design obsessed

Meredith Allen

2006-08-11T19:33:00.000-04:00

I came across New York photographer Meredith Allen while searching for art for a clients new digs. Her photo series of melting ice pops are just so fresh and fun, I want one of each! The prints are 20x24 and can be purchased through Amy Simon Fine Art in CT.

No. 2 from Knock Knock

2006-07-18T07:50:00.000-04:00

Oh, how I love those cards from Knock Knock...always witty and fun. Now, the makers have come out with a new line of contemporary office and stationary products! I bought one of their notebooks back in the day before No. 2, and I've absolutely loved it. It comes with sections for Things to Do and things to remember, and has perforated sheets in a sturdy cover. Pretty colors too! Only $13.99. The line also has paperclips, small notebacks, disposable clipboards, pencils, and utility bands. No. 2 will definitely be giving Russel and Hazel a run for their money. Buy it all right here.

Dining table help

2006-06-30T21:50:00.000-04:00

Chad and I have been looking for a gateleg dining table we can fit in our tiny niche of a "dining room" without going over budget. So far, its not looking too good. Either the tables have been too big once opened, are too expensive, or look and probably are pretty cheap. Our favorite looks-wise has been the Lance Extension Table from Design Within Reach. It can double as a console table when not in dining mode, and its wenge finish and aluminum legs match our aesthetic perfectly. Unfortunately, the price tag is around $1200 and once opened, the table is HUGE.
Ikea has a few tables that I've liked but Chad has vetoed until further inspection. The Langed gateleg table is a lovely white table that when opened will seat 2-4 people. From the picture it looks like it even has a nice little shelf for storing placemats and whatnot. Of course, its not as sleek looking as the DWR table, but its definitely in the running at only $99.
This Muddus table unfortunately just looks too flimsy and cheap, and Chad would HATE the color even though I think its kind of cute. At $40, what do you expect? Also comes in white, red, and yellow.
I think this Lakafors table at $60 would be a winner if only it were a solid color. Once opened, I'm not crazy about the black stripe down the center. Its definitely a space saver, folding down to a mere 5 7/8 inches.

The Cosmopolitan Table from The Door Store was almost the hands down winner, until we found out it was no longer in production. The great thing about it is that it had a ton of storage inside the main component. Why is it still on their website? Probably to taunt us small space dwellers. Apparently its on sale for $1200, but you can't get it, so dont bother.

All other gateleg tables that could work are bar height, but thats out of the question because I refuse to eat on barstools. Its too hard to get on for shorties like me! So I ask, does anyone have any suggestions for cool gateleg tables?

Netto Collection for the rest of us

2006-06-30T21:38:00.000-04:00

Am I hearing this right? We can finally get cool baby furniture for reasonable prices? And by David Netto no less? Its true people...the new line is called CUB by Netto Collection and its definitely going to be a hit. The crib starts at $499, the changing table at $550, with the cute locker/seat less than $400. The furniture comes either as all white or white/pine mix. I can only hope they bring out some walnut, because THAT would be worth the wait. (not that I'm pregnant or anything!!)

Back with a vengeance...sort of.

2006-06-30T21:35:00.000-04:00

Wow, has it really been this long since I've posted? First I finished my thesis (yay me!), then I graduated with my Masters in Interior Design (double yay me!), and now have been working ever since for Ghislaine and Deborah Berke and Partners. The past few weeks have been spent finishing my portfolio and starting to rummage around for jobs. Slim pickings, I gotta say, for those of us starting out in the design world. All the want ads seem to need 5-10 years experience!! Outrageous!

Enough griping....back to posting.

New from Lovelydesign!

2006-05-04T20:53:00.000-04:00

Hurray! Sharilyn from Lovelydesign has now come out with my favorite address file in BLACK WALNUT, my new favorite wood species!! I might just have to treat myself and get one as a graduation gift. She's also come out with paper sample packs, filled with 50 grams of beautiful sheets of paper. Great for all you scrapbookers out there. The paper packs are $8 and the address files are $75. Grab them while you can.

UPDATE: I bought the walnut address file and a paper pack for myself as a graduation gift and they're even more fabulous than I imagined!

CB2 - Finally!

2006-04-22T21:38:00.000-04:00

Ahh, I think I can die happy now...I've finally visited CB2. Ever since working at Crate and Barrel and hearing about the new CB2, I knew I had to go, somehow. While in Chicago last summer for Neocon, I never had the chance, but that all changed this weekend, while checking out the opening of the new James Hotel (Chad's office, Deborah Berke and Partners, just finished it)(pics of that soon).

The store on W. North Ave was smaller than I thought, but chock full of great stuff. Here's a taste of what we bought.

Acacia wood trays...Chad loved them, I still dont know what we're doing with them. Right now they make a nice little stand for our salt and pepper canisters. The 3-part olive dish is my personal favorite. I always love serving olive assortments when people come over, so its perfect for that. I also discovered that it would look fabulous on a desk as a mini organizer of paper clips, rubber bands, any little nick-nacks you might have lying around. And finally, our new flatware set...sooo sleek and modern, and at a great price--20 piece set for $65!

I asked when a CB2 would be coming to the NY area, and it looks like it wont be for another 2-3 years, but LA seems to be getting one in the near future. The good news is that if you order any large items online, like any upholstered pieces, that you'll get them within a week and it would only be local shipping because the warehouse is in NY! Not too shabby.

My new desk!

2006-03-24T21:42:00.000-05:00

Not to gloat or anything, but I got the BEST deal on this desk from DWR. Not only was it down from $700 to $350, but since I bought the floor sample, I ended up getting the whole thing for practically $200!! Since I carted it home with Chad (my arms are STILL killing me), I've been looking for some colorful accessories to put on the top shelf. I've been thinking orange would look great, since my chair and storage unit around already that color, so I got the short Totem vase from Crate and Barrel (only $15!).
But then I saw these great resin candleholders from West Elm and thought, why not add some green in the mix? It is after all my favorite color. And West Elm has some resin accessories like trays and bowls in the most wonderful shade of kelly green. I'll have to stop by and pick some up for paperclips and such.

Cavern

2006-03-24T21:31:00.000-05:00

Since I'm obsessed with wallpaper and tired of all the usual stuff (sorry Cole and Sons), I thought I'd mention Cavern. The duo of Carly Margolis and Ophir Tanz have created some KILLER patterns featuring animals like horses, tigers, peacocks, and birds. My favorite is Blackbird, both in black and white AND the new version of black on kraft paper. Carly sent me a sample and I plan on framing it because its just too beautiful. Check out their website for better pictures and more info.

A Plate Grows in Brooklyn

2006-03-12T12:46:00.000-05:00

Thank you, Fishs Eddy, for finally giving Brooklyn its props. The 12x12 Brooklyn plate was designed by Pratt Institute student Jordan Awan, as part of a student design contest run by Fishs Eddy a while back. Its great as a serving plate, but has no matching dinner plates or cups like the "212" NYC designs they already sell. I asked the sales people if other options were coming out, and it doesn't seem like there will be, but who knows what will happen in the future. The first run of plates sold out quickly, but the Fishs Eddy is Brooklyn Heights has a ton, so go grab yours (only $28!)

Amy Rogers

2006-03-11T22:59:00.000-05:00

Yet another fabulous designer from Auto: Amy Rogers. She actually sews these gorgeous flowers by hand! And the best part is that they're multifunction! You can attach them to your blazer, pin them in your hair, wear them as a necklace, corsage, you name it, you can do it! I think they're a way better look than the huge fake flower pin trend SJP started in Sex and the City (RIP). Note, these dont come cheap: around $170, but hey, its worth it. Stop by the store to see plenty more colors and designs.

Jane D'Arensbourg Pyrex jewelry

2006-03-11T22:55:00.000-05:00

Jane D'Arensbourg is a Brooklyn based artist and designer who creates these beautifully durable Pyrex glass pieces. They're sold at Auto, and the store has more items from Jane than the website shows (I own a green Pyrex ring from her). Pretty cool.

Bev Hisey

2006-03-11T22:45:00.000-05:00

I saw Bev Hisey's stuff over the summer, and fell in love immediately. Working from Toronto, she does beautiful pillows, runners, blankets and rugs in various fabrics and leathers, but my favorites are her die-cut felt reveal pillows. The colors are so vibrant that they'd dress up any drab apartment.
You can find her stuff at Tiny Living or Kimberly Hall Kids in NYC, and Apartment Zero in Washington DC if you happen to be down there.

Sublime Design!

2006-03-11T22:28:00.000-05:00

Sublime American Design is a great store in Tribeca featuring over 100 designs from American designers. While I've seen a bunch of the designs on websites, there are plenty of things I've never seen before, and its nice to actually be able to try them out and see them in person. My favorite has to be the Liquid Tables by Rick Lee, but the Red Light District Lamps by Nicholas Furrow are a close second. The store is open Mon-Wed by appointment only, and Thurs-Sat 11-7 to the public, but the website has most if not all of the stuff to check out at your leisure. And while you're there, stop by Bubby's for lunch, dinner, whatever...they're practically neighbors.

Linea Nervenkitt

2006-03-04T16:04:00.000-05:00

Just checked in at Linea Nervenkitt and found every piece of jewelry I could ever want. I'm especially loving the Moss earrings. She has an absolute attention to detail, and uses precious little gems to accent her pieces....its never over done and I love it! You can find more of her stuff here.

More from Hidden Art

2006-02-28T22:56:00.000-05:00

I've fallen in love with egg cups, and these from Yoyo Ceramics are my new favorites! Don't get me wrong, I love my birch ones from Broadway Panhandler, but these are so functional with their plate attached. I'll bet they're easier to clean too. The ceramic egg holders are especially cute too. You can purchase both at Hidden Art.

Ruth Taylor lamps

2006-02-26T20:23:00.000-05:00

Why does London get all the cool stuff? I was rummaging around Hidden Art today looking for some cool inspiration for my thesis and came upon Ruth Taylor's lamps. She's created a series of handpainted, ceramic lamps that are absolutely beautiful. She works mostly in black and white from what I saw on the website, but she does have 2 great lamps in red and yellow. I love how graphic they are...these would look great up against any color room. You can buy them online at Hidden Art, but I dont think they ship to the US just yet. I'll have to get my friend Claire in London to pick one up for me.

India Mahdavi at Vivre

2006-02-22T10:23:00.000-05:00

I found these stools by India Mahdavi at Vivre. They were originally featured in a past issue of InStyle Home, but after flipping through some old issues, I found them again and had to get more info. They're very reminiscent of the Eames walnut stools, but these are ceramic and come in beautifully fun colors (Vivre only sells the turquoise and white, but they come in yellow, green, etc). In case you haven't heard of India Mahdavi, she's the interior designer of the rooms at the Hotel on Rivington, in addition to a few other hotels, stores, and such. You can find the stools here, and more of India's work here.

We Luv Gocco!

2006-02-13T18:39:00.000-05:00

The Wurst Gallery has put up a new exhibit/shop where 14 artists have submitted gocco'd art for sale (at REALLY reasonable prices!!). How exciting! I purchased the 2 you see above, so I'm excited to start my gocco collection. I bought my very own gocco in December if you've all been keeping up, but I'm sad to say that I haven't gotten any ideas of what to gocco yet, and I hate to waste my meager supply of screens on something that isn't fabulous. Hopefully the ideas will start flowing soon.

Snow day

2006-02-13T13:35:00.000-05:00

Woke up Sunday morning to the windows of our 11th floor apartment caked in snow.

As per childhood tradition, I had to go out and get a bowl of fresh snow to eat with some molasses drizzled on top. My mom had taught me this trick YEARS ago, and I still do it because it reminds me of home and being a kid.

Then Chad went and made us some softboiled eggs with toast. Its our new obsession since we tried them at Le Pain Quotidien yesterday. (and it finally gave me an excuse to get cute little birch eggcups from Broadway Panhandler.) I love snowdays!

Emma Gardner Design

2006-02-13T13:19:00.000-05:00

How had I not heard about Emma Gardner Design before? I do research for interior design firms all the time!! Finally, I've found some really fun carpets in patterns I haven't seen lately, great for whimsical settings, or just for people who like taking chances with lots of color. I've been obsessed with chocolate brown lately, so I focused on those, but check out her other stuff here.

Birds

2006-02-08T16:43:00.000-05:00

My bird fetish is growing. Thanks to Mav at p2p
for sending me my limited edition Bird print for January! its so beautiful, and will look great with my other prints. I also recently received my bird cards from Paper Monkey Press. Even the baby blue envelopes have the bird letterpressed on them.

Tagged

2006-02-08T10:23:00.000-05:00

I took Nebo Peklo's open tag invitation, and decided to make my list.

four jobs i've had -
1. Interior Design assistant at Deborah Berke and Partners, Architects.
2. Design assistant at Ghislaine Vinas Interior Design
3. Intern at Ruby Inc. (another interior design firm)
4. Crate and Barrel!!

four movies i could watch over and over -
1. Napoleon Dynamite
2. Teen Witch...classic 80's, too funny
3. Most vampire movies
4. Any movie that takes place in space or under the sea.

four places i've lived -
1. Istanbul, Turkey
2. Paramus, NJ
3. Saratoga Springs, NY
4. Brooklyn, NY

four TV shows i love -
1. Project Runway
2. LOST
3. Law and Order (all of them!)
4. Scrubs, ER, House.....any doctor shows.

four places i've vacationed -
1. Italy
2. France
3. Austria
4. Dominican Republic

four of my favorite dishes -
1. Mom's tuna spaghetti
2. Crawfish boil at Mara's Homemade
3. Beet and goat cheese salad on a bed of greens, yumm.
4. Good ole cheeseburger.

four sites i visit daily (i have a morning ritual of these sites, but there are PLENTY more)
1. Myspace
2. Designsponge
3. Apartment Therapy
4. Curbed

four places i'd rather be right now –
1. Europe
2. Barnes and Noble
3. A sidewalk cafe in France with Chad sipping on lattes
4. In a bigger apartment

Ted Muehling vs. Jessica Hicks

2006-02-07T22:48:00.000-05:00

The above pair of earrings are by famed designer, Ted Muehling. Love him, love everything about him, but come on, they're WAY too expensive for a grad student like me. I've searched far and wide for a similar pair at half the cost, and now, I've found it. Jessica Hicks is a fabulous jewelry designer in Nantucket, and sells her pair for $240. She's got plenty of other stuff too, like rings, bracelets and necklaces. Check her out.

Must...have....this...

2006-02-07T22:35:00.000-05:00

Will someone please buy this for me? Anyone? Everyone has become so obsessed with online rolodex's like Plaxo or Outlook, but why not go back to the basics and have something pretty to hold your contacts in? Grab all this good stuff and more at Lovely Design.

Ghislaine Vinas, Interior Designer extraordinaire!

2006-02-01T16:41:00.000-05:00

Hurray for Ghislaine! My boss was featured in this week's issue of New York Magazine, and I couldn't be happier! She does the most incredible stuff, full of color and innovation. Check out her site, and definitely take a look at the rest of the article.

Design It Yourself

2006-01-22T16:13:00.000-05:00

D.I.Y Design It Yourself is a great new book by Ellen Lupton and the students at the Maryland Institute College of Art. I just picked it up at the MOMA bookstore downtown and can't put it down. It covers designing for blogs, books, cd's, stationery, posters, tshirts, wall graphics, and a lot more. There are case studies and great ideas all throughout, including resources for supplies and extra help. They also have a website that supplements the book.

Anyone who wants to get in on the DIY movement, this book is a must!

Cute!

2006-01-20T16:13:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me KNOWS that I am obsessed with great stationery. I'll buy cards and hang them up or frame them, rather than write in them. Tiny pieces of art. I just found this cute stationery from Ink & Wit. Tara Hogan in Syracuse NY prints these out of her studio, and they are absolutely precious.

Hurricane Poster Project

2006-01-20T13:12:00.000-05:00

The Hurricane Poster Project is a great way to contribute money to help those dealing with Hurricane Katrina down south, and an even better way to get some art up on those walls. I'm hoping Chad gets us the silhouette poster, my favorite!

Past projects

2006-01-19T15:24:00.000-05:00

This was a box I made with decoupaged images taken from an old issue of Real Simple magazine. Back in high school, I used to make many of these boxes using pictures from magazines, but now with grad school, time isn't my friend. This box was always my favorite.

These postcards were made with fabrics I ordered from Reprodepot back in college, as part of my final project in Textiles class. I ended up making journals as well, with silkscreened inner covers, but I can't seem to find them around here.

sunny saturday in dumbo

2006-01-08T12:03:00.000-05:00

PRINT GOCCO!!

2006-01-05T19:27:00.000-05:00

Hurray! I just received my new Print Gocco B6 today in the mail!

here's the secret: i found it at Etchworld. They've altered the kit to include etching creme for etching glass, so all i need to get is paper and inks and i'm set to go! all for my $149.99. fighting it out on ebay was looking too expensive (over $200), and this ended up being a lot easier and a lot quicker....i can't wait to start goccoing!

2006-01-04T08:43:00.000-05:00

how beautiful are these ribbons?

so tired

2006-01-03T22:47:00.000-05:00

after being on holiday for the past 2 weeks, with 2 weeks ahead of me, i'm exhaused from doing pretty much nothing. chad's finally back at work, so at least now i'll have the TV...football free at last!!

i'm still trying to find some inspiration for my portfolio. i received my sample books from French Press Paper, and they are absolutely beautiful! if only i had access to die cutters, letterpresses, and all the fun stuff i had in college printmaking class. i'll be visiting my graphic designer cousin tomorrow to get some advice, and hopefully she'll see the vision i have for this project.

starting out

2006-01-02T23:14:00.000-05:00

Instead of working on my portfolio all day, I've been obsessing over craft and design blogs. Typepad, Moveable Type, blah blah, too many options. Blogger at least is free, especially since I'm just starting out.

I guess more to come soon.