Suite One Studio‘s modern handmade tableware is most definitely on my Christmas list. Owner Lindsay Emery uses high quality porcelain, handmade watercolor glazes, and hand-painted genuine gold to create her beautiful collections – I swear the glazes look good enough to eat! You can read more about her process over on Jojotastic.
I began following Redraven Studios several years before moving back to Pittsburgh, in fact I didn’t even know they were from my hometown at that point. Founder Amy Hamley and her husband Ryan create the prettiest porcelain pieces – I had their Good Luck Porcelain Horseshoe hanging above my front door for several years and it was always complimented. This holiday season I’m eyeballing the Porcelain & Gold Leaf Feather Ornament for my tree (and maybe a few lucky recipients) along with the Canyon Series Dinnerware that is forever on my Wish List.
Drake General Store is a traditional hotel gift shop, a classic general store, a flea market stand, and a museum shop all rolled into one. They have the biggest and best Canadian pride and love supporting homegrown artists and designers, making them a perfect match for Design Crush and our sensibilities.
Please tell me you took 1.5 seconds to read that graphic, because we’re giving away a $1,000 prize pack! Drake General Store is my favorite shop north of the U.S. border and I’m pumped to be partnering with them for the second December in a row to give you all a HUGE something awesome. I’ve cherry picked my favorite pieces from their classic, modern goods that are a mix of sensible (socks, throws, kitchen pieces) and not so sensible (tarot cards, incense, wind chime) and everything in between.
Metsa Birch Box Set ($40) // Gold Screw Studs ($24) // Cross Enamelware Stockholm Measuring Cup ($29) // Cross Enamelware Copenhagen Side Dish ($29) // Oval Marble + Wood Cheeseboard ($68) // Ladies & Gentlemen Aura Bell Chime ($135) // Held In Common Snowflake Socks ($14) // Cozy Ceramic Camp Mug, set of 4 ($48) // 3 Mast Brothers Chocolate Bars ($33) // Shared History Macho Man + Elizabeth Robes ($128) // Arborist Long Janes, trees ($29) // Blackbird Incense ($34) // Public Supply Notebooks ($15) // Arborist Getaway Blanket ($29) // Arborist Getaway Pack ($29) // Wild Unknown Tarot Card Deck ($45) // Wild Unknown Tarot Guide Book ($24) // Engraved Keychain ($15) // Hockey Thermos ($38) // Earth Coasters ($42) // Pinch Pot with Spoon ($28) // East Coast Throw Blanket ($99) // Oslo Bowls ($39)
I KNOW! So many well designed pieces and so many little luxuries to help get you through winter. You could either go the Happy Holidays to Me! route and keep it all for yourself or the My Shopping is Done! route and dive up your winnings as gifts for everyone on your list. Either way it’s a win. (But if you do spy something you’d like to gift know that Drake General Store has worldwide flat rate shipping!)
Posted In accessories, accessories, food, house and home, jewelry, kitchen, notebooks + journals, paper goods, read up, wear it, win it
I’ve always been fascinated by single-serve coffee systems, but vastly underwhelmed by what’s on the market. The ability to cater to your family’s or guests’ preferences, especially during all of those holiday get togethers, can be such a lovely touch when entertaining. But when the coffee itself tastes unimpressive and the machine has a working life of maybe a year… well, what’s the point?
When Nespresso reached out about trying out their new VertuoLine I was hesitant, but what changed my mind was that Nespresso works in coffee. They aren’t just some brand who’s decided to create a new machine and outsource the main ingredient. VertuoLine is an intuitive system that uses Centrifusion technology and barcode reading (cup size, rotation, temperature, flow rate, and brew time) to brew 8 oz cups of coffee and 1.35 oz espressos.
The VertuoLine’s hallmark is the incredible crema – the foam formed on each espresso top – it creates with every cup. And honestly it really is impressive. Once I got my hands on the machine itself I couldn’t believe that this was a cup of coffee that I’d made in around a minute in my own kitchen.
I also got to play around with an automatic milk frother, the Aeroccino+. With the push of a button I had perfect hot milk and froth (it can also warm milk without the froth or froth cold milk). It’s basically my favorite new kitchen gadget of 2014.
The VertuoLine comes with a sample box of their eight coffee and four espresso blends. And after trying nearly all of them I decided to create a few coffee drinks and put it all to the test.
Ingredients:
• Melozio capsule
• 2 oz skim milk
• 1 Tbsp honey, plus more for drizzling
Place Melozio capsule into the VertuoLine and brew into mug. While brewing, pour 2 oz skim milk into Aeroccino+ along with one tablespoon of honey. Press button to froth. When finished, gently pour milk into coffee, then spoon froth on top. Drizzle with honey. Drink up.
Ingredients:
• Odacio capsule
• 2 oz eggnog
Place Odacio capsule into the VertuoLine and brew into mug or heat-safe glass. While brewing, pour 2 oz eggnog into Aeroccino+. Press button to froth. Pour eggnog slowly into coffee to achieve that great separation. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I received product and compensation for this collaboration with Nespresso. As always all words and opinions are my own. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that help keep Design Crush going!
Posted In house and home, kitchen, recipes, sponsored post
Dinosaur Designs‘ and their eponymous candy colored wares for house and body just released their latest collection – Atelier. This go around they’ve added candles, linen napkins, and puzzles to the mix just in time for holiday gifting. But those geometric bangles? Those are at the tippy top of my list.
(via Design Milk)
Posted In accessories, house and home, jewelry, kitchen, wear it
Lauren Finkelstein’s Self Press shop is full of hand-designed and hand-decorated porcelain pieces that hit the perfect note. Favoring black, white, and indigo, Finkelstein’s creations all have a moody and mysterious feel to them which I love.
Gated Eyeballs Tumbler // Bubbling Blue Spoon // Two Circling Hands Ring Dish //
Eyes Wide Open and Shut Vase
Click on each image to go to the project.
All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.
It’s been so much fun to watch Waggo evolve over the past few years from being pet-centric to home-centric. As they say, Waggo Home‘s goal is to create happy products for you, your home, and your pet. That same modern aesthetic that permeated their original pet line has poured over into all the things that are sure to make your space lovely.
01/ Sculpture achieved through the build up of foam in Schauminsel.
02/ If I Had Known My Mother Back Then puts a daughter in her mother’s childhood photos.
03/ A giant birdsnest in which to relax and find new ideas, four your home naturally.
04/ Crazy hyperrealistic cat latte foam art!
05/ Visit Belgium and check out all five EYE locations that give you a view of the city.
06/ Fonts in the form of candy, thanks to EAT ME.
07/ Dangerous Popsicles are shaped like cacti and deadly pathogens.
08/ bottleLoft frees up valuable fridge space by magnetically elevating glass bottled beverages.
09/ Lichtgrenze rebuilds the Berlin wall in a display of 8,o00 glowing orbs.
10/ Live art, all thanks to ants.
This week on Design Crush:
Inky blue teapot art from Na Kim, perfect for the season.
Pretty bone china ring necklaces make up the Hula collection.
Dreamy, melancholy paintings by Kristen Vestgard.
Jack of all trades Molly M Designs create a little of everything.
Lovely traditional-meets-modern quilts by Lindsay Stead.
Heirloom quality table dressing suites from Huddleson Linens.
Neon candy-hued geometric art by Jennifer Sanchez.
Crushing on all of The Sleep Shop‘s feminine pajamas.
Angelo Monterat creates with smoke from birthday candles!
Design Crush elsewhere:
Quirky, whimsical illustrations from Depeapa.
While searching for a few things to get my Thanksgiving table ready for next month – the first ever held at my house! – I tripped across Huddleson Linens. Our busy lives make it easy to forget how important it can be to take the time to have a nice meal while sitting at the table instead of in front of the television (or laptop). Huddleson marries pure linens from Italy with modern designs to bring things into the 21st century with their suites of tablecloths, runners, placemats, and napkins. These are definitely heirloom quality pieces that are sure to last a lifetime and beyond.
