My Obsession

We're buying a house. And that means endless options in paint, wall paper, furniture, flooring, planting, hardware, lions and tigers and bears, oh my! The list goes on and on. I'm trying to be practical. I really am. But sometimes it's not so easy for a designer. It's not my fault, really.

So, my latest obsession is the Louis Ghost Chair by Philippe Starck (for Kartell). They are light, airy and contemporary, but I love the hint of Baroque styling. I picture this with a shabby chic table for an eclectic vibe. Now, if only I could convince my husband that $400 for a plastic chair is reasonable!

I wish I could draw

The gorgeous illustrations by Alberto Cerriteno are so inspiring. I love the layering, patterns and bold colors. Simply gorgeous. Enjoy the eye candy.

You can view more of Alberto's work on his website. Click here.

Happy Spring

Here is some gorgeous photography by Shana Rae that seems appropriate on this beautiful sping day. As seen on Decor8. You can see more of Shana's work on her flickr page. Click here.

Patterns, patterns everywhere

Anyone who has read this blog in the past knows of my infatuation with patterns. I don't know why... they just make me happy. The colors, and repetition and illustrations are endearing to me.

So here is another lovely illustrator and pattern designer – Jessica Gonacha. She has a fun, hand-drawn style. I love how even her paintings use layers of patterns to add interest and depth.

You can see more of Jessica's work on her website. Click here.
Or visit her Etsy shop. Click here.

Reuse, Recycle

This seemed like an appropriate post for Earth Day. I recently received an email highlighting the work of Lynn Weller... an artist from New Jersey, who owns Seven Ply. Seven Ply reuses and recycles broken skateboards by turning them into funky and unique pieces of jewelry. They like to say that they're "turning Thrash'n into Fashion."

Here is a peak at some of their pieces. You can purchase items on their Etsy site. Click here.

Don't judge a book...

You HAVE to watch this. (I can't embed is for some reason, so please take the time to click on the link) Simon's face is priceless.

Click here.

Need/Want

Christine & Justin are artists from NYC, who think quite differently. They have two websites that intrigue me. One is called "Needs for Sale," the other is "Wants for Sale." Basically, they create charming paintings of things that they want (a shopping spree in SoHo!) or things that are needed by specific charities such as Habitat for Humanity. The price of the painting correlates to the price of the item needed or wanted. You get an adorable painting, and they use the money for the purpose highlighted in the painting. It's a bit like paying it forward, I suppose.

They also update a flickr album with images of the paintings that were bought and the actual items the money was used on.

I love it. Here are some examples. For more work, visit their website. Click here.

Back in the Day

This is really funny. Well... if you're a Photoshop user, this is really funny. I just saw this on the blog of my friend Miki... who is a super-talented photographer in Phoenix. Here's a depiction of what Photoshop was like before the advent of computers.
This was created by an art agency in Indonesia called Bates 141 Jakarta. Creative Director--Hendra Lesmono, Art Directors Andreas Junus and Irawandhani Kamarga.

I'm very happy I live in the age of computers. Though, they will never take the place of a hand-made look. Every medium has its place.

Miki's Blog: click

Photographer/Storyteller

I just saw this posted over on Notcot.org. Gorgeous work by photographer August Bradley. On first glance, these photos look more like intricate paintings than actual photography. The detail, emotions, and settings are fantastic and so well thought out. They are stunning works of art.

Bradley purposely blurs this line. He was quoted on mymodernmet.com as saying ‘The photographic style of the collection evolves from theatrical yet personalized portraits to fashion photography, so the style of the image making evolves with the theme from personal limitations to imagination and aspirational fantasy." and , "It's helpful to go out of the literal realm of photography, to leave the boundaries we typically view the world from within."

Superhero Supply Store

As a follow up to this post about the Pirate Supply Store in California... you will be pleased to know that you can now buy Superhero supplies in Brooklyn. The Superhero store is also part of the 826 initiative to encourage creative writing skills in students. Again, there is an amazing storefront selling the necessities that all great superheros need. Plus they have useful tools such as a cape-testing area. I mean, how could a superhero shop anywhere else?

The design of the store and packaging is fantastic, and perfect for the subject matter. It was designed by Sam Potts. He did a stellar job. This looks like the type of project that every designer dreams of.

Click here for more of Sam's work.
Click here for more info on 826NYC.