I have to admit, that I hate throwing the word “green” in front of nouns, but it’s tougher than you might think to come up with a better descriptor. And since I’ve been staring at my computer for a full ten minutes, trying to decide between natural, chemical-free, eco-friendly, I’m just going to move on….
I love collaborations between artists. It’s always good for people with distinct styles to combine forces and see what results from being pushed in a slightly different direction or opening their mind to including details, colors and patterns they wouldn’t normally. The Awesome Project is a collaboration between illustrator Madalina Andronic & designer Claudiu Stefan….
I so excited to see this new product line from designer Trish Papadakos because it fits our April theme of “green” perfectly. Trish is based in Toronto and just launched her first collection of homewares with the theme “The Curious Gardener”. The botanical cutting boards are my favorite but Trish also designed some really lovely…
We’ve had so much fun indulging in all things green and outdoors this week. Not just because we all enjoy gardening and trying to be a little bit more earth-friendly, but because the weather lately has made it so easy to appreciate the outdoors! This weekend we’re all heading outside again- and down to Philly!-…
I get excited every season for a peek at the new Sweet Paul Magazine. Paul and his team are consistently producing stellar original content, and I find myself saying “Oooh!” over and over again when I flip through the pages. Their new spring issue is on the stands (and the web) today, and I wanted…
The best part of growing up in a family with four kids was the massive game closet that inevitably develops as a result of birthdays and holidays. And now that we’re all grown up, get-togethers still aren’t complete unless there is at least one deck of cards on hand. Even now, my siblings (and their spouses)…
Good morning, guys! I’ve been out for a few days dealing with some health issues (yet another reminder to check in on my work/life balance), and I’m happy to be back at work today and sharing a peek at our first-ever D*S newsletter, going out today. I’ve been really unhappy with all the free newsletter…
Today I’m excited to launch a new column inspired by my desire to get outside a bit more this year. In honor of my first post’s theme — Winter Camping — I thought I’d start things off with a few camping-themed products to set the scene. From warm blankets and socks to colorful tents and…
Perfumer Anne McClain of MCMC Fragrances works right around the corner from us at Design*Sponge. We’ve been lucky to peek inside her beautiful home and get to spend time with her outside of work hearing about the passion she has for her work and what inspires her. Travel is an important component of Anne’s inspiration,…
The toughest aspect of having a design partner — as I imagine it, anyway! — is landing on an aesthetic that you can both agree on. But Shannon Davenport and Julia Wilson of the ridiculously cool and polished jewelry line Fortune Favors the Brave (and the oh-so-sleek agate-and-gold earrings that they made just for Of…
Of all the items available in the Fab holiday shop, I am most enamored with that cane! I seem to be a little accident prone of late and spent about a month hobbling around with an ugly old man cane and wishing for something just a little cooler. I love that this cane looks chic…
Before we get started on our sneak peeks (coming up later this afternoon!), I wanted to take a little time this morning to share the design work of Kartwheel, a custom wood shop in Austin, Texas, headed by David Clark. A North Carolina native, David was raised by a furniture-designer father and an interior-designer mother,…
Of all the projects I worked on last year, the Portland Bazaar was my favorite. It started as a small idea discussed over coffee and ended as a wildly successful holiday market packed with incredible local handmade goods and more shoppers and supporters than I could have possibly hoped for. As I looked through the…
Annie Larson is not predictable. But once you get to know her and her work — bright, pattern-melding sweaters, dresses and hats that she makes herself on a Brother KH 965i knitting machine — you can get a handle on what fuels her: classic shapes, under-appreciated motifs and the sort of hues that scare many…
Hi everyone! Last night Hurricane Sandy hit NYC and most of us at D*S lost internet, cable and power. We won’t be posting today but we’ll be back up and running tomorrow with normal posts. Hope all of you are safe and sound at home… xo, grace
Vases that look like pink layer cakes? Yes, please. These fun tiered vases from Scholten & Baijings are made of porcelain and look so pretty on their own that they hardly need flowers to dress them up. Each style (dotted and pink fade) is fun, feminine and clean-lined. I love vases that can pull double-duty…
Aimee Munford has an aptitude for unearthing cool. Before she launched her line, Garnett Jewelry, which is filled with the sorts of no-nonsense pieces you’ll want to layer on every day, she was a buyer at the Richmond-based retailer Need Supply. Now that the designer, who just completed another amazing set of bracelets for the site…
For the last few months, we’ve set aside our staple guns and dipped into our bag of tools and tricks to make everything from lampshades to slipcovers. This month on Upholstery Basics, we head back to the sewing machine to construct a simple shower curtain. For a clawfoot tub, finding a shower curtain that’s wide enough…
When I worked at the New York Public Library, one of my favorite things to do was to look for animals hidden in the carvings around the building. It was a game we used to play with the children who came to visit the library. I may not be six, but I still love a…
I’m a huge fan of jewelry for arms and fingers, but in some ways I’m an even bigger advocate of designers who experiment with adding jewels to unexpected places: tacked up on walls, draped over chairs, tied onto bag handles and in the case of WSAKE, stuck into plants. After all, many jewelry pieces are like…
