section: guest blog 
since this is portland oregon and it rains a lot, we’re always thinking up ways to use or divert all the water we’re faced with. many businesses and homes are beginning to incorporate rain gardens in their plans. the hawthorne hostel is the most obvious example in town.
the city itself teaches free rain garden classes and is beginning to install bioswales on city streets. bioswales and rain gardens not only slow down water during huge downpours, but also remove silt and pollution. this is a newly-installed bioswale drain on se belmont street:
and, oh wait, where did the week go?! i didn’t get a chance to show you a friend’s huge garden and yurt down the street, share some of my favorite shops and restaurants in town or some of the fun food cart designs [everyone talks about the excellent food available at our foodcarts, but of course the carts themselves are pretty awesome too]! sigh. oh well. you’ll just have to come visit us in portland and see it all for yourself!
maybe i’ll have my fantasy rural oasis closer to the coast all kitted out by then. CLICK HERE for the rest of Jill’s final guest post after the jump! read more … November 6th, 2009 - 08:00am 
located in the west hills, the japanese garden is my favorite public garden in town. besides the gorgeous plantings and tons of moss, i also especially love the pathways.
like everywhere else, we in portland have become obsessed with vegetable gardening. this past summer raised garden beds were popping up all over the place: in front yards, median strips, and alleys.
CLICK HERE for the rest of jill’s post after the jump! read more … November 5th, 2009 - 08:00am 
i’m intrigued by the idea of backyard chickens, but i don’t use eggs or meat in my kitchen. plus my wanna-be-bird-hunting dog would torment them! more than the fantasy of having chickens though, i think i’m actually more obsessed with which fantasy coop design would be the best fit in my garden.
elisabeth bentz recently moved herself and her menagerie, including the chickens and their coop, from portland to ashland, oregon.
i love the simplicity of the coop design above, and the mini green eco-roof! CLICK HERE for the rest of Jill’s post after the jump!
there are plenty of drool-worthy modern-ish coop designs and chicken-raising information online here and here.
henspa.com has some great simple, modern coop designs. 
the mother of coop design porn is backyardchickens.com. 
some designs here are amazing, others not so much! but it's great to see a ton of different design ideas all at once. 
in portland, my favorite place to get supplies for my fantasy chickens would be pistils nursery. they have a coop and chickens onsite and offer lots of info., classes and custom coop design. and also worm composting and beautiful custom worm composters. and beekeeping. and, you know, plants and such. there's lots of excuses to visit this place! 
on my reading list for today are farm city and coop. November 4th, 2009 - 08:00am 
yesterday i shared with you a new house construction on an infill lot here in portland, today we’ll explore an old warehouse building recent converted into a charming urban live/work space for a young family and their business.
pinball publishing began with the purchase and refurbishment of an old warehouse building in the industrial southeast district five years ago. with that bright yellow, it’s always been easy to find! [image above: an old chalkboard with metal backing that was found abandoned in an alley has been given new life. magnets hold a rotating assemblage of client projects in place and make the pinball lobby a great place to wait!]
two years ago, austin and laura purchased the adjacent building to add more space for their growing business, and converted a section of the new building into their own ‘warehome’.
the single outside-facing window in the warehome section of the building is above the kitchen sink. austin made all the cabinets himself with some details from ikea, while the sink, fridge, and stove were salvaged.
CLICK HERE for the rest of Jill’s post after the jump! read more … November 3rd, 2009 - 08:00am 
hello! i’m jill bliss, an artist and designer in portland, oregon. you can see my art and design work on my website, catch glimpses of my daily life and projects on my blog, see my custom house portraits on flickr, and take a sneak peek of my current house here on design sponge.
i’m excited to be the guest blogger this week and share with you a little bit of what i’ve been obsessed with lately – which you can probably already tell – is housing and homesteading. portland has so many great houses, old and new alike, and creative people and businesses that create and cater to modern urban homesteading. it’s a pity i’ll only be able share a small sampling, but i’ll be choosing my very favorites of all we have available here in town, and online!
my own current house – a large updated craftsman house with a small garden – was the ideal place for my family and business two years ago when we arrived in portland. but life has changed significantly and it’s now too much for just me and my dog. i acidentally stumbled upon the perfect new little house for us in the course of doing research for my guest blogging stint this week! whoops! anyone out there interested in my house? email me and i’ll put you in touch with my real estate agent!
CLICK HERE for the rest of Jill’s post after the jump! read more … November 2nd, 2009 - 08:00am 
Oh my goodness, my week at D*S went so quick! For the final installment of Melbourne-love, I have chosen to share my very own little illustrated neighbourhood map (a little daunting after sharing such beautiful and accomplished work earlier this week!). Anyway, this is perhaps my very favourite pocket of Melbourne – Gertrude st in Fitzroy.
I love this vibrant shopping strip – such a great collection of small boutiques, breakfast, lunch and dinner spots and small galleries… a truly eclectic mix. It was so hard to choose only a select handful of places to highlight… but you can see a more detailed Gertrude St guide on my blog here! Lucy’s Gertrude St favourites! Aesop: Beautiful Australian botanical-based skincare and haircare products, stunning simple packaging, and a beautiful pared-back interior fit-out in each store. In one of these images you can also see Aesop’s custom window installation by Melbourne’s best known floral/event designer – Joost Bakker 
Fatto y Mano: Great rustic bread and baked goods… homemade spelt pizza slice that is so delicious and actually tastes like it could be good for you!? Great prices and a bustling, cheerful atmosphere. Anada: My absolute favourite Melbourne restaurant, hands down! (and there’s a lot to choose from!). Anada serves the most delicious Spanish tapas… delectable dishes, service and extremely reasonable prices. Don’t miss the pork belly! 
CLICK HERE for the rest of Lucy’s Fitzroy favorites after the jump! read more … October 30th, 2009 - 08:00am 
Ok so today I am super-excited to introduce one of Melbourne’s best known and most admired illustrators, Kat Macleod! Kat’s work probably needs little introduction, but just in case you need reminding – here are some examples of her exquisite work. Kat makes her beautiful illustrations by pulling together carefully selected fabric scraps, sparkly details, vibrant puddles of bright watercolor and delicate hand-stitching… there’s nothing quite like a Kat Macleod original.
If you’re in Melbourne you can still catch Kat’s current exhibition at Lamington Drive Gallery in Fitzroy, until November 15th! Too gorgeous for words… don’t miss it! 
Miss Macleod is based in one of my favorite suburbs, North Carlton! North Carlton is a beautiful leafy green area, characterized by it’s lovely wide tree-lined streets, cute Victorian cottages and the fantastic cafes and restaurants along Rathdowne st. It’s relaxed, friendly and so pretty – perfect for afternoon bike-riding or lazy weekend breakfasts.
CLICK HERE for Kat’s North Carlton after the jump! read more …  October 29th, 2009 - 08:00am | 
