Lately I’ve been unwinding by doing Thomas Pavitte’s 1,000-dot-to-dots. (I know, I’m a wild woman.) The next logical step is clearly his Querkles, color by number for adults! At first glance they’re nothing but a random arrangement of overlapping circles, but hidden within each one is a famous face waiting to be revealed. You can keep it simple and use one pen or pencil, or you can go colorful with markers or paints. Not sold? There’s even a free download!
Melissa Loop captures my vision of the tropics 110% in her bold, saturated paintings. I can just about feel the humidity rising up from each piece with their streaks and runs, can’t you?
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.
ABCine // An education tool for children that encourages playful exploring of the alphabet while expanding their vocabulary.
30/30 // You set up a list of tasks, and a length of time for each of them. When you start the timer, it will tell you when to move on to the next task.
Vayable // Discover and book unique experiences offered by local insiders.
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!
Toronto-based Amanda Happé is decidedly gifted in the painting and drawing areas of life. (As well as in the beautiful-long-red-hair area, but that’s another story.) Not one to shy away from color, Amanda embraces it wholeheartedly through all of her work. Her latest is a series referred to as Runes Water, full of stark imagery and simple shapes on clean white backgrounds.
Lorna Simpson is a very accomplished artist, having created everything from large scale photo and text works to her latest – manipulated photographs from the 1950s. All of Lorna’s work confronts and challenges conventional views of gender, identity, culture, history, and memory, while each piece explores interactions, relationships, and experiences in contemporary America.
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.
Yung Cheng Lin‘s manipulated photography is attention-grabbing, that’s for sure. Her latest series strives to bring attention to female body modification through a digitally imposed piece of red string threaded through her subjects’ skin.
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