For Your Peru-sal

 

   Posted by Valerie, Senior Editor

In order to keep myself from doing the blog equivalent of boring all my friends to tears with an hour-by-hour account of my September trip to Peru, I've decided to post only a handful of photos from the adventure -- strictly limited to design- and architecture-related sights* -- and to keep the commentary to a minimum. Mostly, I want to show a little of the breathtaking range of beautiful buildings you can see in Peru (as in many other Central and South American countries).

We'll start with the surprisingly modern new construction in Lima's Miraflores district...

A high-rise that overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

Love this pairing of dark glass and wood.

...then cut to Cuzco and old Lima's colonial treasures...

It feels almost like a classical music composition -- so much order and repetition, but with flourishes and a distinct mood, thanks to the color.

So many angles and lines.

The Convent of Santo Domingo, built (like much of Cuzco) atop existing Inca walls and façades .

Spanish wooden balconies overlook the courtyard of Cuzco's Hotel Marqueses.

...and then to Machu Picchu's really old treasures...

*The adorable exception: Chinchillas in the Mist. (Please don't correct me if this is not, in fact, a wild chinchilla, because when would I ever get to write "chinchillas in the mist" again?)

...and a shot of the new and the old butting right up against each other.

A Miraflores juxtaposition.

A few haute-rustic eco-friendly gems round out the mix...

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Hotel in Aguas Calientes.

...and charming design ideas and details abound.

 

Colorful traditional blankets at the Inkaterra.

Bookshelves that double as art, also at the Inkaterra.

 

I love the inventive use of materials here. The shelves look like oven racks, and the books are all tied up with twine. (Not so practical for those who actually read.)

The rooms are designed to put the view front and center.

A pretty and practical candle display at the Inka Grill in Cuzco.

A beautifully muted, earthy color palette.

Not a decorative element per se, but the local alpacas and llamas inspire so many designers, I feel like this guy should count.

What are your favorite architectural cities to visit?

Q&A: LULU Jewelry

Posted by Erin, Staff Writer

Stephen Eichhorn and Jessica Paulson are Chicago-based artists, partners, and, most recently, jewelry designers. Their jewelry line, LULU, is made from enamel, Bakelite, and vintage components, and mixes clean black and white with bright accents. I recently spoke with Jessica about LULU and what inspires their collection.

Q: You're both talented artists in your own right; What made you want to collaborate on jewelry?

A: Stephen and I graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and our background in art and architecture has largely informed our approach to jewelry making. We have collaborated on several projects over the years. Our working processes complement each other: I am very quick and intuitive while Stephen is methodical and calculated. In terms of artwork, we have worked together on larger built installations that make use of our different working methods. Our close friends Joe and Jena of Penelope's encouraged us to make jewelry, saying that it was hard for them to find interesting, handmade pieces for their store.

Bakelite earrings, left, and enamel earrings

Q: Where do you find your materials?

A: The line was also born out of our appreciation of materials. We pull from multiple sources, many vintage and some new. We take trips to neighboring states (Ohio and Michigan) to go to antique malls and estate sales. We also have a guy in Alaska who hand carves bone feathers for us. The jewelry has been as much about researching and collecting the materials as it has been assembling them into a final product.

Hand-carved bone feather necklace

Blue enamel chain necklaces with plastic teardrops

Q: Where did the name LULU come from?

A: Lulu is our toy poodle. We needed a name when we first started selling the jewelry at Penelope's (which is named after the owners' pug), and we unanimously agreed on LULU. 

Lulu, the namesake

Q: Nature and Native American motifs seem to be a big inspiration -- what else inspires you?

A: Modern architecture, mid-century modern design, Ray and Charles Eames (esp. their movies), Eero Saarinen, geometry, nature, geology, plants, glaciers, and salvage yards.

Dark horn bird pendant with bone feathers

Q: What are your favorite places in and around Chicago?

A: We are inspired by the entire city, but there are some spots (including just outside of it) that are especially near and dear to us:

Ukrainian Village
West Loop (where our art studio used to be)
Penelope's
Farnsworth house (Plano, IL)
Taliesin (Spring Green, WI)
Heart of Ohio Antique Mall
architectural salvage shops

Everything’s Coming Up [Or Down] Cozy

Posted by Shira, Editorial Assistant, Art

At the end of a Blueprint photo shoot, we take a minute to breathe in our accomplishments and congratulate ourselves on a job well done, because before we know it we're packing up, dismantling, and cleaning. We’re usually somewhat delirious by this point (when we're shooting we put in roughly 10 hour days) so we’re easily coaxed into doing silly things. Most recently, contributing style editor Scott Horne realized that he could stick his head down the chimney in the set from "Warming Up A Room" (November/December 2007, page 38) à la Saint Nick. Talk about getting a different perspective ...

What a (blood) rush

Petal Power

Posted by Milano, Editorial Assistant

Five years ago, I wouldn’t haven been caught dead in anything lower than a 3.3-inch heel. I walked/ran/danced/lived in them. Any discomfort was deemed “necessary” (à la eyebrow tweezing and bikini waxing) -- strutting on stilts was just the way it was going to be. Well, times have changed. These days, I’m lucky if I can hobble in and out of a taxi on wimpy 2.5 inchers -- which, I might add, I reserve for cocktail parties, weddings, and the rare no-holds-barred night on the town. Even in those mini heels, I can only stand for a half-hour before I begin whining and scanning the room for a leaning post. Which is why it was a magical day when Foot Petals, cushion inserts that (sort of) resemble flower petals, entered my life (and my party shoes). There’s a style for the heel (to keep it from slipping off with every step), for the balls of the feet (where those sad callouses have formed), for the areas where unforgiving straps cut into your skin, and for the entire foot (ball-to-heel relief). Now hours can go by before I even remember that I’m wearing heels. Whoever said “No pain, no gain” needs to put some foot petals in their dancing shoes.

Tiger Tip Toes

Save The Date

Posted by Blueprint

Fans of Blueprint can attend a taping of "The Martha Stewart Show" on December 12 for a special show of fun fashion, makeup tips, and other advice taken straight from the pages of the magazine. Subscribers, loyal Bluelines readers, and anyone else who will be in the NYC area, request your tickets today! 

Sleepyheads

    Posted by Rebecca, Deputy Home Editor

Artist Christopher David Ryan was so inspired by the sleepers and daydreamers he spotted on NYC's L train every morning, he made a book about them: Sleepyheads. The textless paperback contains 64 pages of simple line drawings of commuters' noggins, lost in reverie. It's very sweet and the perfect size (5.25" by 5.25") to stuff in a stocking!

It's available for $5 at the Curiosity Shoppe and Hello Sleepyhead.

Sia The Light

Posted by Kerstin, Online Editor

Hundreds of new singles, albums, videos, and movies were added to iTunes last week. Here's an album that's definitely worth checking out: "Day Too Soon" by Sia, an Australian singer-songwriter. Sia is best known for belting out tunes as part of the downbeat UK outfit, Zero 7, and for the moving music that accompanied the series finale of Six Feet Under. Her newest EP ditches the melancholy and provides soulful vocals on some modern-girl-dilemma pop songs like "The Girl You Lost to Cocaine." Heavy.

"Day Too Soon" cover, left, and Sia (and pooch), right

Sew Much Fun

 

   Posted by Rachel, Editorial Coordinator

Wee Wonderfuls makes me wish that I had spent less time horsing around in home ec -- I had what Mrs. Stanard called an "attention issue" -- and more time learning to sew. Hillary Lang, the talented crafter behind the site, knows that some of us are not quite as gifted with a needle and thread, and mercifully offers her unlawfully cute toys, dolls, and quilts already made. For those who want to DIY, Lang generously offers free downloadable patterns. And while I'm at it, what is the statute of limitations on apologies to one Mrs. Stanard?

Point Kitty -- free pattern available at Wee Wonderfuls

Pushing Paper

Posted by Erin, Staff Writer

Currently I'm obsessed with artists whose preferred medium is paper. It could be aftershocks of the Tord Boontje effect, or a holdover from the design and fashion worlds' preoccupation with origami; however, the artists I'm drawn to are moving beyond decorative objects.  They work by hand and use interesting processes to push the limits and constraints of paper. It all started when I stumbled upon Peter Callesen's website.

Callesen, a Danish artist, creates dimensional paper sculptures from a single sheet of paper. Then he lays the 3-D figures on the paper cuts from which they were made. The craftsmanship was the first thing to blow me away: a minuscule turreted castle or hairy tarantula sculpted from a few precise cuts in paper. But his work intrigued me further by incorporating the negative space of the cut paper in his final work. He uses paper to collapse many polarities -- interior/exterior, flat/dimensional, alive/dead -- and always does this through witty visual puns.

Coffin as Cradle, 2006, courtesy of the artist and Emily Tsingou Gallery

California-based artist Chris Natrop creates incredible cut paper installations. He fills rooms with paper vines, flowers, and waves, draping every surface -- and creating new ones -- with curtains of paper. Natrop uses a knife like one would use a pencil, yet he never plans the cuts or marks them first on the paper. His approach is fluid and almost subconscious, which explains his beautiful and dreamy amorphous shapes.

Fern Space Burst, 2004, courtesy of the artist

Kako Ueda, a Japanese-born artist, became interested in paper because of its historical uses -- paper stencils were used to create kimono patterns in Japan. She is preoccupied with nature and natural beings and recreates them in her intricate lace-like paper cuttings.

Conversation-detail, 2007. Image courtesy of the artist and George Adams Gallery, New York 

What are you obsessed with?

Working Class Heroes

Posted by Scott, Contributing Style Editor

To make my life as a freelancer easier, I recently purchased a MacBook. I've never had a laptop before, but, after just a few days, I can safely say that it has changed my life. Now I can do research from the comfort of my couch -- while drinking a glass of wine! And the best part is that I get to dress it up in an awesome computer sleeve. There are options galore, but my favorites are by Working Class Heroes, who sell a range of gorgeously minimal felt cases through Etsy. They all come in gray -- one of my favorite colors -- and have subtle, utilitarian details like metal snaps and leather straps. I still haven't decided which one I will get, but, as you can see for yourself, I can't go wrong with any of them.

Doodles, Revealed

Posted by Milano, Editorial Assistant

Doodlers, pay attention! We received your mid-meeting/lecture/conference scribbles and passed them on to handwriting expert Michelle Dresbold, as promised. Here are her comments (listed below each submission), along with our doodlers' identities.

“This doodler is female because her eye has lot of long, full lashes -- a sure sign of feminine flirtation and appreciation of glamour and beauty. The cloud here reveals that this person has an inner self and an outer self that are not always on the same page (so to speak!). For example, the cloud is smiling, but the tear like raindrops make it look like it’s crying. This person, therefore, is probably a combination of happy and sad—putting on a happy face, perhaps, but harboring sadness within.”

Deanna Lagunas, of Austin, TX, says: "She’s definitely correct. Reading the analysis made me choke up a little bit."

“From the unicorn, the stars, and what looks like Saturn, I can see that this doodler (who could be male or female) is a nonconformist with a vivid imagination and an appetite for fantasy. (S)he doesn’t really 'fit in' but enjoys not being mainstream.”

Sami Kelsh, of Ontario, Canada, says: "That is pretty spot on. If I'm any judge of my
own character, it fits me to a T!"

“This doodler is female. She is very artistic—might even be a designer. She loves to dream and doesn’t like to be confined, which his why she responds to nature and spending time in the outdoors. Even though there are flowers, this person loves animals, I just know it. Most of all, this individual has quite a positive outlook on life and strives to spread happiness and joy.”

"Wow: I am a graphic designer who enjoys being in nature. And every time I see a dog on the street, I stop to say hello. I do my best to keep a positive outlook," says Tiffany Powell of Los Angeles.

“Either male or female, this person keeps a lot hidden. The mirror suggests the act of looking in the mirror, but normally when you look in the mirror you see your face. There’s no face here -- just a dress, shoes, a pot (of gold?), a heart, a skull, and a crown -- so what exactly is the image in the mirror? We don’t know, and neither does the doodler. This is someone who is looking in a mirror and questioning what the reflection staring back is: Good? Bad? Beautiful? Ugly? This person is very secretive even with him or herself.”

"The expert is dead on. I didn’t even realize my issues came out in my doodling. I am totally impressed!" says Jamie Nichols of Houston, TX.

Clearing Your Head

Posted by Kerstin, Online Editor

I point my browser toward these two sites when I need to escape work for three minutes. Shhh, don't tell.

Jackson Pollock

Bembo's Zoo

The Office That Bowls Together ...

Posted by Sydney, Design Production Associate

Not until you see someone in bowling shoes do you really know them. At least that was the supposed sentiment behind a recent staff bowling outing to welcome some new Blueprint-ers. Here are the highlights.

A sassy pose is key! From left to right: Mary (aka Winner) had a stance that was just as awesome as her follow-through; Malikah was a switch-hitter -- equally talented with her right and left hand; Shira's pre-bowl pose left the competition dumbstruck. 

 

"I have those shoes, too." Rachel and Milano (left), sitting pretty while waiting their turn to show those pins who's boss. Synchronized bowling from Shane, in foreground, and Jamie.

Rebecca, whose bowling alias was "Reba," won the best-dressed and cutest bowler awards for the evening. To be fair, there wasn't really a contest -- she just looked great.

Apparently I got the highest scores of the night. I am such a bowling dork. (blush)

If These Wallpapers Could Talk

Posted by Blueprint

We took our first stab at wallpapering in the July/August story "The Cutting Room" and were quite pleased with the results. But we are in awe of these smartly designed wallpapers, which seem to have minds of their own.

Heat-sensitive wallpaper from Shi Yuan: As the temperature rises, flowers bloom on the vine-covered paper. A very refined version of Freezy Freakies, if you will. Via Style Files

Surrealien's wallpaper warping-technology: custom-made and mapped out to create a distorted ripple effect around your fixtures, hung artwork, and doors. Via apartmenttherapy.com

Dario Buzzini's digital wallpaper can be changed in the same way you replace your computer's desktop image: The wallpaper can display text (your e-mail, for example) and images (taken with your camera phone), which are first loaded onto a computer. Via We Make Money Not Art

Hear Ye: The Bird And The Bee

 

Posted by Kerstin, Online Editor

I guess it wasn't enough for Inara George and Greg Kursten to be good musicians on their own. They needed to team up and form the dreamy, L.A.-infused pop duo known as the bird and the bee. I'm really loving them right now, and maybe you will, too. Check out some tunes (including the clever, self-effacing "Polite Dance Song"). The only downside is you won't be able to enjoy their nice remake of the Bee Gees ballad "How Deep Is Your Love" there; you'll have to shell out 99 cents at iTunes for that pleasure.

Tried & True

Posted by Valerie, Senior Editor

There's little that's more gratifying than hearing about how people pull ideas from Blueprint and adapt them to fit their own homes, lifestyles, and dinner tables. (Well, there's also payday, but still, sometimes this is better.) Here are a few outstanding examples of our readers' creative reuse.

The first comes to us from Maria at Port2Port Press. She took inspiration from the beaker-turned-water-decanter in "Company Perks," our office-organizing story from the September/October 2007 issue, and set up her own stylish rehydration station in her letterpress studio.

 

Maria and her new Erlenmeyer flask for water

(Maria happily reports that all her workday dry spells have subsequently been doused.)

Then we heard from Lori Cannava of New York City: "I wanted to thank Blueprint for the awesome "100 Reasons to Hit the Road" July/August suggestion for staying at the Shady Dell in Bisbee, AZ. I went on a cross-country trip from Orlando, FL, to Los Angeles, CA, and made a detour to stay at the Shady Dell, and I could not have been happier! The owner is lovely, the site is precious, and the town of Bisbee could not have been cuter. My friend and I had way too much fun taking pictures in front of our tiny 1952 Airstream trailer."

 

"Other places that we found and love: The Austin Motel is a vintage motel with themed rooms and a great pool. Hotel Brunswick, in Kingman, AZ, off Route 66, offers a $35 cowgirl room that has no frills, but is a major deal on a legendary road. Supposedly, the restaurant inside the hotel is terrific -- it's just not open on Saturdays! However, Mr. D's diner is open, and only one block away. It's a classic throwback with Elvis and Marilyn strewn over every surface. They serve great eggs and even whip up a mean chocolate shake at 9 in the morning."

Meanwhile, in Baltimore, Anne Ditmeyer went back to our Fall 2006 wine-tasting party story for ideas on throwing her own. She dished about the bash on her blog, Pret A Voyager: "Last year Blueprint magazine had a great article on throwing your own wine-tasting party -- it's really much easier than it looks. The article had lots of great suggestions (like using a craft paper tablecloth and making wine-stain place markers) and provided wonderful inspiration for my very own wine tasting -- with a twist. I'm a travel nut, so my well-traveled guests were assigned to bring a bottle from a country or region they had visited, instead of a particular type of wine. And besides the hodgepodge of thrift store glassware, most of the other dishes I used had been picked up on various travels. We found that it's possible to travel vicariously through wine."

Anne's picture-perfect party spread.

Next, Adelaide Fives of New York's In Good Company used a trick from our May/June cover story, "It Takes 2", in her office. She says: "My partner and I recently launched a flexible workspace for women business owners in New York. We had never decorated an office before, but knew how important the décor and feel of the space would be for our clients. We really wanted to have an open work space, but also give people some sense of privacy. We looked forever and hated every cube/traditional desk that we saw. Then you published the issue of Blueprint with the white desks and plexiglas divider, and my partner and I instantly thought, 'That's it!'"

The desks in situ at In Good Company

"Everyone who comes through the space asks who our interior designer was and tells us how gorgeous it all looks! The plexiglas is turning out to be the perfect look and solution," Fives says.

Also in New York, Gabrielle at DesignMom took on an extensive porch makeover inspired by our May/June version, and the results are breathtaking.

The porch, before

The porch, after

With the help of her husband, Ben, she -- deep breath! -- removed the screen; painted the door green and the handle and knocker silver; replaced the overgrown shrubs with plants from other parts of the yard that needed more room to breathe; swapped the old porch light for a modern fixture from Ikea ("It hangs lower and adds more welcoming light as you approach the house," she says); bought a shiny, red Swedish mailbox to add a little more pop; installed a new doorbell and house numbers; and added some terra cotta pots with warm, colorful flowers. Nice work, Gabrielle!

Finally, we picked our favorite submission from the "What's the most inventive thing you've ever framed?" contest, and here's the winner:

Caroline Duke of Oklahoma City used a wire in her frame to clip up some images, and rested other objects on the frame's ledge. She says: "I've got a tendency to snatch up old frames from my grandma's garage but never know quite what to do with them. I figured this was a nice alternative to a bulletin board and a pretty way to display the things that inspire me. I just tacked some wire to the back and used alligator clips to hang the pretty stuff."

Caroline's frame

Thanks, Caroline! And thanks to all the others who sent in beautiful framing ideas!

If you've been inspired by Blueprint, don't be shy! Please share your tips, travels, and projects by e-mailing us.