Design*Sponge Guest Blog

San Francisco Sources.

2007-04-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

•timeless treasures•

As promised, here are a bunch of my favorite spots around San Francisco that I like to shop and some places I just like to spend timing visiting. Most are boutiques and vintage shops I'd much rather frequent than the giant and dreaded mall-o-generic. Over in my own Pacific Heights neighborhood, I always visit Timeless Treasures for vintage letters and unique gifts. This place is what I like to call 'Alphabet City' and owner Joan is a wonderful hostess. I also love Paper Source when I'm jones-ing for cool stationary, beautiful cards, ribbon and wrapping papers. Zinc Details has super hip accessories for your home and they also continue to rotate local artists' work on their walls, which I always love seeing. It's like shopping in your favorite local art gallery.

• zinc details•

Over on Polk Street, from Filbert to Sacramento Streets. there's a batch of lovely new shops popping up, as well as my favorite old standards. Swallowtail being one of the latter, carries the most unique vintage furniture and accessories around. If I owned a shop, this would be it.

•swallowtail•

Mascara Vintage, Picnic and Bella Cose all have great vintage clothing and home accessories. They're all small, mom & pop type shops that carry local designers' new work as well as cool flea market finds, which is my favorite kind of business to support.

•picnic•

Just over the hill in North Beach (our own Little Italy) is the one of a kind shop Aria. They carry just about everything you never knew you were looking for. Owner Bill Haskell rounds up the coolest, and the oddest of oddities and there's usually some melancholy French music drifting in the air. This is just a wonderful old shop to linger in after a cappuccino at one of the many Italian cafes nearby.

•aria•

Rae Dunn's wonderful ceramics can be seen in the ceramic gallery Verdigris that she co-owns and operates, located in San Francisco's infamous Cannery Building. I love her simple and very modern zen looking pottery work.

•rae dunn•

Over in always hopping Hayes Valley there's some great little boutique shops I frequent. Lavish, Flight 001, Friend and Rose and Radish are all really great for gifts, unique art and fun decor finds. For vintage and funky furniture I stop in Zonal, and always Propeller for beautiful modern furniture, lighting and accessories and also because the owners love to feature emerging designers (and they're also really nice!). Alabaster is just plain gorgeous eye candy everywhere you look.

•alabaster•

•And some must-sees off the beaten path•

The Alameda Flea Market • It happens every first Sunday of the Month. It's huge, so wear your comfy shoes, dress in layers and have some of the kettle korn they serve there. It's really good. But, bring your own cup of coffee-to-go. That's just me being truthful - do not wait in the coffee line while many of the treasures to be found pass you by. It's just not up to par with the stuff here waiting to be seen and grabbed. Half of my apartment is furnished from here and there are some really good bargains to be found. I hardly ever miss this flea market and I never wait in the coffee line.

• alameda flea market •

Take one of the old trolleys to the The Ferry Building Marketplace. This historical San Francisco landmark built in 1898 was the gateway to every immigrants' and sailors' arrival in San Francisco. It has now been converted into a gourmet's paradise. Wine tasting, amazing Ciao Bella Gelato, fresh fruits and vegetables, a meat market, the Cowgirl Creamery for the best cheese on the planet, The Slanted Door for the best Vietnamese food ever, gorgeous pastries and cupcakes at Miette and killer fish tacos and tamales at Mijita. It also hosts a local Farmer's Market every Saturday and Tuesday afternoon. It's a really fun afternoon of tasting, eating and I find it always inspires me to hunt for the best and freshest ingredients to take home and prepare my own favorite dishes.

• san francisco ferry building marketplace •

Lastly, just take a walk anywhere in San Francisco, as it is a city for walking (it's only 7 miles x 7 miles). Maybe start on Russian Hill for beautiful views of the entire bay from the Golden Gate to Tiburon to Berkeley and beyond. From there stroll on down Macondray Lane. This the famous lane in Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, one of the original indie films (Parker Posey & Laura Linney are both in it) based on decandent life in 1976 San Francisco. A good one to watch before visiting, for the clothes and hair if nothing else.

• macondray lane •

It's been so much fun being here. Thanks again Grace for having me and your warm hospitality. I hope you'll all visit San Francisco soon, and if you do I'll hear you had a great time visiting these favorites of mine. And trust me, skip Fisherman's Wharf. You'll be a much better visitor for it.

xo, Victoria
sfgirlbybay

Almost at the end.

2007-04-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

Since I'm winding down here on my guest posts at Design*Sponge, I thought I'd leave you all with my gratitude for all the lovely comments you posted and a bit of a source list of my favorite San Francisco haunts (in addition to the ones I've previously told you about). I've had a fabulous two weeks here, and wish I had time to post more (damn that 9-5 job!). I am so honored to have been invited by Grace. She really is my design blog hero.

I hope y'all will visit San Francisco one day and when you do, stay away from Fisherman's Wharf. Instead visit some of the places I will post for you tomorrow. I think you'll find they have a much better San Francisco vibe than any tourist trap could ever give you. It's a wonderful place to live, and to visit. Should you ever plan a trip here, feel free to write me and let me know what you seek. I'll be glad to help. Look for this post tomorrow. I had every intention of posting tonight, but I need more time to give you the list San Francisco, and you, deserve.
xo, Victoria (aka sfgirlbybay)

Behold Art.

2007-04-19T21:51:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite resources for inexpensive, yet wonderful and unique artwork is the online art gallery, The Beholder. San Francisco-based curator, creator Suzanne Shade is one of the most soft-spoken, artistic and lovely people you'd ever want to meet. She and I met just about a year ago working on a pro-bono photo exhibit project together and have been fast friends ever since. I completely admire Suzanne's efforts to share the work of various emerging artists on her site, her philosophy being to bring artists and collectors together online, outside the traditional gallery system. These are artists seeking to connect with a larger audience; and collectors seeking new artists. A natural connection.

The Beholder represents a wide range of reasonable priced mediums including photography, drawings and paintings, for first time collectors and those looking to make additions to their growing collections. If you're feeling trepidatious about putting your foot in the collectors' world, they offer seven day trial periods, a brilliant idea Suzanne had, so you can view the art in your surroundings and see how it feels at home.

California Home & Design magazine did a lovely write up on The Beholder back in November. In the article, I really related to how Suzanne described the intimidating feeling one can get from gallery owners on first-time art buying trips. It's this philosophy that inspired Suzanne to create The Beholder online gallery. A place to get your feet wet, learn more about your personal taste in art, and discover some great talent that may have not yet made it to gallery walls. And, all at affordable prices for first time collectors. She provides a fabulous online resource for us newbies to the art buying world.

To see more of The Beholder's new artists and get occasional updates, sign up for Suzanne's mailing list.

The Mission.

2007-04-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

Like a lot of cities, San Francisco has its neighborhoods, each one reflecting its own unique personality. There's quite a lot of diversity from one neighborhood to the next here, and just after traveling a few blocks, it sometimes feels as though you're visiting another town, which I just love. Some days you just ask yourself what you're in the mood for and go.

If it's a lazy Saturday and you're not quite not up to the whole wash, blow dry, and getting all gussied up bit, you might head south, over to The Mission, where things are a bit grittier, and it's probably somewhat cool to look like you just rolled out of bed. It's got wonderful old, colorful and vibrant Victorians, funky shops, corner fruits and vegetable grocers and it's full of Latino culture. It's one of my favorite neighborhoods for its food, nightlife and especially thrift shops.

In the Mission I have three favorite stops (four, if you count Taqueria San Francisco for the most excellent and cheap burrito ever). I always hit The Apartment, X21 Modern and Thriftown. Yes, Thriftown.

The Apartment, run by partners Lann Ballard and Lino Beles, is a funky second-hand furniture shop featuring lots of vintage-modern, mid-century pieces at really reasonable prices. The partners are super nice and they just might bargain a bit if you're nice, too. I scored this great end table I found there for a steal. There's lots of wonderful old portrait paintings, vintage postcards, accessories and kitschy finds.

X21 Modern is just as funky, but a bit pricier, mostly because they carry some really, beautiful collectible vintage-modern furniture. But I head on down to the basement, where piled high amongst a ton of furniture, lamps, dressers and who knows what else, are some real gems. On my last visit to X21, they were playing the theme music from Disneyland's Haunted Mansion and I was in Heaven. Talk about a flashback - my parents furniture everywhere and then that music! You can also tour their inventory online by category.

Ah, and then there's Thriftown. What a gem. Pretty much a down and dirty thrift shop, but hey, you've gotta work for your treasures sometimes. This neighborhood, the corner of Mission and 17th Street, is a tad edgy, unless of course you like hookers and drug dealers with your bargains. But, it is a fun adventure and has two giant floors of everything from vintage clothing, to turntables, to some pretty great furniture finds and home accessories. I saw this vintage modern lounge chair for ten dollars (granted it needed cushions, but for ten dollars, no problem) and got six of these fun chartreuse dishes for a dollar! I'm not going to lie, it kind of smells like moth balls in Thriftown, and you're going to need to dig, but trust me, there are some good finds here.

And over on Valencia Street, one block west of Mission, it's just a cornucopia of vintage, thrift and modern furniture stores (not to mention the clothes and shoe shops). There's Architectural Elements for new furnishings and accessories; Paxton Gate which carries really cool garden and architectural elements and fragments, like moldings, fretwork pieces, urns and columns; the ultra-hip Monument, which stocks extremely hard to find pieces of vintage furniture in pristine condition (like these below) and Therapy with both clothing and cool furniture finds and modern kitsch.

I hope I've shared the flavor and feeling of The Mission. It's not on most tour guides, but it's not to be missed if you like getting the real feel of a city and its culture.

Pardon no posts.

2007-04-18T23:03:00.000-07:00

Blogger is running amok tonight and the photos have gone haywire. I have new posts ready to go, and as soon as Blogger straightens itself out, I'll be back up.

San Francisco Ceramics.

2007-04-18T00:05:00.000-07:00

Ceramics and graphic artist Diana Fayt is one of my favorite San Francisco talents. Moving to San Francisco in the early nineties, like many artists Diana made her way as a server, at Firefly restaurant (another San Francisco favorite not to be missed) for a decade, while experimenting with her printmaking and ceramics, culminating in the beautiful work she creates today.

Diana has also been venturing into the world of graphics and illustration on and off for the past few years, most recently creating a gorgeous 2007 calendar printed on Japanese paper, which was featured in the December issue of Domino.

Each year Diana gravitates towards different colors and color combinations, but also stands by her old favorites. This year it seems to be all about green, orange, and red, a much brighter palette than we're used to from Diana, but I quite like it. But then, I like all her work!

To keep up with Diana's newest work, gallery exhibits and workshops, drop in at her blog, One Black Bird.

Nesting Instinct.

2007-04-17T01:56:00.000-07:00

Depending on how you look at it, it's either really fantastic, or a dreaded curse to live as close as I do to the Fillmore Street Shopping District. There are so many lovely local boutiques on this block that one could presumably shop from dawn to dusk and stop in between for coffee ten times, eat a few meals and never hit the same cafe or shop twice. I kid you not. And one of my very favorite haunts is Nest. Nest is quite like a French Flea Market with a little Moroccan Street Market thrown in for good measure. Lots of fun ethnic looking accessories with loads of unique flair.

Nest has the most beautiful vintage furnishings and accessories, gorgeous glassware, soaps and candles, colorful, bohemian and luxurious bedding, pillows and throws of French, Moroccan, Indian, Chinese ethnic styles. If you've got an eclectic eye, you'll love visiting this shop. Although it's not inexpensive, just wandering around you're sure to gain inspiration, and there's always a few lovely things I find I can afford.

Everything in the shop is unique and very often, handmade. Among flowing caftans and beaded slippers you'll find antique chandeliers and ornate bird cages, lots of kitschy Parisian knickknacks, jewelry, travel books and souvenirs, as well as handmade bags and jewelry. All gathered on buying trips from around the world including Paris, London, the Far East and even our local Alameda Flea Market, where I've have seen the owners leaving with their cart piled high with gorgeous pieces I missed just to catch a few more zzzzz's. Nest is definitely one of those places that's has nothing to do with 'need' and everything to do with 'want'. Lots of luxuries for those days when you need a little gift to yourself. Go on, you deserve it. Visit Nest at 2300 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, 94115 • 415-292-6199

EmmaRose Papery.

2007-04-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

I am super proud of my friend Eszter Rabin of EmmaRose Papery. She took a big risk, and chucked the world of advertising (yeah!), bought a couple of old letter presses and started up shop in her basement garage. She has been busy ever since, most recently designing and printing an invitation for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, and a whole slew of June weddings. She creates a lovely line of custom designed wedding invitations, stationery and cards that are uniquely personal, and has just introduced her baby line, which offers really sweet birth announcements, shower invitations and thank you notes.

Eszter is special because she really talks to her clients (she's an amazing and intuitive listener) and is inquisitive about the small details of the momentous events they are planning. She amazes her clients with truly personal and intimate graphic icons, incorporating unique aspects of their lives into her designs.

Originally from Hungary (I love her accent!) Eszter is a student of art in both Europe and the United States. EmmaRose Papery combines bits of her European culture and modern American simplicity. Eszter currently lives in San Francisco with her husband and their cat, Rose and dog LuLu. Lately, she is often found in the company of her clients, who not surprisingly, have become fast friends with this thoughtful, talented and authentic girl.

Week Two: San Francisco Stories.

2007-04-16T00:16:00.000-07:00

I have lived in San Francisco for 13 years now. Lucky 13. I grew up in the burbs of Los Angeles and almost every summer my family would load into the little red bug, at the crack of dawn, for a road trip up north. That's when I first fell in love with this city.

Later, and long grown up, when I decided I wanted a big life change, San Francisco is where I headed. I didn't know anyone here, save for one person who moved to Chicago the week I arrived. She left me with a clock radio and the keys to her now barren apartment, to use until her lease ran out. I improvised by going out and buying two rubber rafts (the cheap, neon colored, blow up kind), duct taped them together, sprang for some cowboy-themed flannel sheets and for the next couple of weeks that was my bed. I couldn't have been happier or felt more at home. San Francisco just is the place I'm supposed to be.

13 years later I have met some of the most caring, creative and talented people you'd ever hope to know. They inspire me every day. Some of them are artists, photographers, craftsmen and designers, and many of them are good friends. And I'm going to shamelessly promote them in my posts this week. I promise you it won't be nepotistic, because as you'll see these lovely people are not only friends and acquaintances, but as I said, really talented. And you don't have to be in San Francisco to enjoy their work, as most of it is available or can be appreciated online. I'll also share with you this week some of my favorite shops, bargain-basement haunts and hangouts. I hope it'll make you want to visit.

The Art of A Party.

2007-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

A few years back I decided I'd host my own birthday party, but I didn't want the focus necessarily to be on my birthday. I just wanted to hang out with good friends, and do something creative and different. I don't even remember how I came up with the idea, but I thought it would be fun to have a Paint Your Own Portrait Party. I went out and got a pile of small canvases and some inexpensive brushes and gathered up all my tubes of watercolor paints. I recycled some old jam jars and got them all cleaned up and ready with water for cleansing the brushes.

I set up a painting station in my then Sausalito cottage basement (a dining room table with a painter's drop cloth works great and can look pretty art studio-ish). I can tell you that at first, no one would take the first move to start painting. But once everyone had a margarita in them and one brave soul started painting, everyone couldn't wait to grab a brush and channel their inner Van Gogh. Everyone created amazing portraits of themselves, their girlfriends (be careful to add enough cleavage as to not upset your girl, as happened at our party) and even some beloved pets. It was a blast. And everyone ended up with a pretty cool party favor to take home. Except Tom. Sorry, Tom. Yours was too good and I had to keep it (see above, it's good isn't it?). Trust me, it was really fun and an inexpensive way to shake up a party.

Etsy Bits of Art.

2007-04-13T00:03:00.000-07:00

If you don't yet know about Etsy, it's this wonderful online art gallery of sorts, supporting independent artists of every medium, selling their handmade goods online. There is some amazingly talented artists here and I'm always discovering something new. I'm also always surprised at how inexpensive their work is and have made a lot of great purchases at Etsy. It's one of my favorite resources for finding beautiful art and fun accessories at great prices. Here's just a few of my favorite artists.

Creative Thursday's print of original acrylic painting, Love Birds in Orange Hats. I love the titles of these prints, too.

UK based Askey creates limited edition prints of her original digital illustrations, and prints them on beautiful linen paper. I adore this print called I Like Your Shoes.

Frau Mathilda Art from Vienna, Austria's print of original acrylic painting Doglove. I can so relate.

This piece by Fifi Lapin is entitled no.57 Fifi Wears Alexander McQueen. How great is that?

I've long been a fan of The Black Apple prints. This sweet one's called Tea Time Print, but check out her other work, there's something kind of haunting about it, and I really love it.

One girl in Melbourne, Australia creates these lovely cards from vintage dictionary illustrations, printed on hand dyed fabric and sewn on cream card stock with contrasting cotton thread. So sweet.

Etsy is full of wonderful art. And although you should never buy art just because you can afford it, this site helps you afford what you love.

The Power of Flowers.

2007-04-12T16:58:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite tricks when I'm looking to brighten up my apartment, is to add some fresh cut flowers around the place. I like to make a habit of heading over to our local San Francisco Flower Mart on Fridays, so I've got bouquets all weekend long, when I'm around to enjoy them and have friends coming by. The flower mart is good, because you can can get great flowers and plants at slightly higher than wholesale prices (unless you have a resale license, in which case you can buy them at wholesale prices!). So check around your city for the closest market. I'm a sunflower or gerber daisy kinda girl - they're such happy flowers and I can usually find a good bunch for under $10. Another one of my favorite spots for flowers is Trader Joe's, a neighborhood market that's popping up all over the country. I believe one just opened in NYC. They have super inexpensive bouquets starting at just $2.99! They also have live orchids and other small house plants, sometimes potted in some very nice containers.

Whether it's cut flowers, or live plants, both add a fresh look and a bit of color to your home. And live plants (I'm not talking crazy vines everywhere!) obviously last much longer, so they're even less expensive and get you more bang for your buck, so to speak. And growing fresh herbs is the best! Not only do they look great and smell so tranquil, but there's also a really good feeling you get when you trim off a sprig of your own rosemary to toss into your recipe. I don't know why, it's just gratifying and makes me smile. If you've had trouble growing your own perhaps check in with You Grow Girl for forums and advice.

Succulents are really cool, too (especially if you've got a black thumb and kill every orchid in sight, like I am prone to do). These modern, and yet slightly prehistoric looking species are quite resilient. They can withstand a lot of climate changes and a whole lot of neglect. I plant mine in funky containers - sometimes vintage pottery I've gotten at flea markets or thrift stores, and they look pretty cute (and also make nice hostess gifts). Flowers and plants, nature's little way of brightening your home on a budget.

Mix It Up.

2007-04-12T00:05:00.000-07:00

As I've said, I really like to make my decorating investments in larger pieces of furniture of excellent quality and then add to them with less expensive accessories and accent pieces. I also really like to mix things up and create an eclectic look that reflects my taste and personality. Nothing cookie-cutter, please.

Thus, this example. A Design Within Reach Case Study Day Bed. I've always loved the simple lines of this classic piece and it's a perfect palette to work around. To soften the lines of this sofa, I'd add a fluffy throw like this Tessuto throw by CB2 in a pale chartreuse. Some colorful art on the walls could start with this inexpensive Winter Print from iso50 and then perhaps I might invest in a lovely painting by artist Camilla Engman. This super cheap Urban Outfitters Floral Flocked lampshade and a bright slipcover made from some Amy Butler Fabric create accents that funk up the look a bit and give the room a touch of the ornate to play off the mid-century day bed. Toss in a bit more color to pick up the tones in Camilla's painting and Amy's fabrics with an Urban Outfitters Chenille Shag Rug, at a real big bargain price. A pair of these beautiful Room & Board Wegner Stools placed in front of the daybed serve as a unique and nontraditional coffee table. All in all, a mix of a few quality pieces with even more less expensive fun ones create a look that's completely unique. Just the way I like it.

Maybe I Want To Look Cheap or...How to Make Art on the Down Low.

2007-04-11T23:22:00.000-07:00

Many of us have the tools we need to make fabulous and very personal art inexpensively right at our own finger tips. I'm talking basic color copiers, people. And, just about everyone has a digital camera, Photoshop, scanners and whatnot these days, and it's a great way to create affordable artwork. On most color copiers you can enlarge an image up to 11" x 17", plenty large enough for framing, and although not perfect reproduction, it can give images a cool, gritty look, like my Italian movie poster above, or my hula-hoop girls below, which I enlarged from a postcard! I've enlarged maps, and they have a pretty cool look, too.

If you work in a creative industry, like I do...you've probably got one of these tools at your disposal. But if, by chance, you work at Dunkin' Donuts and don't have access to the necessary company-provided equipment, simply check out your local Kinko's (just be patient with the humankind who work there). All you need is a photo you love, a picture torn from a magazine, an old band flyer...whatever it is you'd like to see adorning your walls and have a hankering to display. If you've got a digital camera or you can get your image scanned (maybe a friend has a scanner?) at the highest resolution possible (300 DPI is good!), you can save your image on a disk. Then take your disk to your local color copier shop and have them output your image on a large format color printer. They'll turn your favorite image into a poster-sized or oversize photo enlargement. And if you want, they can even mount your poster or laminate it to preserve and protect your photo.

As I mentioned in a post below, Ikea has some great, inexpensive frames, like all of these shown (search 'Ribba' frame), with matting and glass already cut for you. Just measure the inside dimensions of your matting - print out your image at those dimensions (plus add at least a 1/4" bleed to your image so the matte covers the edges) and lay the photocopy in the matte and va-voom - you've got art! This is an old photo I enlarged of my brother, our mum and me riding the San Francisco cable cars in the 60's. Check my mod little ensemble and mum's rad shades ala Jackie-O. Nice memories and mementos make great and super affordable art.

The Bargain Books - Part One.

2007-04-11T00:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the series of books I'm going share this week aren't really bargain books per se, but rather books that show you how to bargain some good design ideas. The first book I want to share is Amy & David Butler's Found Style, Vintage Ideas for Modern Living.

I think there's a lot of good inspiration here and a lot of useful suggestions for 'found stuff'. I quite like this design manifesto - turning something mundane into something unexpected. And I also like the green, recycling aspect of this idea. An old shoe rack turned into sewing kit. A medical table gets a new life as receptacle for bathroom accessories. A vintage dress form serves as a spot to hang and display your favorite bags (I have one of these and love it!).

David and Amy Butler have exquisite (and really fun) taste and a unique approach to creating spaces that are undeniably stylish. They also do a great job of educating us in flea market savvy, and blending vintage and modern with unexpected panache without being too fussy or cluttered. There's also a sense of humor, or of not taking oneself too seriously here that I like.

Found Style is the perfect guide to creating an eclectic personal style, and with over 200 color photos, there's something here for every taste. Some of it may look a bit shabby chic, but I think if you put your own spin on found objects it'll work for you, no matter what your style.

I am a big fan of the found object, as you are probably finding out. Here's a few of my latest finds: a bolt of vintage fabric from the flea market and a pink throw from a shop going out of business (1/2 off!); an old finial used as mantel decor next to some teak candlesticks; a vintage throw pillow; my faithful deer planter used as a mini book holder; vintage photo of a misbehaving child in an ornate, white frame; and some white Gerber Daisy's in my new birch bark vase from Small Stump. Now it's your turn for hunt and seek. Have fun!

The Idea of Ikea.

2007-04-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

On with sharing my thoughts on thrifty design. I think a lot of people think of Ikea as decor for your first apartment right out of college. Or perhaps while you're in college. And Ikea is an excellent resource for those on a tight budget, but originating in Sweden, they're bound to have some great design too, right? I thought I'd share some pieces I've bought there, as well as some new pieces they have that are pretty great and, of course, very affordable. Oh, and I'm going to apologize right off the bat for the lack of direct links - for some reason Ikea's rarely work.

Part of my design philosophy is that I'd rather purchase a really well made and possibly expensive sofa, dining table or any piece of furniture that is the real focal point of a room, and then decorate inexpensively around it. Accessories at Ikea are a prime example. I bought the little white vases (they're very Jonathan Adler, no?) and planter for $1.99 each. The frame is their Ribba frame and it comes in lots of great sizes and finishes (birch, white, & metal) and has a pre-cut matte and glass. I think the largest one is about 28" x 39" for only $30.

This is their Docksta Dining Table. I found it surprisingly sturdy and a pretty good Saarinen knock-off. I put some vintage Mies van de Roh Cantilever chairs around mine and I'm quite happy with the look.

These fun, colorful lacquered Önska round boxes are $4.99 for the whole happy set of 12.
I love this great Mid-Century Danish Modern knock-off Stockholm Coffee Table. It has a functional second tier which is nice for stacking coffee table books and displaying small accessories or stashing the remote (I hate the look of remotes!).

I'm also a huge fan of these $3.99 Polarvide throws. They have this sweet little die-cut pattern and fringe and they're super soft. In person, they look really expensive! I got my mum one at Christmas and she thought it was gorgeous (fooled her, didn't I?).

They've also got a large and well designed selection of chairs. I like all of these and they're all under $50.

This set of two sweet Maränge teacups, wooden tray and spoons are $7.99. They look so peaceful and pretty for tea time with a nice brew of jasmine pearls.

I hope I've left you with an open mind to the idea of Ikea. Just remember there's some pretty fun stuff there that will leave you much more in your wallet for the bigger purchases.

Have No Shame.

2007-04-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

Here I am, design*sponge guest blogger. It's a such an honor and also, a little hard to comprehend. Some of you might know my blog, sfgirlbybay, and some of you might be like, "who?" I've only been around a little while, since last June, and have long admired Grace, so to be here is, well, slightly intimidating! I plan to focus my first week of posts on what I believe my forte to be - thrifty design. I'm kind of flea market obsessed, I thrill to the sight of yard sale signs and have been known to pick a thing or two off a street corner. I have no shame, and have some pretty cool finds to prove it.
So...to get started, today's post is going to focus on the importance of giving up the idea that having a great place means you've gotta spend a lot. It's just not true, and I have an apartment full of examples. So to encourage the evolution of your purchasing patterns from spendy to saving, I'll show you a few of my many finds. All of the vintage jars above, where I keep my make-up essentials, were just a few dollars. The funky tray, sweet little bird cage and black coral were all under $5, too.

The vintage mirror up top was found at an L.A. yard sale for a mere $10. It's super heavy, but I've trekked it everywhere I've lived over the years and finally all the way up to San Francisco. It's prized possession.

This old school house chalkboard was a score. An art director left it behind where I work. He didn't want it, as it's actually 'broken' because it's supposed to be on a stand, but I like it just as it is. And it was free.

This is where the trash picker in me shines. The old wicker chair was on the side of the road in an upscale shopping area. I swerved to the side of the road and threw it in the back seat of my convertible bug, as wealthy mothers with children in strollers stood staring, mouth's agape with incredulity. It doesn't look like much, but I have it now in the bath with fresh, white towels stacked on it and it looks just great. They never would have guessed. I did, however, pay for the little 70's pillow. It was a whole $7 and I love it. It's got a really unique shape. The metal stool, again picked off the street. Covered in dabs of an artist's paint and lots of history.

I found this beautiful buffet at a yard sale, covered in hideous beige paint. Again, I carted into the back of my bug and took it to my mum's garage where I stripped off all the paint amidst highly toxic fumes, sanded it and polished up the natural wood. And the pièce de résistance? It was just $5!

So you'll see, good things can be found. Sometimes there's a wee bit of work involved, but the satisfaction and happiness from these found gems is worth every bit. Shameless, indeed.

thanks everybody!

2007-03-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to express my appreciation to Grace for having me these past two weeks, and to all the readers who sent in emails. Also thanks so much to those who contributed articles. It was such a great experience connecting with the D*S audience in this way. I hope the handmade wedding guide has been fun and helpful to read!

more handmade gifts

2007-03-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

And continuing the crafty gifts theme, this afternoon's last post starts off with Karen who wrote in about Judy Lee's bookbinding tutorial for making a photo journal on her blog five and a half. Judy's lesson includes loads of pictures and very clear instructions. (So glad to find Judy's great blog!) Karen writes:

"Using a photo of the couple, a sentimental place, or something from the wedding theme would be a great handmade gift; if the wedding is small the bride can even make little notebooks as her wedding favors."

And speaking of photos, here is some beautiful collage work by German artist Sandra Muller posted on her blog. Sandra's work has an heirloom feeling, with all of these pretty vintage family photos. She also has an esty shop if you'd like to collect some collage materials for projects or just inspiration.

And Heather Samples sent in some great photos and links. When she got married in her home state of West Virginia last spring, she received loads of handmade gifts from her loved ones. Heather writes:

"West Virginia has long been the stateside capital of glassmaking. Blenko still handblows their iconic water jug (in continual production since 1938) thirty miles from my hometown.

Although the older generation of quilters is dying out, there are still breathtaking hand-stitched quilts to be had, made on the old stretchers by women who've been doing it all their lives. This one came from a cooperative of elderly home quilters called Cabin Creek Quilts. Cabin Creek announced this month that they can no longer afford to stay in business, but you can find other pieces at www.mountainmade.com

Allegheny Treenware is the best place to find handmade wooden utensils and kitchenwares.

Finally, the bar cutting board was made by woodworker Brenda Good. More of her work (along with that of lots of other West Virginia artisans, including potters, more quilters and glassworkers) can be found at www.tamarackwv.com" Thanks for these great resources, Heather!

And finally today, there are so many talented quilters selling their goods on etsy, including a personal favorite Little Quilts. You can check out etsy's entire roster of quilters, which is - happily - expanding on a daily basis. :)

handmade gifts revisited

2007-03-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, these two weeks flew by. Today is my last day of blogging for the handmade wedding theme, and we'll be wrapping up with a great day of handmade gift ideas.

When Tony Visco and his fiance were planning their wedding, they couldn't find china pattern they liked. So instead they asked artist Yuki Murata of moderngoods to create a special registry of her unique designs for them. This idea allowed them to support an independent artist and get the tableware that suited them perfectly.

I really admire the work Jenni Hopkins, who specializes in painted and embroidered monogram pieces. It's such a perfect wedding gift, but special on any occasion.

These wooden bowls are produced by designer and craftsman Jim Doan. He handcrafts these original pieces in his Chicago studio and each is individually numbered to remind you they are truly one-of-a-kind.

And how wonderful is this line of customized dinnerware featuring the front door and family name of the bride and groom? Artist Jessica Rust can personalize any item on her site.

Katie Covington of k.talis jewelry submitted these beautiful examples of her custom wedding jewelry, that can be highly personalized:

"I use vintage and reclaimed pieces in my line of jewelry that would fit in nicely with a handmade or green wedding. Antique chandelier drops, vintage metal charms and keys are all paired with precious metals. Another idea for wedding jewelry is to make or commission a piece made that incorporates something special to the couple: stones found on the beach, initials of the bride and groom, an important image or motif. To remember family that has passed away I've created jewelry using buttons from a father's Naval uniform. Jewelry is a great to personalize a wedding and keep the people you love close to you during your big day. Almost anything can be made into jewelry with a little DIY know how."

Cindy Johnson wrote in about the R. Wood Ceramics Studio, which features a number of talented artists' work and even has a wedding registry!

And another reader recommended Miranda Thomas Pottery for great prices and exquisite handmade work.

I'll be posting some quilts later today, but I think these wedding samplers by Luci Summers are really lovely on a much smaller scale.

More gifts later, of a more crafty variety!

green weddings finale

2007-03-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

Since there were a number of readers who contributed to this topic of environmentally friendly weddings, I wanted to squeeze in one more post. I'm starting with jewelry designer Sally Brock, owner of Fancy in Seattle, who produces a gorgeous variety of reclaimed rings.

Here's Sally:

"More and more I've been getting orders for custom wedding/engagement rings. I've started collecting some vintage (really ugly 80s honking gemstone rings) removing all the stones, and recycling them for a greener alternative to purchasing new stones. Each ring is custom designed, and made entirely by hand in my Seattle studio. I also work in silver, a more affordable alternative to the usual jewelry stores- as well as gold, platinum and the fancy stuff."

Lauren Feeney of Philadelphia had this to share:

"We're having our wedding (April 14th!) at the train station (30th St.
in Philadelphia) so that our guests can ride the train instead of
driving (eco-friendly and safe!). I'd imagine most cities now have
underused train stations that may be willing to rent out space for
events. We're also sourcing foods locally when possible, giving out
tree seedlings as favors, and having Carbon Planet audit and offset the event."

And here are some more readers' tips:

Jessica Timpany, now planning her Sonoma wedding, said the following:

"We opted to use a caterer that specializes in local and organic,
sustainably grown food. The Girl and The Fig Caters is a branch of the Girl &
The Fig restaurant in Sonoma. John, their chef, knows all the local
veggie, meat, cheese people in the Sonoma Valley; and using local food
cuts down on carbon emissions. Organic food obviously reduces the
pesticides workers are exposed to and that seep into the ground.

Other things we are doing:

- Offsetting our carbon "footprint" with carbonfund.org
- Donating to breast cancer research fund in lieu of a gift to our guests.
- Using Cranes Lettra 100% cotton paper for invites, not a tree harmed!
- Organic, local and sustainably farmed flowers.
- Using many living succulents and Tillandsia (living air plants) so that
people can take them home and they can live on!

And Simone Alpen is doing the following for her Stowe, Vermont wedding:

- making our own stationery with recycled content and Gocco
- trying to find a letterpress outfit that will print on recycled content paper
- find salon near the wedding site that uses eco-friendly products (i.e. Aveda)
- we made the decision not to register for any gifts. It was hard (esp. for some
of the traditionalists in our midst!). But we decided that it didn't make sense
for us (we're in our 30's, live in a small Cambridge, MA apartment with limited
space for china settings!). So, for those that are still dying to send along
something--we'll register at a carbon off-setting site (i.e. climatecare.org)
- make our own centerpieces from seasonal and local materials
- when setting our dinner menu we're going to push for a meal that includes as
many local, organic items as possible.

Simone also recommended these resources:

portovert.com
idealbite.com
treehugger.com

Thanks so much for these wonderful contributions!

green weddings - week two

2007-03-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we're following up on last week's topic of environmentally responsible weddings. Kara over at Treehugger has contributed a great article, full of useful tips and resources. Treehugger is a fantastic blog on all things "green", so check back with them regularly for environmental news and info well beyond the topic we're covering here today. I'll be back this afternoon with a few more readers' ideas. But now I give you Kara:

"We are seeing 'green weddings' becoming more and more popular as each year passes. Even the New York Times reported that couples are taking a new look at traditional weddings and seeing green. And with that comes many more options and tips to help eco-friendly couples reduce their carbon footprint on the big day.

This past January, we saw the launch of Portovert Magazine, the only magazine dedicated to eco-chic ideas for engagement parties, bridal showers and weddings. It’s the paperless equivalent to Elegant Bride, Martha Stewart Weddings and InStyle Weddings. In February, Portovert launched the first U.S. wedding carbon calculator in partnership with Native Energy. By visiting the Native Energy’s website, visitors can easily calculate the carbon emissions produced by the principal wedding-related carbon sources: guest travel, lodging, and venue power and heat. For as little as $12 per ton of carbon offsets, brides and grooms can make a quick, easy investment in renewable energy by choosing one of three options: helping build new wind power projects, new family farm methane energy projects, or a combination of both

When it comes to planning a wedding, we like Organic Weddings, Ethical Weddings and Green Elegance Weddings. These three websites offer tips for couples looking to throw an eco-friendly wedding. Organic Weddings offers advice on catering, organic wine and beer, ceremony atmosphere notions and even music suggestions. And with the average wedding costing $25,000 today, Green Elegance Weddings makes it easier for couples to find the resources they need to direct more of their dollars towards green products and services.

We’ve written about some of the details on TreeHugger as well, including ethically made wedding dresses like Wholly Jo’s or, if you’re looking for a more sexy style, Faernyn’s Grove. And since you’ll only be wearing the dress once, you can try a
paper dress although it may be a bit far-fetched. Forego the confetti and rice and use flower petals as a beautiful yet sustainable alternative. And check out GreenKarat for ethical wedding rings. They offer a voluntary carbon offset tax, which allows you to buy credits toward neutralizing carbon emissions associated with the energy usage of mining and making jewelry. Look for invitations that are tree-free or recycled like the ones from Invite Site and when registering, look for an online store that offers eco-friendly options.

Lastly, instead of giving wedding favors consider making a donation to one of your favorite causes. With so much time and money spent and many of your closest family and friends joining you for your special day it’s a great time to make it count. After all, they have to listen to you on your day, right?"

article update

2007-03-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

And a quick note to mention, check back to yesterday morning's grow your own flowers article to see added photos!

flowers finale

2007-03-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

This morning we're finishing up flowers and decorations with lots of additions. Let's get right into it with this great submission from Kat from outside Philadelphia:

"My husband and I had a handmade, Italian garden theme with pop flourishes of a lemon, coral and magenta palette. It was a really strong combination of colors, so we were sure to combine them everywhere. A friend did the flowers - roses and
snapdragons from Costco; lanterns and ribbon hung in the garden."

Cathy Skraba creates these flower arrangement containers specifically designed to hang from chairs. Great idea, and a nice looking touch:

Speaking of flower arrangements for the aisle - Andrea Katz of Bend, Oregon had this gorgeous idea:

Laura Brunow Miner of Lawrence, Kansas hand-picked her lily bouquets and has some great tips for resources:

"I spent a week completely immersed in the concept: visiting florists, buying inexpensive flowers to experiment with arrangements, and scouring the internet.
In the end I decided upon the simple and modern Calla Lily for the bouquets. I chose four stems of stargazer lilies in a bell jar at each table for the table arrangements. The flowers came from growersbox.com and pacificcallas.com. The bell jars were very inexpensive and purchased at a grocery store."

Here is another beautiful homemade chuppah design sumitted by Robin Busch-Wheaton of Berkley, CA:

"My husband, Elliot, and I made our simple but bright chuppah using a piece of fabric from a thrift store and different lengths and widths of red and orange ribbons."

Sarah Drake of Chicago was on a budget when she assembled her flower arrangements. So simple and elegant:

"We spent about $200 at the farmers market and about $100 on vintage
medicine bottles for the reception centerpieces."

And finally a subtle and classic look from Trisha of black white bliss who simply had petals sprinkled down the aisle.

Thanks again to all the readers who wrote in. We'll move on to eco-friendly wedding ideas this afternoon, so check back later!

not for the weak-at-heart

2007-03-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

Here are a few larger-scale projects if you want to get really ambitious with your crafting. The first is another great idea from ReadyMade Magazine, a homemade chuppah made of birch tree trunks and flowers. They were even kind enough to create a special link for easy-to-follow directions. My thanks to the folks RM!

Carol Barclay of Rochester, NY sent in these great photos of her daughter's backyard summer wedding, featuring a tree branch arch and driveway stencils. They did a few heavy-duty projects for decorations, and their efforts really paid off:

"The ceremony was under a handmade sycamore arch in the back and the
dinner was under a fluttery tent in the front, so I wanted to make
the path between the areas into a special walkway. I stenciled silver scrolls the whole length of the driveway! It took over 6 hours on my knees... and we had a gathering of neighbors out checking out what I was up to."

Katy Verga of Arizona had loads of great handmade things in her wedding. I particularly liked the way they tackled the issue of baking hot weather at her backyard wedding. It's tough to pull off a weather solution that is functional AND elegant:

"Because our wedding was on a May afternoon in steaming Arizona, & we were inviting our guests to sit out beneath the near scorching sun, we knew we would need to provide some sort of shade. My creative mom came up with the idea of long stretches of sheer white fabric. We hung the strips from our roof & lengthened them to a string of wire hung throughout the trees. They worked! Lots of shade & a nice soft ambience that made the whole afternoon feel more intimate. Tiny bells hanging in the trees made for soft song when the breeze would catch them."

Thanks so much for the submissions. More flowers and decorations coming tomorrow morning...

mum balls - instructions

2007-03-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some more specific details about producing the mum balls featured last week. This link also includes some other DIT projects, so check that out if you're looking for ideas.

I'll be back later today with updates on decorations and flowers. And I've decided to extend that section to tomorrow morning, returning to eco-friendly wedding choices tomorrow afternoon.

You'll need:

Floral Foam (the green stuff)
Mums (any color you like)
Floral Pins
Army Knife
Scissors

- Use your knife to carve the floral foam into 1" - 2" spheres

- Snip off the heads of your mums

- Soak your foam spheres in water one at a time just before you are
ready to assemble each (the foam retains some of the water and will
keep your mums looking fresh)

- begin attaching the mum heads to the foam sphere with your floral
pins. Continue until you have covered all of the green foam with
mums. Now you have a mum ball! Proceed to the next.

Thanks to Maggie at Stems Floral Shop in Red Hook, New York for the instructions.

flowers - week two

2007-03-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today we have a special treat for the flowers topic! Kathleen Connally of Durham, Pennsylvania (also doing double duty as a photography writer) has put together the definitive 'grow your own flowers' guide.

Thanks for the great info Kathleen! Check back this afternoon when we'll have more great reader feedback about decorations and flowers.

bookbinding - week two

2007-03-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

And back to books! Let me start with the gorgeous journals Emily at Orangebeautiful sent over. They specialize in custom binding, stationery and design services. And they just launched a blog, so click here to see what projects they're working on now.

Marieke of Treats and Treasures sent in these handmade notebooks that she designed and printed on her Print Gocco. She wrote:

"Here are some pictures of the cahiers I just send off as gifts to the
female part of my wedding party. In the Netherlands it is tradition
that your wedding party organizes quite a lot of the wedding.
Although I did not want my best friends to work hardest on that
special day, I though I'd make it a bit easier on the few tasks they
do have."

I really love these books made by Kim O’Neill at GOOD STOCK. She specializes in creating heirloom books and family trees.

And now for some tips from readers!

Dianne Vallier had this good suggestion:

"I thought i'd let you know of one other bookbinding resource that i know about, for those people who might not live in a city where classes are offered. I've made several handmade books, and I taught myself from a book called "Handmade Books: A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your Own Books" by Kathy Blake (it is available on amazon.com). It is a great beginner's guide that is pretty easy to follow. There are instructions on how to make your own bookcloth and paste, and it includes several different methods of bookbinding (I got a little creative with some of them and altered the instructions a bit to fit my needs). Overall, I think this is a wonderful resource for those who are interested in learning this craft."

Anabella Wewer added:

"The North Bennet Street School, in the North End of Boston is one of the oldest trade school in the US. It is just two doors down from Old North Church, of Pul Revere fame, in Boston's Freedom Trail. They have some intensive classes, workshops as well as a Master Bookbinder program."

And Michelle Pinkston added this awesome resource:

"Perhaps not entirely "handmade" but i made a book from all of my friends' wedding pictures. (i also did it for my cousin's wedding...) I waited until they got their proofs back (they were all online) contacted the photographer (who graciously let me use all of the photos i wanted - it helped that the couple had purchased a copy of most of them) and then put them into a keepsake "album" using Blurb.com.

This site is great - i use it for my portfolios (i'm an architect) and for many big presentations at work. the page layouts are really basic and can be easily created in a weekend. now they have a "coffee table book" chronicling their wedding. this also works really well if you've got friends with cameras at the wedding - it could be completely candid....i like to group pictures based on different sides of the family, pictures of the couple, pictures of guests, etc. but this is a really creative way to give them a keepsake and it's relatively cheap. the quality of print you get is amazing - it's hardcover with a dust jacket - so it will keep forever! I noticed that they recently put up a section specifically geared towards wedding books - so they may have new, more appropriate templates! the site has a free, downloadable beta program that is really user-friendly...oh, and i don't work for this company, just love the results! it's a really personalized gift that the couple will remember for years!"

And finally, Jessica Lysons of Worker Bee Designs sent over these great photo flip-books that she creates for her custom clients. Jessica writes, "I had an idea of a way to possibly display the idea better in a non-video form, so I put together an image sequence showing the progression of the first kiss." If you want to see one in action, you can find her here.

invitations - week two

2007-03-18T21:08:00.000-07:00

And we're back for week two! As promised, this week I will be posting some of the great ideas I received from readers since last Monday. I want to say thanks so much to everyone who shared their photos and stories. Now let's get started with an invitations follow-up!

I really adore this invitation sent in by Audrey Diehl. This was the great work of her sister, designer Marley Diehl of San Antonio, TX:

"My sister did the invitations for my wedding (which is on April 14), and since we're getting married at a small, mid-century hotel near Palm Springs, our reply cards were inspired by the popular mid-century hobby of paint by numbers. She took photographs of our hotel and traced them, scanned them into her computer and then we had them offset printed onto postcards. We ended up using 2 designs (I have attached an image of one of them). We included a small pack of colored pencils with our invitations, and then our guests colored the "paint by number" images before they mailed back the rsvp."

And moving on to another type of printmaking, here is gorgeous silkscreen poster invitation by Erin Jang:

"I designed our invitations like a poster, since we are both huge fans
of rock posters and the silkscreened look. we had them printed at a
silkscreening rock poster printer in seattle (the printer does several
posters for subpop label and for other indie bands). we rolled them up
with a separate information sheet of directions, maps, etc, tied them
with beautiful trimming ribbons and mailed them off in tubes. our
guests loved them, we were ecstatic to hear that many people framed
them and hung them on their walls.

"I also added a couple examples of another handmade invitation I put
together (pic of yellow/orange invites w/polka dots). I created the
illustration of a crab and bear (b/c of nicknames their friends give
them) in love for the rsvp postcard. and the main invitation was
easily printed on a home printer and the corners were rounded with a
corner rounder clipper you can easily buy at any craft store." Check out more of Erin's work here.

Carolyn Burgess Sellers and her husband used the block printing method for this charming design:

"We hand carved linoleum blocks for our reception invites. I wanted them to be like little pieces of art that our guests could keep, even frame if they wanted too. On the backside of the love birds block print, was the invite."

And, after successfully creating her own invitation on her Gocco printer, Heather Toupin now has an etsy store for custom work. The printing quality is lovely and has a beautiful antique look.

Joelle McNichol and her husband of London, UK based their cool wedding programs on a Fanzine design style:

"My invites were... designed to look a bit like a gig flyer. A lot of our ideas came from our shared love of independent music and the style that goes with it. We had them printed on nice textured heavy weight cream paper".

Finally, here is an invitation created by Lisa at Good on Paper. I featured a lot of letterpress last week, but had to include this because of the really unique design.

AND, I'm very pleased to announce that Debbie and Harold at Boxcar Press and
Bella Figura, have greatly expanded the guide to creating artwork for letterpress. Please check it out!

handmade gifts (part two)

2007-03-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

We are going to continue today's handmade gift theme with a quick look at "homemade" things. This is a section I would love to expand *greatly* for next Friday, because I know it will be useful to so many readers. So if you have anything to contribute, por favor...

The time we spend making things for other people is time well spent. Period. But it also makes good economical sense in a lot of cases. The costs of pulling off a big event are always higher than we'd like them to be, so why not offset some of that expense by making gifts?

Expert crafter Kirsten Earl is in the process of planning her upcoming wedding. As a staffer over at Martha Stewart TV, Kirsten has many homemade ideas to share. Below are the lovely handbags she is personally making for each of her bridesmaids.

And here's the good news...Kirsten has just opened an etsy shop where she is selling pattern and kits for her creation.

When Breck Hostetter started planning her Massachusettes seaside wedding, she went to eBay to find vintage postcards of the town. She then made enlarged color copies of her favorites and decoupaged trays for the members of her bridal party.

NPR contributor Gretchen Wilson moved to Africa three years ago to pursue her radio journalism dreams. When she came home last summer to attend her best friend's wedding, she brought with her a quilt she made out of local textiles she found in a Johannesburg public market. I love this gift in particular because it really tells a story. :)

Send in your great homemade gift ideas here for next Friday's post!

handmade gifts (part one)

2007-03-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

Today we'll take a look at gift options. Making a gift, either for the members of your bridal party or to give to a couple getting married, is an incredibly personal gesture. But let's face it...this is not always an option for all people. If you can't or would rather not make a gift, there are many ways to support independent artists instead.

It would take weeks worth of posts to begin listing all the great artisans out there, so I thought I'd stick to some fabulous independent tablewear designers today. If you'd like to recommend any handmade gift you've given or received (or made!), submit it here!

Before we begin gathering readers' favorites together, here are some places to check out:

Clio Home

Inv/Alt Design

Lille

Papa Stour

Guild.com

Check back later today for crafty DIY ideas!

theme time: country chic

2007-03-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

When Brooklyn designers Betsy Nordlander (see yesterday’s article) and Darrick Borowski got engaged, they knew immediately where they wanted to get married. They have often taken roadtrips upstate (where Besty went to college) and feel most at home in a country environment.

When Darrick designed their invitations, he captured the spirit of the great outdoors by using animal graphics and earthtone colors. He submitted complete files to their letterpress printer, and chose clear and brown inks for a warm and subtle feel.

(PS: check back on Monday when the 'guide to submitting artwork for letterpress' section is expanded!)

All of their flowers, including the famous mum ball arrangements, were bought at the nyc flower market and put together by friends and family.

(Next Tuesday will feature more in depth instructions for these and other DIY flower arrangements for those of you with questions)

And the decorations were simply spectacular. Besty used the downstairs workshop at the MADE architecture firm (where she works in Red Hook, Brooklyn) to cut out large plywood animal shapes, and had friends and family help hang as mobiles from the tent ceiling.

They even had their cake-maker reproduce the animal shapes in marzipan.

The lighting inside the tent was mostly christmas lights and candles, so the effect was breathtaking. This is one of those cases in which the wedding really represented the spirit and personalities of the bride and groom. Thanks Darrick and Betsy for sharing!

Readers' Note: Some of the DIY wedding features have been pulling double-duty this week by appearing in more than one section. But rest assured, next week will be greatly expanded as many folks have contributed ideas and photos for each day. Thanks to everyone who has participated, as the original idea was to make this a collection of readers' ideas more than a one-person perspective! If you'd like share your craft tips, send them here!

theme time: city slickers

2007-03-14T20:52:00.002-07:00

I thought it would be fun to dedicate today (and next Thursday) to theme ideas. Not only is this a fun collaborative process, but it's also a great way to tell a story about who you are to your family and friends.

Today I'm going to focus on two couples who went this route, but chose very different directions. This morning we'll start with Allisyn Levy and Jason Culler.

The ultimate urban couple, Allisyn and Jason actually met on the New York City subway system when they were both riding the F-train to Coney Island to catch a Bjork concert. Allisyn is a public school teacher here in new york, and the venue they chose for their downtown wedding is called Public. So this theme of "public places and things" really fell into place from the start.

Allisyn's best friend works in the music business and had concert posters made & plastered over the entire wall across from Public. Illegal? Mmmm...perhaps, but an unmistakable part of the typical nyc landscape.

They had these great ticketmaster concert tickets printed as save-the-dates for their upcoming nuptials.

And, as we saw on Monday, they based their invitation design on public library cards.

And a few more great handmade touches to share...

Instead of having guests sign a book for well-wishes, Allisyn and Jason made a "guest tree/mobile" out of contorted willow. After the wedding they hung their tree in their living room so they could enjoy it long after the wedding day had passed.

And Allisyn embroidered their chuppah with their favorite Bjork lyrics. Like I said, the ultimate city kids!

Thanks K+A for sharing these great ideas. I'll be back this afternoon with a country wedding that will knock your socks off. And if you had, or are planning, a theme wedding I'd love to hear from you!

more greenery

2007-03-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

One of the great benefits of handmaking your own flower arrangements and decorations is that you have an opportunity to make ethically responsible choices for your wedding. Stay tuned for a guide to growing your own flowers (which will be up soon), but for now Betsy Nordlander has written a great article on keeping your "wedding footprint" small.

I would love to dedicate next Wednesday to eco-friendly wedding ideas, so please send in your ideas!

music making

2007-03-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about this morning's post because I've brought a real expert on board. Most of us have become pretty comfortable composing playlists and navigating iTunes, but today we're taking it to the next level.

Steve Sargent has written a great article about how to plan and play all your own wedding music. So here I give you DJ Steve's guide to wedding playlists.

And if you'd like to take a gander at his playlist, you can find it here.

(PS: thanks to KC for the photo!)

flowers and tables (2)

2007-03-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

D*S reader Jennifer Lackey, who is planning a September wedding, was kind enough to forward this great find. These rustic birch wrap vases are great for any season, available from Small Stump.

And the always impressive folks at ReadyMade Magazine did a number of articles on wedding decorations in the Feb/March 2006 issue. I'm going to be featuring some more tips from this issue later, but you can buy a back copy to get the full scoop. Here are some table centerpieces made with blood oranges and canned flowers.

Here is a much-loved heirloom shamrock (oxalis) plant belonging to my family. My great aunt gave it to my grandmother about forty years ago, and we've been making offshoot plants from it ever since.

My cousin John got married a few years ago, so we started a bunch of new shoots nine months in advance. When the wedding day finally rolled around, we were able to use them as lush and charming centerpieces. Guests took them home at the end of the night, which was a special way to share a part of our family history with them. Planting them in teacups adds an extra touch.

Oh, and speaking of giving away centerpieces... One reader was wondering about what happened to the goldfish after this wedding. The couple had loads of neices and nephews, so after clearing it with their parents they gave each of the kids the goldfish of their choice. And if you're thinking of using this idea for your tables, remember to fill the vases with water the night before so it will be room temperature when you put your fish in. And have a plan in mind for the end of the night!

I'm a huge fan of Laurie Cinotto's arrangements. Although some of the more intricate styles are best when left in the hands of the experts, I thought these two simple looks fit nicely into the DIY category. Be sure to start practicing growing your wheatgrass a few months in advance so you have an idea of when it will be at its peak.

Kate Bingaman used bold colors and patterns to decorate her casual outdoor wedding. Here's Kate:

"About the tablecloths: I have an addiction to collecting fabric from thrift stores and for my wedding I asked my mom to sew 18 table cloths made from all of my fabric scraps.

About the dishes: I cleaned out thrift stores in northern mississippi and northern alabama searching for vintage dishes. I almost found 150 settings (I was picky...only floral designs from the 60s and 70s). I ended up supplementing with colorful plastic dishes for the settings that I came up short on."

And speaking of color, Johanna Poole from Grand Rapids, Michigan had a huge raw banquet space for her reception. They used pillow stuffing and blue felt to create homemade clouds and rain drops, and hung them from the ceiling. The guests absolutely loved them.

And along these lines, Sally Struever is now planning her wedding at her grandmother's farm in Blue Hill, Maine. She's having a friend design and knit lacey table coverings with yarn spun from the sheep last year. They're still in the design phase, but I couldn't resist posting a shot of the guys who inspired the whole idea. :)

flowers and tables (part 1)

2007-03-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

I was planning on splitting today's posts into separate flower and table decoration categories, but once I started gathering ideas they began to spill into each other. So today will be a mix of both, divided into a few different installments.

Let's get started with Amsterdam's Marieke Berghuis, who created these beautiful felt coverings for her table flower arrangements. Not only are they eye-catching, but they save you the expense of purchasing fancy flower pots. Marieke got her inspiration and pattern instructions from Marianne of the awesome Applehead blog. Check here for detailed instructions, and to find loads of other amazing projects.

And yesterday's Susie Kilshaw shares her lovely table decoration ideas below. Susie and her husband were married in her hometown of Victoria BC, so they chose to go with very simple table decorations and flowers that matched their seaside surroundings.

Instead of large flower centerpieces, they went with glass vases filled with goldfish and underwater plants. A few vibrant gerbera daisies scattered around the perimeter matched the goldfish swimming inside, while small pieces of driftwood and stones decorated the outer edges.

Then for the head tables, they placed engraved silver trays down the center and covered them with moss collected from beach and small grape hyacinths. At the end of the evening, each member of the bridal party went home with one of the centerpiece silver trays. All of these ideas are inexpensive and simple but stunning.

And I'm excited to share these paper flower decoration ideas from Mackenzie Sala, who has provided detailed instructions on how to construct the below arrangements. These work great for table decorations and colorful flower arrangements. Click here for a how-to guide, and find many other great ideas while you're there.

And finally, here is Amy Chin putting the final touches on her friends' table arrangements. A few people have already written about the stunning white "mum balls". It's worth mentioning that these are quite labor intensive, as they require clipping the stems from each flower and securing the head to a styrofoam ball with straight pins.

If you have some friends to help you out, this is a gorgeous and dramatic presentation. The rest is filled in with hanging green amaranthus and moss balls bought from a floral supply store.

Check in later today as the fun continues... And, as usual, please send in your ideas!

bookbinding 101

2007-03-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

Here is another great craft to explore for wedding projects. I hope this post is helpful if you want to make your own guest book, or special gifts for your wedding party - or if you want to find an expert binder to work with. Let's start with the experts.

I stopped by Paper Dragon Books recently to watch as bookbinder Gavin Dovey created a custom wedding album. The style was based on the design of the mother of the bride's own wedding album, a lovely vintage white cover with guilded edges. Paper Dragon has a brand new storefront in Manhattan and produces custom book and letterpress projects.

A friend of mine recently went to specialty bookbinder Sara Auster when she wanted to have a book project designed for her husband-to-be. She printed out all the emails she had exchanged with her fiance in making their wedding plans, and had Sara bind them into a hardcover book. Very old meets new, and a great gift idea.

Nancy Loeber is one of my favorite collage artists, and she also creates the most gorgeous book projects. She incorporates collage and hand-stitching into many of her covers, which make each project completely unique. Check out her website and blog to see some previous projects.

Now onto learning how to create your own books. Below is a list of classes to learn the craft of bookbinding. And please email me here if you know any more!

The Paper Studio
The American Academy of Bookbinding
Hyde Park Art Center
Briar Press Classified
Make Workshop
Paper Dragon Books
Center for Book Arts
Minnesota Center for Book Arts
San Francisco Center for the Book
Virginia Arts of the Book Center
Chicago Center for Book & Paper Arts

Finally, there are so many talented book artists to choose from if you're looking to support an independent artist. Here is just some of the great work I found while prowling around Etsy.

Stellaloella

Handstitchery

Littleputbooks

And I'm sounding like a broken record, but please let me know if you'd like to add any tips or suggestions.

you are invited...

2007-03-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

Aside from picking a date and venue, the first thing you'll probably need to do in the planning process is work on invitations. The golden rule here is that, more than anything, your invitations should represent you and the tone of your wedding. So while a formal style makes sense for some, more innovative and colorful invitations work better for others. If you have some room for experimentation in this area, why not flex your creative muscles and put yourself into the process?

No matter what your talent, you can always add your unique touch. RISD grad Elise Lescoezec chose a clever way to incorporate her original paintings into her wedding stationery.

She scanned these two botantical paintings at high resolution and printed the first on A7 size squares of vellum, placing one over each invitation. The text was just barely revealed through her brushstrokes, a gorgeous effect. She then printed the other image onto pieces of thick art paper and used them as thank you notes. You can email her if you have questions about the process or would like to see some other work.

Though I'm admittedly partial to the craft of letterpress, there are a number of ways you can use it to showcase your own personal artwork. Choreographer Yanira Castro and fiance Brett Matthew asked his parents, Dennis and Christine Crocitto, to create drawings for their invitation pieces. Once finished they scanned the artwork at high resolution and had them processed into polymer plates for letterpress. The beautiful tree and wild geese themes were captured in chocolate brown and steel gray, fitting nicely with the wedding's autumn theme.

The same goes for this next lovely set of invitations. Graduate student Satya Twena fell in love with the antique lace pattern on her wedding dress, so when it was time to design her invitations she got out her pencil and tracing paper. This did require some time, patience and many drafts on her part, but in the end it was well worth the labor.

If you'd like to use your artwork in letterpress, remember that there are some specific digital file requirements. Click here for some tips and guidelines on collaborating with a letterpress printer. Grace has already compiled a great list of letterpress printers at the Design*Sponge Letterpress Guide, so this is great place to research the right printer in your area. And if you're the gutsy type and would like to learn letterpress in order to print your own invitiations, click here for some resources.

Another popular printing method is silk screening. Etsy whiz kid Matt Stinchcomb and his fiance were planning an overseas wedding in Munich so Save-the-Dates were key. Instead of going the traditional route, they created an announcement poster. After designing and then silk screening each one, they rolled them up and sent to their guests in mailing tubes. Not only was it a fun collaborative project, but they have a nice piece of artwork to show for it.

Here are a few more ways to get creative with your invitation packaging. Carolina Della Valle, the mastermind over at Modern Press sometimes uses 3-D elements in her designs. These two styles use laser cutting technology along side traditional letterpress. They are packages in shallow square boxes within colorful tissue paper. Click here to find some good resources for colorful papers and envelopes, or here to share some of your favorite vendors.

Allisyn Levy and Jason Culler modeled their invitations on the style of old library cards, and had them letterpressed on vintage looking papers. Some of their special guests got an extra treat. A+J when to a used bookstore and chose old books with titles matching each of their "a-list" guests of family and friends. They then placed the invitations in the back cover library card slots of each. Breck and Matt over at Sesame Letterpress were so touched when they received an old book on typefaces from A+J as a thank you for printing their cards.

If you'd like to share some ideas you had about handmade wedding invitations, send them here. Next Monday we'll revisit this topic and hopefully have lots of fresh ideas. And check back later today when I'll be discussing various ideas for bookbinding!

farewell

2007-02-27T18:10:00.000-08:00

Grace has been true to her name these past two weeks. I thank her for sharing her site with me, and for the opportunity to share my enthusiasm with you. Thanks to all who commented.

[Colors of the Mediterranean polaroid by Etsy seller birdsandswings available here for $10]

a bowlful of cherries

2007-02-23T09:02:00.000-08:00

Once again, it's a pleasure to bring you some of the Etsy sellers whose work has enchanted me. Enjoy.

[Polaroid of "Paolo's Love Letter (Upon My Return) is available here for $8.]

ES designs

2007-02-22T21:48:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth Scott sells the loveliest jewelry inspired by nature in her Etsy shop. Her ginkgo earrings ($39) are delicate and detailed.

This petal ring ($28) looks fragile, when in fact it's quite sturdy.

stupendous stationery

2007-02-22T21:32:00.000-08:00

JulieMarie is an excellent seamstress as well as a freshly minted Etsy seller. Her leafy card set ($10 for 6) gives me hope that spring is near.

Speaking of bold, punchy design, check out these Vespa notecards ($9 for 6).

I'm not the first to say it, but Boiled Art Editions is another seller to watch.

Claire Milne

2007-02-22T21:20:00.000-08:00

Would it surprise you to learn that Etsy seller Claire Milne's favorite authors include Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, and Henry James? It shouldn't once you've seen her artwork. She's a children's book illustrator whose work is old-fashioned in the most charming way.

In a print of her original watercolor, she imagines Thumbelina ($3).

This lovely, sepia-toned postcard ($3) has hand-trimmed edges.

seedpod

2007-02-22T21:13:00.000-08:00

After admiring for this print and seeing it sell out, I've been waiting patiently for seedpod to add to her Etsy shop. It finally happened.

"Reach," ($18) a gocco print, contains three sewn-on stones.

porridge papers

2007-02-22T21:04:00.000-08:00

The artisans behind Porridge Papers make their own paper and design their own stationery, like this elegant note card ($3.75).

The deckled edge of this card cleverly echoes the palm fronds.

variety pack

2007-02-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

Today's posts are a grab bag of jewelry, art, and paper goods. This variety is what draws me to Etsy again and again.

Tips: If you're fond of a particular design motif (as I was to woodlands, below), try using it as a keyword. You can also use the Time Machine 2, at left on the Etsy home page to view recently-sold items.

[Above photo is by Photobird and is available here for $20.]

clever collage

2007-02-21T21:52:00.000-08:00

Etsy is teeming with collage artists. Two skilled practitioners are scrapatorium and Birdnerd. Artandghosts's work is otherworldly, spooky.

Collage artist lowclouds used a variety of media, including vintage paper and gouache, to create "Well I Must"($40).

Although it's priced in the triple digits, French illustrator Julien Pacaud's "Memories of Tomorrow" ($150) is so striking that I couldn't leave it out. You owe it to yourself to see more of his work.

"Birds and Berries" ($15), by Christina Lyon, is a mixed-media collage and ink drawing.

pearl & marmalade

2007-02-21T21:31:00.000-08:00

Grace has written about Chicago-based pearl & marmalade before, but I'm rather smitten with some of their latest designs.

The yellow of their honeybee note set is just what I'm longing for as winter drags on.

A delicate hot-air ballon graces this card.

And speaking of hot-air balloons, grab hold of this handpainted moleskin notebook before it floats away.

into the woods

2007-02-21T21:16:00.000-08:00

This charm, by PixiePrincess, was handcast from a pinecone found in the forest.

Etsy seller Odkins loves woodland motifs, including deer and toadstools. This embroidered pouch is made of nubby cotton and hemp.

honeybee jewelry

2007-02-21T20:52:00.000-08:00

Honeybee’s work is intimate, rich in texture, and evocative. Her oxidized sterling-silver willow ring holds the promise of spring.

Her helicopter necklace reminds me of childhood afternoons.

This delicate oyster necklace can be worn with pearl showing or hidden.

splendid stationery

2007-02-20T14:44:00.000-08:00

In honor of Grace's letterpress guide, let's take a look at Etsy papergoods.

Missellz1980 is a prospective CalArts student who makes handbags, paintings, and cards. I'm a fan of her atomic cards (above - $5 for 2) and her hearts cards ($5.50 for 2).

I see an awful lot of bird-themed cards on Etsy. These are crisp, not cutesy.

Reserve these hand-cut cards ($8 for 2) for someone who'll appreciate them.

Kelli McMahon is the artist behind Maydaystudio, a bookbindery and letterpress printer. This journal ($12) has gorgeous marbeled endpapers.

Goodygoody makes cards using letterpress and gocco. These gift tags ($3.50 for 4) are even lovelier in person.

Brooklyn-based FiskandFern make collages and cards. Below, their aquatic cards ($8 for 4).

Susie Ghahremani is an illustrator with an impressive resume and a swell Web site. Her moving announcements ($6 for 10) are charming.

the radiance of dailiness

2007-02-19T11:20:00.000-08:00

I can't take credit for this phrase; it's from Don DeLillo's book White Noise. Today I'd like to showcase some handmade objects - coasters and ceramics - that are as useful as they are beautiful.

Sidney in Seattle re-purposes vintage scarves. Her glass-covered fabric coasters ($24 for 4) have soldered-aluminum edges.

Artist/carpenter/musician Scott's bold design gives cork coasters ($10 for 4) a facelift.

Tip: When you hit upon a seller whose work you fancy, click through their favorite items and favorite sellers - links can be found under the seller's profile.

Linen coasters ($4 for 2) are homey and practical. Seller Bykes will make you a set in the color of your choice.

Small ceramic bottle ($4.50) from DownstairsOriginals.

Tip: When you're looking for ceramics, try the keywords "hand thrown."

The charm of HB Pottery's blue cup ($14) lies in its imperfection.

Orlor's ceramic votive holder ($18) is appealingly craggy and crooked. And what shadows it will cast!

[Origami lotus ($4) at top is available here.]

Art @ Etsy

2007-02-18T18:35:00.000-08:00

Judging from the response to Mav's art guide, there's a strong demand for inexpensive original art. Happily, Etsy abounds in talented artists who sell their work for $50 or less (often much less).

Sue Beyer is an Australian artist making the transition between graphic design and fine art. "Pointless Worrying" ($20) is an impassioned statement in the form of a print.

Harry Stooshinoff sells small-format paintings - mostly landscapes - in his Etsy shop, Paintbox. His Canadian landscapes are full of factories, trout ponds, and even Quonset huts. Some of his paintings feel lonely to me, but not "Around the Turn" ($30).

"Zucchini" ($30) is a still life - a departure for the artist.

Mike Southern practices intaglio printmaking, a Renaissance technique that involves incising an image into copperplate. He sells prints through his Etsy shop and his Web site. The description of "Box Elder Bug" ($20) includes a comforting aside: "Nothing to worry about: they don't bite." Whew.

Altered Souls makes mixed-media collages. She uses color brilliantly in "Numbers" ($40).

Lara Cameron sells prints and jewelry in her Etsy shop, Kirinco. "Armchair Love" ($15) boldly mixes patterns.

NuitBlanche showcases the work of Caroline Gaedechens, an illustration student in Hamburg. "Swanprint" ($13) is a print of an illustrated collage.

Susan Graham makes wire sculptures she calls "three-dimensional sculptures," like these pigeons ($45 each).

marvelous mid-century

2007-02-15T20:39:00.000-08:00

In the popular imagination, at least, "mid-century" spans decades - from Eames to Pop Art. Danish Modern pieces, with their organic shapes and emphasis on craftsmanship, blend well with other styles. Mod pieces can add a welcome burst of color.

These delightful shelves were produced by Tomado Holland in the 1950's. I often see wall-mounted units, but freestanding sets are rarer.

Hans Wegner made appealing, comfortable furniture like this table. He's one of my favorite designers of the period, although he would probably have preferred the term cabinetmaker.

These round Kartell storage units would look brilliant in a kid's room.

Jens Risom is another giant of the mid-century. He originally designed these chairs, which look like everything IKEA wants to be but isn't, to incorporate parachute webbing.

Tripod lamps just scream "Sixties" to me. This one reminds me of a famous Robsjohn-Gibbings design, but it's been updated with a crisp black shade.

And now for my favorite find of the day. Kay Bojesen was a Danish silversmith who made charming wooden toys and children's cutlery. Forty-odd years ago, his toys cost $3.50. Now the rarer versions can sell for hundreds. These pigs - are they actually salt and pepper shakers? - don't seem to be by Bojesen, but they're certainly in the same spirit.

eBay keywords to remember: Eames, Danish Modern, Bojesen, Finn Juhl, Wegner, mid-century, Kagan, Panton, mod, Knoll, atomic.

Sellers to bookmark: modhardware, MetroRetro, modlifecrisis.

Deco to die for

2007-02-14T19:49:00.000-08:00

Art Deco is all about sophistication. Sleek chrome, rich woods, worn-in leather. Luxury that has everything to do with quality and nothing to do with fuss.

With its elegant proportions, this Walter von Nessen lamp would suit a Deco room.

A clock like this really catches the eye. Search "Westclox Big Ben" for similar styles.

Old movie-theatre exit signs, like this one, look great above a doorway.

Can't you just picture Ingrid Bergman taking a cigarette from this rosewood box ?

The designs of Warren McArthur, which include these chairs, helped define the period.

If you're looking for similar pieces, use eBay keywords Shaw-Walker, Goodform, (Warren) McArthur, Deskey, "Machine Age," and streamline(d).

Sellers who specialize in Deco include ami2763, roxyartdeco, frenchstyle, and luvena183.

[Top and bottom photos are of the 60 Thompson Hotel in Manhattan.]

viva glam

2007-02-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

Over the next few days, I’d like to share my tips for finding pieces that are characteristic of popular design styles. In honor of Valentine's Day, let's start with Hollywood Regency, a style that's full of contrasts, glossy finishes, and old-fashioned glamour. Picture a Fifties starlet’s boudoir, and you’re on the right track.
Designers who frequently reference this style include Kelly Wearstler, Jonathan Adler, and Vanessa de Vargas (a.k.a. Turquoise). This cherry blossom wall hanging is a great example of faux-Asian Hollywood Regency style.

A monumental lamp spells drama.
You can use the keywords James Mont, Parzinger, neoclassical (like these chairs), chinoiserie, tole (chandelier), (Dorothy) Draper, (Billy) Haines, and (Kelly) Wearstler to find similar pieces.

If you're a fan of this style, add mad4milo, realfineone, and maison21 to your list of favorite sellers.

[Top and bottom photos are of Vanessa de Vargas' home]

eBay artists

2007-02-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Several eBay artists offer affordable, small-format daily paintings.

Above, Jeff Hayes' "Jar of Honey". Below, "Strawberry no. 2."

David Lloyd paints moody scenes, such as "Cooking with Gas."

Justin Clayton is the best known of these artists, having been featured in Domino. Below is his "Red Pear Half."

Spotted in Elle, found on eBay

2007-02-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

Designer Thomas O'Brien's quirky juxtapositions constantly inspire me.

In his Manhattan apartment, as seen above (from the July/August 2006 issue of Elle Decor), he's placed a Bauhaus lamp by Christian Dell near a new lamp of his own design (Miro for Visual Comfort, $565).

This lamp is also by Dell.

You can find similar lamps on eBay using the keywords "Bauhaus," "Machine Age," and "modernist". If you're a fan of Art Deco, you'll want to add hoody7 and sita587 to your list of favorite sellers.

If it's the glass lamp in the photo that you fancy, you can make something similar using a large blown-glass vessel known as a carboy or demijohn. Below is a beautiful example. I often see these in amber, green, or the palest blues.

At his SoHo storefront and studio, O'Brien sells driftwood lamps, whose rustic charm suits many decors.

This lamp would look great with a crisp, oval shade like the one shown in the shop.

magpies unite!

2007-02-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Grace, for turning over the guest blog to me for two weeks.

Unlike my predecessors, I don’t have my own blog, but I did originate the eBay and Etsy Scavenger columns at apartmenttherapy, which have become a regular feature.

I’m an inveterate bargain hunter, and both eBay and Etsy put great design within the reach of my pocketbook – and yours.

This week, I’ll focus on eBay. During the last year, I’ve hit upon keywords that have led to treasure. I'll share my best tips, as well as the names of sellers whose shops I check weekly.

During week two, I'll spotlight my favorite Etsy sellers. Most of them will be new to you, even if you’re a design-blog junkie. I’ll include my tips for finding the gold among the dross.

If you have questions or tips of your own, feel free to comment.

[Image is of my apartment, and all items in the photo but the couch are eBay finds: a teak table from the Netherlands; Heath Ceramics cup and saucer; and $3 pharmacy funnel that, $40 later, became a lamp]

so long...

2007-02-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

...Design*Sponge readers! It's time for me to head back to my little nook in cyberspace. Thanks again to Grace for having me for the past two weeks. It's been an honor to be here, and I hope you've enjoyed taking a sneak peek into some of my favorite shops. A huge thanks to all the shops who shared with us by participating in these interviews. I'll be continuing this shop series over at Oh Joy! so pop in and say hello...

whippet grey

2007-02-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

The Bristish website Whippet Grey has a very cool method of showing the items they sell. Through interactive pages of a pop-up book, viewers can select a room in a house and then the item they'd like to buy from each room.

hygge

2007-02-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hygge has put together a wonderful homeware collection, carefully sourced from many different countries. All goods are inspired by the Danish word that their name bears meaning cosiness, conviviality and general candle-lit good times.

1 ~ what's your name, shop name, and shop location...
Jess Goodall and Sarah Pearson
Hygge {pronounced hooga} , London (or cyberspace!)

2 ~ tell us about some of the objects in your display...
~ Wooden monkey designed in the 1950’s by Danish designer Kay Bojesen – a true design classic.
~ Walnut candlesticks by German designer Sarah Finn
~ Teak and glass oil lamps from Denmark
~ Teak and handmade glass salad bowl from Denmark
~ Felt Slippers made by family run company Glerups in Denmark
~ Tall handmade ceramic vase by Danish Designer Anne Black

3 ~ describe the mood, what inspired you, or what you intended when creating/arranging these pieces...
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.

4 ~ what are 3 objects/pieces sold in your store that you are dying to have or... you already have and love...
~ I have and love the Swedish Dalahast blanket as a permanent fixture on my old scruffy sofa.
~ I always burn scented candles, usually black tea, fig or cucumber.
~ I’m in love with Eleanor Prichard’s Scallop blankets, but as yet haven’t managed to sneak one home.

5 ~ list three things that provide you with inspiration...
The sea, friends, family.

an extra tidbit...
The Hygge online shop has recently opened! So, their amazing selection of goods can now be yours if you're an admirer from afar.

oh, Anthropologie...

2007-01-31T11:00:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-24T08:36:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-01-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

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,

2007-01-19T14:16:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-19T08:57:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-19T01:38:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-19T01:33:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-19T00:49:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-19T00:28:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-18T03:10:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-18T03:07:00.000-08:00

A few Valentines Day cards from Luxe Paperie: Take Out (Snow & Graham); Missing You (Seraph Stationery); Cutie Pie (Snow & Graham); Perfect Match (Snow & Graham).

More Valentines

2007-01-18T01:12:00.000-08:00

A few more Valentines, (above) Good on Paper; (below) I Love You Card from Yee-Haw Industries (A set of 20 mini flat cards/envelopes); and a letterpressed one from Elum.

Pascale Girardin

2007-01-18T00:23:00.000-08:00

Asking other Canadian designers back east, a recommendation on a Canadian designer they respect, many have mentioned, Pascale Girardin out of Quebec. Her work is often inspired by natural subjects such as rocks, plants or tree bark. Her ceramics are mostly public artworks and are truly inspirational. As far as Canadian designers are concerned, her work speaks for itself.

A New Cul de Sac

2007-01-17T03:25:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled to receive an email yesterday with these new works from Laura McKibbon, of Cul de Sac Designs out of Vancouver. Loving the mugs and now the white. She also is currently working with porcelain and I hope to get some new images from her before my week ends here at D's. Laura's work is included in a show at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto called On the Table, 100 Years of Functional Ceramics in Canada February 15th to April 22nd, 2007.

To see more of Laura's work see Cul de Sac Design; Gardiner Museum and a post over at Bloesem I caught up with yesterday.

Dovetail

2007-01-17T03:20:00.000-08:00

Found this lovely porcelain today at Etsy. For some reason I'm really attracted to ceramics this week. Fired and screen-printed at home at , Dovetail is a two people studio out of Boulder, Colorado. They really have some beautiful wares and a link to their site and online store as well here.

Ilee Papergoods

2007-01-17T03:19:00.000-08:00

The quality of goods coming out of Etsy are simply mind-boggling as of late and another nugget I found this week is Ilee Papergoods and their beautiful letterpressed desk calendars. The designs for each month are so different from each other, which brings a nice change each time you switch over and I like the CD case used to display it.