, 35 Crosby Street, in NYC's Soho. 2 ~ tell us about some of the objects in your display...The gold bottles are by Eva Menz and are 10k gold plated porcelain. They are cast from found bottles (one is Jack Daniels) and each one is made "imperfect" in some way before they are cast, so there are no 2 alike. The jewelry shown is by Alex and Chloe. We sell a lot of jewelry, and I love buying it. I like these pieces because they are a little bit manly/huntery and dark, but they are so beautifully cast and delicate that they are feminine and the dark side makes them sexy. 3 ~ describe the mood, what inspired you, or what you intended when creating/arranging these pieces...I opened the store as a showcase for my collection of decorative pillows, which are all made in the studio behind the store. My inspiration for designing the pillows and selecting and arranging items for the store is usually the same. I like organic textures and I love birds, but I like to mix things up. Objects are more interesting when they have a little bit of conflict and ambiguity. So, even though I like natural and organic, I like to use gold to luxe it up or to use dark iconic imagery, such as skulls, crosses or guns. I have a lot of taxidermy-esque pieces right now, but none of it is real, making it more funny and ironic.  4 ~ what are 3 objects/pieces sold in your store that you are dying to have or... you already have and love...We sell a lot of Tord Boontje's designs and even though they are everywhere, I had to have one of the garland lamps in black. Love it in gold, but when I saw it in black, I knew my husband would like it too. I have to be careful with my husband to not make things too precious, so we have a lot of my tougher pillows at home - the flaming heart, the buck, the eagle. I also sell Neisha Crosland wallpaper and our apartment is covered in it. In one room we have 3 patterns - all quite dark, but with hints of metallic. 5 ~ list three things that provide you with inspiration...I was just in Detroit and bought a set of 1914 World books at an estate sale. They're amazing and in great condition too. Tons of illustrations and prints. Very stylized and dated. Old things usually inspire me the most. I love early design during the industrial revolution. All these metal and mechanical things with floral flourishes and curving lines. I like to see how things are constructed. That's why I use a tie closure on all of our pillows and make it part of the design - not hidden. Textiles of every kind excite me. I love the way that they are made. I have to be careful to not go into a technical reverie when customers ask questions about specific fabrics. 
spring
 Spring is an exhibition space and store promoting design and art through curated shows and highlighted product. Structured on four principal shows a year, they work with a pool of talented guest artists, designers and curators to create cohesive, informative and, above all, interesting exhibits.1 ~ what's your name, shop name, and shop location...Anna Cosentino and Steve Butcher Spring in d.u.m.b.o., Brooklyn 126a Front St - Brooklyn NY 11201 We now have a shop online where we feature a selection of items available in the store. 2 ~ tell us about some of the objects in your display...We use the space as a showcase for both contemporary art and design and sometimes I think that the listing reads like a cabinet of oddities. There is a view of our silhouette entrance {top image}. We have been obscured by months of construction and we found a way to say "we are here!". Whenever we arrange displays we like to make them feel like home. We like to give customers ideas or ‘stories’ to show how products can be used together, or how they can be used in less obvious ways. You can see an overview of spring {second image} - on one of the central displays there is a collection of trees made of corduroy, crochet, beads and polka dots! - a forest by Molly Dilworth with a Perch! birdfeeder right above it. The other has an amazing collection of work by Elodie Blanchard - scribble table runners, rubberband vases and bowls and Eva Menz' Beautiful Bombay ceramic vases.  In the display cabinet with the tree going through is Jane D'Arensbourg's collection of glass jewelry {third image} - I particularly love the bubble pendant that she has made just for us, it hangs in such an effortless way. The room dividers {bottom image} are by Hiroko Takeda a very talented japanese textile designer, the new kid's chairs are Michael Whitney's and the large squirrel (in tiger pajamas) sitting there is a psychopharmacreature by Eugenia Chun. 3 ~ describe the mood, what inspired you, or what you intended when creating/arranging these pieces...We absolutely love to develop new exhibits, research new work and curate the space in a way that is new and different from the prior shows. In fact the whole space is part of the show. We have one main wall with a new mural painted by Steve with every new show. Our challenge is to keep the space in motion. I think it is important that the eye is curious and the brain is thrilled to see more. The visual of the space, its flow, the colors, the way the pieces work with each others. With of course, a sense of humor.  4 ~ what are 3 objects/pieces sold in your store that you are dying to have or... you already have and love...This is the hardest part - it's almost impossible to narrow it down to three... ~ AlissiaMT diamond ring - a gold one! ~ Richard Saja's Memo: hero a great evolution from his toile cushions; ~ Molly Dilworth's Money Painting - a colorful rendition of imaginary money - the result of travels to far away lands and contemporary culture. ~ Angelica Bergamini's Wire Rocks. 5 ~ list three things that provide you with inspiration...~ great photography and graphics ~ style ~ getting lost in a city you know (and food - look, taste, smell! - we even added it to our website, in the news...) 
variegated
 You're probably familiar with colorful bedding and handmade embroidered butterflies by the guys of Variegated. Jim & Corbett are opening up their very first retail location this spring. Here's a look at their "teaser" shop displays which are peaking the interest of passerbys in Catskill, New York with their quirky farm animal vignettes.1 ~ what's your name, shop name, and shop location...Jim Deskevich and Corbett Marshall with the invaluable Emily Marquoit. Variegated is located at 377 Main Street in Catskill NY two hours north of NYC. Catskill is an up-and-coming Hudson Valley town across the river from Hudson and just north of Saugerties. We are embarking on our first retail space in Catskill. Until now, Variegated has been a mostly wholesale company specializing in colorful bedding and accessories. When we saw the store, it was a 1970's liquor store nightmare, but under all the awful dry wall and glued down commercial carpet were beautiful old beadboard walls and a great fir floor - and a vault (former owners used to store furs during the summer). We plan to be open mid-Spring and online again with our regular website with all new bedding options and other accessories like tea towels, pillows, and tee shirts.  2 ~ tell us about some of the objects in your display...We are working towards opening the store this spring so we wanted to do something fun with the windows to pique people's interest. The store will be stocked mostly with our own products at first and since we make everything ourselves we wanted to start our displays with the tools of our trade - colorful thread, rick rack, buttons, pins, tape measure, scissors. Jim added the farm animals as a little joke. They could reference our area since there are lots of farms, but I think he just liked them. We used a bit of ribbon with our name printed on it for signage in one window, and I found the plaster sign letters for the other window when I was teaching in Indiana. We keep adding things everyday. 3 ~ describe the mood, what inspired you, or what you intended when creating/arranging these pieces...We really just wanted a whimsical place holder for the windows to get people interested and curious. Kids love the windows. They see all the animals right away and spend as much time looking as their parents will let them. Their parents don't quite know what to make of the windows. We like the idea that we can create these vignettes with things that may or may not have anything to do directly with what we might offer in the store -- that we can take an idea like a color or the particular season and tell a story. We used to spend quite a lot of time thinking about and creating our booth for the trade fairs and were always frustrated by having to be so direct with selling an object.  4 ~ what are 3 objects/pieces sold in your store that you are dying to have or... you already have and love...Well, there's nothing in the store, yet. But we do sleep under our duvets and we do have our pillows on the sofa. I'd love to be able to hang one of our butterfly specimens in our apartment, but they keep selling out (thanks!). We're still in the planning stages on what other products to offer. We want to keep the store focused on one-of-a-kind or small run, hand made items and we're happy to look at anyone's work. We will have a dining table and we're working with some of our ceramic artist friends to create special place settings with their ceramics and our textiles. We're particularly excited about this ongoing project. We'll pick a theme (like a summer picnic, or a midnight snack) and have a place setting for 4-6 created. Then we'll respond to the dinnerware and create textiles for the table.  5 ~ list three things that provide you with inspiration...~ The beach - we just got back from a trip to Vieques and as usual, we had to ship home boxes of coral, shells and seaweed. ~ Gardens and plants - we both love to garden and miss it. Ironically, we had more garden space when we lived in NYC than we do now that we live in the "country". ~ Gardens Illustrated is always beside the bed along with World of Interiors and Selvedge - a great textiles focused magazine from the UK. I'm an admitted magazine addict but, if pressed, these are the three I couldn't do without. ~ Great food (not necessarily fancy - there's nothing like a paper plate full of Eastern North Carolina barbeque and slaw), good music - our friend Tift Merritt is on heavy rotation in the studio, and a group of close friends - our favorite people are our god-kids age 2. and... ~ Color - Jim and I could spend hours with paint chips putting together combinations - and as a knitter (I love hand knit socks so I had to learn), I'm totally beside myself in a good yarn store like Purl Soho. extra tidbit...Check out some past posts at Design*Sponge & Oh Joy! about Variegated's own home, pillows, embroidered butterflies, and another interview! 
papa stour
  The shop interviews I've posted about so far have all been brick-and-mortar shops. But now a days, there are many purely online shops that do an amazing job of making you feel as if you're visting an actual place by creating a story through their imagery, styling, and photography. Papastour is a wonderful example...1 ~ what's your name, shop name, and shop location...Rosie Brown from Papastour - an online boutique selling contemporary craft produced by artists living and working in Scotland. 2 ~ tell us about some of the objects in your display...The leather hand bound journal is a favourite shot of mine as it gives a suggestion of a story line whilst still focusing on the product. I also love the little black books shot (unfortunately sold now!) which shows this intricate nest balancing on the inside of a window ledge...I like the juxtapositioning. The cufflinks too, shot on an open book with the words, how much is enough... 3 ~ describe the mood, what inspired you, or what you intended when creating/arranging these pieces...I believe it is important to see the product well which is why we have at least 3 shots of each item but in the most inspiring way possible, to give them some character. I like shots to have pieces of a story in them or to have a bit of humour.  4 ~ what are 3 objects/pieces sold in your store that you are dying to have or... you already have and love...I love so many pieces which is why it's a tricky question. Hannah Louise Lamb's jewellery is witty and beautifully made and I'm not often seen without my charm necklace and daschund. I adore and have the bone china pod from Andrea Walsh, her work is ethereal. I would love to have one of Ruth Mae's hand turned holly bowls which are like porcelain they are so delicate, she has a real talent. 5 ~ list three things that provide you with inspiration...I am inspired by so many different things it's hard to narrow it down but certainly my immediate surroundings. I try and create a space to work in that has images that inspire me whether they are tears from fashion or an interior or a really interesting graphic image. Certain photographers a huge inspiration, they have an eye that can capture a moment and make it alive no matter how mundane. Music is another source of great inspiration to me. extra tidbit...Rosie's home was recently featured in Living Etc and Domino Magazine! 
aaron dyer
 Aaron Dyer's still life photography has a certain whimsy that I just love. This image, in particular, is perfect for showing off its unique objects. It's no wonder that the new Refinery29 Shops showcase this photograph on their shop website.
relish at home
 Kelly from Relish at Home really does it all. While running her retail shop {and upcoming online shop}, she also creates products for her own line, K. Autumn.1 ~ what's your name, shop name, and shop location...hello! my name is kelly sperbeck and i own relish at home in berkeley, california. the boutique is a small workshop, home to an 'out of the way shop' and a workspace for my creative projects. we're located in the 'activspace' artist complex in a very up-and-coming area of west berkeley known as the "wharehouse district." you will find us on the corner of pardee and seventh streets. {address :: 2703 seventh street #112, berkeley, california 94710} 2 ~ tell us about some of the objects in your display...the first display features the joanna mendicino collection. pictured are the large bird vase and the smaller versions. joanna started out here in activspace, and she is such an amazing artist. she is as graceful and warm as her work. i'm in awe of her ability to produce all of her own work especially as her demand grows. the rose + sadie pins are a fun collection. the girls have a terrific whimsical sensibility about their company. they make everything by hand in san francisco. i love receiving a new batch from them as we'll get everything from pigeons and toast to robots and cupcakes! everything is housed in a 1960's glass cabinet hutch that came from my childhood bedroom in northern california.  the second display features seattle, washington designer tanya monique. tanya designs a very special enamal and sterling animal collection. the fawn and the canaries are suspended from a manzanita tree and a cut tree stump found on a street corner in oakland. our resident burrow owl is from roost, and he reminds me so much of bubo the owl from clash of the titans - only made of wood! 3 ~ describe the mood, what inspired you, or what you intended when creating/arranging these pieces...i've gotten used to working and living in small spaces. the shop is only 200 square feet and i try to use the space creatively. i always start with what's close to me. the second display is interesting in the sense that i've tried to build a shadowbox out of mis-matched armoire drawers and lined them with cork. it is part of a series of three. i'm resourceful by nature and i tend to merchandise with found objects, antiques, apple crates, or anything i can bring new life to. i really try to feature all of our collections in an interesting vignette. i'm completely inspired by color and texture. urban ore salvage yard is just blocks from the shop, and there are a variety of flea markets spread throughout the east bay. i am never happier getting lost in them! 4 ~ what are 3 objects/pieces sold in your store that you are dying to have or... you already have and love...oh dear. i have such a long IOU list to relish! well let's see, right now i really love helen ige's mobiles. the "owl" and the "birds of a feather mobiles" are my favorite. i will probably splurge on a pair of joy 'o designs hammered rose gold leaf earrings which are stunning! and every morning i start my day by looking at jill + saelee's delicious farm life calendar. that is still one of my favorites of 2006. 5 ~ list three things that provide you with inspiration...~ living in the bay area and specifically north berkeley. i know this sounds so cliche', but there is so much diversity and opportunity here. the trees, the food culture and the variety of architecture is so fun and inspiring to be around every day - not to mention people watching! ~ the home collections of the 1960's. i love the simplicity and the colors, furniture and textile designers of that era. vera, girard, lindberg, marimekko, the list goes on and the mere thought of it all makes me shiver! ~ lastly, they are the designers have become a part of relish. their work inspires me every day to do the best i can, to keep evolving, and they remind me of why i'm here. an extra tidbit...The relish online shop will be launching soon...stay tuned!
rare device
 Rena of Rare Device is the go-to girl for the scoop on the newest independent designers in home, fashion, and stationery.1 ~ what's your name, shop name, and shop location...Rena Tom Rare Device in Park Slope, Brooklyn 2 ~ tell us about some of the objects in your display...Let's see, the leather bag is by Kristen Aronsson, the lamp is by Re-Surface (Donna Brady), both ladies are from Brooklyn. The bird vase is by Joanna Mendicino, she is in California. The bowl is by Aida Dirse from Lithuania. The succulent is a xmas present from Laurice Curran, my friend and one of our jewelry designers, and it supposedly thrives on neglect (so it will be perfect at the shop!)...and the woven basket is from my mom and people are constantly trying to buy it off me. The coral-like fabric is a remnant from Baltic Bazaar in Brooklyn, I get lots of fabric displays for the shop there. 3 ~ describe the mood, what inspired you, or what you intended when creating/arranging these pieces...Sort of going for lots of texture, the plant really lends it a California vibe. Whimsical, easygoing modern decor and accessories. The things in this display are not too precious, and we like the light in the window when it gets dark out so early in winter. 4 ~ what are 3 objects/pieces sold in your store that you are dying to have or... you already have and love...Hmmm...I want a huge stack of the little 14K stacking rings by Amy Tavern and the stainless steel laser-etched mobile by Polli - shiny things for dark winter days! And I have some clothing from Talla that is the easiest thing to wear... 5 ~ list three things that provide you with inspiration...~ The online crafty community - the ultimate friend-making, networking, emotional support, and sales machine. ~ The mix CDs that my friend Jack makes for the store - I wish I could sell them. ~ And, color as a mood-setter and mood-lifter. I have mild synasthesia so I am a color fanatic. extra tidbit...Rare Device has hosted some amazing shows at their Brooklyn shop. A custom window display, as well as smaller displays within the store, are created by the designer whose work is being highlighted. Some recent shows included Jill Bliss, Lena Corwin, and Deadly Squire.
caravan
 Emily, the owner of Caravan, is the author of one of my favorite books,
Flea Market Style. Her styling work can be seen in British magazines like Homes & Gardens, Marie Claire, and Livingetc.1 ~ what's your name, shop name, and shop location...My name is Emily Chalmers and my shop is named CARAVAN. CARAVAN is located at 11 Lamb Street, Old Spitalfields Market, London E1 6EA. Old Spitalfields Market is located right in the heart of the city of London. It's an area steeped in history and home to many artists and designers. There's a great creative vibe there....and things change from day to day! 2 ~ tell us about some of the objects in your display...In the main shot (mural wall) we have a hand-painted chest of drawers and on it a hand crafted glossy black vase (both pieces are from Holland), a beautiful large olive green and smaller ivory industrial-style lamps from France. We stock these lamps in many colours and there are brightly painted ones dotted all around the shop! The bag hanging on the wall is hand printed and made by very good friends of mine - Kimchi, and the special skirt hanging below is crafted from hand-dyed decommissioned parachute fabric. Silver leather clogs from Denmark line sit in a row on the floor, next to a stack of recycled tyre storage pots from Morocco.  3 ~ describe the mood, what inspired you, or what you intended when creating/arranging these pieces...The mood is feminine, but not too 'girly'. The main body of the shop is very masculine in colour - a dark brown / green painted floor, dark ivory painted brick walls and sage green woodwork. The oversized floral image adds a strong organic element and works well in this environment. I absolutely adore, and avidly collect, vintage floral fabrics. My inspiration for the large floral mural was a favorite beautiful vintage fabric that was too rotten to be transformed into anything. The wall was hand painted by a friend of mine - Olivia Stainer. 4 ~ what are 3 objects/pieces sold in your store that you are dying to have or... you already have and love...I am dying to sell porcelain lampshades by Esther van Groeningen - I need to track her down first! I am dying to have a bright enameled French industrial lamp all to myself, at home, but just can't decide which colour to buy - will it be the bright blue.... or the yellow.... or orange?! I already have a parachute fabric skirt. These are supplied with an amazingly full underskirt and are perfect for every possible opportunity to dress up a bit! I own a khaki one (as seen in the image), but I am now dying to own the indigo blue one too...... 5 ~ list three things that provide you with inspiration...Vintage floral fabrics have always inspired me. I also get a lot of enjoyment from giving an old soul new life.... and, of course, there's nothing more inspiring than a good market find! 
rose & radish
 Every month-and-a-half, Rose and Radish presents a new gallery format to showcase selected pieces unified by a theme. Their goal is to show you pieces of common and uncommon design in ways that allow you to look at them differently. 1 ~ what's your name, shop name, and shop location...Cate Kellison Rose and Radish 460 Gough Street San Francisco, CA 94102 2 ~ tell us about some of the objects in your display...~ Pendant lighting from Nicolette Brunklaus/Netherlands. ~ Porcelain by Nymphenburg/Germany and designed by Ted Muelling and Hella Jongerious. ~ Plastic nodders and mushroom lighting from Germany. ~ Fabric mushrooms by Tamar Mogendorff/New York. ~ Wood cushions by Monacca/Japan. ~ Paper goods by Binth, Sesame Letterpress, Camilla Engman, etc. ~ Felt placemats and coasters by Daff/Germany. ~ Porcelain vases by Klein Reed/New York. 3 ~ describe the mood, what inspired you, or what you intended when creating/arranging these pieces...We wanted a modern take on the popular woodland theme so, instead of the birch logs we were going to use originally, we ordered tons of cardboard core. The fabric was originally going to be woven among the tubes but that looked way too "loose", I like a more tailored style. So, I redid it; late into the night. I keep trying till it feels right; I'm pretty obsessive. We tried to get the "trees" in a forest pattern, with a lot of depth, but still close enough to one another to be stable.  4 ~ what are 3 objects/pieces sold in your store that you are dying to have or... you already have and love...Clive and Sunshine animals, I'm obsessed. They are pieces of art to me, almost like a contemporary Calder zoo animal (I was obsessed with the wire zoo in the NY MOMA as a child). Sadly, she has decided not to make more so they have become few and far between in these parts. I took a Nymphenburg rabbit home and he lived on my mantle for a time, I miss him but he's found a great customer's home now. I'm also in love with Camilla Engman's work; I really want an original drawing someday. 5 ~ list three things that provide you with inspiration...Travel, design magazines and blogs (it's so cool to see what other folks are making!!!!) and just getting things to look good. (Of course "good" means different things to different people, and even different things in different moments. Some days I think everything looks terrible and then I'll rearrange and realize it was actually "good" before. I make myself crazy, but I guess I stay busy!) an extra tidbit...For those of you who are not close to the shop in San Francisco, you can admire their gorgeous galleries from afar. 
Ruth Cross
  I spotted the work of Ruth Cross over at Seamsters last week and then came across her work again from my interview with Susan at Loop. Known for re-thinking the process of hand-knitting, they have created a collection of work from garments & accessories, to homeware and bespoke one off projects and lighting. It's no wonder that pieces from Ruth Cross are so well-loved by shop owners and make perfect pieces to be part of a display...
loop
 I'm a big fan of this crafty London shop. Though I've never been there in person, their combination of craft materials and independent designer pieces are just lovely...1 ~ what's your name, shop name, and shop location...Susan Cropper Loop ~ 41 Cross Street, Islington, London N1 2BB England. We also have an online shop, and we ship all over the world. 2 ~ tell us about some of the objects in your display...~ The vases are made by Annette Bugansky. They are vases that have hand knit cosies made for them. They are then cast in porcelain and fired at very high temperatures. So they are beautiful and functional and have knitted surfaces! ~ We also have hanging lights by Esther. They are called 'segomil' lampshades (limoges spelled backwards!). They are made of porcelain. She uses everyday household objects and makes a twist on them. ~ Throws and cushions by Catherine Tough.  3 ~ describe the mood, what inspired you, or what you intended when creating/arranging these pieces...The mood and feel of Loop is just the way I style and make things. What I intended was a warm and welcoming space that people could come to and feel calm and also inspired to make things from the beautiful knitting supplies. My apartment looks pretty simliar to the shop. The look of the shop is pretty pared back- there is simple wooden floors which are painted white. Floating shelves for displaying the handmade designer products. Loads of jars overflowing with knitting needles and crochet hooks and buttons. There are 88 cubby units for all the different yarns from around the world. These, again, are painted white. I keep it pretty white as I wanted the gorgeous colours of the yarns to be showed off. (people have said it reminds them of a sweet shop). It's all about the yarns and the handmade things at Loop. I am blessed with a small outdoor deck in the front of Loop and we have some wooden chairs and hurricane lamps wioth candles out there which immediately creates a mood. We have a fireplace with logs in it. It doesn't really work but it does add to this very warm feeling when you enter the shop. There is always chilled out music playing. People come and sometimes don't want to leave. It is a very small space though. It has a lot of charm which would be hard to duplicate if we ever moved to a larger space. I was recently in California and bought a beautiful small metal rail with hooks that has birds dotted along it - I immediately wanted it for the shop to hang some pretty twists of yarn on. I'm always adding things to the shop - as long as I love it and think it will work - it is a work in progress. Overall I think it feels charming and slightly bohemian. 4 ~ what are 3 objects/pieces sold in your store that you are dying to have or... you already have and love...~ I have the long and wonderful Handknit throw by Catherine Tough. It always sits on my big long couch and it looks gorgeous and when one of my kids grabs it and wraps it around it's also unbelievably cosy. ~ I have the Annette Bugansky vases and tealights dotted all over our apartment. They are used often. We have fresh flowers and candles burning a lot- especially in the english winter when the dark days can begin to get to you. ~ Ruth Cross teapot and mugs with hand knit cosys. 5 ~ list three things that provide you with inspiration...~ Colour. Most of all colour (figs, chocolate,plums) ~ Ambiant light (twilight on snow, fairy lights, candles) ~ The cinema 
hello!
 Hello Design*Sponge readers! As a graphic & textile designer, I'm attracted to a variety of visual things. My blog highlights visual inspiration...in the form of photos, art, products, patterns, colors, and textures. I focus mainly on home design and art with a good sprinkling of fashion & jewelry...and, the occasional visually stunning cupcake. Lately, I have been completely intrigued/obsessed with product styling...photo styling, visual display, and product images. I love the unique ways in which people present the objects they make or sell and how they highlight the product by the visual story created around it. Interesting shop displays also serve as great inspiration for the home as they show how various shapes, textures, and colors can be combined together. Over the next two weeks, you'll see shop windows and displays from some of my favorite shops across the globe...most of which I admire from afar. It will be a visual interview of sorts focusing on shops that sell designed goods for home, stationery & fashion. Here and there, I'll throw in some other visual goodness that I hope you'll enjoy as well. I am honored to be a guest blogger here at Design*Sponge & look forward to sharing my finds with you. Thanks Grace! -Joy {items in photo are my own: porcelain cow creamer received as a gift, silver flower barrette from B Jewelry, set of wooden bowls from ABC Carpet & Home received as a wedding gift, and Lena Corwin plates in back}
Peace,
 Hey, just want to thank Grace for hosting me here and for allowing a design crazed person such as myself to showcase all my finds over these past two weeks. It truly has been an honour and a wonderful experience. Thank you for your support and this opportunity. (This lovely photo from a favorite photographer, and storyteller, Hulaseventy. And a link to her flickr too.
Digital Meets Analog
 I just had to squeeze in this product in! This company is really innovative using recycled materials. Last year I posted about their Bentwood Belt Buckles made out of reclaimed veneer offcuts. Now they've come up with these 45 iPod Cases. Built from recycled 7-inch records that fold around your iPod and keep all your music safe inside. check it out! (by the people from my hometown, Contexture Design).  
Aya Kondo - Woodcut Prints
 This is my last day here at D's and I thought I'd link a few prints I've been eyeing lately. Found these woodcut prints by Japanese artist, Aya Kondo via the Receiver Gallery's "I think We Better Split Up" show that recently ended in San Francisco last week. It looks like you can still buy her prints though on their site or link to her store for other works. {I'll be back later on today to bid my farewell!}
Hannah Stouffer Prints
 I'm loving the prints/frame combo going on here by San Francisco's Hanna Stouffer, also found at the Receiver Gallery. Visit her site if you can, amazing work.
Bittersweet Genevieve
 Wanting to learn this craft myself, I was so enthused to see these wood burnings on wood panels by artist Genevieve Dionne of Bittersweet Genevieve. Bittersweet Genevieve is based out of Vancouver and brings modern images and applies them to vintage ephemera, fabrics and wood. Contact Bittersweet Genevieve through email at bittersweetgenevieveATgmailDOTcom. 
Kolsoy & Bouchard
  Michelle Kosoy & Pierre Bouchard are the artists behind the Toronto design studio Kosoy & Bouchard. Michelle's pieces are refined ceramic pressware, while Pierre uses glass to create luminous sculptures. Their products are available at Red Heron Essentials and Lucca, 2031 Yonge St. (at Davisville) 416-485-4999 in Toronto as well as in their studio /showroom. Thanks to reader Angelune from Toronto Craft Alert for the heads up.  
New Arrivals
 It's going to be a papergoods day here at D's Guest Blog. I'm hopelessly attracted almost to greeting cards, letterpressed ones mostly, and with Valentines Day and spring on it's way, I'm stoked to share a few new ones I've seen this week. For starters, (above) Sesame Letterpress's latest arrival, this very sweet Victorianesque Bordered Baby Congrats Card. Very sweet and just hot off their flickr link! And another one a little harder to see, but equally swoon-worthy, (below) a Hot Air Balloon Thank You Note. 
Valentine Paper Goods
A few Valentines Day cards from Luxe Paperie: Take Out (Snow & Graham); Missing You (Seraph Stationery); Cutie Pie (Snow & Graham); Perfect Match (Snow & Graham).    
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