Over the last few weeks, we’ve taken added a special twist to our usual line-up of “Sneak Peeks.” In addition to featuring behind-the-scenes looks at unique interiors, we’ve decided to showcase the inner workings of some of our favorite artists’ sketchbooks. So far, we’ve taken you through the hand-bound books of Anna Emilia and the…
Even though I’m well past my elementary school days, the advent of summer’s long, humid days always signals a time of boundless freedom and endless possibility. The calendar squares representing the summer months become less a demarcation of time and more a symbolic call to adventure—they almost necessitate creek walks, firefly catching, secret midnight meetings…
All this month we are celebrating color inspiration in every way we can. In addition to these morning color history facts, we decided it to be fun to have an entire themed day devoted to color, too! So every post today will be dedicated to color: product roundups organized by color, interviews with paint specialists,…
As we continue with this month’s special round-up of Sketchbook Sneak Peeks, it is with great pleasure that I share one of my new favorite artists: the illustrator and lifestyle designer Courtney Wotherspoon. I stumbled upon Courtney’s work by chance while browsing the work of alumni from my alma mater, the Brooklyn-based Pratt Institute. I fell…
Like many people, I have a list of actors and actresses who I can watch in literally anything. No matter how dreadful the film may be, I am able tolerate it simply because of that special somebody. It was, for example, because of my inexplicable love for Mandy Moore that I was coerced into viewing…
If you’ve been a long-time reader of this site, you know that every Monday, we run a series of “Sneak Peeks“—inspiring photographic tours into some of our favorite homes. This month, however, as we celebrate a 31 days of all things color, we’ve been in an art frame of mind. We decided that, instead of…
While I wouldn’t say that I’m a diehard enthusiast of any one brand, I most definitely was as a child. Perhaps it’s because children haven’t become jaded against advertising, or perhaps it’s because they’re still shaping themselves as people, but children do seem to have pretty strong opinions when it comes to their brand allegiances….
When JC Penney rebranded a little over a year ago, I was skeptical—and I don’t think I was alone in that regard. Despite a shiny new logo and a refreshed store design, the trend of mass-market retailers suddenly promising a “high end” look has become incredibly prevalent in today’s market. Department stores like Macy’s and…
From Anne Hathaway’s Andy in The Devil Wears Prada to America Ferrera’s Ugly Betty, the nerdy-girl-who-works-at-a-magazine archetype is most definitely alive and well in today’s popular culture. Indeed, the image of the scrappy-yet-intelligent ingenue thrust into the snake-pit world of fashion is so common that it almost seems a requirement for today’s romantic comedies. It’s not…
Mother’s Day is just around the corner (May 12, in case you didn’t know!), so we thought it only fitting that this month’s Instagram Challege be devoted to moms everywhere. When we’re young, Mother’s Day oftentimes consists of presenting our mothers with any number of crafty knickknacks, from glitter-glued “coupon” books to shrinky-dink keychains emblazoned…
May 2013: COLOR from designsponge on 8tracks Radio. This week marked the beginning of May and we could not be more excited about it. Trees are beginning to bloom on the street and jackets are no longer a requirement—it seems that spring is finally here! In addition to the delightful warmer weather, though, we’re also…
Like any boy with a slightly theatrical bent, I had a bit of a Julie Andrews obsession when I was younger. As far as I was concerned, girlfriend could do no wrong. I first came across Ms. Andrews’ angelic visage in the Rogers and Hammerstein classic, The Sound of Music, in which she played the plucky…
When I moved in with my boyfriend, I had no illusions about the tensions that often plague people living in confined quarters. I knew, for instance, that domestic disputes regarding dish washing, prolonged bathroom use, and sleep habits were likely to follow. Romantic comedies had prepared me for those things. What the movies did not…
Portrait by Dana Gallagher. All other photos by Stephen Orr. One thing that seems to frighten a lot of people when making the switch to a more sustainable lifestyle is the notion that it will be difficult to make the transition—a shock to the system, so to speak. They fear that they might need to…
For what seems like a good decade now, cultural critics have been sounding the alarm about the demise of print media. With the increasingly fast proliferation of handheld electronic devices and new digital ways of distributing information (hi!), this is looking more and more like the case. As big-name publications make the switch to digital,…
Earth Day may have been last Monday, but in our eyes, it’s always Earth Day. Making responsible and sustainable decisions shouldn’t last just one day, it should be a guiding principle throughout our entire lives. Earlier this week, I shared some helpful tips for recycling just about anything. Recycling, though, is only party of the…
When I was fourteen and entering my first year of high school, I didn’t really know quite what to expect. If the bulk of late 90s teen movies produced during my youth were any indication, high school was a scary, exciting place filled with sex, drugs, shopping, and actors in their thirties. When I entered…
