As my first full week in Portland comes to a close, I’m left thinking about the little things I miss from home. Beyond loved ones and friends, I miss some of the older details that fill the NYC apartments I love so dearly. I’ve always been someone who obsessed over details like wood inlay floor…
Despite my enormous collection of cookbooks for all occasions, and my penchant for appetizers from On A Stick!, I always clip easy appetizer recipes from magazines when they fall between my hands! (Or in doctor’s offices, I copy them on my BlackBerry!) I especially like this week’s recipes for Shrimp Paste Sandwiches (using local shrimp)…
$35,000. This is, I discovered one afternoon in Paris, the cost of my dream picnic basket from Goyard. From time to time, I think back to this beautiful piece of pure, unnecessary luxury and wonder what my picnics would be like were I able and willing to make such a glorious purchase. Would yellow flowers…
We’re taking a much-needed break at the shop this week before we kick into the next round of weddings, so we finally had a little time to do a fun crafty project! We’ve caught the tie-dyeing bug (we have a party planned with the gals for later this month), and this project is an inexpensive…
I think I can probably count on one hand the number of times that I’ve actually been on a motorcycle, and I’ve never even seen Easy Rider (or any of the other biker movies in the list on Wikipedia. Yes. I checked.). So let’s be honest here. I went to this exhibition because it had…
Last weekend, as part of my never-ending battle against the sun (why aren’t you working, SPF60?), I headed into Williamsburg’s modern jewelry mecca, Catbird, to look at their sunhat selection. Once in the store, I ran right past the hats and over to this little neon macramé planter. I don’t see an end in sight…
Maybe the cooler Portland weather and excess time I’m spending working in coffee shops is starting to get to me, but these woodsy laptop covers are seriously calling my name right now. I’ve never been a big “bring your laptop to the coffee shop” person, but now that I’m working away from home, I’ve started…
Welcome back to Upholstery Basics, where we’ll be rolling up our sleeves and completing our first project together: a wrap-around seat. Of all seating, dining room chairs get the brunt of the abuse — a little vino here, red sauce there. If you’ve been glaring at those chairs and wondering how to give them that…
This Before & After project provides a great example of the power of neutrals in creating an elegant, modern and bright space. I appreciate that Daniel decided not to shy away from mixing patterns, and lots of them. He’s done a great job giving each room in the home a unique feel, while also avoiding…
People are definitely getting outside and making the most of summer, and as a result, we have two awesome backyard renovations to share today. Landscape designer Nick McCullough recently completed this garden for a client, and it is quite an impressive transformation. I love the multiple levels and the dark, dramatic plants, not to mention…
Someday, I hope to rent a place with a kitchen large enough to accommodate a kitchen island, but for now, I’ll just have to admire them from afar :) This kitchen island from Sarah Hart Morgan is one of the more creative and unusual versions I’ve encountered. The antique sage color was a wise choice;…
One of my favorite things to do when visiting a different city is to spot little mini-trends that are different from what I’d see in my own town. Over the past week, I’ve noticed these beautiful planters popping up in shop windows. I’d never seen them in New York before, so I did a little…
I have a soft spot for anyone who names something with a simple -y at the end. I can be a lazy talker, and the easiest way to describe something is often by tacking a -y at the end, like chocolate-y, hipster-y and designer-y. I was probably destined to like Swiss Miss’ new temporary tattoo…
Now that we’ve gotten a look at how the outside of Design*Sponge at Home came together, it’s time to dive inside the book! Over the new few weeks, I’ll be sharing first looks inside the book and all of the chapters, from home tours to makeovers. Today I’m starting with the first chapter of the book:…
I had the pleasure of knowing our two talented interviewees back when we attended SCAD! Domestic Construction is a multidisciplinary design studio focused on redefining the ordinary. Trish and Maureen are the faces behind the brand, and they truly live and breathe their craft. They continue to develop new applications and methods of working with…
Learned from our grandmother — who used to collect shiny black sharks’ teeth and pristine white sand dollars on Florida beaches and Petoskey stones on the shores of Lake Michigan — we are a family of beachcombers who save up our treasures found by the sea and lake to use in craft projects all year….
The way antique glass alternates between absorbing and reflecting light always catches my eye, even on a small piece like a votive or a frame. This awesome tutorial from Ashley Brown features a simple, inexpensive way to create an aged-mirror look out of any glass object. If you have old jars lying around, this would…
I’ve discussed my love of handsome travel bags before, but I always enjoy having a new piece to add to my wish list. I know rolling luggage is more practical (and helpful for my seriously sloped shoulders), but I’m always drawn to a sophisticated leather bag. This new canvas and leather messenger from Travelteq is…
What does a Golden Nugget smell like? I’m not sure, but I’m willing to find out if it comes in a package this cute. These candles from Powder & Smoke come in scents like Aquamarine and Rose Geranium and arrive in pots that look like dripping paint cans. After the candles run out (they’ll last…
The 1955 adaption of John Steinbeck’s classic novel East of Eden is worth a watch for reasons other than a young James Dean. Those reasons may be minor and insignificant when you get right down to it, but you could try and peel your eyes off him and refocus your gaze on the coastal California…
