Say hello to Carina Murray of Crow and Canary, then check out her pitch perfect ephemera-packed home!
I’ve always been a sucker for “stuff” – family ephemera, vintage trinkets, and other tiny oddities often seem to find their way into my home. When my husband and I first met during college, he marveled at my apartment decor and said in complete earnestness: “It’s like your personality threw up all over the walls, but in the best possible way.” That’s still a running joke in our house and I’d like to think that my current taste reflects a slightly more grown up version of that early 20’s look. Printer’s boxes and other interesting small shelving units have helped me contain my burgeoning collection of misfit knick knacks. And if you’re wondering about all of the eyeglasses, I was an optician before starting Crow and Canary. I still adjust and repair glasses for family and friends.
This spring I started a windowsill herb garden in my kitchen. Herbs seem to be the only things I can grow, so I stocked up on curly basil, cilantro, mint, and sweet basil. The thing is, I only know a dish or two that I like to use each of them for. Basically I have a lot of herbs and not a lot of recipes. That’s one of the reasons I got really excited when I came across Illustrated Bites’ The Basics of Herbs and some other illustrations detailing how to best prepare them. The second reason was of course the illustrations themselves. Now I’m all set to take on a crazy world of flavor, just in time for summer! (via Ritzy Bee)
I love a good structural bag, and damn these are sexy. Larisa Hadjio’s Diamond Vision collection is all that and a bag of chips. Supple leathers, faceted corners, and beautiful angles everywhere you look.
Creating a gallery wall can be really intimidating. I know it was for me. The first time I made an attempt was a few years ago, and can only be described as comically sad. I tried to do it freeform, without a plan. Just nailing and hanging as I went. The wall I used wasn’t big enough, or a good location. Just all wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
A few months ago I was chatting with my friend Natasha, who works with Minted. It just so happened that they were planning on releasing their first ever limited edition and custom print art collection and we decided to collaborate on this little how-to guide. Several of the pieces I used are from Minted, as well as a few from other sponsors, and quite a few I previously owned. I’ll share where everything came from and where you can get it at the end.
A large central wall works best for a gallery wall. You want it to be a focal point, not a side thought. I chose the space over my couch. You’ll want to visually divide your wall into quadrants. Your art can then either be built off of the horizontal line, the vertical line, or both. I went with the last option.
After choosing the artwork from Minted, I went about filling in the spaces. I knew that wanted a variety of sizes and mediums. Illustration, painting, photography, etc. I was so excited to pull out pieces that I’d never found the perfect spot for before! Next I nerded out and hopped on my laptop to lay it all out. You can do the same, or print out thumbnails and play with arranging the pieces that way. Whatever works for you, just remember the goal is to have a plan.
I didn’t want the end result to feel flat, so I chose frames of varying depths. The majority are from Plywerk and are 3/4″ bamboo platform frames that I adhered my art to. One is a printed canvas from Thumbtack Press. Everything else I framed in simple glass frames or adhered to the wall with black and white striped washi tape.
I used contractor’s paper (you can get it at any hardware store) to lay things out on the wall. This step is a little time consuming, but you’ll thank me later. Measure all of the frames you plan on using, then cut out paper accordingly. It also helps to label each piece of paper as you go with the art it’s representing. Then working off of your axis (vertical, horizontal, or both) to begin laying out your gallery wall. Try and keep the margins between pieces the same, I went with an inch. Once your paper is taped up you’re going to go ahead and hammer in your nails. Go back to your frames, measure horizontally and vertically where it hits to hang from the nail. Mark it with a pen or pencil on the paper you’ve hung and hammer away, right through the paper. Fun, right?
You’re so close! Rip off the paper and hang your frames. Fine tune anything that’s acting up, but remember that the point is not for things to be perfect. Things are going to adjust themselves according to how your home sits, etc. And tada, you’re done! Not so difficult, right?
4After the Heist by Patrick Leger from Thumbtack Press (Sponsor) Thumbtack Press is like a nebulous cloud of rapidly changing art matter. Picture trillions of creatively charged particles smashing into each other, exploding, fusing together, spinning – everything moving, moving, moving. TTP exists to foster that nebulous cloud. They help it grow by injecting new particles and catalysts, always dedicated towards the creation of something that’ll push the cloud of art matter forwards. Of course, they’re also an online store where open edition prints by top illustration, lowbrow, and character artists from all over the world are sold.
Frames for all Minted prints were sponsored by Plywerk, eco-conscious bamboo mountings and maple art panels. Stay tuned later this week for more on their fabulous product and the good they’re doing!
Disclaimer: All Minted prints, Plywerk frames, and Thumbtack Press canvas provided in kind.
Well-designed kitchen gadgetry? The best. Well-designed gadgetry that isn’t gadgetry at all, but simple objects? The best of the best. The Mix & Measure Bowl Set is killing it on all levels. Smart design in an easy to implement beautiful product. (via bltd)
I’ve been researching abstract watercolors for a personal project. You can see why I sort of flipped out when I came across the paintings of Tobias Tovera. They look like the prettiest topographic maps you’ve ever seen, don’t they?
Say hello to the sweet space of Kasey and Matthew from Turntable Kitchen!
Unintentionally, one wall in our house has become what we call ‘the wine wall.’ It’s where we store our everyday drinking bottles, which are suspended in a wooden wine rack. It’s also home to a photo I took on our honeymoon in Argentina (of a wine cellar in Mendoza), as well as a wine-themed National poster (one of Matt’s favorite bands). The nearby bookshelf houses many of my favorite cookbooks, so they’re within reach – along with my aprons – when I’m in the kitchen.
We just recently got a new kitchen table, and it’s already a favorite. It’s made from reclaimed wood from the nearby Marin Tunnel, and it’s where we eat all of our meals, drink afternoon coffee, and where I thumb through cookbooks.
We do most of our work from our couch area, so we wanted it to feel really cozy. We have a selection of photos and paintings behind the couch, which we’ve collected over the course of our travels, and air plants that hang from little ceramic sculptural vases. Nearby, we also have our record player and sizeable record collection.
The wooden bookcase that holds our record player and record collection was one of the first pieces of furniture we ever bought together. We thought we’d never run out of space on it, but, already, our records have started to spill over into a nearby ‘overflow’ bin. Whenever we have parties and get-togethers with friends, this is an area where people often like to congregate, browse and chat music. It’s my husband’s happy place.
This was our first ‘investment’ piece and it’s the most centrally-located place in our apartment. If you’re sitting in the leather chair, you’re right next to the record collection, the couch, and the dining room table. It’s also a great place to curl up and watch a movie.
I’ve been a fan of Muhs Home and their carefully curated collection of goods for some time now, but these porcelain demitasse spoons may have put me over the edge and into stalker territory. They come in the best muted shades and are both glazed and matte in finish. And those straight objects? Yup, spoons too. Perfect for putting sugar in your coffee or sprinkling salt onto your dinner.
