last year when we first announced the penguin cloth-bound classic series everyone went crazy about these incredible book covers designed by senior cover designer, coralie bickford-smith. the only catch was that the books were only available in the UK – that is until this week! in honor of the US-release of the series we’re so pleased to have a very special interview with coralie all about the project, her work and where she finds her inspiration. this was such a special treat for me because beautiful book cover designs were one of the major influences that inspired me to become a graphic designer. we can’t thank coralie enough for taking the time out of her busy schedule to welcome us into her world. don’t miss more of her amazing work right here, and you can pick up your very own cloth-bound classics right here (scroll down to access more titles). {thanks, coralie!!} -anne

How was the Cloth-bound Classics project conceived? How did it evolve? Was coming up with patterns one of the original concepts?

The series grew out of my mild obsession with cloth bindings, which I’ve been able to indulge on an occasional basis for a while. Titles including Hans Christian Andersesn’s Fairy Tales and Penguin’s Poems for Life were well received and – crucially – sold well, so it was decided that I would bring a similar aesthetic to this series. I decided early on to use patterns that all conform to the same grid – it seemed the best way to impose a recognizable style that could work across a series of ten or more books, while allowing the covers to convey something of the character of the individual titles.

How did you choose the motifs for the patterns? Was it hard to narrow down an entire novel into one icon?

One of the great things about designing for the classics is that the material is so rich and full of possibilities – it’s not about finding the one and only perfect signifier for a book, but one that works within the context of this series, and perhaps which takes a slightly new angle on a familiar work. I read the books and discussed them with one of out picture researchers, Isabelle De Cat, then we created mood boards full of ideas, and narrowed it down from there. Some of the final patterns are more literal than others. The peacock feather on Dorian Grey, for example, plays on the book’s themes of vanity and the superficial, whereas the leaf motif on Jane Eyre refers directly to the lightning-blasted chestnut tree, a concrete element in the text that serves as a potent symbol of the book’s central relationship.

How did you go about picking the colors? Were they predetermined or did the books themselves evoke certain colors through associations?

My palette was limited by the available materials, so I began by finding compelling combinations and then matched them to the titles. Again, the connection with the text is more obvious in some cases – the black and white of Dorian Grey suggests stark duality, and also references Aubrey Beardsley’s Wilde illustrations – while others are more about capturing a certain mood.

CLICK HERE for the rest of coralie’s interview after the jump!

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today i’m thrilled to be reviewing two great new design books. first up- reprodepot pattern book: flora and reprodepot pattern book: folk (chronicle, 2009).

as a huge fabric and pattern fan, i was really honored to be invited to write the forward to both of these books (and see the cute cover design that also created!). djerba of repro depot collected a really fantastic collection of 225 vintage-inspired fabrics for each book and has them available not only in book-form, but on an enclosed CD so you can print them out and use them in a great series of DIY projects created by mollie green of la familia green. i love to flip through a book and let patterns and colors wash over me, and these books are a great combination of pattern-fest and practical ideas. djerba’s pattern selections are really lovely and mollie’s projects are perfect for even the most casual crafter.

today i’m happy to share an interview with both djerba and mollie (after the jump below!) and, after this post, 2 diy projects from the book! stay tuned for the projects next- until then, i hope you’ll enjoy the interview with djerba and mollie below! click here and here to pick up the books, and here to find reprodepot book related notecards, stationery and journals.

CLICK HERE for the interviews after the jump!

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good morning! it’s a tgif kind of day for me so i’m happy to kick off the end of this week with a wonderful interview on the d*s guest blog. guest blogger and artist jeana sohn is interviewing artist valerie hammond and sharing some gorgeous examples of her work. valerie is a phenomenal artist so it is a must, must read. click here to read the interview on the guest blog!

today i’m thrilled to share an interview with stylist, photographer and now, author, pia jane bijkerk. i’ve been a fan of pia’s work for years so i was over the moon when i received a copy of her new book, paris: made by hand yesterday. pia’s book is filled with beautiful photos and a wonderful guide to discovering handmade artisans, shops and specialties in one of my favorite cities, paris. pia’s love for handmade work is infectious, and her in-the-know guide to this incredible city is a must-read. whether you’re looking for a comprehensive guide to parisian handmade design, or just a few insider tips for great shops, pia’s book has you covered. i’m so grateful that pia took the time to sit down and chat with me about her book and i hope you’ll enjoy her answers as much as i did. i could listen to her talk about paris, her favorite cities for design (hint: one is vancouver), styling tips (she shares her top 3 tips below), and tricks for finding great local artisans and stores all day.

CLICK HERE for the full interview (and photos from the book) after the jump! (you can also click here to get a sneak peek into pia’s houseboat in amsterdam)

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today i am thrilled and honored to be sharing an interview with melinda launspach, the set decorator for one of my favorite new shows, hbo’s no. 1 ladies detective agency. i’ve mentioned my love of the show’s design before, so it was such a treat to get to chat with one of the people responsible for the look and feel of the program. melinda took the time to give incredibly thoughtful and detailed answers to my questions about design in botswana, working with local artists, and how one goes about telling a story visually, using paint, furniture and decor. what i most love hearing about is the way the show worked with hand-painted signage and supported local industry by using artwork from local artists working at a nonprofit cultural village. there are so many incredible details and stories in her interview, i hope you’ll enjoy it as much as i did. even if you’re not a fan of the show (yet), it’s fascinating to hear how creative people can work with objects and color to create the perfect mood and feel for a story. a big thank you to melinda for taking the time to answer my questions, and thank you to bear at hbo for making this interview possible.

CLICK HERE for melinda’s full interview (and pictures from the set of the show) after the jump!

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today i’m overjoyed to be posting about lauren smith and derek fagerstrom’s new book: wallpaper projects: more than 50 craft ideas for your home, from accents to art (chronicle)! this dynamic design duo owns one of the coolest shops in san francisco, the curiosity shoppe, and also run one of the most popular columns on d*s, diy wednesdays. and today i’m thrilled to celebrate the launch of their latest book of over 50 fantastic diy wallpaper projects! lauren and derek have been working awfully hard on this project and when i first got the book i was practically jumping around i was so proud of them. all of their hard work definitely paid off- each page is bursting with great ideas for sprucing up your home using wallpaper in interesting ways. whether they’re teaching you how to wallpaper your first wall, or just makeover your tv trays and medicine cabinet, lauren and derek’s passion for diy projects is infectious.

today we’re in for a real treat because not only are they sharing two projects from the book (which is out today!) but lauren and derek were also kind kind enough to sit down with me for a quick interview about the book. the interview runs after the jump but i just wanted to say a big “congratulations!” to lauren and derek on their seriously awesome new book. i’ve already re-covered our medicine cabinet based on one of their projects (which got the thumbs up from ac, a hard thing to do) and can’t wait to jump to the next one. congrats to lauren and derek! (also, if you’re a lena corwin fan– lena designed a wallpaper pattern printed on the book jacket that you can use for one of the projects in the book!)

CLICK HERE for lauren and derek’s interview after the jump and stay tuned for two crafts projects from their new book, wallpaper projects, next!

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today i’m thrilled to share an interview with lena corwin and maria vettese (who’s our d*s guest blogger this week!) of lines & shapes. to celebrate the launch of their latest volume- volume seven: BREAK- and their second year of publishing small arts books, lena and maria were kind enough to sit down with me over email to talk about what inspired their series, what it’s like working on a collaborative project from different cities and to share their advice on self-publishing. it’s always fun to hear what these two talented artists have to say, so i hope you’ll enjoy their interview as much as i did.

in addition, volume 7 of lines & shapes at the lines & shapes website today. volume seven’s theme is “BREAK” and the contributing artists are reka kiraly, wayne pate, lia saile, george song, and molly wizenberg- a mix of illustrators, photographers, and a writer. maria and lena also contributed their own new work to volume 7, including photographs, some writing, and two recipes! click here for more information and to order a copy of lena and maria’s latest lines & shapes series, volume 7: BREAK.

CLICK HERE for the full interview (and photos from the new book) after the jump!

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