Personal Stylist

Posted by Kendra

If you're needing some visual inspiration, an excellent place to go are photographer or stylists' websites. Here are some of my favorites:

MARTYN THOMPSON

Shop Etsy: Bedside Manner

Posted by Scott

If you are like me and have terrible sneezing fits in the middle of the night, why not treat yourself to one of these guys i found on Etsy?

Optic Blossom

Wallflower

Blue Wallflower

At least you'll be sneezing bedside in style.

I like the lighthearted playfulness of these three, but there are a ton to choose from. Check them out!

Art to the Rescue

Posted by Jodi

I was recently preparing my house for a friend’s baby shower when I noticed the non-curtained French doors in the den provided a great view for guests to my not-so-neat bedroom.

It’s the kind of thing you don’t think of until the door bell is about to ring.

Guest Blogger: Jessie Randall

Posted by Bluelines

The designer (at rest).

In between designing gorgeous, city-friendly (aka easy to walk blocks in) flats, boots, and heels (not to mention clothing), Jessie Randall is taking on an equally daunting task, renovating her townhouse in Brooklyn.

A look from Loeffler Randall

We dropped in (not physically, of course) to ask her if her creative process translated to bricks and mortar.

5 Questions for Jessie Randall, Designer, Loeffler Randall

1. So, is picking out plumbing hardware as challenging as churning out a collection?
Picking out plumbing hardware is the worst. We spent our Christmas vacation buried in plumbing fixture catalogues (Davis & Warshow, McMaster). My husband picked out all kinds of fancy fixtures, but my most favorite are the industrial toilet and urinal we put in the boys’ bathroom. They are so simple and functional. They look better than any of the other stuff, in my opinion. The renovation was a massive project. We have a lot on our plate with the house, the twins and the company. So juggling it all was the hardest part, but it was fun.

2. What one thing do you have to have in your home (even amidst contractors)?
As much natural light as possible.

3. What are you most excited about when the house is complete?
The boys’ room is my most favorite part of the house. I put in a lighted diorama in their room that was modeled off of the one in my friend Bronagh's children’s store in Williamsburg, Sweet William. I also love the color of the walls in the boys’ room, Pensive Sky, a pale grey blue-green that is so calming and relaxing.

4. Taking away anything from the renovation that will infuse your upcoming collections?
I don’t tend to use lots of pattern and print in my collections, but in my house I put up several patterned wallpapers (Osborne & Little, Second Hand Rose, Walnut Wallpaper). I love them and they give so much character to the house. It’s gotten me hooked on prints, so I may incorporate more in my collections.

5. What do you think will be the most often used room of your house?
Who knows? We’ll have to see once we move in. I am guessing it will be one particular area because with two flights of stairs and twins, I am probably going to want to stay put.

Wild World

Posted by Kerstin

I can't afford much in The World of Interiors May issue.

That doesn't stop me from drooling over the thick glossy pages of images that range from a custom Louis XV Dishwasher-and-sink unit or a sleek Jean-Louis Deniot club chair ( U.S. price: 7,400, without fabric).

But, I don't close it feeling depressed. Why? I found some inspiring ideas and affordable finds.

This palace room, painted with clouds and gold leaf lightning flashes, is not in my future. But, the look has inspired me to make some bolder color choices.

A room in the palace fort of Junagarth in India.

I plan to scour flea markets and kitchen-supply stores to find copper pots to make a shelf or narrow wall like this one at a palace in Portugal.

Massive copper cauldrons in the kitchen of Vila Vicosa.

Instead of paper napkins or the usual washcloths, I am ordering these vintage towels that look like they were given to me by a French aunt.

Cote Bastide kitchen and bath towels.

Honestly, I've never been a fan of cactus plants. But, I've changed my mind after seeing them in these charming, slightly chipped mugs. Now, I can have a green spot while recycling those cups that are unfit for guests.

Super Bowls

Posted by Page

I studied ceramics in college and then had to put it on hold for 10 years while I was busy working crazy hours, living in different cities, etc. But the desire to return to it never left.

When I moved to L.A. and met the master ceramicist Otto Heino, I realized it was a passion I could no longer put off. Otto was gracious enough to let me work beside him. He learned from the world-famous Bernard Leach and has an incredible story of his own. (Read about Otto and his famous yellow glaze here.) I learned so much from him.

When I wasn't working with Otto, I would race to a local studio and work as many hours as I could each day. I tend to primarily make bowls; I have always been obsessed with their shape. I think that every culture has a beautiful bowl in its history.

I love making the foot of the bowl as much as the body itself (see below).

The large bowl above is by Joan Platt and the smaller one is Japanese.

My husband is quite amused by my collection of antique bowls, bowls by other ceramicists, and bowls I have picked up in my travels. Though the collection has come in handy as a prop stylist. You can always use a great bowl to complete an inspiring picture, whether it's a still-life, an interiors shot, or a picture of food.

I have been influenced by so many different things when it comes to my own ceramics. It may be the colors and shapes I see in nature, wonderful ceramicists that have been at it a long time, old ironstone wash bowls, Japanese ceramics, Scandinavian forms -- the list goes on.

In addition to the artists above, check out more personal heroes:

Taizo Kuroda

Edmund De Waal

Rupert Spira

Gwyn Pigott Hansen

Joan Platt

Matin Gallery sells some of the best ceramics from around the world

Pressed for Art?

Posted by Scott

Recently, I have become a fan of Nydam Press on Etsy, especially these Eagle Mirror Linoleum Block Prints.

A framed series of these on one wall would be spectacular. I love how there’s a hint of fancy ornateness to the frame mixed with the craftiness of the linoleum print to bring it back done to earth. That’s my kind of art!

Want more? Check out these other charming prints.

Rocking Chair Print

Italian Greyhound Print

Whale Block Print Card

Note from Bluelines: If you are thinking that our blogger is lazily surfing Etsy all day, not so. In addition to bringing us a constant stream of charming (not to mention affordable) finds, he is a talented stylist who recently launched his own site. Here he is hard at work on a shoot (far from an Internet connection).

Bath and Beyond

Posted by Rebecca

The bathroom is one of the most important rooms in the house -- a sanctuary. Where else could allow Calgon to take you away?

Recently, I’ve started freshening up our bathroom. I started with new towels (from the Martha Stewart line at Kmart), which are amazingly plush -- not to mention cheap at $9.99 for the bath size. I’ve also bought new soap.

I love this French soap holder that Apartment Therapy sells for $40 as much for its beauty as its function.

   

And just last week I found these great wooden vases at Jamali Garden Supplies that I use for both magazines and toilet paper. They cost $25 and fit perfectly together.

These small changes are great. And although they don’t quite equal the rooms below, I can keep dreaming...

Made in the Shade

Posted by Kerstin

I've been looking for the perfect shade to paint my bedroom. However, the fluorescent lighting and middle-school gymnasium floor at the hardware store are making it somewhat dull.

I am so happy I found colourlovers.com, a site to navigate, discuss, and discover new color. Think of it as a blog and trend report rolled into one. While the site attracts designers, ad professionals, and architects, anyone can use it as a resource or inspiration point.

Browsing the thousands of user-submitted color, palette, and pattern galleries, I came across a subdued combination called “Sunny Day with You” that mixed colors like eggplant and yellow that would be lovely accents to my gray living/dining room.

"Sunny Day With You"

While my main objective was to pin down the palest shade of pink or khaki for my bedroom -- I got lost for way too long (company hours) here.

I predict you will, too.

I loved this name, "Salty"

Another perfect palette

Inspired by a kimono

See How Our Garden Grows

Posted by Shane

Last summer, my boyfriend, Addys, and I moved into a garden apartment in a Brooklyn brownstone. We had never imagined cohabitating this kind of space -- but having the garden to ourselves just outside the kitchen has been both inspiring and a quiet retreat on weekend afternoons.