Falling for this Fabric….
January 23, 2012
This fabric from Pearson instantly caught my attention while flipping through this month’s Luxe magazine. I’m obsessed.
The script in printed on linen. It totally reminds me of some of the antique ephemera I use in my art…
“Hand blocked in India on 60 foot long tables this fabric is truly special and due to table size can only come in 20 yd pieces. All print is hand applied in wonderful neutral tones. Look closely and notice phrases, signatures and dates in both English and French.”
I’d love to upholster a set of simple wood-framed dining chairs with this fabric….or a headboard. Love.
Love this Light….
January 17, 2012
LA DEMI GRANDE VOLIERE PENDANT SHADE
We just popped this adorable fixture into a client’s proposal. It’s for their daughter’s room, and it’s so fricken’ cute. I totally want one of my own. “From the Parisian atelier of Mathieu Challières comes the whimsical Volière collection of feathered menagerie lighting. Each piece is made by hand from strong copper wiring and decorative birds with real feathers. ” Good news! These pendants are on sale right now at the Conran Shop.
FYI-Matteo Sample Sale
December 5, 2011
Matteo Home is the best. In the past, duvet covers that retail for $500+ go for $50 at their sample sales. This is some fine bedding, ladies and gentleman. I’ll see you there.
I Want This…
December 5, 2011
The other day I saw the entire line of Marie Turnor bags. They are sooooooo adorable. The “picnic” in tan is quite popular right now, but I really dig it in gold lace. I love the juxtaposition of the generic lunch bag shape and the intricate lace pattern of the gold leather.
The lunch bag shaped purse comes in three sizes: the snack, the picnic, and the dinner. Love.
A for Artisan House #DTLA Restaurant Preview
November 23, 2011
Artisan House
600 S Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90014
I’ve been watching this place for a while—and not just because it has the word “art” in its name. I have a lot of friends who live on Main St, so I’m in the neighborhood quite a bit.
Right after a quick trip to Pussy & Pooch for some gourmet cat food with a friend, I walked inside the seemingly open restaurant/bar/deli/market. They weren’t quite up and running. However, Patrice Rozat, one of the owners invited us in to look at the space and try some appetizers and sandwiches.
They seated us in the restaurant section (pictured above). There really wasn’t much of a selection for appetizers. We were offered either black salmon ceviche or some kind of steak tartare. I don’t eat red meat, so I chose the salmon. My friend had the tartare.
Here is my dish. I totally forgot to take a picture until I was half way done. I was famished.
This dish was amazing—–SOOOOOOOOO good. Everything was complimentary during our visit, but I would have easily paid for this. And I will. This might be one of my favorite dishes I’ve ever had in LA. The fish was delicious. It was a tiny bit spicy, as it had peppers. It also had creme fraiche and pomegranate seeds. This dish was a surprise…a tasty surprise for my mouth. I will go back to Artisan House just to have this dish again.
My friend’s steak tartare was just medicore. At least it looked pretty.
After we were done tasting the appetizers, we were asked to fill out a questionnaire about the food and ambiance of the 90-seat restaurant.
The restaurant was pretty, but kinda generic. I liked the artwork, as it was a bit unexpected. I also really loved the bar (which was not open when we were there). Apparently they have molecular mixologists and fun drinks. I’ll have to try one next time.
After we filled out the paperwork, we were escorted to the market side of Artisan House. There were lots of empty shelves, but they looked like they were stocking the store and deli with a good selection of high-end wine and gourmet food products.
We then got to order off the sandwich menus. The items in red were not available during our visit. I took a photo of the other side of the menu, as you will be able to make your own sandwich in the future.
I had Mary’s Smoked Turkey sandwich, and my friend had the Reuben. We were offered sides, as well. I had Israeli couscous, and he had quinoa. We thought the sandwiches were okay. Mine was very tasty, but the bread didn’t really work. It was just plain wheat bread. It needed to be toasted or have some crunch. The Reuben was toasted, but not very thick. We agreed that the ingredients should be piled a bit higher. The couscous was okay–not as good as Lemonade’s version. But, the quinoa was really good. I would go in and order just that. Again, another item that will bring me back.
I enjoyed my visit to Artisan House. I know this place will be successful. I think it’s really smart that they are opening (softly)to the neighbors by offering complimentary tastings. Word of mouth will bring lots of people here. I talked to another friend who had a full dinner here the other night. He said the menu was limited, but delicious.
There’s also really good people behind Artisan House. Patrice (formerly, Breadbar, The Four Seasons and Mr. Chow), was running a tight ship. And Jason Ryczek(One Sunset and Boa), the executive chef, really wanted to know our opinions in order to modify the food and make it better. It was nice interacting with both Patrice and Jason. I can’t wait to come back.
Yes, Please!
May 24, 2011
faux bois wallpaper from nobilis in 15 colorways
(check out their rad interactive website while you’re at it)
Totally Digging Tulu Textiles
March 28, 2011
Recently, we’ve been spending a lot of time shopping for fabrics at Michael Smith’s new Jasper showroom on Melrose. The showroom carries one of my favorites-Tulu. I’m currently obsessed with their whimsical patterns and groovy color combos. Happiness. Bright colors are totally in.
Quick….Get Super Creative Before March 11th.
March 7, 2011
Okay…so I was totally going to keep this one to myself. My friend Josh told me about this awesome online swap meet through Blu Dot, and it’s so cool that I have to spread the word.
“Are you a fan of modern furniture but not so much a fan of money? At the Blu Dot Swap Meet, you can trade your amazing talents or odd collections into your very own piece of Blu Dot.
No cash? Who cares! Here’s how it works:
- Pick out any Blu Dot item you want. Come up with an interesting offer (collections, creations, talents, taxidermy, etc.) and upload it to this site between February 28 – March 11, 2011. (If you submit a video, keep it under five minutes.)
- Check this site throughout the period to see the status of your bid. Blu Dot may like it enough to swap, or may want you to up the ante.
- If your bid becomes a successful swap, you will be additionally notified via email.
PLEASE NOTE: Sorry- no minors allowed. One bid per piece of Blu Dot furniture. Blu Dot will not accept human babies, “self love” videos, and/or mean/inappropriate things. In other words, be creative but don’t be stupid. See the full terms here.“
SO RAD! RIGHT?
Everyone can vote on their favorites, but ultimately, Blu Dot will select the ideas/products they feel worthy of a swap. Some of the things they’ve accepted so far: feeding homeless animals for a bed, throwing an epic College Kegger for a chair, appearing as a life-size worm in 25 documented places for a sofa-sleeper, a spork collection for a chair, photos of a hundred sleds for a bench, sound machines that makes weather noises for a sectional, fencing lessons for a table, and Texas-style bbq for 60 people for a sofa….So many fun ideas:
Get crackin’ creative people..Friday is the deadline!
DO IT: Urban Zen and a Million Hearts for Haiti
February 28, 2011
Today, a very nice European man came up to me today and gave me a goody bag with some info on Donna Karan’s Urban Zen pop-up store on Santa Monica Blvd. I knew nothing about Urban Zen, so I checked out the catalogs in the bag. I was excited to learn Urban Zen offers gorgeous hand-crafted furniture-made in Bali by local artisans :
10 percent of sales benefit Karan’s Urban Zen Foundation, which works to preserve culture and empower children internationally. According to the company’s website:
Urban Zen is a philosophy of living. It’s also a unique marriage of commerce, culture community and compassion. We have one rule for what we offer at Urban Zen: it has to have soul and expression. We travel the world, looking for global artisans we can support and showcase, helping them sustain their traditions.
After browsing the catalogs (there was an apparel one, as well), I looked deeper in the bag. There was a stone heart, and an some info on the Million Hearts for Haiti Campaign.
First I looked to see where the heart came from. It’s from a group called the Hand/Eye Fund, an organization that Helps Haitian artisans and artists recover from the life-challenging loss of shelter, equipment, workshops, and income.
These hearts are actually for sale on the Hand/Eye Fund website. 
“Help support artisans in Haiti with this beautiful set of multi-colored river stone hearts. Stone carving became a part of the Haitian craft scene in the 1950s, and the grey stone of Leogane provides an excellent starting point for many Haitian sculptors. Among the most popular motifs is the simple heart, the symbol of love and caring. Our river stone hearts are sold as a set of one large 3″, one medium 2.5″ and one small 2″ heart in white, brown and grey earth tones. Size, color and shapes will vary as each hand-carved heart is unique. Imported by Tesoros Trading Company, proceeds from the sale of these hearts benefit the HAND/EYE Artisan Grants Fund for Haiti, helping artisans in Haiti rebuild their workshops, community and lives.$20.
I love, love, love this idea…but it gets better. The Million Hearts for Haiti project takes it a step further:
“These hand-carved hearts from Haiti are a blank canvas for your expression. They also represent a link between Haitian artisans and the distant markets they must reach to earn a living…..We need your help to support the culture of Haiti and spread the word to all our communities. There are several ways you can connect with us and become involved…including an art installation in NYC.”
From the website:
A COLLABORATION OF ARTISTS
We are proud and excited to join the Million Hearts for Haiti campaign, and are thrilled to tell you about the unique Urban Zen spin we’re putting on this. Not only do we want you to join the campaign, we want you to use it as an opportunity to showcase your own creative expression.
The plan is simple:
- Purchase your heart
- Design your heart with your arsenal of art supplies and ingenious creativity
- Send us a picture of you and your heart along with a note about the inspiration behind your design
This is a wonderful way for you to give a little bit of your love to Haiti and we are thrilled to be able to showcase you as the compassionate artist that you are. Once we get your photo and inspiration note, we’ll make sure to include you on our Million Hearts for Haiti photo wall (coming soon).
The pamphlet I received instructs the artist to send the actual heart to the Urban Zen New York store. So I don’t know if they just want a photo- or the actual stone. I’ll email Urban Zen tonight and post their answer.
Follow Urban Zen @urban_zen and buy some hand-carved stones at the hand/eye fund’s store 12 Small Things. It’s a great family project–It’s better than Color Me Mine—It’s Hearts for Haiti.
*Images from Urban Zen, Hand/Eye Fund, and me.
* Andre Charles, Ben Stiller, Charlize Theron, Donna Karan, Hugh Jackman, Maria Bello, Narciso Rodriguez, Parsons The New School For Design- faculty and students, Ralph Lauren, Susan Sarandon, Tory Burch, and more have already designed hearts for Haiti.
Ione Skye Paints!
February 15, 2011
Although Ione Skye’s website is new, the iconic actress (Say Anything) has been painting since she was a teenager.
I just love her style. The colors are so bright and the work has a great magnetic innocence.
Nathan Turner has some of her work for sale in his shop, and you can see a majority of her collection online.
All artwork property of Ione Skye.
*Photo from WWD.
