sf decorator showcase

Today, at lunch, I checked out the 2007 SF Decorator Showcase. It featured about 20 spaces, designed by different SF based firms. I'd definitely take a look at it before it closes on 5/28 - if you have any interest in interior design.

My favorite room was a study, tucked into the back of the first floor (right by - of all things - the massive industrial refrigerator) by Angela Free Interior Design





Images courtesy of Angela Free Design.

I am not that surprised this was my favorite. So many of the room's elements - large washes of white, orange accents, an iMac, travel books - are things that I like to have around me in my own home! (On a different/scale budget obv.)

Other striking parts of the showcase:

*Lushart mural in the dining room by the Steven Miller Design Studio

Don't have a picture of the actual mural, but I am not even sure a photo would do it justice. Gray-green and misty - you had to look close to see that it was of large eucalyptus trees. Here's an example of a screen the same design firm has done - to give a sense of the beauty of their work.


Image courtesy of Lushart.

I liked everything about the dining room except the shiny black dining room table - I just didn't get how it fit or - for that matter - contrasted well with the rest of the green, white and gray room. Some pops of color would have worked to add some more spice or shine (gorgeous gold accents did a pretty good job already) but the shiny black table was just kind of jarring.

*Shiny black cabinets in the pantry by Tish Key Interior Design

Now this was an ingenious and oddly appropriate place for shiny black - but you probably think I am nuts. I would never think to paint pantry cabinets black! A teeny, tiny little narrow room, the pantry basically consisted of two rows of cabinets and counters staring blankly at each other. According to Tish Key, when this room was painted white, it was very dark (the pantry and the kitchen were about the only 2 rooms without some sort of view in the house). But when painted glossy black and faced with mirrors it became a jewel box of light. I wish I could find a picture to show how remarkable this was. I just love this kind of attention to the effect of light.

*For gutsy colors, the master bedroom by Kendall Wilkinson Design


Image courtesy of Kendall Wilkinson Design.

The image says it all.

elephant

a couple of weeks ago, i went to beadissimo on valencia. to be honest, i've always been kind of intimidated by all the beads on the walls and just blank out and spend any time i am there playing with the india beads in the big trunk by the door (am always there with someone actually buying). at any rate, i spotted a certain elephant figure ... and decided to make something of it. and i wanted to, but i needed nancy to help me - and she ended up doing it for me! and so - another belle epoque creation:





i've worn it to work every day this week...

anyhow, i am psyched for this weekend. i am taking a letterpress class at the center for the book and will check out the indie designers at the capsule spring design festival in hayes valley. can't wait.

virginia johnson

nancy and i enjoyed a stroll on fillmore a few days ago - and spent a bunch of time looking at all the gorgeous clothes in erica tanov, both her own, and other lines and accessories.

i fell totally in love with the virginia johnson items there.


an orange graphic tote:




a bold orchid patterned scarf



we also played the game where you say - if you could buy one thing in the store, just one of the stunning/cool skirts and dresses and accessories - like stripey knee socks - what would it be? we couldn't say - we wanted it all!

more and more belle epoque!

as promised, here are more of my belle epoque creations ....


a surprise party favor gift from a nancy party with spunky orange lining:




another look at this wristlet:





a 'for the south of france' creamsicle handbag with bamboo handles:




and finally, my favorite going out clutch - i love its colors and gold bits. it works so well to wrap it around my wrist and just hold it like so:




i feel so lucky!

belle epoque superstar!

belle epoque, AKA Nancy, had us all transfixed yesterday at the Maker Faire. with her trademark flair, wit and grace, she showed us eager MF attendees how to make her bias-tape tote bag. so approachable, so nice - Nancy makes sewing these beautiful bags seem like terrific fun.













check out her other creations, including the below pink, GORGEOUS bag, for sale right at her etsy shop!




fabulous work nancy!





in other belle epoque news:

*did you know that belle epoque has WRITTEN A CRAFTY BOOK? check it out!

*lucky enough to own quite a few one of a kinds made by belle epoque, i will post some pictures of these treasures in the next few days. stay tuned!


other Make Faire highlights for me were:

*charm necklaces from designalicious


Not a charm necklace, but a beauty all the same. Image courtesy of designalicious.

chatting with ali, the creator behind this multi-faceted design shop, was a pleasure. i am bummed i did not purchase one of her super necklaces right then and there, because it sounds like they are close to sold out. ali said she'd put pieces up in the designalicious etsy shop shortly so check them out! also check out the rest of her fantastic design work - layout, knitted goods, japanese fabric stitched items, a gorgeous yoga mat bag! ali is the ultimate renassiance crafter.


*jill killjoy

i love, love the jill killjoy mini wallets!




they come in a rainbow of colors and i wanted them all, altogether. just like this:

Images courtesy of Jill Killjoy

but i made do - quite well - with a green, white and orange gem. liz, who creates these, mentioned she looks for vintage napkins and tablecloths to recreate into these fantastic tidbits of color for your pocket...


*baby tees (and other graphic tees) from my windup bird

super strong and graphic. and still, so cute. i wanted to eat them right up! lovely proprietress too.

*all sorts of products from social studies design.

hand-made goods for the urban-male, these were totally unique! i love this design, 'dog boy':



Image courtesy of Social Studies Design




of course, exploring the "Make" side of the Fair (as opposed to the "Craft") side with my robotic, gear (and 'crazy-tricks-that-you-must-do-OUTSIDE')-loving husband was also tons of fun. the mentos exploding (20 feet in the air) in diet coke, the drag-racing power tools, it was all just a riot. it was my first maker faire, but it will not be my last!

on the way home (only we would go home to sf from san mateo via palo alto), we stopped to check out the vintage bmw fair in palo alto:




b will kill me for saying this, but SO ADORABLE!


and finally, much closer to home, we stopped at daiso - the dollar japanese store in daly city. this is THE place to go when you NEED to buy something - ok, like ten things - but really need NOT to spend money. i spent like $10 bucks and got three of those fancy schmancy japanese clear folders (they are spendy at Maido), two miso soup bowls, a fantastic wine opener (just as good as the spendy one i got as a wedding present from Williams-Sonoma but literally 1/40th the price!) and some other items that i can't quite remember at this precise moment.

but can you tell i like daiso?

design for 100%

i spend a lot of time highlighting design that is, to me, beautiful, gorgeous, striking, stunning. looking back through my posts is a lesson in the superlative. anyhow, beauty in all of its forms catches my eye most, but utitilty is also important to me.

and all the better when utility and good design go together to make life better - for everyone. check out the new exhibit "Design for the Other 20%" at the Cooper Hewitt in NYC or the website if you can't get there. the exibit features remarkable design that aims to improve the lives of people who need help from useful, well designed objects the most.

Here are two of the featured designs:

*the One Laptop per Child project which has developed $100 computers to 'bring learning, information and communication to children in developing countries.'



*the Katrina Furniture Project, which 'creates neighborhood furniture-making workshop facilities using the debris left by storm and helps build the economic and social capacity of neighborhoods in New Orleans that faced experienced severe economic and social challenges even before Katrina. The workshops train community members in making furniture and the fundamentals of business, and function as a neighborhood-based place of work and resource center while residents rebuild their homes.'

They've made this graceful pew for one of the many churches devastated by Katrina:



Images courtesy of the Cooper Hewitt.


remarkable for both their utility and benefits - as well as their good design - these are worth checking out. you can also go upstairs and check out the, in some cases less useful, gorgeous items in "Design Life Now".

rare and wonderful glassware

I was very excited to post about this stunning mouth-blown and hand-etched glassware from Japan:


Image courtesy of Rare Device

I still am, but had to append the rare onto the title for now I realize that, at least this particular piece, is sold out. Also, perhaps it has to do with the fact that the Brooklyn shop Rare Device sells these gorgeous pieces. The shop offers, in its own words "simply good stuff for you and your home." Judging from its beautiful, well-edited selection of gifts and home products, I agree!

How is it possible for me to love Brooklyn so much now - and to not even (me! the new yorker!) have been there really ever? We never went when I was growing up in NYC or even in the time I lived there a few years ago after school and now it seems like it is just exploding with independent shops and design creators of all stripes. Perhaps it is due to the wonderful, wonderful design*sponge? By the way, design*sponge will be posting an SF guide soon - I cannot wait!

design*sponge already has a Brooklyn design guide which I hope to explore a bit with my two (now three actually -as i write this, one is defecting from sf) great friends living in Brooklyn. You lucky girls you.

smallest, coolest

thanks to sfgirlbybay, i came across this picture of a small venice beach apartment:




in contention for apartment therapy's smallest coolest apartments 2007, this is just gorgeous. so sunny and bright. all the best of what la is. i love the pop of the red poster and the blue door - and the simple table and chairs. i wish i could have such a serene apartment but that will remain aspirational i am sure. i have way too many books, magazines, photos - and seem to need to see them (spread out everywhere on every surface) always!

in other news, belle epoque will be in great sewing company at the maker faire! sfgirlbybay reports that lotta jansdotter will also be demonstrating this weekend! GO BELLE EPOQUE! (you can meet lotta at a party at lavish on friday too! again, see sfgirlby bay for more info!)

ps. more statistics: be sure to check out this somewhat hilarious analysis of the smallest, coolest contenders.

i (heart) bettye muller

a few weeks ago, my family was in town and i took them to my sister in law's store, my roommate's closet - a fantastic SF boutique outlet and must-visit when in SF.

i spied these right away:




and these:





and, egged on by my mom, sister and spinning ninny, got them. both pairs!
not so incidentally, everything at my roommate's closet is half off retail, so this bettye muller find was QUITE a find.

so began my love affair with bettye muller shoes. so well made, so comfortable. and the prints are such a great complement and conterpoint to my otherwise fairly neutral (sometimes, admittedly all black) wardrobe. much to the delight of those who've witnessed the repeating all-black ensembles, my color fascination is extending to my outfits.

here's an action shot:

monkeys for mother's day!

I have been a big fan of Kozo Arts in SF for almost ten years... and have found many a mother's day present here. They have wonderful Japanese papers - and make, by hand, super frames and books from those papers - right in the store. Generally I go for the less figurative papers (they have lots more in the stores than online) but could not resist showing this:





Images courtesy of Kozo Arts.

Happy Mother's Day!

edgy and elegant

via bloesem i learned about stina persson - a fantastic illustrator and watercolorist. i am always so impressed by those who can watercolor well (it is so difficult!) - and am especially bowled over by the beauty and pointedness of stina persson's works:




as bloesem points out, stina perrson says her style is about "finding the right balance between the edgy and the elegant, the raw and the beautiful".

and i think she finds it very well! (i aspire to do the same.)

also, if you are in nyc, bloesem alerted me to the fact that stina persson will be exhibiting at the gallery hanahou. go to the opening reception if you can. i wish i could!

belle epoque demonstrates at the maker faire!

Make magazine is hosting its Maker Faire at the San Mateo Fairgrounds May 19 & 20, and the super talented seamstress belle epoque is demonstrating!

she'll be showing us all how to make her bias tape tote bag:



and a shoulder tie tank top!

i can't wait to see how she makes her fantastic pieces ( a few of which i am lucky enough to own!).

see many more belle epoque creations here!

letterpress statistics

i am not sure i ever expected to see these two concepts together, but all the same here they are, strikingly together, in a letterpress book by Green Chair Press.

an image from A Word on Statistics, via Green Chair Press:



be sure to check out Wislawa Szymborska's A Word on Statistics, the inspiration for this work.

at once delicate and bold

so says The Clay Pot of Brooklyn about the following stunning Alexis Bittar earrings:




Image courtesy of The Clay Pot.

just gorgeous.

a little paper crazy

inspired by
1. my wisting finds (see side bar)
2. Elle Decor
3. terramia's jogging my memory with a lovely post on the de gournay wallpaper in a recent Elle Decor
and 4. sfgirlbybay's feature on hoom.sthlm from Sweden, i have been looking at and finding various gorgeous wallpapers online. i have nothing to wallpaper and won't for the forseeable future - but that just means my imaginary wallpapering efforts can have no limits....




Image from Elle Decor .



Image of Vintage Wilde Carnation Wallpaper from Osborne & Little.



Image of Huton wallpaper in avocado from Flavor Paper.

and i couldn't resist, for where would the day be without a walk on the wilder side -here's the Luxury paper also from Flavor Paper:



Image from Flavor Paper.

thinking again... this interest in wallpaper prints may have something to do with the new book on Florence Broadhurst that is receiving lots of press...

monumental

one more thing:

today, as we have been out and about on this HOT day in san francisco, my husband and i checked out Monument on Valencia, which is filled with well edited and beautifully displayed (but very spendy) vintage furniture from the 1930s through 1970s.




apparently, the owners make sure everything in the shop is in flawless condition so if you are looking for beautiful, perfect condition mid century modern here's your place. the whole mid century modern thing is maybe almost over, but what's wonderful about this place is that it is so clearly beloved and treasured by these owners.. not a response to a fad. and the pieces are exquisite.

more color

along these lines, i have just been playing with the find/shop by color feature on etsy. a great way to find, say, all things green (sarah!)

of course, the psychedelic effect of the multi-color bubbles popping up and streaking across the white page is also just plain old entertaining.

speaking of entertaining (and color), last week we went to the german tourist club in mill valley - and found ourselves at what felt like a mulit-colored swiss/german chalet. here's a detail:



kinda hokey, but the place is worth a visit.

here's a view from the 'hike' in along the dipsea/sun trails. (i put the quotes b/c it is very short, but looks very dramatic):

color fixation

do you ever get fixed on a color? and can't seem to shake it?

well orange is my latest fix, not least b/c i look at it everyday (see my earlier 'self-portrait' post). so, when going about making an invite for my 30th bday party, here's what i focused on:



orange in a word. literally.

as i have been putting together my wists, i notice i seem to focus on one color at once... they are scrolling below in order i placed them in the list. there's a patch of green or greenish items, one of red and orange etc etc.

ps. looking again at my invite on the blog, i realize that i subconsciously was using the colors from the blog template. whoa. totally did not realize that.
i thought i got the idea for the blue accents from this in hong kong: (sorry it is blurry; shaky hand, no flash allowed):

ball gowns and fashion pirates

the other week, i went to see the vivienne westwood exhibit at the deyoung... i found it sort of fascinating how she went from creating very avant-guard/hard to relate to clothes to these





(Victoria and Albert Museum
photograph by Niall McInerney)

which, also admittedly, are a little hard to relate to (for me - when ever would i wear something like this)... but her recent gowns are extraordinarily gorgeous in terms of their cut, color, drape and drama. and beauty - even if obviously super subjective - is just easier for me to understand than the ripped and chained and bondage items.

that being said, i think the exhibit was made - literally - by the multiple video screens showing her fashion shows. clearly an event, the shows showed off the clothes in vibrant settings - making some of the more grungy illfitting items of the early collections come alive. for example, the pirate collection - which frankly looked like dirty rags (i understand real historical pirates must have looked like this but a modern day fashion pirate? i think not) on their manequins - became beautiful and flowing and bright colored and full of energy.

if you go to the exhibit, be sure to watch all of the videos!

marimekko redux

when i was little, i always had a marimekko duvet. i had trucks (Katsuji Wakisaka's Bo Boo pattern):



and, then as i got older, a version of Maija Isola's Unikko:



Above images from Marimekko.

maybe this is why i love strong shapes and colors so much? (admittedly i had a significant lapse in this and a strong interest in well, black, in my angsty teens and early twenties.)

whatever the reasons/history, i do love marimekko lots and am loving how its fabrics and designers are everywhere these days as ornamentation and color pop up also all over:

on a marisco skirt from anthropologie:



and the grocery bags that designwatcher featured recently.

and the cosmetic bags i pass often at the zinc details on fillmore:




also, thanks to belle epoque's example, i have started wists as one more way to keep track of what i am liking as i cruise the web... check them out on the side column...