I skipped out on doing a reader survey last year, mainly because it was March before I thought about it and I like to take care of this sort of business right at the start of the year. I want to make Design Crush the best possible experience for you, so I’d greatly appreciate it if you took a few minutes and completed this super simple survey. (But first, go ahead and say that five times fast. Just for funsies.) I’ll be selecting one of you at random to send a box of goodies to as a thank you, so go ahead and leave your email address in the comment box at the end of the survey form for a chance at it! (Email addresses are for contact purposes only and will not be utilized in any other way.) A big thank you for reading Design Crush and helping me keep my dream job alive and thriving!
This week on Design Crush:
Eight crush-worthy prints to mix up this month.
So impressed with Makrbox, a Pacific Northwest-filled subscription box.
Beautiful illustrations from Amyisla McCombie.
I teamed up with Target to make my entry winter-ready.
Dark and lovely work from Nina Torr (aka Andy Wyeth).
I’d love to fill my wrists with these painted leather Mixed Doubles bracelets. Morgana Wallace captures fantastical characters in layers of paper.
Add some color to your space with Mod Pieces.
Work from the mysterious Olivier Umecker.
Design Crush elsewhere:
January is the perfect time to clean out your kitchen linens and invest in some new ones.
It might be cold outside, but your home can be downright tropical indoors.
New-to-me Toronto-based Mod Pieces is scratching my itch for color, in nearly every room of the house. All products made my shop owner Lia are unique and sustainable, going against the throwaway culture that seems to surround us on a daily basis. The hope is to create truly one of a kind pieces that are rare, unique, and irreplaceable. I can definitely back that notion.
Paper and watercolor combine in the mixed media art of Victoria, British Columbia-based artist Morgana Wallace. The end results are mythical and storybook characters that come to life by her hand, layer by layer. Each three dimensional piece is full of color, texture, and story with an incredible level of detail.
Just as this winter’s browns and greys started to hit their peak I came across these rolled French leather bracelets that are the exact opposite of cold and dreary. Melbourne’s Jen Booth hand-paints each Mixed Doubles piece in a duo of eye-popping color that’s sure to brighten up even the dullest of days.
Nina Torr (aka Andy Wyeth) is a Pretoria-based illustrator with a penchant for animals in the wild and the beauty of the human hand. She captures both with exquisite flair and personality, sometimes together. (Nina’s love of skeletons is also beautifully represented.)
I’m trying to live a slightly more minimal lifestyle these days, but winter with all of its layers is trying to throw a bit of a wrench in my best laid plans. Scarves, hats, gloves, boots – the necessities of cold weather are no fun to corral. My usual (bad) habit it to shove as much as possible into the pockets of the coat I just took off and hang it on the stairs’ bottom newel post.
My solution was to take those unfortunate habits and make them work to my advantage. By adding a wooden bench with woven accents I created a small storage area right out in the open. Boots can be tucked underneath while other cold weather gear can be stacked on the lower shelf. It will also make a great place to sit to lace up footwear, as well as a spot to put friends’ bags when they’re over for a visit.
The pastel blue seat of the bench will make transitioning to spring and summer easy with its breezy feel. And I’m also really feeling the combination of the woven pattern next to my tribal throw rug. Completely unexpected and slightly out of my comfort zone, but it seems to be working well.
I tucked a white sherpa throw into a vintage metal crate nearby for those extra cold Pennsylvania days that will be here soon enough. The idea being that you walk in the front door, take all of your outdoor gear off, and grab a blanket to cozy up with immediately. (It’s especially going to come in handy after I come inside after taking down those Christmas decorations!) So take that winter, because I’ve got you all figured out.
This post is sponsored by Target. Shop Home Décor for modern luxury made easy. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that keep Design Crush going.
Amyisla McCombie is a freelance illustrator from the UK with a special style. The most defining characteristic to me is the way she deliberately gives the people in her mixed media pieces detailed faces, while all but ignoring all other present objects. If you act fast she has a special going on in her shop – but two prints and get a third free.
When subscription boxes became an overnight trend a few years ago it was tough to separate the wheat from the chaff. There were plenty of smart ideas, but little quality in my experiences. I’ve remained true to Birchbox and Hatchery, and now I’m under the spell of Makrbox.
