New Year’s Resolutions. Mine include: taking a hip-hop class, teaching myself more about lighting and lenses in photography, and of course, the house. New Year’s day found me tackling at least one of these, as I stripped the dark wall paper from the dining room.

Grueling work, but what results! The light, the space!! As you can see from the “before” picture below, simply removing the dark color greatly expands the room, emphasizing the height and generous windows. Even with dirty walls, it’s already my new favorite room. Of course having the right sized table also helps. The new one by Nick Hollibaugh (a hand-me-down from Aunt Jessie) is a dramatic 30″ by 9′. I love the perspective play as it blends into the window. Also, as a stop gap until fortunes allow for a new pendant, Aunt Sheila had the brilliant idea to cover the existing, saloon-style, brass lamp with an old bed skirt.

What a way to start our first full year in the new house. Just getting this much done, I can now really see the potential of our home. It’s tipped the balance from my being completely overwhelmed (and a little discouraged) to becoming truly inspired.

Now I’m going to pause a bit to give my hands and wrists a rest and to contemplate color. My original intent had been to paint the walls a warm gray and keep the trim off-white. Now I really like the all-white look. And then, Aunt Sheila suggested gray trim. Hmmmm. What do you think?

The “before,” aaaaaaaaahhhh! (Would you ever guess from the picture above that these are 10 foot ceilings?!)

another “before”

same view “after”

examples of white walls and gray trim

examples of gray walls and white trim (this is the look the living room will get)

gray and gray?

mirror in the Brooklyn living room of John Derian via NYTimes Magazine

My very first designskool post was about mirrors and how they enhance the light and architecture of a room. But of course, mirrors as metaphor are even more compelling. “Mirror, mirror on the wall…” Is it not true that most often when we look in the mirror, we are not actually seeking the truth they disclose, but in fact are hoping for something better. A vision not of who we are, but of who we want to be – younger, prettier, smarter. And isn’t it ironic that a mirror, which reveals only the surface, can never tell us these things? It is this dualistic nature – in which we take such great stock in what is a mere reflection that cannot begin to reveal the depth within – that lends mirrors their great iconic power.

Which is why I prefer old, wonky mirrors that display their dents and pocks with pride. For, in gazing into a mirror whose own surface is marked by creeping cracks and web-like splotches, it is harder to seek a shallow ideal. Indeed one is met not with a mere reflection of the light and architecture or with a beautiful face, but with the mirror itself, with all its imperfections. Unlike the smooth neutral plane of new mirror, a mottled looking glass adds its own commentary on the scene, manipulating, distorting it, like art. Reminding with its own history that though beauty may fade, it makes us all the more intriguing.

via Living Agency

via Copenhagen Apartments

via Knitsofacto

Boulevard Leopold via Designtripper

mirror at Marnie’s

vignette via Olsson and Jensen

Last weekend had us pondering possible lighting solutions for the beds in my Aunts’ house. We all felt that the little tables and lamps were too fussy, and we wanted to create a greater sense of drama in the design.

In the master bedroom above, we noted the lovely texture of the original lath and plaster walls, which we wanted to “frame” somehow. My suggestion: a combination of the two photos below: a hanging pendant (and no table) on the right, and an angled task lamp on the left.

For the guest bedroom below, in which the bed is flanked by lovely windows, I suggested eliminating the tables and lights altogether in favor of two delicate, swing arm lamps. These would create a dramatic sculptural element which would complement the lithe bed frame, but at the same time provide a little industrial contrast.

What do you think?

Problem: Bedside lights in my Aunt’s master bedroom are too small in scale. We like all the space above, but felt it wasn’t defined enough. Also we didn’t want to simply add a big piece of art because that would compete with the striking piece (by my Aunt Jessie, see below) on the adjacent wall.

Solution: Create the same dynamic as in this image with a vertical element on one side and an angle on the other. Instead of a ladder one could use a pendant like the one below or simply put a clip lamp on the ladder. Image via Father Rabbit Limited.

above: styling by Susanna Vento. photo by Kristiina Kurronen

Problem: Too much going on distracts from the lovely bed and airiness of the guest bedroom. 

Solution: Add lighting like that above to enhance the drama of the room. Photo by Paul Massey.

While pursuing the pages of La Casita yesterday, I came across a lovely line of paper and textile garlands by Virginie Sannier of Mi-avril. A graduate of the Olivier de Serres School of Applied Arts in Paris, Virginie currently works as a freelance designer, making unique textiles for interior projects.

For her own line, Mi-avril, Virginie draws inspiration from the world around her: a rabble of butterflies, the patterns made by sand and water at low tide, a city scape, a sunset. Then, using recycled paper and organic cotton thread, she translates these images into poetic garlands for the home. Simple, lovely, dynamic, these limited edition pieces are like impressions, scenes witnessed but for a moment in time, now the stuff of dreams and memories.

You can read more about Virginie and Mi-avril at La Casita.

clouds

souffle – neon

souffle

chiffres

envol

Virginie’s studio

clouds in vitamin

tourbillon

The upcoming solstice, plus several days of 70° plus temperatures, means that it’s officially spring week here on designkool! Kicking us off are the stunning works of Anne ten Donkelaar.

Two of Donkelaar’s most ephemeral series: Broken Butterflies and Flower Constructions, celebrate spring’s most symbolic harbingers. In these works the Dutch artist utilizes a combination of natural and man-made materials to create these exquisitely delicate assemblages.

For her Broken Butterflies, Donkelaar procured insects that had died a natural death in a local butterfly observatory. Often these beauties were damaged, so in her work Donkelaar set about “restoring” their missing parts with pins and thread, embroidery, roots, or other elements. For her flower constructions, Donkelaar again combined bits of real and man-made – pressed flowers, stems, and printed illustrations – to create her floral collages.

In both series, Donkelaar seems to be commenting on the parallel roles of human and Mother Nature as Creator, and how artists and scientists in particular endeavor to capture the beauty and complexity of Natures’ designs. It is no accident that these works resemble the pinned specimens of the naturalist or botanist. (To me the flowers in particular resemble the Blascha glass flower models at Harvard University’s Museum of Natural History.) Nor is it a coincidence that Anne’s constructions have a distinctly Frankensteinian aspect to them.

Indeed the theme of rebirth is quite strong in Donkelaar’s work. Like the awakening of spring itself, dead flowers and damaged butterflies are renewed. But even as Donkelaar plays at creator, she does not try to hide the human hand. Indeed she celebrates it with overt, machinist attachments to her butterflies or by deliberately maintaining the two dimensionality of her bouquets. It’s as if Donkelaar is quite aware that in all our attempts to dissect and understand and mimic Nature’s beauty, humanity’s efforts will never have quite the same life.

At first glance Anne ten Donkelaar’s collages seem deceivingly demur. But to me it is not just the beauty, but the tension of Donkelaar’s pieces that makes them so evocative and compelling. In Donkelaar’s fragile work, we are aware of how frail life can be. And no matter how much we study her with our sciences or revere Nature with our art, we cannot cheat death. It is the play of life and death, of nature and machine, of the beautiful and the monstrous that lends great power to Donkelaar’s work.

For an interview with the artist, see My Modern Met.

Above: wallpaper by Fargerike in Norway, via Unruly Things; cloud scraf by Rose Tung; silver and knit necklace by Branda

With yesterday’s snow, it finally looks like winter in New England should! So even though spring is just around the corner, I’m feeling a bit snuggly. Time for knits!

But actually the staggering variety of materials being purled and braided now-a-days means that knits are not just for winter any more. Old denim jeans make for a beautiful, tactile pillow. Loose linen yarn produces crisp wash cloths for summer, and paper yarn is being knit into airy, gossamer jewelry. Heck my friend once even knit together some long grass from her yard! Whether you wear them yourself, or use them to adorn your home, knits are a wonderful textured accent. I guess that makes knits the perfect anytime accoutrement!

Above: textured bedroom from EST Magazine via Decor8; demin pillow knit from old jeans by Tonje at Forever Love; purple linen/nylon yarn by Fernanda at Owl Mania

Clockwise from the top left: linen dish cloths by A Magpie And A Dove; braided rug by Dana Barnes Design; coin purse by Branda; knit hedgehog mit kit from Morehouse Farm

a subtle use of text as a decorative devise via Emma’s Design blog

As interiors become more personal and expressive it is only natural that text as decor should experience a rise. Words and other graphic elements provide a kind of punctuation – if you will – a point of interest, an unexpected accent, in a room. But I have not featured these devises over much here because I do think that they are hard to get right. Too often these texts strike me as a little too hokey or cliche, their messages a bit too close to those inspirational placards from Skymall. But when I discovered the collection of quotes amassed by Nezart Design, I became a total convert. These selections of artist Rene Norman are as fresh as they are varied. Some are witty, others profound. Many are irreverent, provocative. While others represent those wonderful small truths of everyday life. I encourage you to take a look through the whole assemblage, just because it’s fun. Not the proverbial Hallmark card, these expressions are actually art.

above and below: a selection of my favorites from Nezart Design. discovered via Busy Being Fabulous

And this one found by and everyone is also very good

articulated zebra doll

I don’t know if it’s my American ears, but to me Faye Moorhouse’s name sounds like the stuff of novels. I expect our plucky heroine to be the imaginative kind, that flits with ease between the physical and fantasy realms. Perhaps then, it is no accident that the real Faye Moorhouse is a gifted illustrator and quite a fantastical one at that. An honors graduate of The University for the Creative Arts in Maidstone, Kent, Faye creates characters and landscapes that teeter between the whimsical and the profound, the light-hearted and the dark. At times her work reminds me of French films like “The Triplets of Belleville,” seemingly innocent and charming cartoons with themes that are really much more adult. At other times, Faye just seems to indulge in pure fun. It is clear that Faye enjoys exploring myriad mediums and avenues of expression, from garlands to dolls and even dinner plates. As such there is a mercurial dynamism to Faye’s simple renderings. Whether cute or curious, Faye’s work is always intriguing.

For a complete catalog, see Faye’s website.

mankini man doll

Christmas cat bunting
cat hoard print

forty faces

cat plate

people cup

wood thrush

Joanne at Shaving Kit Supplies possesses an eye for excellent vintage goods and antique prints in particular. She has a number of wonderful selections for fall, all ablaze with persimmon and chestnut hues to herald the season. And there’s no need to splurge on framing. Joanne offers up a number of inspired displays for these antiquarian works. Old clip boards, hangers, or twine actually enhance their rustic appeal.

but a small sampling of Joanne’s prints for fall

flowering dogwood

trak stool with reproduction tractor seat

Today I’m enjoying the sleek forms of Plodes Studio. Plodes is a Texas-based, multidisciplinary firm that specializes in everything from product to furniture and architectural design. Representing a unique fusion of organic and modern, their concepts have an intriguing, futuristic vibe. Fluid, nature-inspired silhouettes are both archetypally pleasing and witty. (I can almost picture this chair scampering away like an overblown arachnid.) But their exaggerated size also makes them every-so-slightly monstrous. (Are the mega-barnacles going to siphon me?) In fact these biotic forms, realized in cool, machine age materials, could be a little too “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” were it not for an overriding aesthetic principle. Any bestiality in these sophisticated designs is deftly tempered by pure white finishes which lend an angelic grace. Thus, it is an intricate combination of imagination, beauty, nature, and industry that makes Plodes’ products as much art as functional object.

capsule, a 10″ powder coated, stainless steel vessel

space saver and art all in one – barnacle storage vessels