books by Grace Bonney 49

botanical art books

Despite all the sweet and well-meaning comments I received after my last tattoo post, I’m still planning on moving forward with my own this summer. I’m looking to get a very precise botanical illustration with clean lines and a specific flower that pertains to my home state, so I’ve been hunting through vintage and antique botanical books to find a good image. I don’t want to pull an exact image to replicate (but rather something to use as a jumping-off point), but after going through books this weekend, I was tempted to rip out some of these pages and run to the nearest artist.

While shopping at Eden on Friday, I picked up a copy of an oldie-but-goodie book from Chronicle called Plants and Their Application to Ornament by Eugene Grasset. The cover alone was so close to what I was looking for that I immediately added it to my bag of goodies and brought it home. After seeing me flip through this book, my summer roomie, Lisa, dragged out a few choice books: Garden of Eden and Insects of Surinam. The former was my favorite, and it’s got about 15 of my D*S business cards stuck in pages marking them for potential tattoo usage.

Those books inspired me to further dive into the world of scientific plant and insect illustration, so I hope you’ll join me after the jump for a few more of my favorites. xo, grace

products by Grace Bonney 5

two sarahs

At the Mississippi Ave. Street Fair this weekend, I picked up a sweet Oregon-themed print from Sarah Landwehr of Two Sarahs. She was sharing a booth with the lovely Lark Press team, and I was instantly smitten with her series depicting animals and humans facing each other.

I’ve always been someone who bonds more easily with animals than people (I’m still amazed that I haven’t given in and rescued a few dozen animals), so I love artwork and imagery that focuses on the interaction between the two. These particular pieces emphasize the eyes, and they make me want to write a story about the pair and what their friendship or interaction is all about. Let’s just say that if they’d had one with a girl and a cat, it would have come home with me in a heartbeat.

Sarah has a beautiful collection of work right here on Etsy, which will start shipping when she’s back in town on July 19th. xo, grace

interior design by anne 47

sneak peek: amie weitzman’s NYC townhouse

We continue our special double peek with a look at interior designer Amie Weitzman’s NYC brownstone. Amie bought the townhouse in what she calls the Upper Upper West Side five years ago. They did a gut renovation and added some modern elements while maintaining the original brownstone character. They opened up the back of the building and added a double-height glass window to maximize the natural light. Additionally, they white-washed all the original dark oak details on the main floor and put in wide-plank Douglas Fir flooring throughout the house. The result is the exact vibe they wanted, stripping out the formality and making for a cozy family home. Special thanks to John Gruen for the amazing photography and tip about Amie’s place, and James Leland Day for the great styling! — Anne

Image above: The kitchen with artwork from the Pierogi Gallery.

Image above: This is the master bedroom with nightstand by Holly Hunt and artwork by Kiki Smith from Pace Prints. The paint color is Tapestry Beige, OC-32, by Benjamin Moore.

Amie’s townhouse continues after the jump . . .

interior design by anne 44

sneak peek: amie weitzman’s connecticut cottage

Today we have a special treat: We’re visiting the two homes of NYC-based interior designer, textile designer and painter, Amie Weitzman. We’re starting with her Connecticut home, which is a small cottage on a lake. What Amie thought would be a few quick adjustments turned into almost an entire demo. With a mission to make the new house look like it had been there for 70 years, they added old floor boards, white-washed wood planks on the walls and ceilings, beadboard walls in the bathrooms and kept the original screened-in porch. The final result reflects Amie’s taste for classic and modern elements with a slightly playful vision. Special thanks to photographer John Gruen for the great tip about Amie’s homes and the beautiful photographs, and to James Leland Day for the fabulous styling! – Anne

Image above: The kitchen with table by CA Atelier and chairs by Modernica.

Image above: Custom cabinetry in the kitchen.

Image above: Another kitchen view with barstools by Knoll and artwork by Jennifer Bar Lev.

Amie’s Connecticut cottage continues after the jump . . .

sneak peeks by Amy Azzarito 38

sneak peek: jess + dustin of vermont farm table

Before moving from South Carolina to Vermont, Dustin and Jess Glasscoe sold virtually everything they owned. So when they bought this former sheep farm located on a dirt road bordering Lake Champlain with views of the Adirondack mountains, they had to start all over. For Dustin, this means frequently running to the studio to build a new piece for the house. That drive to create led to Vermont Farm Table. In only two years, the garage-born business has grown to support five employees, a full woodshop and a retail store. Since moving into this home, the business wasn’t the only thing to grow; the couple has added two children to their family — Eloise, two years, and Ada, four months. (There’s also a dog, Moose, and five chickens running around.) Whew! No wonder Dustin makes furniture that looks better with wear and tear! Thanks, Dustin and Jess! — Amy A.

Image above: This is our outdoor dining area. We dismantled a hideous old deck on the back of the house with the intention to rebuild; like most things, when you strip away the complexity, you find the beauty. Once the deck disappeared, we found that we preferred the open and inviting space just as it is. Instead of spending $5,000+ on a new deck, I purchased $300 worth of river stones from a local quarry, and viola! The table pictured is made from 100% reclaimed materials and non-toxic finishes. Jess and I found the bistro chairs at an annual flea market in Hillsville, VA ($65 for all 4 ). The light is courtesy of IKEA.

Image above: When we remodeled our kitchen, we did not finish the cabinets because, at the time, I did not know how to build kitchen cabinetry. Now two years later, this old wooden box and rope handle seems to have fit the bill just fine. This box took me an hour to build and less than $15 in materials. The wood is almost 150 years old. We now sell similar wooden boxes in our store in Burlington, VT. The rope is new and was purchased at Lowes Home Improvement. The sink is courtesy of IKEA.

CLICK HERE for more of Jess & Dustin’s Vermont home!

color by Lauren 10

make it yours: olga naiman

Today on Make It Yours, we’re pulling looks from Olga Naiman’s lovely Brooklyn home. Olga is a creative director and prop stylist (she used to do styling for Domino Magazine!) who demonstrates her impeccable taste in her home. Each room in Olga’s home conveys a different mood: In the kitchen, Olga expresses an “Eastern European granny” feel — how sweet! In the living room, we find that the vibe is “70s opium lounge,” and I admire her bold color choices. Click here to see the rest of Olga’s home in the original sneak peek. — Lauren

Palette 1 (Kitchen)
A. Pearl White (Pratt & Lambert), PMS 420; B. St. Patrick (Benjamin Moore), PMS Green; C. Early Morn (Pratt & Lambert), PMS 2905; D. Mango Madness (Behr), PMS 1495; E. Whisper Yellow (Behr), PMS 7507

Roundup 1 (Kitchen)
1. Antique Oval Framed Photo, $24; 2. Dining Table, $179; 3. Le Creuset Kettle, $55; 4. “Kitchen” Sign, $140; 5. Jam in the Morning, $58; 6. Salud Goblet, $10; 7. Gingham Picnic Plate, $48; 8. Egg Shakers, $26

The second home image and roundup continue after the jump . . .