This week on Design Crush: Johan Barrios makes graphite and watercolor look better than could ever be expected.
Crushing on ENTLER‘s ceramic lighting collection in a big way. Yung Cheng Lin explores female body modification through this digitally manipulated series.
Get in my kitchen cupboards, Cosmic Diner Collection! Lorna Simpson‘s latest work touches on interactions, relationships, and experiences in contemporary America.
It’s time to pack your modern backpack! Amanda Happé‘s bright mixed media pieces are just what the doctor ordered.
I *finally* got the office in shape and am so excited to use it more!
Check out these 11 apps you need in your life.
After sharing the first floor of my house here last fall, I’d planned on doing the same with the second floor this spring. As you can see… it’s taken a wee bit longer. You got a glimpse of the office earlier this year when it got a new paint job, but today it’s the whole deal. (The master bedroom and guest room will follow in the next few months.) Ready?
If I’m being honest with myself, I’m 110% surprised at how much color is in my office. It’s tempered in every direction you look by white and black, but it’s still more than I ever would have guessed.
I upgraded my desk to one that would afford me a little bit of storage. The closet in this room is teeny tiny and triangular in shape, it’s located directly over the angled staircase below and has to accommodate its high ceiling. I went with the Prairie School Desk. (Do you just associate Land of Nod with kids? You’re wrong, they’re so much more.) I love its sleek and modern profile and the way it coordinated with a few other things I already had selected for the space.
The VITTSJÖ shelving unit bears the burden of a lot of what a closet would normally be responsible for. The tempered glass and metal are super sturdy, so I’m able to hide a lot of clutter in boxes as well as design books and the blank journals that I can’t seem to stop collecting. Do you like the pops of brightness my yellow accessories bring to the table?
Plants give any space life, and I was determined to make my office feel as light and airy as possible. Modernica’s Case Study planters have been a longtime favorite and this seemed like just the place to use one. (Please note that I have the stand turned upside-down here to add some extra height.) The sturdy ceramic pot and wooden base add a nice earthy touch to an otherwise empty corner.
I debated whether or not to put down a rug in this space and ultimately decided it needed it. I embraced the opportunity to pull in some more color and pattern with this Surya Frontier design from Rugs Direct in salmon, light grey, and navy. It pulls in the light pink accents around the room all while remaining surprisingly neutral.
While I’m all about hanging art everywhere, I deliberately wanted lots of open wall space here. Aside from a few mood board-type things over my desk, the only other thing on the wall is this Never Read the Comments print by Serif & Script. Always a good reminder for anyone with a presence online, no?
I plan on sandwiching a few things under this I Can See Clearly Now Desk Mat. I’m thinking favorite photo booth shots, important notes, etc. Bonus: It does double-duty as a surface protector for my desk and laptop!
I finished things off with a curtain rod sporting ball finials and Little Arches curtains (More color! More pattern!) I was nervous that it might be a bit much and clash with the rug, but the pattern ended up complimenting the rest of the room better than could have been expected.
I’m thrilled with the way this space has come together and can’t wait to see how it evolves. Time to get back to work!
I’ve always been fascinated by space, so why not make room for it in my kitchen? Italian designers Diesel Living and Seletti’s eleven piece Cosmic Diner Collection is made of porcelain and decorated with realistic images of the planets, the sun, and several moons. I love that several of the pieces could pass for abstract if you didn’t know what you were looking at.
If you were to create a modern lamp with old-fashioned telephones as inspiration, you might end up with something like this ceramic lighting collection from ENTLER. Sturdy bodies support elegantly curved necks and all is covered with a glossy finish, making me feel like I could lift one up for a conversation.
I’ve walked out of my house without my keys or sunglasses more times than I care to admit this summer. I’d love to hang one or two of these small slivered marble hooks near my front door as a last minute reminder to please grab me now lest you regret it later.
You know the drill… you’re in the middle of sudsing up in the shower when inspiration strikes. You’ve figured out the elusive answer to a work brief, nailed what kind of landscaping design you’d like in the backyard, or even solved climate change (here’s hoping). But by the time you step out of the tub *poof* it’s gone. The most fantastic ideas happen when you’re inspired, so why not have a place to write them all down?
Trying method‘s latest and greatest product – foaming body wash – inspired me to come up with a solution. The scents and bubbles wake up my senses and get my creative juices flowing (the ruby orange is my favorite scent of the four available – it’s so summery and refreshing!). So a modern do-it-yourself shower memo board that would both give me a spot to brainstorm and match up with my minimal aesthetic seemed like just the ticket.
Materials:
• 2 – 8 x 10″ pieces of plexiglass
• 4 – 8″ lengths of quarter inch thick wood (varnished or not)
• strong adhesive (I used Gorilla Glue)
• painter’s tape
• white craft paint
• small paint brush
• self-adhesive velcro
• dry-erase marker
Begin by taping off one of the pieces of plexiglass with the painter’s tape, about and inch on both top and bottom. You could also get more creative and mark out individual boxes, lines, etc – make the space work best for how you tend to process and think. I taped past the edges which helped to anchor the plexiglass in place while I was painting.
It’s best to apply several thin coats of craft paint instead of one thicker one. To achieve the opacity I wanted took three coats with about thirty minutes of drying time in between each. Make sure and pull off the painter’s tape before the last layer is dry, it will help keep the edges crisp and clean. If you get any smudges just use a cotton swab or your fingernail to to fix things up.
Plexiglass is notoriously difficult to drill through, so I opted for a heavy duty adhesive instead. I placed a thin line of adhesive about 1/4-inch from the edge of both the top and bottom, then placed the second piece of plexiglass over the first to cover my newly painted surface. In order to get a really tight seal I placed a few heavy coffee table books on top to act as a clamp, then waited for an hour or so for things to dry thoroughly.
Attaching the wooden edges to top and bottom was just as easy. Once again I spread a thin line of adhesive along the edge of each piece, then placed them so that about two thirds of their width was on the plexiglass and the rest hung off. Then again I set a few large books on top and allowed everything to dry. You could stop here, but I opted to add a second set of wood edges to the backside by repeating the process.
There were lots of possible ways to attached my brand spankin’ new memo board to the shower wall once I was finished. I could add an eye hook and use a suction cup or command strip, but I went with… velcro! Self-adhesive pre-cut squares couldn’t be easier to apply and they allow the board to really stay in place while writing on its surface. (And rest assured, I checked to make sure they survived the humidity and also came off the wall relatively easily!) One went on the four corners of the backside – both sides of the velcro stuck together at this point – then I positioned it on the wall and pressed for about 30 seconds.
I attached a dry-erase marker the same way, with velcro so it’s always handy when I need it.
I’ve used method‘s products in my home for years, their hand soaps and body washes favorites. I love that all of their products are naturally-derived and never tested on animals, a big plus in my animal loving household. These new foaming body washes are super moisturizing and smell amazing. They also manage to add a fun dose of color to my otherwise neutral bathroom. Head over to Target to try them for yourself now through October!
method Foaming Body Wash is sold exclusively at Target now through October 2015. This post is sponsored by method. As always all words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Design Crush going!
I grew up sleeping in my aunt’s hand-me-down single canopy bed – or my can of peas bed, as I referred to it until I knew better. While I loved it at first I eventually began to despise it, and at the age of 10 was gifted my very own brand new cherrywood daybed. When I got older my mom and stepdad got a more modern metal version of a canopy which made me change my opinion on my old nemesis. And lately I’ve been noticing more and more canopy beds that I’d be more than happy to welcome into my own bedroom for a second chance at happiness.
