yesterday afternoon i hopped in a zipcar (and promptly got a parking ticket, grr!) and headed up to williamsburg to visit the lovely ms. amy merrick’s house. in addition to being the d*s editor in charge of “made with love” and “living in” (did you see yesterday’s godfather post? so cool), amy has one of the coolest homes i have ever seen. thankfully she’s going to let us have a peek for the d*s book, but until then she’s sharing some of her styling expertise with us today.
i’ve been dying to figure out the art of plate walls for some time, as they always seem to look so casually cool and sophisticated in everyone else’s homes, but not mine. i have a tiny one in my kitchen (which you’ll see in lonny mag tomorrow!), using a super simple symmetrical layout, but today amy is going to show us how to create a plate wall that’s more free-flowing. this project is a fantastic way to make the most of collections that have been relegated to dark cabinets somewhere- and is a great chance to save some money by purchasing cracked or chipped antique plates that aren’t food-safe. i hope you’ll enjoy amy’s project as much i did while filming it. looking to pick up some china like amy’s? try searching for “blue & white china” and “flow blue” on ebay.
today’s second diy project comes from crafter and author kata golda. kata’s newest book, kata golda’s hand-stitched felt: 25 whimsical sewing projects (stc craft/a melanie falick book, 2009) is bursting with great ideas that are perfect for the cooler weather. when temperatures drop i feel myself drawn towards projects that involve knitting, wool or felt. and these projects from kata are a fun chance to try a little hand-stitching with felt. i’ve chosen my favorite project from kata’s book to share here today- a great hand-stitched eye glasses case. my glasses are about 6 prescriptions behind and horribly scratched up, but perhaps if i gave my new pair a home like this they wouldn’t have the same fate as the pair currently on my face. i hope you’ll enjoy kata’s project as much as i did. thanks to kata and leslie for sharing this with us- click here to check out and order kata’s book online. (click here to check out an adorable promo video for her book)
i’ve always loved seeing pictures of students using leather book straps; they are so charming and orderly. but to be honest, it is not the best way to carry heavy books around town is it? but to carry something that doesn’t move, like a table…perfect! i went to a local recycling center to pick up some extra books, built a couple small cubbies out of wood, and went to work! the rest is just gravity and organization (and a tiny bit of glue). have fun! -kate
hello, color! welcome to the atlanta home of kelly teasley, co-owner of young blood gallery & boutique and animal lover extraordinaire. kelly was a painting major in college (perhaps that’s where the color-inspiration comes from!) and has always been drawn to the south for its general warmth, odd traditions and humid summer days. as a child she was an avid collector of knick-knacks, but has pared down over the years. she loves antiques, a quality she picked up from her mother, and at the same time loves a mix of styles. young blood gallery & boutique first grew out of frustrations with the lack of gallery spaces for new artists in atlanta, so kelly would open up her home for shows until they opened the gallery in 2002 across the street from her home. young blood has since moved to its current location, but i love the story of how it came to be. you can check out the full-sized images of kelly’s home right here. {thanks, kelly!} -anne
p.s. the paint colors are listed at the end of the post!!
[above: I bought my 1920’s bungalow in 2002. It had to be stripped down to the bone, and I was lucky to find a neighborhood architect that was able to keep the historic accuracy of the house but also giving it a modern twist (as you will see in the upstairs). I decided that I wanted to strip all of the molding in the house to it’s natural state. I only made it through the living room and ended up hiring someone to do the fireplaces. So this room is the only room with the natural wood exposed. The floor in the downstairs portion of the house is also original. I go through a lot of couches having animals [kelly is involved in animal rescue!] so my current one is from IKEA, and I love the print and the washable cushion covers. Having Owned an art gallery for so many years, I have quite a large collection of artwork. In the corner of this room is a David hale (wood) and Abbey Glassenberg piece (bird) from a show we had a the gallery.The other pieces are by John Simmons (fractel) and Ben Baumgartner (wrestlers). The pieces on the mantel are from various local potters, Kevin Taylor (close) and the photo (Paper Heart Designs). The Chihuhua on the couch is Brownie my foster dog.]
I was lucky enough to be able to include the dining room and kitchen into one big open space, it makes my house look a lot bigger than it is and allows friends to keep me company while I cook dinner. The two toned green in kitchen was an experiment and turned out great! And matches the green/white tile on the back splash. The sink was rescued from an old farm house. My kitchen table and chairs are vintage that I got at a flea market (bulldog is Frances).
This room I used for spend the night guests (human and animal). I like to have colored themed rooms (this being the pink room) the bed was vintage and white washed with added pink trim. This room also houses a lot of the photography I own including the shelf in the corner that houses my collection of vintage cameras.
CLICK HERE for the rest of Kelly’s sneak peek after the jump!
bird trends come and go, but i’ll always have a soft spot for birds that cheer me up in expected ways. on top, this gorgeous bird drawing from london artist michael k chapman is totally calling my name. and with a reasonable pricetag like $20, i might need to heed that call (though i’m fantasizing about having a giant version of this in my living room. something really large scale like 4×4 feet. though that might be a whole lotta bird…)
and these adorable charley harper-esque bird iphone wallpapers (via miss amy ruppel) are too cute for words. they might make me consider switching out the photo i currently have from our first married-couple brunch in charleston. mmm…maybe not. but when i’m ready one day, i’ll have these guys downloaded and ready to go. if you’re ready to use them, click here to download the full set.
last but not least, i can’t get enough of this incredible dwr window created by artist alex merto. i’ve walked past it twice now and each time i linger a little longer. if you’re in the nyc area be sure to stroll by the soho dwr to check it out. click here for more info on alex’s work.
I love shops, shopping and shopkeepers. These are a few of my favorite things from a few of my favorite shops. Items made by people who love what they do, sold at shops run by people who love what they do. Sam Kaufman, South Willard, Stand Up Comedy and KIOSK are the best shops around. Period.
i can’t think of a better way to start today than with these incredible new paper-cut maps of nyc by julie of famille summerbelle. i know i will be saving up for one for my home- not only is it fun to see all the little city details like people playing and working in the streets, but it’s an incredibly gorgeous piece just to sit back and see from a distance. julie always does beautiful work and her latest piece is no exception. the map goes on sale next monday, october 5th, but until then you can read more info here and purchase other city maps (paris and london) right here at the famille summerbelle shop. thanks julie and anne!
*click here to check out andy’s guest post on his favorite shop finds right here!
