Like many things in life, a studio apartment can be both awesome and horrible—it really all depends on your perspective. On one hand, studios are a relatively affordable route that provide numerous design options for the creatively-minded. On the other hand, they can be cramped, ill-equipped and awkward—all things that, at such a confined scale, can become glaringly obvious. There are steps…
Design: Sony Walkman Date: 1979 Designer: Nobutoshi Kihara (1926-2011) Country of Origin: Japan Background: Although contemporary people might associate Apple’s iPod with the revolution of portable music, one need look over twenty years earlier for its true origins: The Sony Walkman. Portable music had been available for some time prior to the Walkman’s release, but never in such a distilled, easy-to-use, minimally-designed package—something…
It’s no secret that I’m more than a little bit obsessed with the Nate Berkus line at Target. Ever since discovering his splendiferous wool arrowhead rugs there last year, I’ve been hooked—a fanatical devotee, making a beeline for the NB section every time I step foot in a Target store. It’s not just the accessible prices that…
Design: Wonder Bread Date: 1921 Country of Origin: United States Manufacturer: Taggart Baking Company Background: You know the phrase “the best thing since sliced bread?” Well, as it so happens, the exact date of this world-changing invention is in relatively recent history. Introduced by Wonder Bread in 1929, the concept of pre-sliced bread encapsulated many of the ideals of the time….
The midcentury suburban home, at least until recently, has not been given the reverence it mightily deserves. Oftentimes seen as too “new,” too common, or too kitsch for historic consideration, these houses are especially vulnerable to the pitfalls of careless, quick home renovations. When Sarah Brown began her house hunt, she found that—much to her…
Top image mage via AMC. | 1. Vintage Panasonic Toot-A-Loop Transistor Radio | 2. Bird Bath Toy (via Victoria & Albert Museum) | 3. Gubi Semi Pendant, Designed by Claus Bonderup and Torsten Thorup | 4. Victor de Vasarely Vega-Nor Poster | 5. Pastil Chair, Designed by Eero Aarnio | 6. Paper Dress (via Victoria & Albert Museum) If you’re anything…
Illustration by Libby VanderPloeg. Known as the “high priestess of soul,” Nina Simone is an artist who is often copied but absolutely impossible to duplicate. The daughter of a minister and a handyman, Simone (née Eunice Wayman) was raised in the small Southern town of Tryon, North Carolina. Despite her modest upbringing, Simone nurtured an interest…
Alright, you guys. Confession time. I’m a technology addict. Like so many of my twenty-first century peers, my life has become hopelessly, utterly consumed by devices and their requisite apps and programs. On one hand, I love my technology. Like, really, really love it. My smartphone, my tablet, my computer—all of these things have helped…
One of the earliest known constellations of the Zodiac, Aquarius has been recognized by numerous ancient cultures, from the Babylonians to Ancient Egypt, all of whom associate the sign with water. In Babylon, the constellation signified the god Ea, commonly depicted holding a vase. In the Ancient Greek tradition, Aquarius is depicted as a lone…
For many a design enthusiast and bargain hunter, one of life’s greatest pleasures is finding treasure in unexpected places—on the curb, in the trash heap, in a dumpster. As the age-old proverb goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” and for some, the thrill is in seeing the treasure (and potential) in the broken,…
Although the so-called “first day of spring” was a few weeks ago, it only just started to feel like spring around these parts this week—and I can not even begin to describe how happy this makes me! After a winter that—even by historical standards—was unbearably oppressive, the onset of warmer weather has left all of us…
Design: Phantasy Landscape (part of the larger experimental Visiona 2 interior) Designer: Vener Panton (Danish, 1926-1998) Date: 1970 Country of Origin: Denmark Materials & Construction: Wooden frame, foam padding, cloth covering. Background: The vast social change, sexual liberation and narcotic experimentation of the late 1960s gave way to a wave of boundary-pushing psychedelic designs that sought to challenge the ways humans…
The constellation Cassiopeia takes its name from the Greek myth of Cassiopeia—a queen who, after defying the sea nymphs with the proclamation that her daughter Andromeda is more beautiful than them, is banished to spend eternity on a throne in the sky. Cassiopeia has five main stars and is most visible during the month of…
Some of the best things, in my opinion, are underrated. Case in point: the epic, jaw-droppingly over-the-top camp classic Flashdance. When this precursor to all the dance movies of recent years hit the big screen in 1983, it was almost universally panned by critics, written off as brainless, overly-glitzy Hollywood dreck. The film, set in a…
The constellation Pegasus is named after the winged horse from Ancient Greek Mythology. Visible in the northern sky during the month of October, Pegasus is bordered by Andromeda, Lacerta, Vulpecula, Delphinus, Equuleus and Pisces.
Design: Teapot Designer: Marianne Brandt (German, 1883-1983) Date: 1924 Country of Origin: Germany Materials: Silver body, ebony handle Background: This teapot is the work of Marianne Brandt, a student of the famed and incalculably influential Bauhaus school in Germany. Under the tutelage of founder Walter Gropius, students of the Bauhaus were directed to design according to the tenets of industrial…
Photography by Anna M. Campbell When architect Michael Howells was commissioned to redesign the kitchen in Magda Gianola and Holly Hinson’s Portland home, he faced something of a conundrum. The house, on one hand, was a stately 1908 Victorian. The couple’s furniture was mid-century Modern. The kitchen, unfortunately, was neither. Previously renovated during that sad,…
When one thinks of the word “pastels,” the phrases “stylish,” “cutting edge,” and “trendy” rarely come to mind. Yet, despite their previous lackluster associations, pastels have become the shade to watch this year, popping up everywhere from haute couture to home decor. No longer relegated to baby doll dresses, candy aisles, and hospital waiting rooms, this year’s…
