Nerissa and Peter live in a little seaside village outside of Vancouver, Canada, surrounded by trees, and the beach is just a couple blocks away. In the wintery months, it’s as if they live in the North Pole, while in the summer, chirping birds fill the beach air. Nerissa is a graphic designer who works…
Meghan McEwen is one of the co-founders of Designtripper, a design and travel blog. We got a sneak peek into her Detroit home last year. Now, she’s unveiling a new project, Honor & Folly — a small-scale B & B in her own city. Meghan was inspired by the places she found for Designtripper — those small,…
When Heath Ceramics introduces something new, chances are, I’ll love it. And when they started doing more collaborations with some of my favorite contemporary artists, the chances got better. I love that Heath chooses artists who embrace handmade work from such an interesting perspective, and their recent collaboration with Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin is a…
City posters have become one of my favorite go-to gifts for friends and family who have a) recently moved or b) a lot of pride for their hometown. If you’re looking for something to celebrate your loved one’s town, These Are Things has six new designs for Boston, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle. They…
I love micro-homes. Mainly because living in NYC for almost 10 years has made me terrified to live in a “normal” sized suburban home. I don’t know what I’d do with all that space; I’m used to cramming everything into less than 1,000 square feet. But these mini-homes look like a great way to see…
Amy, Kate and I are in Portland getting ready for this weekend’s Bazaar, so before I sign off to unload and unfold a million tables and chairs, I wanted to wish you all a wonderful weekend! This weekend’s Bazaar has been such an exciting project to be a part of, and I’m excited that this…
Sometimes red and green flashing lights and an inflatable Santa perched on your roof are the best way to decorate for the holidays. Sometimes not. For those not times, I find myself really attracted to natural trimmings that don’t scream Christmas. Added bonus, your shame is lessened when you don’t get around to taking them…
I’ll confess, I’ve been listening to Christmas music since July (“Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” sung by Johnny Mercer and Margaret Whiting, is on now), and I’m about to watch Love Actually to officially kick off the Christmas month. I’m not sure I actually like Christmas, but I like the music, sappy movies and, of course, the…
Like Santa, I’ve listened closely all year to friends and acquaintances as they spoke passionately about objects and experiences they really loved. What struck me most about their stories was that many of them never expected to derive such enjoyment, personal enrichment, and/or utility from the items/experiences they spoke about, such as a beautiful platter, a…
I’m a sucker for beautiful patterns, and this new Troika collection from Frida Plumm is just gorgeous. The tins of stationery would be perfect holiday gifts (or really nice stocking stuffers), and the platters are great for housewarming presents. Click here to view the full collection and shop online (note cards are $30 and platters…
I love the publishing era we’re living in; there are so many exciting small-scale print zines and book series popping up everywhere. One of my favorites is the Communal Table, a self-published book series about food and the way it brings people together. Each series has a theme, and all the proceeds will be donated…
I adore the holiday season. From candlelit nights and spiked eggnog to evergreen boughs on the mantel and solstice soirees, the stretch from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve is one of my most-beloved times of the year. I can’t get enough of sitting beside the wood stove in my flannel PJs, mug of hot cocoa…
Today is my final budget-friendly gift guide (there are still more guides to come), and I’m wrapping things up with gifts on the higher end of the price spectrum: $100 and under. For those with a little extra to spend this year, I’ve rounded up some great options, from jewelry and accessories to tabletop goods,…
It’s hard to believe that just six short months ago, we met here for the first time and headed to the workshop to begin our upholstery journey together. We’ve tackled dining seats, coil springs and even bookshelves, so my gift to you this holiday season is the picture back. Because the outside back fabric only…
If I had a long, narrow kitchen like the “before” here, I would opt for a galley-style floor plan almost identical to this one. Designed by architect Cindy Black for her clients Laura and Blake, this new kitchen boasts an ingenious use of space. What was once a cramped kitchen — with minimal counter space…
Our second pretty painted-furniture piece today is this gorgeous metallic herringbone desk by restoration expert Ann Marie of Twice Lovely. It’s incredible what some elbow grease and a good wood stain can do for damaged wood, and if you can believe it, the pattern on this desk was drawn freehand with a simple metallic paint…
I know that painting or drawing on wood continues to attract controversy, but today I’m excited to share two* of the prettiest painted furniture pieces I’ve come across recently. First up is this Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired table by Jesse Dresbach, owner of the furniture-restoration shop Nine Red. We’ve featured some of Jesse’s skilled restoration work in…
I typically prefer real animals to two-dimensional ones, but sometimes the images are compelling enough to draw me in. These pillows from East Camp Home feature beautiful photography by Valerie Shaff (I featured her black and white farm series in 2009). Valerie collaborated with Lucy Bohnsack to form East Camp Home, which launched this series…
Last Thursday, Grace and I rented a white cargo van, filled it with boxes and boxes of greenery from the New York City Flower Market and drove to Philadelphia for our last Design*Sponge at Home book tour event. We left early enough to make a lunch stop at Terrain. (And when I say “lunch stop,” I should…
Kim Krans of The Wild Unknown is one of my favorite artists, so I was super excited when she wanted to share a holiday DIY with us. Kim has created a lovely chickadee design that you can simply print, fold, embellish and hang, either as a tree topper or an ornament. I often struggle with how…
