We’re going to wrap things up a little early today. Grace took the red-eye from Portland back to Brooklyn last night. So while she recoups from the flight and acclimates to the time change, I thought I’d welcome her back with some of my favorite details of Brooklyn homes from the sneak peek archives. So…
Originally from lower Piedmont, Bagna Càuda is usually a recipe for autumn, to be enjoyed with the harvest of grapes for wine. But because I will be on my way to the southern hemisphere as this posts, I thought this week would be perfect for photographer Jennifer Martiné’s recipe, in honor of everyone who is in the…
When I worked for the New York Public Library, one of my favorite things to do was peruse the vintage craft books in the library stacks. So I was completely thrilled to discover Cathy Callahan’s Vintage Craft Workshop. Cathy takes crafts from the ’60s and ’70s and makes them new again. For many of the…
It’s always been my dream to live in a home with airy, open rooms and lots of exposed bricks, so when this renovation project from Amy came across my desk, I was instantly smitten. Located in Atlanta, this building is about 100 years old and originally served as a trolley depot. Thankfully, Amy and her…
I love listening to the stories behind people’s renovations; sometimes you learn that the most beautiful renovations occur when homeowners uncover a gem that has been hidden beneath layers of previous work. Such is the case with this fireplace renovation from Heather. It’s projects like this that inspire me to delve beneath an interior and…
Jesyka’s second project for the day is a very unusual way to use a birdcage, but once you see it, I think you’ll agree that more birdcages should be put to use in this way. I would never think to turn a birdcage into a ceiling light, but as Jesyka’s example proves, there are many…
Jesyka D’Itri Marés managed to pack two incredibly creative makeovers into her dining room, and although this hutch was featured on Centsational Girl earlier this year, we felt the pair of projects was too charming to resist. The untreated hutch was lovely to begin with, albeit a bit damaged, but Jesyka had a vision for…
Okay, I know I’m on a bit of an iPad kick lately, but these wooden cases from Oregon’s Substrata have such lovely curves and patterns made from wood. Their handmade hinged cases have a microsuede lining and latches with magnets. They also serve as both horizontal and vertical stands. If you’re like me and are…
Leslie at Swarm is always involved in the most interesting projects. The latest is an amazing series called “Altered Perspectives” with Little Owl. The goal of the project is to combine two unexpected objects (like these paintings and transferware) to create a new scene. I love the Dutch landscape paintings above and below — they…
When I started writing Design*Sponge at Home, I knew I wanted the book to be as big as possible. And by “big” I mean literally- my goal was to create a seriously hefty (but pretty) design bible that would contain everything I ever wanted a design book to have. At the same time, I wanted…
I have been obsessed with craft supplies since my early childhood, and I am not afraid to talk about my lifelong love affair with glue. It’s rivaled only by my love of tape, but more on that later :) Glue is a magical substance, and trust me when I say that the ability to permanently…
When my husband and I first moved into our house, we were on a tight budget, and a fancy ceiling fan was not in the plan. The last residents left this fan, and I’ve never liked it. This week, I decided to give my fan an upgrade and share it with everyone. The full project…
A couple weeks ago, Daniel submitted a living room redesign, and it was a huge hit, especially the work he did to transform the plain windows into this beautiful paned version. Daniel was kind enough to offer a tutorial on how to recreate the wooden panes. As it turns out, with just a little patience…
We have two exciting treats today: Another awesome DIY video from Brett’s new book, Sewing in a Straight Line, and the list of winners from last week’s book giveaway! — Kate Congratulations to everyone who entered on having some truly disastrous disasters!! I have never heard of so many fingers being sewn through, so many…
Image above: Venetian carved wooden chair, circa 1860s, $3600 I’ve decided that if I can’t be at the beach surrounded by shells, at least I can be looking at them. During the 18th century, there was a huge fashion for creating grottoes; it was an ode to Romans, who created the artificial caverns as places…
I have a hard time describing what it is about certain pieces of art that grab me. Sometimes it’s a texture or color; other times, it’s just a feeling the artwork gives me. For these two pieces, it’s about a mix of both. The artwork above takes me back to a summer I spent hiking…
Leave it to Woody Allen’s newest flick, Midnight in Paris, to send me screaming for a Parisian vacation (preferably in the 1920s). Under normal circumstances, Gertrude Stein’s apartment filled with the likes of Picasso and Hemingway is off-limits, but I’ll happily suspend my disbelief to tag along with Owen Wilson. — Amy M. 1. Gertrude Stein…
Today’s Biz Ladies post comes from regular contributor Andrea Baxter, owner of Bratface Marketing and co-founder of Smart Cookies. (Check out more of Andrea’s Biz Ladies posts here!) Andrea offers some advice on realizing your future successes and goals through the use of visualization boards and other business-planning techniques. Thank you, Andrea, for this motivational piece! —…
Illustration by Michael Wertz Today’s city guide comes to us from Catherine Weis and Gretchen Krebs, the founders of Local Social, an art and event styling company in Oakland, California. Between Catherine’s background in graphic design and Gretchen’s experience in interior design, they can collectively curate every element of the events they host and design to provide…
The phrase “Life of Leisure” makes me both excited and nervous. Living in Portland this month has made me realize how trained I am to fill any free time with work. Meeting got canceled? Schedule a new one! Finished your work early? Start a new project! Sometimes that’s a good thing, but sometimes it means…
