These dreamy photos by Irene Suchocki are among so many of my favorite things on etsy. Through a stroke of serendipity and our common love of lanterns, Anahata reminded me about them again today.
They pull on my heart strings in all of the right ways.
I had such a heart racing reaction to these photos that I saw today on Decor 8, check out the vibrant colors of stylist Ana Richardson's home. Her aesthetic really resonated with me, I just had to share them here as well. Enjoy!
More photos of Ana Richardson's home in Sussex can be found here, and here.
Yesterday I stumbled onto Ann Wood's blog, and read about her cardboard stampede. Her creative process is very inspiring, I love the idea of making something with your hands every day. (A creative resolution I'm making for myself in 2010.)
... so thought I'd share her story about them and link to her patterns.
"In 2006 I started making cardboard horses. They were a self imposed assignment, a daily creative task intended to motivate and loosen me up, little experiments, paralysis prevention. My plan was to make a cardboard horse everyday, Monday through Friday until I had 100. I did and exhibited the group at Tinlark in Los Angeles in 2007. I’ve made 3 patterns, two adults and a colt, to share and I hope you make a cardboard horse or two or three or maybe a little family or maybe your own stampede" -Ann Wood
I'm also just so enchanted over these photos she posted on flickr of her work, and Design Sponges recent sneak peek into her creative space.
At work today, I came across a wonderful magazine from the Netherlands called "Flow". Scouring it's pages, I went totally weak in the knees when I came across the work of London based Photographer Tim Walker.
A lot of the stylized themes in his work are influenced from childhood dreams, and fairy tales.
"His images capture a sublime moment in time, evoking a sense of epic drama and beauty. Stunning sets and lavish locations juxtapose the everyday with the absurd and the fabulous, to create captivating, original photographs. Tim’s evocative images are full of textured nuance and intriguing detail. His innovative photography is amongst the most imaginative and exuberant being produced today." -designmuseum.org
I just came back from a very relaxing vacation on the central coast of California visiting family. While I was there, I helped my sister Christina, build a new etsy shop to showcase her giclee prints. Her work is always bubbling over with vibrant colors and expresses the fine balance between the beauty and chaos of everyday life. To read more about her artistic process be sure to visit her blog Art Candy. You can also view more of her work, by visiting her website.
Betsey Johnson's Retro Renegade New York Apartment
8.09.2009
A few years back I saw a feature on tv about Betsey Johnson's New York apartment, there were two things that really stuck with me. The shawls and clothing that she used in lieu of curtains, and the quote "if you love it and it is beautiful, then it goes with everything else you love and is beautiful".
This morning I was poking around on some wonderful social bookmarking sites (more on that later!), and found this article from the British magazine Elle Deco. Her home is a mirror to her utterly free spirit, and everything has a story.
"Every fabric in here is dyed. You can't find bright upholstery fabric anymore; it's all dusty rose or beige"
"I think fashion and interiors are exactly the same. A chair is like the female body - it's a shape that you cover".
Her favorite decoration is flowers. They prove that any color goes with any color. "I mean, you never say, that flower doesn't go with that grass and that sky! You can never look at nature and say it doesn't match."
Just in case you missed it, USA today published previously unseen concept and character photos from the upcoming Tim Burton film Alice in Wonderland this week.
Recently at the Papaya studio we all fell head over heels over Robin Brown's book, A bit of velvet and a dash of lace. Robin of Magnolia Pearl's home style overflows with textiles, texture, and a true passion for collecting beautiful time worn objects. In her book I loved seeing how she fused indoor & outdoor decorating together in unusual ways like using Persian rugs, mirrors, and artwork displayed on the front porch, and (my favorite bit by all means) a chandelier in the chicken coop!
Her story is filled with a genuinely creative spirit, and love for life. My favorite thing about Robin?! She wears flowers in her hair every day .... just another reason why she is one of my new heroes.
I love hearing how other creatives found their niche, don't you?!
Imagine having one of these caravans in your garden...
Jeanne Bayol, pictured above has carved out her own unique niche in restoring old gypsy caravans and decorating them like no other. Her Caravans are for sale at les verdines. Be sure to check out her website and book: "Les Roulottes : Une invitation au voyage"
April Give-a-way! Domino The Book Of Decorating
4.01.2009
When Domino magazine first came out, I was instantly hit by the bug of obsession. It was like a designer's bible. The principle of it's magic was simple: here is a beautiful room, and here are all of the resources to make it happen. Simple. They broke a room down right down to the paint color. They were pioneers in their field, showing us all of the clever ways to design a unique space, to make you happy.
It was painful to hear of the end of my favorite publication. I'm still harboring a belief that when this economy turns around, it will come back! But for now , I can at least attest to their beautiful legacy with Domino's book, "Domino The Book Of Decorating, a room-by-room guide to creating a home that makes you happy", I have two copies to share with readers of this blog courtesy of it's wonderful publisher Simon & Schuster.
To enter: just leave a comment. No need to ever even have cracked open the magazine... this is the best of all of it's pages, and I'm so excited to share this with 2 lucky readers!
"Domino: The Book of Decorating cracks the code to creating a beautiful home, bringing together inspiring rooms, how-to advice and insider's secrets from today's premier tastemakers in an indispensable style manual. The editors take readers room by room, tapping the best ideas from domino magazine and culling insights from their own experiences. With an eye to making design accessible and exciting, this book demystifies the decorating process and provides the tools for making spaces that are personal, functional and fabulous."
Contest Ends Wednesday, April 8. Two random winners will be picked to receive a free copy of this wonderful book... good luck!!!
There's No Place Like Here: Something's Hiding In Here
3.13.2009
From Etsy's new video series, where creative types show their unique spaces "— infused with their aesthetic and filled with the treasures they collect."
Once again I am excited to get to get a sneak peek into other creative's living spaces. I can't wait to see what's next!
I started a new folder in my bookmarks, for favorite blog posts. Right now this story about a Studio Lace Floor is my number one.... It pulls at my heart strings!
The Selby recently landed on my radar via the Moldy Doily. It's honestly seized my heart as the most unique site I've seen on the internet in quite awhile.
I love the images of handwritten notes and drawings from his subjects alongside the photographs of creative people and their spaces. I can't wait to delve deeper into his photography sets as I have the time, the images of other creatives in their homes and studios are so intriguing.
This morning I'm feeling the vimeo love! After visiting Little Fragment Studio's blog, and seeing her post "To Be French!!!" I had to click over to explore for more visuals since the first one made me smile so much.
I never craved to own a video camera so badly until I watched this:
I'll forever be inspired by Rodney Smith's photography portfolio. He's such a genius. I love how playful his imagery is, always taking the extra leap beyond the ordinary and into the sublime.
Wow. I just heard the news that Tim Burton is in the process of filming a re-make of Alice in Wonderland. And from what I read, people are both excited and scared at the prospect! That's the funny way things go sometimes. I'm already loving the first glimpse though. Mia Wasikowska as Alice is rockin' some serious style here in this amazing ric-rac skirt. That can't be denied. Love the new costume interpretation.
Tomorrow I'm leaving for Paris, so I thought this book on New Paris Interiors from Taschen would be a fitting post. You can flip through the whole book online, there are some really amazing artistic spaces in there. I love the chalkboard mantle in one of the living rooms, and the house with the spiral staircase that leads to a loft library, surrounded by tall glass windows with views of the city... well you'll have to check it out.
I'll be back in a week, with lots of photos and stories from our trip.
Just before I left for my recent trip to New York, Selina Lake's new book: Bazaar Style: Decorating With Market and Vintage Finds arrived in my mailbox. I was smiling from ear to ear, as it's just my cup of my tea. It showcases unique spaces decorated with vintage, retro and flea-market finds. Total Bliss!
I first came across Selina's interior styling portfolio through flickr, when she added me as a contact. (Can you see, why I love that site so much??!!) She's created a group there to showcase rooms that have been inspired by the bazaar style aesthetic, and to answer questions about her book. You can join her group here, and be inspired too!
To gain more insight into Selina Lake's profession as an interior stylist, you can also read a fantastic interview she did with one of my favorite design bloggers Decor 8.
My aunt had this beautiful oil painting of a woman in a red kimono in her living room when we recently visited her in California. The moment I laid eyes on it, I was instantly smitten. Last week she sent me the link to Tealan's webshop where she purchased it. I'm so over the moon about it, it's absolutely lovely and SO affordable.
Thanks to my iphone again, I can give you a little peek of this painting hanging in my aunt's living room. It was late in the day and taken in dim lighting, so the photo isn't the best... but I'm sure you'll get the idea!
Sophie Adde's paintings were recently introduced to me on flickr (via Eclectic Gipsyland). One small glance was all it took, I needed to see more.
Sophie's background as a textile designer really shines through in her use of pattern and colors. I also love how the motifs of her work have been inspired by her own world travels. Truly an artist after my own heart!
After last years fantasizing about creating these very delicate carved pumpkins. I've been looking to try something much simpler this year. Luckily before I went searching to unearth my carving tools in the attic, I saw this really clever idea in Better Homes and Gardens magazine on making stenciled pumpkins with paper doilies. I ended up cutting up the doilies to make my own patterns, the end result reminds me a bit of print blocked textiles from India.
I'd also like to try making these celestial pumpkins once it gets a bit closer to Halloween, to light the way to our porch. Aren't they lovely?
Martha, Martha, Martha... your site always has the best ideas.
Here are a few of the fun project ideas they have offered up on her site for Halloween. Spookyness is a good thing.
Recently my husband has become enchanted with a vintage airstream trailer that he found and wants to restore. (His last four-wheel restoration project was this vintage red truck). So for the past few days I've been scouring the internet for photos of re-finished trailers.
I found these sweet photographs on Vintage Vacations, where you can spend a holiday in American trailers in the U.K., sited on the south coasts Isle of Wight on a rural working farm. You might of also recently seen one of their trailers used as a backdrop for the photography of the July catalog for Free People. You can see more of the fun trailer stylings at Vintage Vacations here.
And then there is the vintage-modernist take on the airstream. Julie Moody interior design revamped this 1963 Airstream marrying a vintage aesthetic with all the modern conveniences.
Design Within Reach's airstream, also inspired by architect-designer Chris Deam who once gutted a vintage trailer to create a booth for the International Contemporary Furniture fair, "making only improvements not changes".
Who knew it would be so easy to turn "trailer trash"?!
Kime Buzzelli's artwork makes me completely weak in the knees. I get such an overwhelming feeling of inspiration each time I visit her blog The Moldy Doily. Her paintings are a brilliant combination of beauty and edginess.
I also love the way they emanate a contagious sort of creative energy. I always feel like I want to go run off and create something each time I visit.
This afternoon I was busily working on a design project, and found myself stuck on color choices. As luck would have it, I later visited bighugelabs site and found this new color palette generator that pulls harmonious colors from photographs. My minds running amuck with the possibilities here, total genius!
This is a photo of Freckles taken last year in my home studio. The numbers under the swatches correlate with the appropriate web colors. Such a savvy flickr gadget too!
My heart completely skipped a beat this afternoon when I opened up my mailbox to find the issue of BoligLiv Liquid Sky Arts was mentioned in last month. Thanks so much Kirsten for sending it all the way from Denmark!
I had to scan a few photos from article they did on designer Louise Campbell's artistic home to share here. I love the originality in how she decoupaged a complete wall and furniture with squares of Origami paper. So Clever!
I was also taken by this photograph of her books arranged by the colors of the spines. I love the haphazard stacking, and the way they fit so perfectly in niche of the wall. It reminds me so much of Yvonne's beautiful color coordinated bookcase too.
Photo by: 
(photos via: Selina Lake's 
arrived in my mailbox. I was smiling from ear to ear, as it's just my cup of my tea. It showcases unique spaces decorated with vintage, retro and flea-market finds. Total Bliss!
(photos via 
