today is the first of a three-part product roundup dedicated to rugs. over the next three weeks i’ll be rounding up a large selection of rugs divided into the following categories: runners, patterned rugs and solid/basic rugs. today we’re kicking things off with runners- my favorite way to add color to dark hallways. i’ve been looking for a great runner for months now and have come to the conclusion that i’m going to save up for a piece from bev hisey. below i’ve rounded up a selection of runners from various stores, but if you’re looking for more options these are some of my favorite shops to check for rugs and runners: velocity art and design, unica home, 2modern, target (they have more than i can even process), west elm, cb2, all modern, urban outfitters, anthropologie, crate and barrel and pottery barn. if you have any favorites you feel are missing, please add them in the comment section below and we’ll add them as we go along.

[image above, left to right: angela adams 'mammy' runner $425, hanson runner $59.95, solara indoor/outdoor runner $129, islands runner $425]

[image above, clockwise from top left: quixotic reverie runner $248, lucky stars runner $180, tenso runner $248, bailey runner $79.99, brooke slate runner by madeline weinrib, suzi pink runner by madeline weinrib appx. $2500]

[image above, clockwise from top left: sand vines runner $1,000, seeds runner $1,000, clover runner $875, dandelion runner $368, palm runner $1350, galliformes runner $248]

[image above, clockwise from top left: bev hisey wool runner $220]

[image above, clockwise from top left: rugs from bev hisey (these are narrow enough to be used in wider hallways)]

[image above, left to right: amy helfand runner, painted graphic runner $28, scroll flocked runner $28]

[image above, left to right: striped berber runner $54.99, lulu runner $425, uptown runner $79.99, sofia runner $199.99]

[image above: create your own custom runner with flor tiles from interface flor. around $12.99 per tile and up]

last week we introduced the new d*s “regional roundup” column with part 1, so i thought it only fair to explain a bit about why i chose iceland to start. i must admit, i knew very little about iceland except it was an island in the north atlantic. then, essentially on a whim, i took advantage of icelandair’s free stopovers on my way back from europe and decided to see what reykjavik was all about. granted i only stayed for 24 hours, but in that short time i saw so much (it helps that it’s not a very big place) and was completely blown away by the incredible mix of natural beauty that surrounded me, and the design I saw in the city (you can see my first impressions here). it was fresh, forward and unlike any place i had ever been. the trip left me wanting to know more, and today i’m excited to share the second group of designers. stay tuned for the final installment of icelandic designers next tuesday and more great reasons to check out iceland for yourself. to view today’s full post click here or just click “read more” below. -anne

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today’s city guide comes to us from kenyon college student, emma reidy. she kindly offered to create an indianapolis design guide for d*s and i was thrilled to add another domestic guide to the growing collection. i hope you’ll enjoy emma’s guide- click here for the full post or just click “read more” below. as always, if you think something is missing feel free to add your suggestions below- we’ll update the guide as we go along. stay tuned for a new installment of anne’s regional roundup (iceland) column at 12 and a new product guide (rugs!) at 1pm [thanks, emma!]

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last friday i decided to rent a zipcar and head over to van brunt street, the main drag of brooklyn’s red hook neighborhood. i wanted to visit two of my favorite shops, saipua and erie basin, and grab some sweets at baked to take home for the weekend. eric, sarah and russell, kindly invited me in for a tour of their shops so i wanted to share them here today. red hook is a really fantastic neighborhood and has so much to offer- the next time you’re in brooklyn make yourself a reservation at the good fork and spend a few hours before dinner strolling the great shops on van brunt (it’s a great alternative to some of the more trafficked areas of brooklyn). click here for the full post and photo tours or just click “read more” below. (if you just want to check out the full 100+ photo tour first, just click here)

[images above: inside saipua's red hook shop]

[image above: butterfly wing jewelry at erie basin]

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today jeana sohn has two fantastic posts on the d*s guest blog: a sneak peek into the (wonderfully sunny) home and gallery of her friends heather and alex. the home tour is really lovely- click here to check out both posts. thanks to jeana for the incredible posts this week!

So the second post of today is about Heather and Alex’s beautiful house in hollywood. it’s a 3 bedroom 2 bath bungalow. they were kind enough to answer some questions for today’s posts.






For more pictures click here

Q: What’s your favorite thing about being a gallery owner?

A: The best thing about this business is developing meaningful relationships with your artists and collectors. Artists become your friends and collaborators who are constantly inspiring you. And mounting a beautiful show of their work can be thrilling. Helping young collectors build their collections from the ground is incredibly gratifying as well.

Q: Any tips for first time art buyers?

A: Go with your first instinct and buy what you like. First time buyers shouldn’t worry about the investment side of collecting. Develop the passion first.

Q: What made you decide to buy this house?

A: We live in a historical preservation district of Hollywood called Spaulding Square, and you feel a real sense of history in the
neighborhood. We also fell in love with the bungalow feel of the house and the citrus trees in the backyard. And the red door sealed the deal.

Q: Could you describe the design style you used in your house?

A: Our style is pretty eclectic. A little Mid Century, a little English Library with some Moroccan touches too. The most important thing is that it feels cozy. We’re in the process of trying to make it even cozier.

Q: What’s the next project for your house?

A: The backyard! We’re creating a firepit and lots of seating areas for outdoor entertaining. That way, we can host intimate dinners for our artists and collectors.

Heather (Taylor) and Alex (De Cordoba) own one of the most exciting new galleries in Los Angeles. The gallery is called Taylor De Cordoba and is located on La Cienega in Culver City. Every opening at Taylor De Cordoba has been awesome– Heather and Alex have a real talent for finding great emerging artists.
Today I’d love to share some images with you from the last show at Taylor De Cordoba. The artist was Claire Oswalt and her work is truly inspiring to me. Enjoy!!

as promised, it’s part two of the Hello!Lucky sneak peek: sabrina. sabrina and her husband julian have been in the glen park [san fran] victorian house (with quirky, open floor plan, thanks to a renovation by previous owners) for a year now, but it only seems fitting as she and sister/co-business owner, eunice, “joke that we get to draw ducks in inner tubes for a living, so i wanted my home to have a playful feel, too.” click here to see additional and full-sized photos from sabrina’s wonderful home. and if this the double dose of sabrina and eunice isn’t enough inspiration for one day, check out their new studio digs here. [thanks again, Moyle sisters! and to anne hurley for the photos]. -anne

[above: Our bathroom is filled with vintage prints, photos, and frames that I've collected from flea markets and travels.]

[Our bedroom. By now it's clear that I'm a Jonathan Adler fan. The headboard is from Williams Sonoma and the throw pillows are from Freddy & Ma.]

[The linen sofas are from Williams Sonoma, the chair is from Arkitektura in Situ and the colorful pillows are a mix of Indian and Korean designs I found on a trip to Rajasthan, India and at Nest on Fillmore Street. The etager and lamp are from Jonathan Adler. ]

[I love the sea foam color of this chair our den/guest room (from Jonathan Adler), which I’ve thrown together with an Indian pillow and a cream shag carpet.]

[Our dining nook. The table is from Room & Board, and the chandelier is from a flea market.]

[Our deck. I love the whimsical curves of this vintage garden set. . . The outside of our house, built in 1906 and our front door, painted lucky red – a nod to my Chinese roots!]

[A detail of the kitchen table. All of my dishes are mix-and-match from the flea. I love stumbling on pretty ornate ones and commemorative plates (for things like the Queen’s Silver Jubilee!). The table and café chairs are flea market finds. ]

today we have a special double feature sneak peek with the dynamic duo behind Hello!Lucky. in 2003 sisters eunice and sabrina moyle merged their strengths (eunice as creative director/girl genius and sabrina as ceo/grand poobah) and co-found the san francisco (and london) based letterpress studio Hello!Lucky to showcase their custom invitations and greeting cards. as the company has grown, Hello!Lucky has also also extended their reach through collaborations with kate’s papetrie, anthropologie, chronicle books and their latest project, julia rothman for Hello!Lucky. click here for additional, full sized images of eunice’s home, and stay tuned at 1pm for sneak peek number two with sabrina. [thanks, ladies! and special thanks to their intrepid graphic designer anna hurley for the photos] -anne

[above: A detail of my bedroom – the bed was found at a garage sale, the embroidered silk cushion is from Nest on Fillmore Street in San Francisco, the quilt was made for Daniel by his mother (on the underside are all a collections of patches collected from visits to Legoland, the Kennedy Space Center and the like from when he was little), an old side table dressed up with a fancy pull from Anthropologie, and a mercury glass lamp found at a flea market with a shade from Anthropologie. The walls are painted a very pale lavender (much to the boyfriend’s dismay, although he now admits that everyone looks fabulous and creamy-skinned in a pale lavender room).]

[Custom bookshelves made for us by Because We Can. The design was inspired by the mural in the hallway and includes a built-in desk – even the holes for cords are flower shaped! ]

[A few tchotckes. . . The bathroom, with classic Art Deco tiling. ]

[My bicycle – I love the bicycle culture in Amsterdam and Copenhagen, and this one reminds me of a classic Dutch bike. I take it to work most days. The Keep Calm and Carry On poster is the first thing you see when you walk in the front door – both my boyfriend, Daniel, and I have small businesses, so this is an excellent mantra to keep in mind! . . . The view of my hallway. Deer antlers found at the Alameda Flea Market embellished with a crepe paper flower I made somewhere along the way.]

[My kitchen. Chairs and table are from the flea market and the watercolors on the wall are painted by Daniel’s mom – she sends him one every year for his birthday. . . The hallway mural – this was inspired by traditional Swedish ‘Kurbits’ folk art handpainting – with a few tongue-in-cheek elements such as the squirrels over the door facing the park I take my dogs to. ]