paper lily

textile + object at l'aviva home

2008-12-05T14:48:00.011-06:00

Filling our homes with beautiful objects found at markets and bazaars on travels around the world appeals to many of us, only getting away to exotic, far-flung destinations isn't always feasible. Fortunately, there's a world of shopping online with sites like l'aviva home- where the beauty and culture of ethnic designs can be had minus the airfare. As part of it's new online trunk show, textile + object, the site has just added vintage sari throws, arabesque tea glasses and michoacán platters.

Deck the Halls

2008-12-01T00:31:00.008-06:00

I hope you and yours had a healthy, happy, and maybe even restful Thanksgiving holiday. Now that it's December already, it really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. To kick off the holiday season here on this blog, I've chosen these images from the current House Beautiful- of what could easily be a year-round take on holiday red and green.

Images courtesy House Beautiful. For more holiday ideas and gift guides click here.

A First Lady and Her Furniture (Factory)

2008-11-11T00:28:00.018-06:00

Val-Kill Cottage, photo by valerie

One of the books I'm currently reading is This I Remember, the second volume of Eleanor Roosevelt's autobiography. In addition to the usual anecdotes about family and political life which can be expected in a biographical account of a public figure's life, Roosevelt also writes about Val-Kill Industries, the furniture production company she started along with a few friends on the grounds of her Hyde Park, New York stone cottage home. Roosevelt hoped that the furniture factory would provided employment and extra income for farmers in the area so that they and their families would be less likely to leave their farms for higher paying jobs in the city. And for ten years, farmers turned craftsmen worked at the factory producing copies of early American furniture until the operation was closed in 1937.

Val-Kill furniture wasn't perfect, as Eleanor Roosevelt notes in this 1934 article she wrote for House and Garden, but it was nonetheless of very high quality, and eventually came to be sought out by collectors. Some pewter and textiles were also made at Val-Kill.

Val-Kill furniture and pewter: candlesticks, walnut magazine rack and fireside bench, Images: National Park Service Museum Collections

Before reading this book, I had very little knowledge of Eleanor Roosevelt and her life. (There was that report I wrote back in the sixth grade, but I didn't get a very good grade on it.) I was surprised to find that the former first lady was the founder of a small furniture factory. It's interesting to me because in many ways, the project seems like a precursor to today's socially and environmentally conscious design collaborations (that we are fortunate enough to be seeing more and more of).

Ikat Bowls

2008-11-07T00:32:00.003-06:00

Earlier today I popped into Anthropologie where I browsed their housewares and spotted the ikat bowls that I've been eyeing, but up until now had only seen online. Turns out they're even better up close. Especially the blue one.

Over the Top and Moon

2008-11-06T01:45:00.013-06:00

If ever there was an event to be at in Chicago, it had to be Barack Obama's post-election victory celebration in Grant Park. With the mood around the city and country being so joyous and dreamlike, it may be a while before something like a design show, even one as notable as the DIFFA and Elle Decor sponsored Dining By Design gets the attention it usually would, but for anyone interested, the tabletop event is being held in Chicago today, tomorrow, and Saturday.

DIFFA bills the event as an opportunity for designers to create "over the top tabletops." And with the only real guidelines for the designers being that their tables must seat ten and be contained within an 11' x 11' space, the result is pure fantasy. Think grand chandeliers and cascading lighting, towering centerpieces, bold colors pairings, and eclectic materials like feathers.

As much as I like many of the avant-garde dining installations, some of my favorites actually lean towards the more traditional. Tables like the one designed by Margaret Russell for Elle Decor in 2006, and this pink and white tabletop with Moroccan lanterns and bamboo rattan pendant lamps.

And in the spirit of the election and new president, I thought it would only be fitting to include an image of the New York Times installation by Doug Wilson for Design Within Reach.

images: umbrella tabletop: DIFFA Los Angeles - Dining by Design - Table Hop & Taste - 2008, originally uploaded by mralenlin, loved the walls, pink and patterned

2008-10-30T02:08:00.005-05:00

When I saw the Turkish pendant lamp featured in the November Domino as part of the magazine's look at laviva-home.com, it was love at first sight. The lamp won't be available through laviva-home.com for another month (when their December online trunk show starts), but until then the site is offering a beautiful selection of textiles from around the world. The colorful, hand-embroidered Mexican bedspreads are my favorite.

One of the things that I find so fascinating about vintage travel guides are the maps. Looking at the maps in these books reminds me of how much I love seeing maps and globes displayed in people's homes. Whether its a map of the entire world, a country or even a city street map, these representations of places near and far hold such a sense of possibility and wonder.

image: Poetic Home

Early 1970s Physical Globe with Modern Base
(available through three potato four)

vintage map of Madrid (via a plus b)

A World of Books

2008-10-27T00:35:00.001-05:00

photo: blogged by perfectbound for design*sponge guest blog

It had been a while since I'd gone to the library. And after reading a post by Courtney on Style Court about the current economy making this a good time to revisit the library, I decided to look into what my local branch has to offer. As luck would have it, they were having a book sale that weekend. Thousands of donated used books were being sold to raise money for the library. At just 25 to 50 cents a book, it was an unbelievable bargain. I went in with high hopes because I'd been to this kind of event of before where there are countless good books for next to nothing, and I was not disappointed this time around either. I was mainly interested in finding as many art, design and travel books as I could. Design and travel are two of my passions, not to mention books, so I was super excited when I actually found the kind of books I had in mind. The design and decorating books were mixed in with crafts, gardening and other home books, but after sorting through the section, I came away with over two dozen books.

Some of the books I picked up:

House and Garden's Complete Guide to Interior Decoration (1953 edition)

1960s Spanish cookbooks (You never know when the urge for tapas and sangria will strike. And it's the perfect excuse for a get together.)

Entertaining by Martha Stewart: The copy I got looks like one of the earlier versions of this book from the early eighties. I picked it up primarily for the photography. Good as the recipes in this book may be, I probably won't be making any of them.

The Rome I Love: Gorgeous photography that transports you both in time (it was published in the sixties) and place.

a Fodor's Morocco guide from 1972: Ever since traveling there a year and a half ago, I've become fascinated with anything Moroccan. I found it to be such a beautiful and magical place.

I also found travel books on Russia and Paris. So, even though I won't be traveling anytime soon, I'll still be able to see wonderful places all around the world.

Heath Ceramics

2008-10-23T01:49:00.007-05:00

I'm drawn to Heath Ceramics for how clean and simple their designs are. I especially like the bud vases- the shape is so organic and appealing. (If I'm ever in San Francisco, a tour of the Heath factory will be high on my itinerary.)

photos: bowls, tea set, bud vases, sugar bowl and serving platter

Weaving a Tale of Hope

2008-10-21T23:47:00.011-05:00

photo via my marrakesh

Maryam saw baskets like these being made throughout Rwanda. The people of Rwanda told her what they have seen. There are no words for their stories.

Second City Style

2008-10-20T23:43:00.019-05:00

While Chicago has never been a fashion capital, the city has nonetheless been home to many stylish women over the years. A new exhibit at the Chicago History Museum highlights the role of fashion in this city often known more for its grit and industry than style. Chic Chicago: Couture Treasure from the Chicago History Museum features over fifty pieces from the museum's permanent collection. The designs date from 1861 to the present and include dresses by the likes of such renowned designers as Lanvin, Poiret, Chanel and Balenciaga. Mainbacher and Charles James, who were both from Chicago, are also among the designers represented in the exhibit.

"Butterfly" by Charles James (1954)

James' butterfly dress is one of the most notable designs being shown. Trained as an architect, James applied architectural principles to his fashion design to add support and volume. This method of construction also resulted in the dress being very heavy. At over 17 pounds, the butterfly dress could be considered almost impossibly full. It was worn and owned by Mrs. Charles V. Farwell III before being donated to the museum.

Vionnet gown (1938)

A beaded, smoke gray chiffon gown by Madeleine Vionnet is another one of the key designs in the Chic Chicago exhibit. It could be said that the dress had to be "fit for a queen" since Mrs. Potter Palmer II wore the gown when being presented to the Queen of England in 1938. At that time, strict guidelines for court presentations were still being reverently observed.

"Robe de Style" by Jeanne Lanvin (1924)

This fiery red Halston, emerald Balenciaga and 1927 "robe de style" by Jeanne Lanvin are a few of the other evening gowns of interest in the exhibit.

Halston

Cristobal Balenciaga evening gown with shrug (1961)

Chic Chicago: Couture Treasure from the Chicago History Museum will be open through July 26, 2009. Click here for more information.

All Heart

2008-10-19T13:02:00.006-05:00

You say "artichoke," I say "lamp." Or at least now that's what I might say. But before playing along with the Top Design pop quiz where the designers were asked to choose the original artichoke lamp from its copy, the first thing that would have come to mind would have been "Jacques Pepin."

Of the handful of times I've watched Jacques Pepin's cooking show, one of the segments happened to be on preparing an artichoke. Pepin, of course, elevated shaping or "turning" the artichoke to an art. I was hooked. I'd never considered that cutting away the leaves to reveal the heart, while keeping it intact, required such precision. Really, it's mildly fascinating to me, that layer upon layer, an artichoke could be the source of so much inspiration.

photos: John Baird (top), flickr photo (bottom)

A Very Good Apple

2008-10-09T03:45:00.007-05:00

Homegrown and handmade doesn't sound possible since it would usually have to be either one or the other, but Ez of Creature Comforts and Wren and Chickadee has managed to do both in this perfect photo of a perfect apple in the perfect shade of pink. Prints of the diptych titled Imitation Is are now available in her etsy shop.

Design for Democracy

2008-10-08T21:20:00.011-05:00

For whatever reason, not everyone chooses to vote. AIGA wants to help change that by inspiring people to participate in the electoral process through its Get Out the Vote poster campaign. Of the over 250 designs that have been submitted for the 2008 election, 24 posters were selected for professional printing and distribution. Maybe you've seen a Get Out the Vote poster displayed in one of the public spaces suggested like "windows of storefronts, restaurants, dormitories, laundromats and elsewhere around the country." If you haven't seen any of the designs hanging in your community, or would like to put one up yourself, AIGA encourages you to download and print posters from the online gallery.

Color Inspiration: Aqua + Red

2008-10-07T22:55:00.028-05:00

On a recent walk I noticed a house with doors that were painted aqua and red, and was struck by how interesting and exciting the two colors looked paired together. I liked that combination of aqua and red so much that I wanted to find more of the two colors for inspiration.

photo credits: flower girls photographed by boutwell studio, centerpieces from inspiration board via budget savvy bride, pretty industries apron by amprilot, amapola jewelry box, aqua cloth napkins with screen-printed red poppies

Golden Ripe Pineapples

2008-10-01T18:28:00.005-05:00

1970s Pineapple Lamps

As far as oversize produce goes, this time of year it's all about pumpkins rather than pineapples. And while pineapples may be out of season right now, if these pineapple lamps from the seventies are any measure, they're always in style. Once I get past how pineapple decor brings to mind a lounge singer crooning Barry Manilow's "At the Copa, Copacabana..." (maybe because of the delightful kitschiness of anything in the likeness of a pineapple); I picture these lamps in a room with dark woods and leather seating (where there is probably very little singing).

Martha's Pumpkins

2008-09-30T11:29:00.008-05:00

Give Martha Stewart a pumpkin, and she turns it into something that would make Cinderella's fairy godmother proud.

Marimekko for Autumn

2008-09-29T21:18:00.005-05:00

Whether in nature or on fabric, landscapes derive their splendor from the view- including this design from the 2008 Marimekko Autumn collection. Sheer and fluid, the swaths of color blend into a landscape that is as soothing as it is sweeping.

Gwyneth's Plum Role, Foodie in Spain

2008-09-25T00:24:00.008-05:00

The premiere of Spain... On the Road Again, the PBS cooking/travel show with Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow, has me thinking of Spain... dreaming, really. I can imagine few things more divine than traveling through Spain and eating delicious food all the while. Who wouldn't want to lounge about and indulge in the quintessentially Spanish pleasure of churros and hot chocolate (like Gwyneth and Spanish actress Clausia Bassols do in the first episode). I'm looking forward to what's to come on their road trip. The food is probably just the beginning of this feast. There's sure to be lots of art and culture along the way, too.

The companion cookbook for the series is titled Spain: A Culinary Road Trip and will be released in October. Episodes can also be downloaded on iTunes starting September 26th.

photos: tapas on flickr (top left), gazpacho (top right) and olives (bottom left) both by Ryan Opaz, Catalan water (bottom right) via Green Olive Tree

Farnsworth House

2008-09-24T00:00:00.007-05:00

photo: Greg Robbins

The Farnsworth House on the banks of the Fox River outside Plano, IL has long known the struggles of staying afloat. Rising waters have plagued the Mies van der Rohe modernist masterpiece for much of its fifty-seven year history. For the sixth time since being built in 1951, the Farnsworth House recently flooded again. (This time the flooding was caused by heavy rains that swept the Midwest after Hurricane Ike.)

The house is now "out of the water," so to speak. Crews have been working hard to clear the damage. Landmarks Illinois, which oversees Farnsworth as a house museum, has even started a blog chronicling the progress that's being made towards restoring the glass house. Van der Rohe tried to account for the river overflowing by elevating the house over five feet off the ground on steel beams, but the extra height, unfortunately (and obviously) hasn't helped to keep it dry. Given the house's location, and past experience, it's almost certain that Farnsworth House will flood again.

There's always the option of moving the house to another location. But that's precisely the fate that preservationists who raised enough to buy the house in 2003 wanted to avoid. I'd like to see the house remain in its original location as well, but I know this may not be possible. The connection with nature is very important to the building. Mies van der Rohe designed his glass masterpiece to be experienced as part of the nature surrounding it. It wouldn't be the same somewhere else. The little, out of the way glass box house stands as a monument to modernist architecture in the United States. I hope it can be saved.

Contributions for the restoration and preservation of Farnsworth House can be made through Landmark Illinois.

photo: P. Hegan

goop.com

2008-09-23T03:12:00.010-05:00

Gwyneth Paltrow has just launched a new website called GOOP. From the description and categories (Make, Go, Get, Do, Be, and See) it looks like a design and living blog whose as of now blank pages will eventually be filled with Gwyneth's picks.

From goop.com:
“Whether you want a good place to eat in London, some advice on where to stay in Austin, the recipe I made up this week, or some thoughts from one of my sages, GOOP is a little bit of everything that makes up my life.”

Rain, Renegade, and Maramiki

2008-09-22T01:16:00.003-05:00

Maramiki at Renegade Craft Fair Chicago
photos via with a flourish

The weekend of the Renegade Craft Fair was a very wet one here in Chicago. It rained and rained and then rained some more. It was enough to make you just want to stay in, and I did. From photos and blogs, it looks like the vendors did an excellent job of keeping their tents (and hopefully their spirits) up and dry-ish despite the rain.

Maramiki was one of the booths at Renegade whose designs really stand out for me. The work of textile artist, Mara Snipes, maramiki designs are drawn by hand and then screenprinted onto linen or cotton. The finished pieces have a very pretty, organic look. Pillows, sheets, printed yardage, and even notecards, are available for purchase through her etsy shop.

Sixties Style: Buttoned Up

2008-09-17T04:37:00.049-05:00

Mad Men

The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963)

Mad Men is hands down my absolute favorite show on television. If you've watched Mad Men, you know that Sterling Cooper is in the business of making things look good. Appearances are everything at this fictional 1960s New York advertising agency, both in and outside of the office. The Sterling Cooper crowd want to live the good life. Its account executives may not be fabulously wealthy, but they do make enough to surround themselves with the trappings of success, even when they come at a high personal cost. (Pete Campbell must have swallowed hard when his wife, Trudi, talked him into accepting the down payment for an apartment they couldn't afford from her parents.)

Mad Men's story line is seamlessly woven together with its set design to capture the style of the era and reflect the aspirations of its characters. One of the fixtures of Mad Men's set design is the Draper's turquoise button-tufted headboard. Week after week, the distinctive headboard serves as a backdrop to the troubled marriage of Don and Betty Draper. Turquoise, velvet, and padded, the headboard is a paragon of sixties style.

A headboard similar to the one on Mad Men can be seen in the 1963 film The Courtship of Eddie's Father. The shape is somewhat different, but the color and tufting are nearly identical. The resemblance between the two pieces gives an idea of just how well Mad Men recreates the style of the early sixties.

Spring Green Tufted Cotton Swivel Chairs

These spring green tub chairs are another example of enviable, tufted furniture. The chairs, which are available through C.Bell and 1stdibs, remind me of Ruthie Sommers' green club chairs. Both sets of chairs even have white piping. Before Sommers re-upholstered the club chairs in a moss green colored linen, they were covered in white vinyl.

Designer Ruthie Sommers (Chapman Radcliff)
Photographed by Michael Weschler for Southern Accents

Photo: Michael Weschler

Renegade Craft Fair Chicago

2008-09-13T19:43:00.003-05:00

It may be a little difficult for me to get there, and it's been raining all weekend, but I should really find an umbrella and go to the Renegade Craft Fair tomorrow.

All the World's a Stage

2008-09-04T22:59:00.029-05:00

Political Letterpress Cards from Ella Studio

The senator at the podium wants to be the next president of the United States. He speaks with conviction and heart. Nearly everything he says hits home with the crowd. Years of political stumping have honed what is likely an innate skill for him- acknowledging moments of intense approval with a well-timed, punctuated silence. The crowd, so large it fills an entire stadium, erupts in a roar of applause. The cameras cut away again, back to the senator. He is humble yet assured in the face of glory.

Back to the crowd. The oversize buttons, outrageous hats, and message splayed t-shirts that are the province of political flair dot the crowd like an affliction. And, of course, there are those who wouldn't be caught dead in a silly hat, let alone on television. These folks are dressed in what is likely their best versions of themselves and are often fashionable. This group includes the candidate's wife.

The senator has been speaking for some time now. He will be finished soon, but you'd never know it by the fervent energy of the crowd. They love him even more now. "Sen-a-tor, Sen-a-tor" they chant. In a moment, his wife, who has up until now watched adoringly from the best seat in the house, will walk on stage, followed by their children. Tonight, she is America's Sweetheart. Candidate and family bask in the glow. They extend their hands in gratitude to a lucky few before graciously exiting the arena.

The curtain won't close on this show for some time, though. It will be months before citizens head for the polls to vote. Let's hope we all take advantage of that right and privilege come November.