get felt

We used to have a cat, Mr Bones, with somewhat of a felt fetish, but that's another story.....felt itself has had a bit of a resurgence lately; less crafty and more modern.

The engineering of the UM Carry felt bag, $95, by Josh Jakus (top) - rethinks typical bag construction with beautiful efficiency. Being made from industrial felt excess, the bags are eco-friendly by using material that would otherwise go to waste.

When Melina and Dodd Raissnia of Peace Industries (lower left) went to Iran in 2001 looking for felt rug makers, they found an almost extinct art. Since then the husband and wife team have invigorated the craft by forming their own workshop in Iran. Sustainable, made with incredibly rich natural dyes and one of the few "fair trade" rugs available, make these gorgeous rugs a not-so-guilty pleasure. Several of Melina's designs have an industrial feel; the polar opposite to how these rugs are actually made.

Finally, the Flying Carpet rug, $2183, by Nanimarquina - is a bit of a cheat since only the wedges are felt. It's modern, loungy and kids will love it. It comes in a couple of colors, but you can't beat astro turf green. All Nanimarquina rugs are made in collaboration with Care and Fair which ensures that child labor is not used. (An appalling and dirty little secret is that many rugs are made by children.)

UM bags and Peace Industries rugs are available online directly from the designers, Flying Carpet is available online through Modern Tot.

home sweet home

Oh my, these products are about as perfect as can be.

It's a little insulting to call them a "beanbag" upgrade, but they have that same slouchy, comfortable feel. These giant river rocks by Smerin Designs are not currently available in the US, and the website is entirely in French so I'm not sure what they are made of, or what they cost - but I do know that I would like a few of them.

The light, well, let's just say it will be perfect for taking out the soon-to-be-built new deck! Portable, dimmable, rechargeable and beautiful. The Luau lamp, $249, by Vessel is available directly from Vessel as well as new-favorite DesignPublic.com.

art seen: water, water

I am fascinated by these enigmatic, water-inspired pieces. Both artists' work - not just the pieces shown - are filled with a sense of impending doom. Crane's work seems to be wry, antisocial and just a little bit paranoid - hey, that sounds like me. Corace's work has a sweet sensibility; her characters seem both vunerable and optimistic, but ulimately you just feel that they will be okay.

Late Night, Low Nellie by Jordan Crane
Flood by Jen Corace

art + design

Rebecca Carnihans' series of photos is an "exploration of Thames history...both recent and distant". I was born in London and have very vague memories of jaunts up the Thames with my dad in his little motor boat. It was one of my first and fondest memories, so I was especially drawn to her work. If you are in London, you can see her work at DeptfordX until December 6th.

The table is part of David Brunicardi's "toasty" collection. Made from rediscovered Douglas Fir, the wood that is then scorched to give it's rich finish. David was one of the designers who participated in the inaugural Launchpad show - you can check out the rest of his work at DBfurniture.com

the kids are alright

It might be time to decorate the kids room and I just love these pieces. The surfboard growth chart is fantastic! It comes in lots of different designs, but honestly, you can't go wrong with a classic woody. As mother to 3 boys, I appreciate this totally non-girly super-cool euro a-frame house. Throw in a couple of Zid Zid poufs, slap on some paint - and I'm done!

Woody surfboard growth chart, $142, Surferbaby.com; A-frame Dollhouse, $230, Our Childrens Gorilla; Animal mini poufs, $78, by Zid Zid and available online through DesignPublic.com.

play + art

Occasionally, when I drag myself away from checking email, I enjoy doing the odd art project with the boys. Yes, it's messy....but with the attention span of fish, my kids have made a dozen or so "artworks" in about 10 minutes. Perfect! By the time I've hosed everything down, including them, only half an hour has passed and it's time for tea and cookies.

what's your bag?

Here are some fabulous little bags that I love - especially the slouchy 60's print hobo from Nepecena. I have even thrown in a "man bag" for dad's diaper duty, although the guitar design is, well, rockin' for boys or girls with it's messenger styling. Not sure if I love the "Diaper Dude" tag on the outside of the bag. (By the way.....you are allowed to use a non-diaper bag when/if you have kids....it's a well kept secret!!)

Left to right: Gabrielle Hobo, $130 by Nepacena; Guitar, $112, by Diaper Dude; Bloom tote, $125, by Amenity; Word Bubble, $68, by SNAP design.

I want an egg chair

A chair to have morning coffee, or afternoon tea in. A chair I can grow old with. A chair I can read in at 4am when I can't sleep!


Available online through Retro Modern in a variety of leather colors, for just $9885 - but they do offer free shipping!

minimal + monotone

I didn't intentially pick jewelry that was monotone or minimal, just pieces that I like and would wear. What's more, these pieces are very affordable. Now if my dear husband read my blog, he would know that these are available online directly from the designer, probably in stock, and ready to go for xmas.

Clockwise: Drift earrings, $38, by RISD grad, Jonathon Glatt/101 Jewelry design; Mahjong necklace, $68, made from antique Mahjong pieces by Blend Creations; Burst necklace, $58 by Grace Wang-Bishop / ZN Creative Arts; Single Mod necklace, $56, by Blake Van Roekel / Magma

...and a cuddly toy

If you grew up in 70's England and watched Bruce Forsythe, you would know that there was ALWAYS a cuddly toy on the conveyer belt. If you didn't, you won't know what I am talking about.

Anyway, I love these alternatives to the cute and cuddly. These loveable outsiders are available online directly from the designers, except Pablo who is avaible through Modern Tot.

Clockwise: Pocket Ninja by Shawnimals, Pablo by Pooki & Co , NutNut by Mr Pickles, Crazy Sasquatch by Sophisticated Sasquatch

art seen : ebay prints

I am new to the ebay art scene and totally captivated by it...yes, I have made a few impulse bids & buys!

These 2 prints are out of my budget, but look like great prints all the same. Both are signed, limited edition serigraphs - left, $400, by unknown artist; right, $600, Ralph Lenburg. Available for the next 20ish hours through Verve Gallery's ebay store. Verve also has a few bits and bobs from modern / pop masters if you have a spare 10 or 20 grand.

art + design :: christian kent + scrapile

The artwork is by Christian Kent, a Queens NY based artist. The piece is Red Queen, Acrylic on Canvas, 2004. Also check out his etchings; as a former student of printmaking, I appreciate what his etchings accomplish. His biomorphic style adds a wonderful and warm dimension to a medium that is inherintley "hard" - metal, acid, ink.

The bench is by scrapile and made from repurposed discarded wood scrap. I simply love eco-friendly, sustainable design that's being injected into moco design these days. Scrapile is available online through Vivavi.

antlers vs marlin

Some things have such cultural significance that they shouldn't be relegated to a musty wood-paneled lodge.

My husband thinks the marlin should take pride of place above the fireplace; I am campaigning for the antlers. I do concede that whereas the antlers would look fabulous anywhere, the marlin really does demand a "smack bang in the middle of the living room" statement.

By the way, I simply cannot abide hunting (exception: cool hunting) and I love everything vegetarians stand for, except for, you know, refusing to eat meat. The antlers are by Seattle based designer, Erich Ginder and available through design public. The marlin are available to order through customsaltwatertaxidermy.com

Launchpad + 5 years

In 2001 I teamed up with furniture designer Ron Weaver to form Launchpad. Our first group show was held at Den in the Mission district of San Francisco. The launch party was wall to wall people - all there to see the designers and(or) have a glass of wine.

A lot has happened in the 5 years since our first show. Den closed this year, as did Lounge, where we had our last show. Some of the designers have taken full-time jobs away from independent design, some traveled or moved and some have just changed focus - of course, some are still successfully working as independent designers. Recently I checked back in with the group to ask the question - is it possible to make a living as a full-time independent designer in the bay area?

The overall impression that the bay area is a tough market, but there was definitely a sense of optimism. Over the next few weeks, I will catch up with the designers and post their new work....or new directions. In the meantime, you can check out the old Launchpad website to see their work.

everything old is new again

There seems to be a movement in design towards more hand illustrated lines rather than bold computer generated patterns and large cut out stencils. Personally, I like both, but it is refreshing to see work that has been hand drawn. The style ranges from lines that are tight and mechanical, to loose and reminiscent of blind contour drawings (I love doing those!).

Here are the old and new (relatively) incarnations of this style in cover art. Beatles' 1966 "Revolver" and Jet's 2003 "Get Born". So everything old is new again, but you knew that, and both CD's are worth checking out for the music AND the cover art.

japanese rice bowls for kids

I love to see quirkiness in everyday design. These Japanese rice bowls are silly and fun without being cutesy. Check out the rabbit's snooty expression!

carpe diem

Love the Japanese woodblock inspired theme from aTaylor designs (I tried it too on a couple of What Studio tees). The red stripe tee looks fresh, and the elbow detail on the hoodie adds just a little of something-something to the regular american apparel style.

simple + fabulous

Last spring Elena contacted me about being in an upcoming What Designers newsletter. For very good reason (a baby) I was unable to send out the newsletter....but I just loved Elena's jewelry. Can't wait to see if there is anything new for fall 06. Her collection is available online at: elenacalabrese.com

architectural details : k studio

These felt cushions from k studio not only have a beautiful simplicity they promote sustainable design too. I especially love these homely street scenes, although the still-trendy bird theme is apparent in the rest of their collection.

art seen : new bloomingdales / old graffiti

what?

Eight years ago I left my full-time job in fashion to persue a dream of becoming a "freelance designer". A lot has happened in that time - including being a freelance designer and a mum to 3 boys!

I am inspired by art, design, and creativity in general....and that's what this blog is about.