Bay Area Spaces

While at my local bookstore I found a local magazine called "Bay Area Spaces". The issue I found was from March but nonetheless full of beautiful interiors, one it particular I wanted to share with you.

The home of Hans Reiser is beautifully and tastefully done. Filled with light and perfectly edited his home is minimal but lived in and comfortable.

Sorry the photo quality is so poor I couldn't find any pictures online and had to scan the magazine. To read Han's Story go here and to check out Bay Area Spaces go here.




Photos by David Duncan Livingston

House Tour June Recap

Katja and Minna 6/1/09

Alek 6/8/09

Amanda 6/15/09

Alison Headly 6/22/09

Wow

"I can't find the words right now to express how deeply saddened I am by Michael's passing, We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only Pop music, but of all music. He has been an inspiration to multiple generations and I will always cherish the moments I shared with him on stage and all of the things I learned about music from him and the time we spent together. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones."

-Justin Timberlake

Handmade Friday

I love these bamboo cuffs, the hard part is deciding between the light and dark!

Visit Jnkyrdguy's shot to get yours.

5 Things

Since I didn't post a 5 Things last week I did ten this week.

Check out the 5 Things Facebook page and the Flickr group.

Dror is now at Target

It's all up on the website!

Happy shopping!

Wish List

Do you have a wish list for your home? Your fantasy line-up if money was no object? I know I do...

Top of the list is a Sideboard/Hutch, something to display pottery on and just be fabulous standing there.

A Sputnik lamp, ideally I'd put it in the bedroom.

Orla Kiely wallpaper, I'm not sure where I'd put it, but it'd be fantastic wherever it was!

photos courtesy of strictly_phals, viviana, Ms. Atomic, Johnny Vulkan, Apartment Therapy, Candy Colored Buddha

I have a husband that loves me very much

How much do you ask?

Enough to spend 20 bucks on a stapler!

I'm such a sucker for orange, Thanks baby! Get yours at CB2.

Books to read

I just finished this great book and I'm recommending it to all the creative people I know:

 

If you have an etsy shop or even a hobby that you've considered making it a business, give this book a read. I got a ton of great ideas from it. It's simplifies some of the harder to understand parts of starting your own business and it's a quick read!

You can purchase it from Chronicle Books or at Amazon.

House Tour-Alison

Name: Alison Headley
Location: Austin, TX
Square Footage: 800-ish
Years Lived in: 8 months
Rent or own: rent
Describe your style: Vintage and comfortable, with lots of color.

What's your favorite free/found item?
An old yellow china bowl my grandmother gave me before she died, and a tea set my ex-boyfriend’s mother got at a garage sale. They’re both on top of the bookcase in my living room.


What's your favorite purchased item?
My big Danish teak credenza. I bought it on eBay, and I had to rent a truck and drive two hours to pick it up, but it was totally worth it. It’s beautiful, and I don’t think I’ll ever part with it.

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design?
Time and money. I’m also bothered by how prohibitively expensive custom framing is. If I had my way, I’d get all my artwork custom framed, but it’s not in the cards right now.


Is your design style organic or planned?
It’s pretty organic, but I do a little planning to make sure my bigger pieces match the other things in the room. The couch doesn’t really match anything, but I bought a pink quilt from the Citywide Garage Sale in Austin to go with my pink zebra picture behind the couch, and I made a pink pillow, and now the couch doesn’t look so out of place.
When I bought the orange desk and bookcase from CB2, I tried to make sure everything on it matched, but that didn’t go quite as I planned. So I went with a lot of white storage boxes in that area, and everything else is a riot of color like the rest of the apartment.

What is your favorite spot in the house?
The living room, definitely. It’s where I spend most of my time.


How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
The biggest difference has been money. I didn’t have a well-paying job until two years ago, and a few months after getting that job I looked around my apartment and decided I didn’t like anything in it. Almost everything I have has been replaced since then. I guess you could say my style has changed from “couldn’t afford to care and didn’t care” to “can afford to care and care a lot!”

What is your favorite resource or store?
Room Service Vintage in Austin. It’s a fantastic store, crowded with furniture, dishes, knick-knacks, clothing, and all sorts of oddities, but it isn’t prohibitively expensive. A lot of my furniture is from Room Service. I go there at least once a month, whether I need anything or not.
I also love the Citywide Garage Sale. They have it every month or two in Austin, and I go every single time. Some of the vintage furniture there gets a bit expensive, but I’ve found some great little knick-knacks and clothing and dishes.


What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
It bothers me when none of the art on someone’s walls has any personal meaning. I really enjoy going to someone’s house and seeing framed posters for favorite bands and films, or paintings and photographs made by friends and family. The way people decorate their homes should tell their story.

What has been your favorite design trend?
I love the fact that more people are buying vintage and fixing/making things themselves.


What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?
My parents. Their style is different from mine, but they’re responsible for my love of old things. When I was little I hated it when they would drag me to antique malls and estate sales, but now I’m more like, “Is that an antique mall over there?”
They’re also responsible for my love of making things. My dad does a lot of woodworking, and my mother knits and sews. If I can make something myself (like my headboard and the pillows on my couch), I will.

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?
As I mentioned before, it’s the bigger pieces that affect my decisions. I think a mismatched end table or vase is cute, but an out-of-place couch or dresser looks like it belongs in someone else’s house.


What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact?
I’ve started to pay attention to whether or not the furniture and art I buy feels like it’s me. I think of decorating the same way I think of fashion: it’s great to keep track of trends, but I don’t buy it if it doesn’t suit me. I like that my apartment feels like it’s mine.

all photos courtesy of Alison

regular posting FAIL

Sorry for the complete lack of posts or updates. This week has been trying.

With being sick and work and a set of Dwell sheets that I only used ONCE being ruined in the wash by a careless neighbor I haven't felt like myself at all.

Monday I will return with regular posting and hopefully better health.

Have a great weekend.

Craiglist+The Doors+ Weird Al= Hilarity

I'm still feeling a little sick, it's been like a week now...ugh


This made me feel a little better, hope it give you a smile too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZqciuoiikw

My Video

You may remember the video I did last month for my Etsy shop.

It was featured in an article, check it out here.

House Tour-Amanda

Name: Amanda
Location: Boston, MA
Square Footage: Around 1,000 - I’m not positive.
Years Lived in: Just under 3
Rent or own: Rent
Describe your style: Eclectic Mid Century
Blog: redjetwhistle.blogspot.com/

What's your favorite free/found item?
An orange Herman Miller shell chair I found on garbage day.


What's your favorite purchased item?
My Plycraft Eames style lounge, it’s my first experiment in refinishing and reupholstering.

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design?
My budget mostly, and the layout of the apt.

Is your design style organic or planned?
I usually have a general idea of what I want a room to feel like, than slowly, organically (haphazardly) try to make it happen.

What is your favorite spot in the house?
My living room, it’s bright and colorful during the day, and super cozy at night. Except for a few small things, it’s pretty much the way I want it, I feel less finished with other rooms in the apt.


How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
Sure, mostly due to developing more knowledge about period furniture and becoming addicted to interior design blogs! I’m much more willing to put the time to into finding just the right piece, instead of just using whatever is convenient, which has cleaned up and focused my style. My style is bound to keep changing, so I'm trying not to tie myself down to one particular style, I don't want to fill my entire home with strictly mid century only to wake up one day and hate it, I'm trying to keep things eclectic and personal.

What is your favorite resource or store?
Thrift stores and flea markets.


What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
Particleboard furniture, wall to wall carpet, and throwaway trendy items.

What has been your favorite design trend?
I’d have to say the resurgence of mid century design is my favorite, but I’m also into some of the seventies inspired things that are happening as well as the industrial/steam punk style.


What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?
Design blogs, they keep me interested and inspired. Also, my own blog, being accountable to an audience (albeit a tiny one) has pushed me to constantly look at my space and to keep trying new projects.

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?
Space initiations – at this point if something comes in, something has to go out, which can make for painful decisions. I have to be sure that any new piece is truly going to serve my goals.


What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact?
My landlord chose the paint colors before I moved in, and for the most part I’ve let them stay, except for a hideous dark red that was in my craft room – I painted it white, and the difference was amazing, it’s now bright and airy!

Time off

I've taken the past couple days off, I've got this nasty cold and I'm trying to shake it, so I've let my blog go to the backburner until Monday.

I've been working on the shop though, check out my new Marimekko drawstring bags, they're limited!

Check them out here.

Have a great weekend everyone!

5 Things

I received a great email from a reader named Tammy who asked if it would be ok to start a Facebook page for "5 Things". I said of course!

Tammy has been doing 5 things with her friends and they use notebooks instead of taking pictures, which is great I think because eventually I'm going to have to purge all these photos of stuff I no longer own.

I'd love for you to check out the Facebook page and even the Flickr page if you haven't already.

It's so nice to know that other people struggle with this too and I think by chronicling it it feels more like somethings been accomplished.


Thanks again Tammy!

5 Things

Don't forget to join the 5 Things Flickr Group.

Something Special

A friend and previous House Tour of the blog and a very stylish lady had a gorgeous photo up on her flickr account. She was gracious enough to let me probe into the photo and the story behind it. RD: Did you make that? I'd love to blog about it if you did and discuss the process. It's gorgeous! Rachel: I pieced it and machine bound it but my husband's grandma stippled it together for me. I tried to quilt it together myself around Christmas time but I was still grieving the loss of that pregnancy and couldn't bring myself to work on it. I asked Brett's grandma who is an excellent quilter if she would mind doing that part and she didn't so now it's not only extremely beautiful, it has another family member's love woven through it. We are expecting a baby in November and are so excited for this pregnancy. It's helped us have something to look forward to and get excited about again. I feel like the grieving process has run it's course and that we're both in a good place about losing that baby and even more thankful that we finally have this finished quilt to always remember those few weeks of joy we got to share. RD: What made you chose the fabrics? How big is it? How long did it take for you and then your grandma-in-law? it's stunning really... Rachel: Thank you. I chose colors that are happy and soothing and young without being gender specific. I wanted it to make me happy whenever I wrapped up in it rather than sad. It's about 5' x 5'. Small enough that I could manage to get it started without feeling overwhelmed and large enough that it's comfortable as a lap quilt or one that my other children will be able to use as they grow. We found out about the miscarriage on Oct. 15th. It took me about three days to find time to get the pieces chosen, cut, and pieced together. Then I put it off for awhile and Thanksgiving and Christmas preparations took center stage. I brought it with me to my in-laws house over Christmas break to work on quilting it together but after laying it out on their basement floor to pin and baste, I found that I just couldn't move on to the next step. Two days later we were visiting my husband's grandparents when I asked her if she'd be able to help me. I broke down trying to explain why I couldn't do it and she told me she'd be happy to take over for a little while. A few more months passed and I would wonder about it but didn't want to call and check up on progress. In late April they came to visit us while we were at my in laws' house and she brought it with her. It was just as I'd imagined it would look, all puckered together. It took me another month to decide on the binding and find the time and energy to sit down and finish it. I'm currently 4.5 months pregnant now and thankful that we were able to finish this memorial quilt before we knew the gender of this baby. It feels like we've been able to give that part of our lives the time and attention it needed to settle down within us and become a part of our story. We've got it hanging on the back of our couch at the moment and my 3 year old has already decided it's familiar enough to cuddle with. Some day I'll explain how special that quilt is to our family.

RD: Oh Rachel, that's beautiful. One last question, the fabric what line(s) is it? Thanks for sharing, it's really a beautiful quilt and touching.

Rachel:

Some are from Amy Butler, one is from Denyse Schmidt, one is a flat sheet from Isaac Mizrahi for Target, one a vintage flat sheet, one is regular linen, and I can't remember where I got the wood grain and blue and white fabric. As you can probably tell Rachel is a talented lady you can find her here:

Personal Blog: blingonmysewingmachine.blogspot.com Red Velvet Art : Red Velvet Art Red Velvet Art blog: redvelvetgirls.typepad.com/ PonyParty: ponyparty.etsy.com all photos courtesy of Rachel

House Tour-Alek

Name: Alek
Location: Seattle, WA
Square Footage: appx. 2,000
Rent or own: own
Describe your style: This is so hard for me! I would describe it as boho contemporary, with a touch of glam.
Blog/Website:  rightbank.wordpress.com

What's your favorite free/found item?
I can't think of any free or found items in the house right now.




What's your favorite purchased item?
It would have to be the antique Baccarat chandelier.

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design?
I have way too many ideas and love so many styles that I have a hard time deciding which direction to go.




Is your design style organic or planned?
A combination of both.

What is your favorite spot in the house?
Probably my reading area. It has a huge window and gets great light all day. The chair is super comfortable and it's where I browse my design books and magazines and read novels - some of my favorite things to do.




How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
I've introduced a lot more contemporary pieces and antiques into our house. So I guess my style has expanded in two completely opposite directions(!)

What is your favorite resource or store?
Marché aux Puces in Paris.


What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
Mass produced art. And you know those things that look like paintings but when you get up close, you see that it's really a print? Those.

What has been your favorite design trend?
Wallpaper. There are so many beautiful patterns available now.




What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?
Traveling and living abroad. Living in Paris really gave me an appreciation for French and other European antiques as well as really good craftsmanship.

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?
Our house is contemporary and while I don't believe this means everything in the house has to be contemporary, I try to mix things I like in a way that's harmonious with the style of the house.




What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact?
I think the chandelier in the dining room really makes a statement and since our house is open plan, you can see it from the other rooms and it sort of sets the tone for the entire house.

all photos courtesy of Alek 

Handmade Fridays

Ever since I can remember I've been kind of obsessed with Alice in Wonderland. I used to prowl bookstores and buy every different copy I could find. I had all sorts of versions with the 'Looking Glass' without it, with different illustrations and covers. In art class I made shirts and posters with images and lines of the story.

 I've had to cut down to just one copy of the complete works of Lewis Carroll, but the love for the story hasn't waned.

Enter Farouche's Shop ; and the print "Crocodile Scales"

If anyone wants to get this for me, my birthday is November 1, kthnx!