Thank you to the Mountain Xpress paper in Asheville, NC for this story on Design*Sponge at Home and our book signing at Malaprops. Full story here.
Mountain Xpress
October, 2011
Sunday October 23rd, 2011
Saturday October 22nd, 2011
Philippine Star
Friday October 21st, 2011
weekly wrap up + calendar embroidery kit
I’ve always been curious about embroidery. It’s something I love and appreciate in other people’s work, but rarely have the time or motivation to learn on my own. Starting small seems like a good way to test the waters, so this 2012 Tea Towel Calendar Embroidery Kit from CuriousDoodles is perfect. Each kit comes with…
around the world with bash, please: holler for holland
Groet, Design*Spongers! (That means “greetings” in Dutch. We had to look it up, too.) As seasons change and fall waits just around the corner, what better way to enjoy these last few days of Indian summer than a bike party? We spun our globe and landed in the biking capital of the world, Amsterdam. So…
flowers a-z: x is for xanadu philodendron
And they said it couldn’t be done. Greetings, flower fans, and welcome back to Flowers A–Z! This week, I was confronted with perhaps the most challenging of all letters, and although I seriously considered something along the lines of “eXcellent dahlia,” I knew I had to dig deeper. While not exactly a flower, the bold…
new prints from kari herer
I’ve blogged about photographer Kari Herer before, and I said that what I loved most about her prints were their dark, velvety textures. I now have to amend that thought and say that Kari is equally adept at bringing out the lushness in light surfaces. Her compositions are always unusual enough to avoid being overly…
antiquaria
It’s exciting to see a creative business fearlessly delving into multiple kinds of media. Why shouldn’t a shop also teach classes and print magazines? Why can’t a space be a cafe, art gallery, music venue and office all rolled into one? If you can do several things and do them well, I say go for…
sponge
I don’t often come across someone who has to say the word “sponge” as often as I do. So when I do, I feel like I’ve found a new friend.* These beautiful Sponge lights are from designer Miguel Angel Garcia Belmonte, who makes each clay sphere by hand. Good for indoor or outdoor use, it…
Thursday October 20th, 2011
d*s book tour: norfolk virginia event details!
To say that I’m excited to do a book tour event in Norfolk, Virginia is a massive understatement. Ever since I started the blog I’ve been wanting to put something together in my hometown area (I grew up in Virginia Beach just down the highway), so I’m thrilled to be able to announce our book…
before & after: elegant dresser redo
Furniture pieces like this dresser redo make me think there are tons of you out there who could live double lives running successful furniture design or restoration businesses. I’m still sort of amazed that Renee saw the “before” dresser above and had the vision to create the stunning two-tone piece below. I adore that dark…
before & after: nursery makeover
I remember watching my friend’s baby as she was starting to observe the world, and it was awesome to see her eyes travel over everything with utter fascination, particularly prints. It’s not as easy as some might think to successfully mix prints and patterns. What I like most about this charming nursery makeover from Tim…
before & after: curio cabinet redesign
This “apothecurio” cabinet by Meg and Todd van der Kruik of Union Eighteen studio is a really wonderful testament to the power of legs. The “before” version of this cabinet is nice, but admittedly a bit oppressive in its weight. Meg and Todd have lightened up this piece in so many ways: the color, the…
before & after: handpainted chinoiserie door
“You know you’re really nobody in LA unless you live in a house with a really big door.” — Steve Martin, LA Story I don’t want to think about what my peeling, drafty door with broken hardware says to the world about me :) On the other end of the spectrum is this gilded Chinoiserie…
designtree
There was a time when I thought Brooklyn designers were going a little overboard with pill and drug-related imagery. Everything seemed to have some sort of prescription drug reference used in an “edgy” way, so I developed a pretty good knee-jerk reaction to pill-related imagery. Despite my hesitance toward that theme, I’m really enjoying these…
forma
I love finding out what an artist’s inspiration is. These days, nature and found materials tend to be the root inspiration for a lot of things, so it was nice to see this new series inspired by Russian Constructivism. I studied Russian literature and art in college, and it’s awesome seeing people drawing on Russia’s…
design evenings: apartment therapy + design*sponge
Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being Maxwell’s guest at Apartment Therapy’s October Design Evening at ABC Home. It’s not often that I get to do interviews in front of a live (and participating) audience, so I relished the chance to have a great discussion and interact with such a thoughtful group of…
Wednesday October 19th, 2011
diy best of: entertaining
We are on the precipice of holiday season, so I figured a round-up of our best entertaining DIY projects might prepare us for the impending slew of gatherings and dinners in the months ahead. Looking through our archives, I discovered tons of quick, easy projects perfect for hostess gifts, cocktail parties and general dining room…
sewing 101: branch handle tote
Add a little autumnal flair to your fall wardrobe with this rustic tree branch tote! This sturdy piece is great for carting daily necessities on your commute or for more outdoorsy tasks like packing a picnic or carrying camping supplies. The bag itself features a basic construction that can be adapted and used with any…
diy project: vintage halloween masked portraits
Halloween is without a doubt my favorite holiday. It’s funny, it’s creative, it’s mischievous, it’s full of crafts . . . what’s not to like? While I haven’t done much decorating of my own for this holiday in many years, I do appreciate a clever display, and these masked vintage portraits by Danielle Thompson might…
d*s book tour diary: austin
Last week’s book tour leg ended with two days in Austin, Texas. I feel like I’ve been dying to visit Austin for years now and all the hype lead to an almost ridiculous level of expectation that I was convinced no city could actually deliver. But Austin did. From the moment we landed until our…
