Although it isn’t a strict policy, I try not to feature Etsy sellers more than once. I’m glad I’m not strict about it, because if I was, I couldn’t show you this little gem…
Crafted in New Orleans by Matthew Holdren – whose gorgeous beds I featured back in May – the Kerlerec Desk is a pitch perfect piece of salvaged wood furniture.
If you are in the SoCal area in November, you couldn’t find a better thing to do than go see The Dunnage Show at Inheritance. A collaboration of all the members of L.A. Box Collective, the exhibit will showcase what happened to 12 tons of dunnage – headed to the landfill – when this creative group of master woodworkers got hold of it. Expect amazing pieces of furniture and accessories, if their previous work is anything to go by!
Place: Inheritance – 8055 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048-4517 ph (323) 658-6756
Date: Opening reception November 3rd, 2011 from 7-10PM
RSVP: BoxCoEvents@gmail.com
I went on a bit of a de-cluttering rampage this weekend, much to the amusement of my husband (who, bless him, got in the spirit of things and started culling too). I have had an overwhelming urge these days to simplify life. My new rule is to keep only those things which have real emotional value to me, or are used at least once a year. That means the Goodwill donation site is going to be getting regular visits for some time to come.
At the end of the month, If I can haul at least a carload of stuff away each week, I am going to reward myself with a single purchase. You’re going to laugh – or at least raise your eyebrows – but bear with me here and I’ll explain. This is what I want…
Such a beautiful combination of function and aesthetics, don’t you agree?
Still think I’m a little wacky?
Well, here’s the thing. Along with my “vow” to keep my home filled only with meaningful objects, I have also decided to limit my future purchases to items that have a tangible quality of craftsmanship and innate beauty. Hence my desire for this simple, perfect little dustpan designed by Masanori Oji, and made by hand in Japan, using traditional techniques.
The latest installment in a series of artisan profiles by contributing writer Emerald Atkins.
The ancient Greek poets were said to be inspired by the Muses, nine goddesses who were the source of all art.
Visitors to the whyrHymer Store in Los Angeles may well believe that a tenth Muse is informing Brandon & Sundeep Morrison on their own creations. The couple & their work have been featured in California Home & Design and California Homes. The style of their lighting & furniture is solid yet elegant, evoking the philosophy of the early 20th century Arts & Crafts movement yet speaking in its own distinct, thoroughly modern voice.
I’m excited to welcome back writer Emerald Atkins for another of her excellent Artisan Profiles!
There are many lights in New York City, but perhaps the most unusual are created by Allison Patrick of Zipper 8 Lighting.
Although the core idea behind her designs is simple – the covering of plain lampshades or paper lanterns with repurposed materials – there is a playful wit at work there: quirky, modern, fun… and green.
Allison has always been a creative person and early on was influenced by a craft-loving family friend with whom she was “constantly creating things.” Over time she realized that what she truly loved was creativity within the physical world, which led to a degree in Architecture. Place, too, influences her work, as the “already built” nature of NYC limits the scope of creativity while focusing the latter into the elaboration of interior space, such as the transformation of “a simple white box of a room” into something personable and unique. Read the rest of this entry
Okay. Other than the fact that I totally want to move into that space, I just have to ask – isn’t this apothecary cabinet beautiful?
Made from lumber gleaned from old, oak floor beams by Etsy seller PegandAwl, this cabinet has all sorts of lovely details.
The roughhewn oak has been sanded smooth, but without losing any of its 100 year old plus character. It is finished with non-toxic tung oil and milk paint. I love the ageless quality of this piece. It seems like it could come from just about any era.
Well, except for one charmingly quirky detail… Read the rest of this entry
Sometimes the simplest forms are the best.
This African inspired stool/bench/child’s seat is a good case in point. Made by Etsy seller StephanieHubertDesign out of reclaimed NYC water-tank redwood & Douglas fir, it is both solid and graceful in its design.
I wonder how old that redwood is? The city of New York once required water tanks on all buildings over 6 stories tall, and although they are only required in certain areas now, they can still be seen all over the city. The reclaimed wood is certainly nice to look at when used for furniture!
Stephanie Hubert Design is a new seller on Etsy, but she has several other sustainable benches to look at, as well as some intriguing lighting. Check out her shop here.
Color is a funny thing. While individual colors are often associated with particular time periods or styles, those colors really only appear dated in context of the colors that surround them. Take for instance the color “avocado green”. Put it in a room full of “harvest gold”, orange, and rust, and you’ve gone back to 1972. But pair that same color with baby blue and white, and you’re right on trend.
These beautiful Valley tiles by ModCraft are a perfect example of an old color looking new again. Although brown glazed tile was ubiquitous back to the 70s, paired with today’s crisp white fixtures it feels completely fresh and exciting again. Doesn’t the luminous quality of this particular glaze highlight the dimensionality of the tile perfectly? Gorgeous! Read the rest of this entry
I’ve recounted my experience dyeing with woad this last weekend to quite a few people in the last several days, and almost every one of them had the same question, “what the heck IS woad?” So, for those of you who have the same question, here is a little background:
Woad comes from the common Isatis tinctoria plant. It has been in use as a pigment and dye since Egyptian times, and possibly longer. Many have thought that the blue pigment the Picts (early Scottish tribes) used to color their skin blue was woad, although there is some debate about that. Oddly, for a dye that has been around for so long, it is surprisingly difficult to extract. Because of that, the cultivation and processing were controlled by wealthy “woad masters” throughout much of European history. Until Napoleonic times, the extraction method took a full year and a half, and involved a long fermentation in urine filled vats. I can’t even begin to imagine the smell! And not just any pee would do. In order to have the proper ph level. it had to be human male pee. Thus the preponderance of taverns near where the woad was produced. Cheers!
image via woad.org.uk
Even once Napoleon’s chemists had figured out a quicker (and hopefully less odoriferous) method, so as to supply his army with blue cloth, the extraction was still a laborious process. Above are workers hand rolling “woad balls” in order to put them out to dry. Unfortunately, the heavy manual labor required to extract the dye made it fall out of favor, and the last woad production ended in England in the early part of the 20th century. Happily, some dedicated people, like those at Bleu de Pastel de Lectoure , have been working hard, to not only revive the art, but to improve upon it and make it a commercially viable, natural, alternative to synthetic dyes.
image via woad.org.uk
I always love discovering talented young designers who are new to me, and Etsy is full of them. Case in point? Sustainable furniture designer, Tally Locke, whose “Ghost Stool” really caught my eye.
Created from sustainably harvested poplar and a piece of windfell Douglas Fir, the softly draped “fabric” is actually meticulously carved and painted wood. Read the rest of this entry
The interioRevolution is a design blog devoted exclusively to sustainable interior design. Through product reviews, guest blogs by experts in their fields, special features and spirited discussion, the interioRevolution provides new knowledge and expands the dialogue on sustainable interior design.
