Design*Sponge

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sneak peeks by Amy Azzarito 58

sneak peek: leslie kraemer + phillip atchison


Six years ago, Leslie Kraemer and Phillip Atchison moved into this 1930s brick bungalow in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina. After living there for three years, the couple renovated the house, adding an open, light-filled space onto the back of the house. Leslie has a fondness for midcentury modern and loves to mix it with other periods that work well with their older home. The real struggle comes with choosing wall colors. Even though she works with color professionally as a print designer, choosing wall colors results in a lot of trial and error — and plenty of paint cans. Thanks, Leslie, Philip & little Henry! And a big thank you to Mike Carroll for the lovely photos. — Amy Azzarito

Image above: I found the vintage desk and stool at Restore. I added the white paint accents. The blue chair is from Sleepy Poet Antique Mall and was a gift from Phillip. That was his first furniture gift to me, and it’s when I realized that he got my aesthetic.


Image above: I love chartreuse and bright green accents but use them sparingly because it’s such a strong statement color.

See more of Leslie & Phillip’s North Carolina home after the jump . . .

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sneak peeks by anne 71

sneak peek: sarah foelske and james milward

Sarah Foelske is an associate creative director at Bruce Mau Design, and James Milward owns a digital agency called Secret Location. After dating long distance for a year, Sarah packed up and moved from New York to Toronto, Canada. She moved into James’ place, and with some trepidation about mixing James’ clean and modern tastes with Sarah’s more textural and handmade style, they decorated together, and can’t wait to do it again (and the process has Sarah interested in dimensional and interior design). Their biggest issue was that they had to stop adding typographic elements — omnipresent in Sarah’s work — to the house because it got to be too much. Thanks to Sarah, Alexis and Jen Arron for the great photos! — Anne

Image above: We decided to decorate our spare bedroom like a cabin up north. We call it “The Cottage” and sleep in it on weekends. The items on the wall are a combination of things we’ve found at flea markets in Canada.


Image above: Our friend built this wood wall for us, and I made the neon for James. The couches are from Dwell.


Image above: This is a neon sign I had made for James, from my handwriting. I love having neon made; I’d love to make more signs.


Image above: These binders contain all the tear sheets I’ve saved through my career of things that inspire me; any time I get stuck on a project, I go through these books. I find walking away from the computer can be the best way to move through a project.

Sarah and James’ full home tour continues after the jump . . .

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sneak peeks by Amy Azzarito 25

sneak peek: parker gard + lauren bakst

Just six months ago, Lauren Bakst, a choreographer and performer who also works for BOMB magazine, and Parker Gard, who teaches media arts, makes short films and is a self-proclaimed DIY-er, moved into this Brooklyn apartment, their first home together. The couple chose the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn, an eclectic community filled with old Victorian homes and just a ten-minute walk from Prospect Park. They wanted the home to reflect the union of their two families, so it’s filled with antiques inherited from grandparents and hand-me-downs, all complemented with vintage finds. Thanks, Parker & Lauren! — Amy Azzarito

Image above: Our bed is the Architect Bed from Room and Board. The lights are antique reproductions of cage lights. The drawings above the bed we found at the Brooklyn Flea Market and are from an antique anatomy book. The cloud pillow on the bed is something my mother made for me when I was a child. The room was originally a dull grey, which made it dark, so we chose to paint with Chantilly Lace from Valspar to lighten it up.


Image above: I actually got this idea from Design*Sponge. (Ed. Note: The how-to is here, and if you like this look, check out Best of Luggage in Homes.) These bedside tables are from a vintage pair of blue suitcases. They are the perfect size and height and are amazing for storage. I chose to shellac the legs instead of staining them because I liked the color better. The images above the table showcase maps of places of family significance.


See more of Parker + Lauren’s Brooklyn home . . .

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artwork by Grace Bonney 22

leanne shapton


Winter has finally come to Brooklyn, so I’ve been loitering, virtually, around floral blogs. Besides images of fireplaces, the only other thing that makes me feel warm is seeing a sunny image of flowers. I’ve always had a fondness for floral paintings, but these pieces from Leanne Shapton are my absolute favorites. Her work feels rich, vibrant and fresh, just like flowers should be. I could stare at these all day. And considering my job requires me to have a laptop open at all times, I think I will. Click here to check out more of Leanne’s work online. xo, grace


More images after the jump . . .

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products by Grace Bonney 8

concrete grandfather clocks

When it comes to materials I’d use in my home, concrete isn’t the first that comes to mind. But I think it’s time I put aside my concrete prejudice and embrace how utterly cool and modern it can feel. It’s that coolness (in the form of actual physical coldness) that usually scares me, but this painfully chic concrete grandfather clock might make me change my mind. Its monolithic nature may be too stark for some, but I could see this looking right at home in any modern home where natural materials are embraced in a big way. Forsbergform, the company that designed the clock, also created concrete tables that you can check out right here. Here’s to concrete creeping into design a bit more this year . . . as long as it can find a way to stay warm. xo, grace

holidays by Grace Bonney 11

crankbunny tattoo cards


I’ll be honest, I’m having a hard time focusing today because all I can think about is last night’s Golden Globe Awards. All those green sequins? It was like a beautiful, shimmering ocean of glitter, and I still can’t get that color out of my mind. GREEN. SEQUINS. (If you come back in a few weeks and find D*S suddenly looks like a green sequined dress, you’ll know why.) The only thing distracting me from dresses this morning is a cute series of cards from Crankbunny at Etsy. I know tattoos aren’t for everyone, but if you’re inclined toward the more permanent ink arts, these cards and paper dolls are for you. I love the Victorian feel and think they’d be perfect for a non-traditional Valentine’s Day card or just a little hello for your tattooed sweetie. Click here to check out the full collection and shop online. xo, grace


More images after the jump . . .

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