persian rugs

After the Earth Room, it made perfect sense to see grass growing out of carpets.

museum of art and design: crafting modernism

Crafting Modernism at the Museum of Art & Design is now closed, but you can still see all the pieces from the exhibit here. Do what I did and envision everything neatly arranged in your dream home.

breakfast for lounging

Pancake pillows! Love.

new apt, same dilemma

In my LA apartment, I struggled with what color rug to get, and 3000 miles away, I'm doing the same thing all over again. Its the same furniture for the most part and the same color palate - moss green and wood, with orange, yellow and brass accents. I picked up four samples from my current favorite local furniture shop to try out - a diamond pattern in both powder blue (above) and brown (below):

A grey scroll:

...and a darker grey moroccan-inspired shape:

The colors didn't photograph accurately in the living room (kinda dark in there) so I reshot them in natural light. Please note the helpful numbering system so you can tell me which one (if any) you like the best. 

Thanks!

national stationery show

The National Stationery Show starts today! I'll be in booth 1536 representing H!L as usual. I'm especially looking forward to seeing friends, and checking out what new products people have. I'm also determined to visit ICFF this year - I never seem to be able to make it all the way downstairs!
Photo from our 2010 booth. 

initial decorating attempts

A few people have requested some photos of my new place and although its not nearly where I want it to be, here is where I am at so far. Above is a windowsill in the kitchen with (from left) a brass apple bell from Etsy, a small plant I just bought at the Greenpoint farmers market, toast holder from the Alameda flea market, part of my Muji Paris in a bag, and a mustard Jonathan Adler vase.

Another wall in the kitchen had two shelves that we are using to hold cookbooks, the menu from our wedding, and a cupcake container from Rose and Radish.

Inspired by the Maira Kalman exhibit I saw semi-recently, I hung all my white framed pictures in a row. The photos on the left and right sides are mine, the middle left is by Francois Vigneault and the middle right is Cindy Tomcyzk. We're still in the kitchen.

This family of brass quails live on a half wall dividing the kitchen from the living room. Behind the sofa, I hung some of the pictures from my mom, Julia Rothman, some thrift store paintings and another one of my photographs.

I'm going to skip over my office at this point (there's really not much in there except for my desk and two bikes) and head to the bedroom. I still haven't made a decision as to bedding at this point, so let's also ignore whats presently there. Our bedroom is in a bit of a disarray, but I do like how Jeff's cowboy hat looks as display, and all the bright colors of my clothes (mine are on the right, obvs).

Since our bathroom is super itty bitty, I'm creating a small vanity area for myself in the bedroom. Above is a vintage orange tray from my grandparents, apple containers from my aunt, a green ceramic bowl I made a million years ago, a super old photo of Jeff and I in SF, and a photo of my grandmother, among other random bits.
Those are all the photos I took for now - I'll post more soon!

storage bench

Since yesterday was our only day off to get situated in the new apartment, Jeff and I were animals when it came to unpacking - with the exception of my office and decorating, nearly ever other box is empty...well, those that have a place to go. One of the items that could really help us out is a multi-functional storage bench for the end of our bed for linens and blankets (a linen closet was one of the many items we lost in our cross-country move). Some current contenders are a grey tweed (above) and nailhead detailed (below):

There is a simple herringbone version:

I'm having trouble finding other options that aren't leather or wicker...if you find a cute one, let me know!

some thoughts on decorating

A good friend is moving and requested that I do a post on paint colors. As a designer, the most difficult thing for me is looking at a blank screen. I need inspiration, visuals and/or a concept in order to produce anything viable...and the same goes for decorating. Here are a couple of my favorite sources for home decor inspiration:

Magazines: Sadly, Domino is no longer. However, there is a dedicated Flickr pool with over 500 images, as well as a number of stories and slide shows on the Brides website. Elle Decor, Dwell and House Beautiful are also good (and still in print!).

 Blogs: There are way too many amazing decorating blogs to mention, but some of my favorites include Little Green Notebook, sneak peeks at Design*Sponge, Remodelista, and the ridiculously resourceful Apartment Therapy. 

Online magazines: It seems like there is a new online magazine every week. My current favorites are Lonny and Rue.

My number one recommendation with decorating is to take your time. Hopefully, you'll be living in your space for at least a little bit, so pick items, colors and pieces that you love....and have fun!

gifts from my grandparents

My grandmother recently gave me this beautiful pot and plant (thanks Grandma!). It reminded me that all my most favorite things in my apartment were gifts or hand-me-downs from one of my grandparents....like this brass bar cart, once belonging to my great-grandmother.

Or this vase, one of two given to my grandparents as a wedding gift (my sister has the other one).

And this coffee table and rug, found in near perfect condition in my grandfathers garage.

Oh! And this orange serving tray, which is awesome in its groovy-ness.

Don't forget to enter the 528th post giveaway! Just tell me something you like, dislike or want to see more or less of, or just something random! Giveaway ends Friday - click here for details.

enamored with: stuff from jonathan adler

Like these mugs, or this pillow.

Or this bud vase.

Or this tissue box.

Or this chair (again).

california desk

Check out this sweet California shaped desk! For when there is serious work to be done.
Available here. Via Oh Happy Day.

saga of the kitchen chairs: epilogue

With the addition of the dining table and chairs, I no longer have room to keep the yellow chairs that I spent so much time searching for. I put them up for sale on Craigslist this morning, and can only hope that they will go to a good home where they will be loved as much as they were loved by me. Goodbye old friend. You will be missed.
Craigslist posting can be found here.

enamored with: another chair

Just another chair that I covet, but alas cannot afford. Damn you Jonathan Adler!

paralyzed by indecision

I'd like to get a rug for my living room, but have come to some crossroads in my search. First off, I try to buy used items as opposed to new, but doesn't a used rug sound a little gross? Also, why are rugs are so expensive? I've been looking on Overstock, which has some cute stuff, but I get stuck on what color to get....it should either match with everything in the room or match with nothing. So here is where I need help - what color rug should I get? Most things in my living room currently are in the green, yellow, orange or wood scheme. I guess beige or tan would work, but that seems sorta boring. Also, would biege look weird next to the light yellow-y wood floor? Should it be a completely different color? Thoughts?

enamored with: this chair

This chair would look pretty sweet in my bedroom, me thinks.

mid-century modern field trip

We took a trip to Long Beach's Retro Row this past weekend to scout out used furniture for my new (and still fairly empty) apartment. There were tons of beautiful things, however not even close to the bargain I was hoping for. In fact, to say things were outrageously expensive would not be so far off. ...sigh....At least lunch was reasonable!







We visited Deja Vu, Xcape to a Vintage World, and a couple places that don't have websites on East 4th Street.