Doors, Doors, Doors...
If you follow my instagram feed, you know I love doors. I recently visited Portugal with a brief stopover in Spain and the doors were fabulous! Not only the doors, also the plant life, pastries, hospitality and the architecture overall. But, this post is dedicated to doors. These need no description. I will let them speak for themselves.
On my next trip to Portugal I want to spend an entire day (or 2??) in Sintra. It sits perched atop a mountain with a palace at the very top. The town climbs the hillside up winding roads amidst a magical forest. I want to walk the streets and photograph all the fabulous doors! It was raining the day we went to see the palace, next time I will make sure the sun is shining and I have ample time to explore. Stay tuned for more posts from my recent trip to Portugal.
Marimekko x Target
It's happened! It launched today, a collaboration between two of my favorites, Target and Marimekko. Now, you know I had scoped out the goodies ahead of time, because they offered a sneak peak on the site. I have been salivating over a fabulous umbrella for my backyard for days and with the line becoming available today, I ordered it this morning!
Now, this was not the only item I wanted... But we have to make choices and so instead of buying everything I loved I decided to put together a little post of my picks. And if someone happens to see this, who is in the market to buy me a gift, this would be a great guide for that as well! Ha ha, seriously.
I was very happy to see that both the Kaivo and Koppelo prints made it into the collection. It's great to Marimekko bring their designs to a more affordable venue. I always love their collaborations with Crate & Barrel, but hopefully this will bring their design sense to even more homes across the country! You can check out the full collection including clothes, bags and of course products for home here.
Cathrineholm
I fell in love with Cathrineholm the first time I saw it. With it's bright colors and graphic patterns it's a great representation of Scandinavian design. Based in Norway the iconic brand began production at the beginning of the 20th century and closed it's doors in 1970. Grete Pritz Kittlesen is the designer responsible for designing the shapes and colors for the enamelware line. The most frequently seen, and most recognizable pattern, lotus is attributed to Arne Clausen. It comes in a variety of colors complimented with white. Kittlesen is said to have disliked the lotus pattern stating she preferred the plates and bowls in a single color, which highlighted the shapes. I think the popularity of the lotus pattern speaks otherwise, but I do love a bright pop of color all on it's own as well!
The flag pattern is another of my personal favorites. It is less often seen, but just as graphic and beautiful. This pattern has a periwinkle color which I really love. Below is an example of it in orange, repurposed as a hanging planter. Also below is a picture of the zebra stripe pattern in blue repurposed as well.
Cathrineholm has solid colored enamel pieces as well as pieces that are enameled on the outside and metal on the interior.They also have a more organic pattern called Saturn, here's an example in a lovely turquoise and black color combo.
There are other patterns out there, including snowflakes, a white background with a thick white stripe and an interior that matches the color of the stripe, and a great navy blue decorative pattern on a light blue background. Be careful, once you are bit by the Cathrineholm collecting bug it's hard to shake it. Before you know it you'll be swimming in bowls... but I like it that way!
Greenpointers Holiday Market!!
Excited to announce, I'll be there! This is my first Holiday Market so come on by and say hello if you are around on Sunday. There will be lots of vendors there selling a variety of wares perfect for gifting. There will also be food, drink and entertainment. I've been prepping tons of new silver-plate pieces and will be offering a discount on selected items. This is a great spot to do your holiday shopping. You'll be shopping small and supporting local artisans!
Hope to see you on Sunday 12/6 from 1-7pm @67 West St in Greenpoint. I'll be bringing this little devil and a whole lot more.
Oslo, Bergen and Halden
I've been a collector of vintage and antiques for as long as I can remember. I'm pretty sure it is in my DNA. My mom had me at her hip scouring fields of fleas from the time I could understand what "Look but don't touch" means. Growing up we always lived in houses with plenty of room for all our finds. After college I moved out West where I moved into my first small space. It was a 550 sq ft apartment. I had to downsize significantly and it never really felt right to me. After we moved back to the East Coast several years ago we moved into a space that's about 800 sq ft, practically a mansion! I still wish I had more space, but I will say that small spaces have helped me develop my design style.
Everything in my space has been deliberately chosen. There is no room for extraneous pieces that don't mean something to me. I have also come up with ways to use ornamental pieces and create spaces to decorate where there were none. This post is specifically about repurposing and my line of hanging planters. I began my obsession with enamelware a few years ago. I had no idea what possible use there was for the 4" bowls I found (aside from the very rare dinner party and need for bowls full of nuts etc) and then a lightbulb went on. I love plants, I have limited counter space, I also love these brightly colored bowls, why not up-cycle them into hanging planters! And the Oslo planter was born from a 4" vintage Emalox Norway bowl. The colors look so lovely together that I like to display them in groupings, but all one size bowl was missing something so I started making the Bergen planter from 5" bowls and the Halden planter from the saucer like 6" bowls.
I have since started making hanging planters from damaged Cathrineholm bowls hoping to give them new life once they are beyond a collectible state. I also use the fabulous Celebration Norway bowls. I am happy to be selling Oslo, Bergen and Halden on Bezar.com, Scoutmob.com and Etsy. The Cathrineholm and Celebration Norway planters are currently only available on Etsy.
Tents for GQ event at Crown Victoria
I recently made a 2 tents for a GQ event here in Brooklyn. They hosted a night for designers NSF, The Hill-side, David Hart and STAMPD who won 2015 Best new menswear designers in America. They were honored at an event September 28th at Crown Victoria in Williamsburg. The idea was to create pop up shops for a night to showcase the goods made by these designers and launch their newest collaboration with the Gap.
My part in the event was limited to construction of the 12x12 foot tents that would house the designs of The Hill-side and NSF. They were set up along side two vintage air stream trailers for the other designers. Each tent was made to fit the existing armature of a pop up tent, but had to feel custom and elevated. I created slip covers to mask all of the armature on the interior and used about 70 yards of fabric to make each one!
I have done a lot of sewing in my life, but never anything at this massive scale. We had to create 12 ft wide walls that were over 11 ft tall, that's a lot of fabric to send through a standard sewing machine! Fortunately we had the benefit of a serger which allowed us to finish edges without adding a hem. Saved HOURS, reduced bulk and was really important to the craftsmanship.
We ended up making two different designs of tent. The khaki tent is made of one large piece that drapes over the top and then has panels that drop down in the front and back. The doors swag to the left and right side. It has a Safari feel to it with a nice overhang and a tall opening. The navy tent we constructed out of 4 identical pieces and sewed them together from the peak to the frame. I decided to have the doors roll up on this tent. They fasten with lovely natural colored cotton webbing and oil rubbed bronze D rings. This tent feels nautical to me. Both tents have an open structure below the armature for more flexibility in use. Depending on the weather, if it's a hot day you can get a nice cross breeze going from any of the 4 sides.
And some finished shots which include the styled fixtures and products as well. The stylist for the event paired my tents with lush rugs and beautiful hardwood flooring. It had a really fun glamping vibe that I think goes great with the menswear featured in the pop up!
Woodstock getaway
For our first anniversary Paulo planned us a mid week getaway to the Catskills. What a lovely little trip we had. To be honest we spent most of it in the saltwater pool at the house he found for us on Airbnb. Take a look at the property and you'll see why we stuck close to home!
So you'll notice not a shot of the pool to be seen. Well that's because I saved the best for last... I can honestly say I have never been in a more beautiful pool. The pool itself is a slate grey and it is surrounded by large tufts of grass on 2 sides, giant hydrangea bushes on one end and lounge chairs on the last. I felt like I was at a luxury spa or something. When you are floating in the pool and look up all you can see are beautiful maple and birch tree limbs in front of a clear blue sky. The fact that the pool was saltwater instead of heavily chlorinated was just the icing on the cake. I will dream of this pool.
So, when we finally got out of the pool and drove into Kingston we were greeted with lovely turn of the century buildings and cute shops and eateries. Kingston is the largest city in the area. We parked the car and wandered around downtown for a few. We ended up grabbing a Gyro at a little Greek spot, really adorable town. Lots of little antique shops, eateries, coffee shops and other retails stores. The next morning was the real culinary treat of the trip. Two words Phoenicia Diner.
This place is a gem. It's not like we stumbled upon an unknown secret. When I was in the Catskills for Phoenicia Flea about a month ago it was the big recommend. We didn't have time on that trip. Boy, am I glad we had time this week! Seems like pretty much everything on their menu is made in house or locally sourced. Speaking of the menu, how much do you love their branding?? I chose a skillet with cheese grits (my absolute fav) duck confit and shiitake mushrooms with a poached egg. It came with house made wheat bread that was fantastic as well. Delicious coffee, fresh squeezed juice and then there were the corn cakes. These things are like pancakes but with fresh corn in them. My husband and I split a side order and I am so glad we did. Next time we are in the Catskills I want to hit them up for lunch, there was some kind of stuffed chicken dish that sounded amazing. They are only open for breakfast (served all day) and lunch (til 5pm), so don't plan on stopping by in the evening unless you are looking for libations. They have a little cocktail lounge that looks like a lot of 60's inspired fun as well that I believe is open later. After breakfast we wandered over to Woodstock via a route that took us along the Reservoir. Talk about a breath taking view...
After a brief walk around Woodstock, with a stop in this shop and that, we popped into Bread Alone Bakery. This a company who's bread we know and love from buying it in Brooklyn, so it was neat to find their storefront in Woodstock. We picked up some lunch for later and headed back to the pool! This really was a few days of pure relaxation. We ended the trip with a bottle of Vueve Cliquot in celebration of the occasion, a meal prepared entirely on the grill and we enjoyed it under the stars. The sounds in the Catskills really are spectacular, crickets, owls and cicadas, frogs and who knows what else! Can't wait to return.
Found by a Prop Stylist + Bezar
I'm very pleased to officially announce the start of my pop up shop with11am est on Tuesday 9/1. Stop in for my one of a kind painted silverplate vessels and wall hangings as well as my vintage hanging planters! Be sure to look around at all the amazing work by other designers. Then hop over to my etsy store for some curated vintage home goods!
Marimekko a little designer profile
I am drawn to Scandinavian design. The bright colors and graphic patterns, something about it really appeals to me. I feel like you can spot a pattern from Finland or Norway from a mile away. They are distinctive and I love it. I remember the first time I saw a Marimekko textile. I was with my mom at an outlet mall in CT. I was home from college for the summer and we were at the Crate & Barrel outlet to be exact. I saw these amazing lime green and yellow flowers on white. They were tablecloths but we devised a plan to turn them into drapes for my dining room in Savannah. They were a deal and we bought 4 cloths to make 8 drapes. They turned out great, and were much cheaper than buying yardage.
The tablecloths were, as you may have guessed, the Unikko pattern by Marimekko.
Fast forward 11 years to Brooklyn, NY. My obsession with Marimekko has continued. I got married in September 2014 and ended up selecting a Marimekko design on Paperless Post for my announcements.
Anyway back to Marimekko rather than my love for them! The name Marimekko is a combination anagram and play on words. The founder's name is Armi Ratia, which is where you get the 'Mari' and 'mekko' means 'dress' in Finnish. In 1951 Finland had been devastated by the war and Armi Ratia wanted to bring commerce and joy to her fellow citizens. She believed that the happiness in life is brought from everyday little moments and the beauty around you. She surrounded herself with other talented designers and Marimekko was formed. They continue to design today, with the same philosophy and a desire for longevity and timelessness. In a world where it's a new fashion season every time you turn around we have become all too likely to move onto the next trend quickly. Marimekko strives to create textiles, clothing and accessories that will last decades.
I myself have not purchased their clothing, yet. But I am a proud owner of an umbrella and a tote bag. The umbrella is the pattern from my wedding invite above and makes me feel cheerful when the sky is grey. The tote is well made and lives in my purse so I can forgo the plastic bags when I happen to pop into CVS or the grocery store on the way home form somewhere. It is also a bright cheerful pattern.
If you are ever in NYC, I highly recommend you visit the Marimekko flagship store at 200 5th Ave. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to be surrounded by such colorful design. If you cant make it to their store, be sure to check them out online at marimekko.com.
I hope to make some new pillows for my couch this year using Marimekko fabric. They have pre-made on their site or there are at least a few etsy sellers who offer finished covers as well. Marimekko prints really make a statement and are sure to start a conversation.