:nea: montreal
15.8.06
new from port2port
maria was kind enough to give me a little heads up on her latest card called "fern". printed using both a light green and light yellow ink, each card has a delicate fern printed on it and when shipped, will be packed in glassine with a kelly green ribbon. her work always has such a nice delicate touch to it. $20 right here for a set of 5. great work, mav!
bamboo lamp
jonathan adler released a beautiful line of lighting at the gift fair this past weekend. i quickly fell for this lovely bamboo lamp adler designed for robert abbey fine lighting. with 30 lights and an elegant brass finish it's quite a stunner. available through robert abbey, click here to call for pricing.
amy ruppel
i'm a huge fan of amy ruppel so i was thrilled to get an email from john at velocity telling me about the huge new crop of amy ruppel paintings they just picked up. amy's encaustic paintings are some of the happiest artwork around. full of flora and fauna (especially cute little birds), amy's work ranges from $200-$450 and is avaliable right here. for more on amy, click here.
feinedinge
rena just got back from prague and passed me a really great link she found via designspotter. feinedinge is a wonderful ceramic studio run by artist sandra haischberger in vienna. sandra's designs are full of wonderful textures and subtle color- perfect for setting a modern table without detail overload. i'm quite fond of her dotted plates and cups, but she had a huge range of vases that are sure to be a hit as well. right now it looks like she's only available in germany and france for retail, but i find that if you just shoot people an email they're more often than not willing to ship things abroad. so, if you're interested in purchasing just click here to get contact info and check out the full collection from feinedinge. enjoy!
14.8.06
the gift fair 2006 (part one)
i just got back from the gift fair last night and boy am i beat! you have to wade through a lot of cherub votives and marabou covered lawn gnomes to get to the good stuff, but i think i found a boatload of fresh designs that you'll enjoy [keep in mind most of these items won't be in stores until this fall]. my beloved ac is home sick today so i think this might have to be part one and part only because i'm going to stay home and make sure he's ok. so, without further adieu, gift fair 2006 highlights! before i launch in with photos here are my general impressions: there were some great new textiles and ceramics to see- i walked away with my tableware meter off the charts. there was also some great new bedding that was a must-see. i made it through accent on design, at home and the handmade section so the only thing i missed was the piers. hopefully my trusty blogging peers can cover those sections for the rest of us. what i loved most about the show was the cocktail party vibe- it was so much fun to go booth to booth and meet people i'd only talked to via email. the design world is full of some real characters. so, enough from me, here are my picks for best in show (minus the piers, of course). enjoy! [if you'd rather skip this and go straight to the complete slideshow, click here. there are more photos in the show than are shown here]
[one of the highlights for me was meeting andi kovel and justin of esque design in portland. talk about a gorgeous booth. andi was so much fun to chat with and their work was simply beautiful. their cups are my intro picture and you can get an idea of the beautiful color used in their work. great stuff]
[the 2jane booth was fantastic. the lehti tray was even more beautiful in person and those window stickers were so much prettier than i imagined. not to mention the festival of mibo lights.]
[lights up! debuted a gorgeous new blue tonal pattern that is destined to be a hit. turns out they're as sweet as they are talented so that was a lovely surprise]
[beautiful new tableware from brooklyn's kiln enamel. the detailing was really simple but quite striking]
[i'm a HUGE xenia taler fan so it was wonderful to meet her in person. her work is so colorful that photos just don't do it justice. be sure to check out the full slideshow for more pictures of her work. it's just so lovely]
[i have a fresh design crush on the lovely ms. helen ige of ige design. i fell madly in love with her owl and chandelier mobiles and was delighted to find out that helen and her friendly team are as fun as their designs. the owl mobiles are going to be a big, big hit. apparently the last time we mentioned her friend sf had to order more mobiles because you guys ordered so many!]
[the dwell booth is always one of my favorites. so many talented (and fun!) women in one space. this season dwell introduced some GORGEOUS new crib linens that i was swooning over. dwell decided to do modern cowgirl and cowboy looks, complete with a silhouette of june carter cash. and if the cowboy scene isn't your thing, try their high-end super soft linen tree set- soft to the touch and wonderfully elegant]
[i was thrilled to meet the gang at area home and see their beautiful bedding in person. these guys know high-end bedding like no one else- each design was subtle, modern and just oozed quality]
[my photos of the matta booth do NOT do the textiles justice, but this was one of my favorite booths. i wasn't familiar with them and found myself wanting to whip out my credit card and buy their entire booth right on the spot. this gorgeous gold and white quilt was a thing of beauty. the lighting in the booth made it look a bit more yellow than it was but i'll be preparing a longer post on them with better pictures soon. they were one of my favorite finds.]
[i can't tell you how nice it was to meet satoko and her husband from pare umbrella in seattle. they were as sweet and friendly as each of her colorful umbrellas. the details in each piece are so thoughtful and things like decorative handles with colored stitching make pare's umbrellas the best in the business]
[i love thomas of thomas paul. he could not be nicer or more talented. his colorful new pillows lit up the keena booth and made their little corner of the show one of the happiest spots around. i'm loving the new yellow pillows and silhouette plates- they're even prettier in person. and if you're going to buy things from a small company, thomas paul is a great choice. thomas and co are friendly, fun and totally unaffected by the widespread success of their work.]
[the future perfect had a booth this year, which felt like such a shock to me. there's something about the gift fair that seems so mainstream that it was wonderful to see a company like the future perfect playing the wholesale game. these spotted glass pieces were my favorite. i'm preparing a bigger post on them so stay tuned...]
[french company tair mercier had some lovely new lights and an eggshell placemat on display. it was wonderful to meet them in person and see how lovely their work is- photos don't always do it justice]
[i was LOVING these new table linens from brooklyn's simrin design. thomas from thomas paul pointed them out to me and i'm so glad he did. if there's anything i saw at the show that's destined to be an instant hit, this is it. we're going to be seeing this everywhere next season, and because it's repped by keena, that's a promise. those guys know how to get items in stores and magazines like no one else. no site for simrin yet, i'll have it soon]
[great cups and skateboard inspired tables from u+ and umbra. they were a delight to speak with, more coming soon...loved matt carr's table, too]
[lovelies from deadly squire, better pics coming soon. their baby bags are going to be HUGE]
[shelly and mary at k studio are some of my favorite ladies in the business. thoughtful, kind and FULL of talent, they consistently produce eco-friendly designs for the home that have such a wonderful handmade feel to them. they're impossible to resist. the teal stitching on pistachio linen was to die for]
[whew, that was a lot of adler! i saved jonathan adler's booth for last because it was probably the one that stuck with me the most. they debuted such a HUGE and fantastic collection of new designs that i was snapping away for a long time trying to catch all the new pieces. from gorgeous new pillows and table runners to fresh menagerie designs and painfully lovely lamps, this booth was seriously on fire. it's always a huge hit because adler is one of the biggest names in the industry, but i was seriously impressed by the new pieces. i left with a huge list of designs i want to save up for. so, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for new goods from the fabulous mr. adler and until they launch, click here for the full site]
12.8.06
new from jonathan adler
the new adler bedding just dropped and it's gorgeous. classic navy blue with that crisp, clean adler style- the new hollywood collection runs from $110 for sheets to $145 for the duvet. click here for the full shebang!
11.8.06
pearl & marmalade
sometimes i get lost in etsy just trying to find some fresh new stationery or limited edition prints. this week i stumbled upon these beautiful golden bird cards by pearl & marmalade. based in chicago, pearl & marmalade is the super-friends duo of dani and lee. they founded their own invitation studio and these birds are just the tip of the iceberg. they have plenty of beautiful stationery for everyone, so click here for some affordable original art by pearl & marmalade. enjoy!
[ps: it's gorgeous out so i'm calling it a day. tune in monday for gift show coverage and some guest blogging i'm doing on fast company's blog mon and tues. also, keep an eye on mocoloco on monday for their fantastic interview series on "inspiration". have a great weekend! oh- and thanks to frida for the interview on her new site!]
greenwich house pottery
sarah at greenwich house pottery sent me an email about a great shop in manhattan's west village. full of vintage and contemporary pottery, greenwich house has a series of exhibitions at the jane hartsook gallery that are geared towards more serious collectors, but they also have a storefront that features affordable work (most between $10-$100) by emerging ceramic artists. so if you're in town for the gift fair, swing on by! greenwich house pottery: 16 jones street (212-242-4106). [thanks, sarah!]
[ps: i'll be covering the gift show this weekend so tune in on monday for highlights from the nyigf]
ivana helsinki
i was chatting with heidi at peek keep about some of her newest finds and she mentioned ivana helsinki's latest collection- dead butterflies. kind of a sad name, but the collection is gorgeous. peek keep is stocking some gorgeous accessories by ivana (love the tray and the purse), but you can check out ivana's full textile line right here. her patterns have a vintage feel to them that i love. i could upholster a large amount of furniture in the bauhaus fabric. it would look so great on summer porch chairs or a couch for the deck. well, if you weather treated it of course. either way, take a peek at ivana's site right here and check out the ivana designs available at peek keep. enjoy!
jen garrido
as i get older and change my focus from the trend of the season to pieces that require a bit more investment, i find myself looking to fine art for that special piece. i'll always be a print girl but i've been checking out paintings a bit more lately so i was thrilled to see an email in my inbox from artist jen garrido of dog and pony show design. aside from making fun stationery and cards with dog and pony show, jen creates beautiful paintings full of texture and a kaleidoscopic range of color. i found myself intrigued by zoomed in corners of each piece and getting to appreciate the details of each piece and the way you see how jen applied the paint to the canvas (or wood). so, if you're looking to invest in a painting i highly suggest checking out jen's work. you can check out her site right here. enjoy! [thanks, jen!]
10.8.06
flavia del pra
joy had a whopper of a find this afternoon: flavia del pra. gorgeous lamps and textiles- it is a celebration of colorful print and pattern. and well, that can never be bad. click here for more on flavia del pra. [via oh joy!]
oh happy days!
today is going so well i could just pop. the d*s shop is coming together better than i could have hoped, i'm the proud owner of the last 13 yards of the carrie bradshaw fabric that marimekko has for sale (thanks, mom! the best birthday present ever!) and amy ruppel just sent me the greatest link. this has been one heck of a year for patterns and amy found a fantastic resource for vintage wallpapers and wallcoverings. 5qm.de is a great german site that carries a wealth of groovy vintage patterns that would look perfect in today's modern home. doesn't get much better. cruise through and maybe you'll find something that looks great in your home (they're closed until the 14th for holiday but after that you can place orders). enjoy! [thanks, amy!]
fabric heaven
thanks to finnish d*s reader reka i found the carrie bradshaw fabric! now i need to find a place that has my color and enough yardage for bedroom curtains. it's vintage and pricey so this should be a task. anyway, while assuming it might be an ikea pattern as most people suggested i was browing ikea's fabrics and was LOVING them (the linen diamonds- so cool). so many great designs. check out above and below for some fantastic options. they're not available online so you'll have to snag them at a store near you (check for availability first) but some of them are fantastic and really worth a trip to what i like to call the swedish version of hell. tip: don't spend more than an hour in there, it starts to suck away your will to live. ac can testify, i go into ikea mode and am one comment away from a breakdown at any given point. enjoy!
9.8.06
(live) blogging project runway
i thought, why not? so i'm writing this as the show goes on. my gut reaction is: I LOVE MICHAEL. could he be any sweeter? more updates soon...
- amanda is horrible. but then again, so is kayne. a chatty southerner match made in heaven
- why won't the rock star just make something that's good enough for people to take him seriously? he walks in like "i'm so good, i deserve respect" but i don't think he's earned it yet. and that neck tattoo- eesh.
- how gorgeous is michael's model? stunning.
- WHAT is heidi wearing on the runway?!
- from ac: "[heidi] really shouldn't be allowed to speak. and have you noticed that one of her eyes is f-ed up?"
- i want to die: i LOVE angela's outfit. the texture is gorgeous
- could laura's outfit be more boring?>
- MICHAEL RULES. I LOVE HIS LOOK! SO PAM GRIER!
- uli is queen of patterns
- i'm so glad michael kors is back!
- ok judging now: i think kayne is sort of tacky and i loved angela's dress minus the rosettes. i'm so glad they recognized michael's talent.
hoooooray! it's a good night because michael won and he's just too cute for words. but i'll miss bradley. i think he's just not made for this contest. i see him as this crazy misunderstood artist. oh well. bye, bradley! hooray for michael!
new from kragh rosenberg
i was speaking with mette and anne from kragh rosenberg yesterday and discovered their gorgeous new spring/summer 2006 patterns. i've long been a (rather rabid) fan of kragh rosenberg's modern danish textiles, and this new line proves these ladies aren't slowing down any time soon. full of beautiful patterns and rich colors (like that fantastic purple they always use), kragh's new collection includes bedding and pillows that are too cute to pass up. when ordering kragh it can be a bit tricky- currently tivoli home carries a limited selection of their goods (as does koo de kir) but mette and anne told me that one of their retail locations, ankerliving.dk, sells internationally. so, it can be tricky, but if you really want to get your hands on some gorgeous danish textiles, shoot an email to ankerliving for prices and shipping (pattern names, etc are on the kragh site). enjoy!
[i'm off to have lunch with a friend who just returned from a summer in india so i'll be back tonight for project runway blogging. looks like jeffrey and laura are gonna throw down...]
help: curtain dilemma!
i'm a bonafide sex & the city fanatic. i find myself tuning in to hbo on demand just to catch glimpses of carrie's apartment and the little details of its design. i've searched every inch of the hbo site but can't figure out who makes these beautiful curtains she has above her desk (or who makes the fabric). does anyone have any ideas? or where i could find similar medallion style fabric with the same color palette? these are sort of pink and slate grey/mauve. i want them in my bedroom so, so badly but just can't seem to find them. i emailed the set designers but no luck yet...any help would be greatly appreciated! xo, d*s
[UPDATE: a d*s reader found it! reka from finland says "it's a Marimekko fabric, designed by Maija Isola in the 60's called Tantsu!" and i think she's right. hooray! now for the hunt...]
sweet thunder
jennifer at sweet thunder was nice enough to send me some of her lovely work (which she creates with partner rj porter). sweet thunder is primarily a handmade jewelry company but i fell for this emu card- i love the combination of colors and the playful illustration. you can pick up your own emu right here for $9 (pack of three cards). [thanks, jennifer!]
mix it up
these fun little mix and mixture bowls at lekker home are such a fun way to spruce up the kitchen. i get bored with clear bowls so these are a fun alternative to the usual suspects. $10-$15 a piece right here. enjoy!
home magazine
thanks to home magazine for the kind mention in their editor's picks "design blogs" feature. i was honored to be in the company of apartment therapy, print+pattern, inhabitat and it's (k)not wood.
[ps: speaking of design blogs, i did a little d*s guide to design blogs on hg today. it's a big list of my personal favorites so if you're looking for some fresh design, check it out!]
new from elum
d*s reader jennifer recently redesigned elum's website and sent me an email to let me know their new look was finished and their were some fresh new cards to boot! i'm loving the fresh yellow and blue color palette, as well as the return to classic patterns and the bamboo styling. so lovely. you can click here for the full collection and to shop online. be sure to check out the limited edition prints- enjoy! [thanks, jennifer!]
pillow design competition
mike from inhabit emailed to let me know that the great pillow design competition has begun! inhabit is looking for designs for a series of three double-sided pillows. anyone can enter (students, moms and pops, actual aspiring pillow designers) and you get a t-shirt just for your effort. inhabit is looking for fleshed out art, not concepts and your design must have the ability to be printed as flat art on fabric. the winning design will be incorporated into inhabit's 2007 spring line. so, click here for details and enter away. should be a fun contest...
8.8.06
area home sneak peek
yuko at area home was kind enough to give d*s readers a little sneak peek at their gorgeous new bedding set to debut at the gift fair this weekend. my favorite was this beautiful pebble collection- printed in orange, pink and blue with decorative linen pillows. should be available this fall, but you can see it in person at the gift fair, booth #4061 in the accents on design section. click here for more info on area home. enjoy!
satur farms
[ps: photos of the debut d*s shop products are rolling in today and i'm seriously bouncing off the walls. this shop is my dream come true and the products are fantastic. each artist has created something just for this shop and you're going to love it. i'm so happy i could burst.]
dirt by sarah cihat
brooklyn designer sarah cihat (of rehabilitated dishware fame) has released an elegant but edgy new collection called dirt. comprised of three dogwood themed vases and a collection of black votive candles, it's an interesting move for cihat, whose next step has been much anticipated. i was really excited to see something different, but still in that slightly brooklyn vein of design. cihat's dogwood series contains a white, black and decayed dogwood vase cast in white, black and pink porcelain. i think the white is a really sophisticated look and is destined to be a hit this season (fall and winter for print mags). if you're looking for something edgier check out her votives and wolf head sculpture. there's also a simple series of cups and bowls that have subdued facets for a simple but elegant look. you can click here for more info- the line will be available in fall 2006 at barneys. [thanks, sarah!]
good on paper
lisa at good on paper sent out her lovely new (eco-friendly) cards yesterday. printed on 100% recycled paper using vegetable-based inks, each card comes with a coordinating envelope. i'm loving the blue and red birds but you can view the full collection right here. and if you need a little more lisa in your life, click here to listen to her podcast. enjoy!
berlin tapete: that's hot
katie's that's hot blog had a great find yesterday: german wallpaper from berlin tapete. colorful, fun and awfully confusing to order. i worked my way through the site it seems best to shoot them an email if you'd like to order. click here for the full pattern range.
