Lourdes Sanchez is a Cuban-born artist and textile designer currently residing in Brooklyn, where she makes her painterly watercolor patterns that are equal parts geometric and organic. Her client list is a roster of awesomeness: Anthropologie, Kate Spade, Crate & Barrel and Prabal Gurung, to name a few. She was even snatched up by West…
Huge heart palpitations here at What’s in Your Toolbox! I am such a fan of Cynthia Warren that I am having a total geek-out moment! Composure regained, now I will happily introduce you to this lovely lady. I first stumbled upon her work when Design*Sponge featured her here back in 2010. Cynthia has such a…
Ashley Bram-Johnson makes really, really beautiful glassworks. In fact, her glass prism boxes and terrariums have become iconic. Ashley’s fresh take on traditional stained glass is elevated by her choice of environmentally friendly materials combined with contemporary designs. The result is magical, and each piece is transformed by light and the subtle changes influenced by…
Jesse Ragan is a letterer and maker of really, really beautiful typography. He spends his days creating unique typefaces in his studio located in a former pencil factory (Perfect, right? It’s also the same building where the Design*Sponge office is located!) and recording his daily inspirations on his new blog. Jesse’s work has a liveliness to…
Mark Warren and Chris Pence are childhood friends-turned-business partners who have converted a 120-year-old farmhouse in the hills of North Carolina into a ceramic studio called Haand where they create exquisite clay pieces under the Hackberry trees. They marry extensive research and quiet reverence for the traditional techniques/history of clay with clean, organic lines. This…
I first fell in love with Rebecca Wood’s gorgeous pottery by way of the blog Beauty Everyday, which she shares with fellow creatives Kristen Bach and Rinne Allen. She is one of Athens, Georgia’s local treasures, and I know many a gal who lists R.WOOD pottery at the top of her gift wish list! Rebecca draws…
If you ever find yourself visiting Savannah, Georgia, I must urge you to stop by the impeccably curated shop ARC. Here its owner, Kyle Hinton, former magazine editor in chief, infuses every nook and cranny of the space with his discerning eye. Oh, and he happens to design and produce his perfectly branded gentlemanly product…
Brooklyn-based jewelry designer Aaron Ruff creates pieces that are equal parts romantic and gritty. His past life as a carpenter and cabinetmaker combined with his playful and nostalgic sensibilities are the blueprint for what is Digby and Iona. This androgynous jewelry line is comprised of several different collections that reflect Aaron’s new antiquarian style and…
When I was a student at SCAD, I haunted a beloved local shop for new delights from one of my favorite textile designers, Lotta Anderson of Lotta Jansdotter. It began with an obsession for her sticky notes and continued with collecting every tea towel and sewing kit I could get my enthusiastic hands on. I…
This year instead of trimming the tree and hanging stockings, my husband and I have been labeling moving boxes and lovingly wrapping our knickknacks. We are in the process of buying our first home, and all I want for this holiday season is to feel settled in a place where I can plant my roots….
I first fell in love with Liane Tyrrel’s work at the sight of her gorgeous handmade pillows and collection of vintage wares in her beloved Etsy shop, enhabiten. Her textile experiments and daily inspirations are documented in her personal blog, an Internet haunt of mine. My fangirldom was officially launched into orbit after seeing her home featured…
There are certain artists and designers that I am drawn to for their quiet elegance, and Michele Michael is high on that list. She first won me over with her New York prop shop, Elephant Props, and her sophisticated approach to styling — clean with handmade, imperfect touches punctuated by painterly washes of color. Her…
All Photos by Ania Wawrzkowicz Soojin Kang is a designer hybrid of pure genius, equal parts textile and furniture with a dash of fashion. Soojin explores different emotional and sociocultural relationships, particularly addressing the concept of disposable fashion within her “dressed furniture series.” She elevates the concepts of repurposing and reusing to an elegant medium,…
Portrait by Kelsey Foster The first time I saw one of graphic designer Dana Tanamachi’s massive lettered chalk walls, I almost spontaneously combusted with joy. Her 19th-century artistic-printing approach completely stirs my soul. Anyone who has ever tried to write with chalk knows it is no small feat, and yet she makes me strive to achieve…
Ashley Lloyd is not your average milliner, not by a long shot. Drawing inspiration from reliquary collections she discovered while studying in Italy, she couples delicate materials like flowers and feathers with macabre elements such as insects and animal skulls. Her avant-garde headpieces are quite spectacular, and her workspace is a fantastic extension of her…
I had the pleasure of knowing our two talented interviewees back when we attended SCAD! Domestic Construction is a multidisciplinary design studio focused on redefining the ordinary. Trish and Maureen are the faces behind the brand, and they truly live and breathe their craft. They continue to develop new applications and methods of working with…
There is no concealing Design*Sponge’s adoration for Nightwood. Co-founders and designers Nadia and Myriah combine their talents (Myriah’s woodworking and Nadia’s textile work) to reincarnate furniture. Their aesthetic marries a rustic mix of clean lines with organic and salvaged materials, yielding Nightwood’s singular style. Ever since I saw these women makeover Amy’s bedroom, I have…
When I first discovered Sibella Court a few years ago, it felt like falling in love for the first time. As a self-professed bower bird, my little magpie kindred spirit swooned over her sneak peek featured last year, and I would list Etcetera as my holy grail of styling books. Have you read her newest…
Photo Credit: Wyatt Troll Adam Silverman is a clay-throwin’ madcap potter with serious creative street cred. He transitioned from architecture to co-founding fashion labels X-Girl and X-Large and currently is thriving at Heath Ceramics. At Heath, Adam helped forge their LA store and currently operates out of a studio within the store where he develops…
Rhea Thierstein is a magic maker. No really, she is. She creates exquisite fantasy worlds through her set designs and art direction. Not to mention that she can develop some deliciously imaginative props and costumes. She has the Midas touch. When she and Tim Walker get together, they redefine the term, “dream team.” Full disclosure:…
