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goose barnacle, rodger stevens and wire dog decor

23 Jun

We have two super-creative neighbors, who happen to be sister and brother.   Sister Marissa is a jewelry designer who sells her beautiful wares in a shop around the corner from our apartment.  (Every mom within a three-block radius of State Street seems to be sporting Marissa’s beautiful initial pendants; to me, they’re the modern version of those boy/girl shapes our own mothers used to sport).  And brother David recently transformed a creaky, tumble-down storefront on Atlantic Avenue into a beautiful wood-hewn tribute to the best in no-fuss but gorgeous, solidly made, durable menswear (In fact, the stuff is perfect for the way my husband shops; unlike me, he spends a lot on one piece then proceeds to wear it (out) every day – so it had better be made to last).  But Goose Barnacle isn’t just a clothes shop, it’s also a place for David to show off pieces of art that match his hand-crafted aesthetic.

That’s why I smile when I walk by his store window nearly every morning:

front window, goose barnacle

I was reminded of his wire display while browsing one of my other favorite shops in New York (this time, near work).  If you’re not familiar with Mxyplyzyk, you should be.  Of course, there are more of these MOMA-store-inspired tchotchke shops popping up all over the place, but Mxyplyzyk (look it up) was an originator of the scene.  And it’s one of those design-centric shops that seems to always keep its inventory new and fresh, no matter how often you visit (it’s been there for as long as I can remember).

wall of dogs, mxyplyzyk

For those of you who are slightly bored by the Wallcandy-Blik-decal overload of the past few years, but don’t have a lot of space to feature big posters or the patience for wallpaper, these fabulous metal dogs are full of personality and only $65 each.

french bulldog? closeup

It’s funny to find something so similar to something you walk by every day, so I thought I’d try and learn a bit more about David’s colleague and collaborator for Goose Barnacle.

Turns out this guy is a pretty big deal!  His name is Rodger Stevens and his work has been featured all over the place -from private residences of the rich and famous to some really gorgeous retail locations around the US.

driftwood/wire, barney's, scottsdale, arizona

He calls his work “shadow-casting metal narrative pieces” – to me, that’s one fascinating thing about this work.  Whether mounted against a wall, hanging from a ceiling, or standing on its own, these thin sculptures end up occupying more territory and feeling ‘fuller’ than you think they would at first glace.   Here’s a video of his technique, courtesy of David’s website on behalf of Stevens.

Untitled from Goose Barnacle on Vimeo.

Which takes me back to the dogs.  I bet they’re probably imitations of his work (an impression based solely on price point) but if it builds an appreciation for three-dimensional sculpture and the place it can have in a kids’ room, to me, that’s pretty cool.

Check out more about Rodger Stevens here.  Could be a nice option if you’re looking for some new art in the rest of your home too.

inspiration board: girly girl meets mod mom

8 Feb

So you’ve got a modern home.  And you’ve got a little girl who’s grown out of her crib, conversion kit to toddler bed, and those cute monkey wall graphics you bought while in the ‘nesting’ phase of your pregnancy.   What’s more, she’s decided she loves pink.  LOVES pink.  Oh, and Mom, she’s also really loves princesses.  And tutus.  And anything shiny, glittery, or reflective.

At RFYO, we’re here for you.  So let’s take a deep breath.  And let’s start with a wonderful compromise. . . a vintage bed frame.

I discovered this  reupholstered set of french ‘shabby chic’ bed frames at an Etsy shop called Antique2Chic, based out of Birmingham, Michigan.   The beds are $600 each – I agree, a bit steep – but consider them the centerpiece of the room.  The fabric is a beautiful blush-toned linen, perfect for you to play with your pinks and also to be a bit brave with the rest of your decor.  And the nice thing is that once you have the bed in place, you’re now free to use super-new and modern pieces to offset the vintage feel of the piece.

So, Mod Mom, what’s next?

How about going black and white and really BOLD with your graphics?  I think butterflies would be a pretty good bet too.  Here’s my suggestions, including a mix of Kartell, George Nelson, IKEA with some Target thrown in for good measure.  Click here (girly chic) to enlarge the PDF.

1.  French hand-painted mahogany twin beds with linen upholstery, $600, Antique2Chic, Etsy

2. Flannel brocade hook rug, $473 (large size), Layla Grace

3. Set of beautiful 5×5 photo prints, $8.50 each, Lola’s Room, Etsy

4. Circus stripe black and white curtain panels (shown – $180 each at Rosenberry Rooms), similar fabric available for $6.98/yard on Amazon

5. George nelson Ball Clock, $385, Velocity Art & Design (an excellent shop)

6. “Princess” paint color swatch, Benjamin Moore

7. Xhilaration Pixelated Butterfly bed in a bag, $64.99, Target

8.  Edland dresser, $299, IKEA 299

9. Crystorama (!!!) Angelina blush mini chandelier, $229.91, Lamps Plus (A great find, and small enough to look cute)

10.  Kartell Optic storage cube in clear, $283, Design Public


vintage trucks and light fixtures

7 Feb

I always love learning about new places in my neighborhood, especially when they’re shops.  Was going through my (junk) email this morning and saw this post by Daily Candy about custom wallpaper, designed by a UK company and available exclusively in the US through a company called Modern Anthropology.

I must admit that I don’t quite know how to describe this company.  It’s a design studio, supplying furniture and related interior design accessories to the film/television industry, architects, and to fellow designers.   But the folks who work here also design their own spaces, with a very vintage-like Three Potato Four aesthetic, but more masculine (e.g. men who wear flannel checked plaid, make french press coffee and groom their  mustaches) and a bit more industrial.  (e.g. Ace Hotel).  Their featured projects were a little too monochromatic and distressed-wood for me as an entire look.  But…

Then I found their shop on the site.

LOVE LOVE LOVE these vintage truck lamps.   The only drawback I see is that you’d have to keep your kid from wanting to play with them.

They sell a few other things I think would make great accents to a modern, bright kid’s room.

Take this IKEA Besta Burs lacquered desk ($299), for example, and add one of Modern Anthology’s cage lamps to ‘authenticate’ the space a little more, without looking like a construction site.

And a perpetual favorite, done in a new way… A bus route sign, cut down the middle and framed as two images.   I don’t know if these prices are per image, framed or unframed, but if you’re in the market, they’re definitely worth investigating.

keith haring chairs

15 Dec

Haring chair, courtesy New York Magazine

Although I’ve always loved the idea of Keith Haring, I’ve never been a true fan of his work.  But I think the passage of time has caused me to reconsider my feelings.  Don’t know whether it’s nostalgia for those junior high school trips to Pop Shop in the Village (Returning to school with a Radiant Baby notebook was the end-all-be-all for the Scunci set in Long Island), or a recognition of Haring’s pioneering approach towards graffiti-as-commercialism (e.g. people going nutty over Banksy today).  Regardless, I was moved enough to publish my first post in ages after seeing this chair on the New York Magazine website.

Vilac Haring chairs, courtesy Vilac.com

Made for children by French company Vilac

Here’s a little more about the company:

“Deep in the Jura region of France, surrounded by mountains, lakes and forests, Vilac has been producing high-quality wooden toys and gifts for the past 80 years. Vilac was founded by Narcisse Villet in 1911 as a wood turning workshop, which later came to specialize exclusively in the finely lacquered wooden toys for which Vilac is so well known. Appropriately, Vilac is in fact an amalgamation of the name of the founder, “Villet,” and the word “lacquer.” In 1985, Vilac was purchased by Hervé Hagland, who continues the Old World wood working traditions to this day.”

If you’re not in the market for a new piece of furniture, I’m happy to report that Vilac also sells these Keith Haring puzzles.  Here’s a link to the Nova 68 website, which sells the set of four puzzles for $50.  Fionn received them as an (early) Christmas gift last week, and I believe they were purchased at one of the NYC museum gift shops!  So check online for better prices, if you’re interested, perhaps you’ll get a holiday bargain.

birds everywhere

12 Oct

I’m typing this from my desk at my new job.  (It’s lunch hour, btw).

Surrounded by contact lists, org charts and presentation decks, it’s quite a different thing from the ‘playground-nap-lunch-errands-playground-nap-snack’ cycle I’ve become accustomed to over the past year.  Needless to say, by the time I get home from work, I’m friggin exhausted.  So here’s the plan.  We’ll aim for one post a week (I’ve yet to figure out what day that’ll happen, and if it’ll be consistent to that day).  So bear with me, and please check back periodically for new inspiration.  And as always, reader suggestions, questions or tips are well welcome.

Concert poster, Doves at Sasquatch 2009

And as I’ll be surrounded by news of eggs, chicks, hens and other poultry-related issues on one of my new accounts at the agency, I thought it’d be great time to return to this ever-popular nursery (and toddler room) motif.  Above, one of my absolute favorite concert posters by Andrio Abero, a limited edition silkscreen for the Sasquatch 2009 festival (Incidentally, see Fionn’s Sasquatch poster by Invisible Creature here.  It’s out of stock, but I believe the 2010 version is available).  Buy the poster here, it’s a steal at $25.

multimedia birds by Dolan Geiman

I just discovered this artist named Dolan Geiman.  I think he may be a big deal… his work was featured on FFFound! and a handful of art blogs.  Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the ‘found material’ school (Joseph Cornell is a notable example, if you’re curious check out his work), but this piece grabbed my attention.  It’s not cheap ($400) but if you’re a starting-out art collector, it could be a compelling part of your new collection.  Find his work on Etsy.com (where you’ll also be directed to his website and blog).

Chicken puppet, seewhatimade, Etsy

Baby bird crochet rattle, blue moon crochet, Etsy

On a slightly different note… I couldn’t resist including these two little guys.  At top, the chicken with the most personality is available on Etsy from the seewhatimade shop, for $10.  At bottom, a perfect itty-bitty gift rattle by blue moon crochet is available for $5 in lots of different colors.  Get a craft nest from Michael’s and fill it with an assortment of these tiny chicks.

Oeuf poster, Bad Circle, Etsy

Lastly, and perhaps in terribly bad taste, here’s another poster I really loved.  Created by Bad Circle, it measures 16×20.  Like many artisans now selling their wares on Etsy, 10% of your purchase will go to charity … in this case, helping  children in Chiapas, Mexico to go to school.  At $12 (unframed) you really can’t go wrong.  Place it side by side with a mod Who poster and you’ve got yourself a clever juxtaposition there.

nineteen seventy three cards

16 Sep

Paul Thurlby card

I’m not the first to notice this amazing manufacturer of retro-influenced greeting cards and prints. In fact, I’ve seen the work of 1973ltd on a variety of blogs, most notably a fantastic website called Retro To Go. (They’re London-based, so some of the items they cover are difficult to find stateside… however, you’ll be rewarded for your efforts.)

As their namesake suggests, the company selects relatively new-to-the-scene artists and designers to feature and promote.  You can check out the whole selection here, but my favorites are definitely the cards by Paul Thurlby (whose alphabet “A” is featured at top), Darling Clementine, and Sanna Annukka.

Claudettes by Darling Clementine

And although I think the Thurlby cards are incredibly clever in a vintage way (very Three Potato Four), the Claudettes series by Darling Clementine really captured my heart.  I’m always partial to a mid-century circus/magic-inspired drawing, and I fall for the cut-paper look every time.    Apparently, this collection was designed specifically for 1973, but you can see everything on their (Norwegian) website here.

Badger by Darling Clementine, framed

They also produce a (larger-sized, obviously) screen print of the lion shown above, as well as an elephant,  for GBP 70 here.

Sunflower, Sun Bird, Out at Sea

Lastly, if you haven’t been feeling the whole “1973″ theme yet, here are some cards to get you in the avocado-and-maize shag carpet mood. A 2005 graduate from the University of Brighton, Sanna Annukka also brings the Scandinavian influence (and her Finnish heritage) to her work.  These gold foil-detailed cards are incredible examples of her style, and you can mix and match among the 12 versions.

Spirits of the North silkscreen

Also beautiful are her “Spirits of the North” silkscreen posters (above), which are numbered and signed in an edition of 85.  Buy them for GBP 245 on her website.

If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s people decorating their walls with things they’re not crazy about.  (I honestly don’t know how homeowners on these HGTV shows can stand it when Bromstad etc. drag a brush across a canvas, call it ‘art’ for the sake of covering empty space).  Find images you love.  It doesn’t matter whether they’re original paintings, silkscreens, poster prints or photocopies.  As long as they’re meaningful to you, it’s wonderful.

teeth

20 Jul

I went to the dentist today. I’m exhausted. This post will be short.

"Toothbrush" print by Molskred Illustration & Design

Fionn now has three and a half teeth (the weird one on the top/side is just peeking through).   And I eagerly anticipate the arrival of every single one.   Maybe that’s why I love this signed print by Marianne at Molskred Illustration & Design. The print measures about 6″ x 6″, costs $25, and features a little boy brushing his amazing new teeth.

Marianne’s website features more of her adorable illustrations – see them here.

UPDATE 8/20: Marianne’s currently working on setting up a new shop, where the prints will be newly available for sale.  To check on the shop’s status, see her blog (link above).  Thanks Marianne!

inspiration: richard scarry

29 Jun

Apple car shirt, Cluchtees.com

I recently found a great book on the closeout pile of one of the big bookstores. Called “The Busy Busy World of Richard Scarry,” this tome of a book could be best described as a love letter to Scarry, written by his long-time editor (Walter Retan) and art director (Ole Risom), and dedicated to his fans worldwide.

There’s a lot in this book; certainly too much to cover (and too many great images to be nostalgic about) for a single post.  So I thought I’d start with a list of three things I’ve learned, which now endear him to me even more than before:

Richard and wife Patsy, courtesy The Busy Busy World...

1.  He met his wife (Patty) through his work – she was an accomplished copywriter, he was an art director.  They both left advertising.  She became a children’s book author.  He became Richard Scarry.  The two of them led quite a glamorous life, jet-setting and sailing, then moving from Connecticut to Europe and eventually settling in Gstaad, Switzerland.

Best Word Book Ever, biography, Biggest Word Book Ever

2. His books were truly trail-blazing in concept and design.

In 1963, “Scarry wanted to create a different kind of word book for children, one that would arrange words by categories instead of by the alphabet.”  His publisher at Doubleday rejected the idea.  He took the Best Word Book Ever to Golden Press, and ten years later, over seven million copies had been sold.

In 1985, Scarry’s Biggest Word Book Ever was the largest scale children’s book ever published to date (2 feet high), and also one of the most expensive (at $29) and costliest to manufacture.  Random House sold out the entire run.

photo from the book

3. He never thought it was beneath him to sell (a selection of) merchandise based on his work. (I was too old for the video series but hear that it was quite wonderful).  I laughed out loud when I saw the caption under this photo.  It reads, “Dick looks at a variety of samples of stuffed toys based on his characters.  Merchandise and other licenses resulting from Scarry’s enormous international popularity added considerably to his income.”

lowly worms, amazingly handmade by stitchcraft creations

But what’s amazing about Scarry’s influence is that, to this day, people are still inspired to create their own Scarry-ific toys, stuffed animals, busy worlds and clothing.   The McDonalds toys are still around on Ebay, and the videos (as above) still exist, yet folks are staging their own birthday parties (check out stitch/craft’s website) and turning Scarry’s book pages into amazing up-cycled playthings.

Here are two of my favorites, courtesy of Etsy artisans:

blocks by LiliaRose, Etsy

Lilia Rose covers oak wood blocks with vintage ilustrations, then glazes them with a non-toxic, water-based sealer.  The images on the five blocks above are sourced from the Best Word Book Ever.  Find them here for $15.

collage by aboundingtreasures, Etsy

Wow.  Dallas, at the Abounding Treasures shop, makes amazing 3-D collages.  This one happens to feature hand-punched butterflies from Scarry books.  I love the delicate, yet sophisticated, beauty created in these collages – and at $15 for a 5.5″ x 7.5″ you really can’t go wrong (save your money for double-matting and framing!)  And please check out her shop to see other patterns and shapes.

storybook wristlet, Flamingice.com

Lastly, one for the nostalgic moms out there. I found this wristlet, created from the pages of Please and Thank You, then coated with some type of vinyl to keep it from tearing.  It’s $35 and such a cute piece – maybe it could be used in a nursery or kid’s room to keep wipes or small toys?

The only thing I haven’t been able to find is any kind of textile; I suppose you can create your own via Spoonflower … that is, f you were to keep it to yourself (no one likes a copyright infringer).  I’m sure a Richard Scarry bedding set could do a cracking business – has anyone out there seen any?

mason jars everywhere

24 Jun

assorted antique fruit jars, on antiquebottles.com

It seems like there’s a new restaurant opening every day in our neighborhood.  And although the latest, named Seersucker, doesn’t offer the most unique concept for a restaurant (I think it’s the third ‘new’ place to offer southern-influenced ‘fine dining’ within a one-mile radius), there’s something about this one that makes me want to pay a visit.  I hate to sound fickle for saying this about a restaurant, but Seersucker – more than its competitors – really Looks The Part of a modern Southern hot spot.

image courtesy New York Magazine

As described in New York Magazine, the 40-seat spot features “a zinc bar, whitewashed brick, and wood salvaged from old snow fences.” More to the point, a review on Chowhound reads, “The food was kind of like the decor, simple and comfortable with a lot of style.”  Personally, I think it’s the mason jars that make the design.  In this age of  small-batch-locally-sourced-homemade-and-handmade foodstuffs, mason jars are more relevant than ever (and bring to mind the best local pickles, kimchee, fruit preserves and anything else featured in Edible Brooklyn).

our beach treasures, next to our Preston North End memorabilia

But I love mason jars for their usefulness and storage potential.  As shown above, this jar (which was left at our house by friends and subsequently ‘reclaimed’) is now on display with all the rocks we collected on beaches during family holidays.  I’m racking my brain to find images of a gorgeous nursery I once spotted, featuring gallon-sized mason ‘tubs’ as storage for puzzle pieces, Legos, and other miscellany.  What I found so charming was the way the lids were painted to match the decor (which would usually be a bit wedding-favor-ish for my taste, but it really worked in this instance).

So, how about it?

for collections, not canning

I discovered that Ball now sells gallon jars for just this purpose.  They’re called  “125th anniversary ‘collectors’ gallon jars” (meaning they’re not meant for canning), they’re $20 each at Cooking.com, and they’re super-cute.

But if the notion of a gallon jug made of glass makes you a bit nervous (as it does me), I found these super-cute PET plastic jugs, which would do beautifully with a bit of acrylic paint to fancy up the white lids.

Paint me!

Available at Freund Container, the gallon jugs are $4 each.  The comparable glass versions are also available at $18 each.

Need more inspiration?  Mason jars are ALL over the Internets – tutorials on how to make mason jar lamps (Design*Sponge has the best one), photos of flower-filled jars for wedding decorations (Amanda Pair’s snaps are beautiful), images of artsy-craftsy handmade porcelain lanterns, and offers for boatloads of soy candles.

'mason jar with marbles' by ria hills, $120

And, lastly, I discovered this BEAUTIFUL pastel artwork, created by a woman named Ria Hills.  At 7″x7″ it’s a bit small, but I believe it would look beautiful in a larger frame with red or blue matting.   And what’s more down-home and kid-friendly than a jar of marbles?

notting hill tube poster discovery

21 Jun

Thames travel poster, London Underground

Just saw this post on website Neatorama and thought it was too cool not to share.   In short, “workers on the renovation of London Underground’s Notting Hill Gate Station were recently surprised (flabbergasted in fact) to discover a long abandoned passageway with all the original advertising posters from the 1950s [mostly c. 1958 and 1959] still intact.”

Poster by Victor Galbraith, London Underground

London Underground describes how it happened:

In around 1959 Notting Hill Tube Station underwent modernisation. The old lifts were abandoned and new escalators were installed. The passageways to the lift were sealed off. Recent work at the station has rediscovered these passageways and when they were opened they revealed a marvellous time capsule. The adverts which were on the walls the day the passageways were sealed off remained and reveal a world long since disappeared.

Mikey Ashworth, a London Transport employee, uploaded these photos to Flickr on June 6th.  You can see the ads individually or as a group (which is probably the most thrilling) and all in situ.   He writes, “I’ve worked for London Transport for over 20 years and we have ‘found’ other posters – but none quite as good as these. We have on occasion arranged for professional removal and/or conservation of old adverts – but in this case, given the scale of the survivals I’m minded to simply leave them and re-seal the ‘tomb’.”

Ideal Home Expo, London Underground

Pepsodent ad, London Underground

All the posters are illustrated – there are hardly any photographs – and they’re similarly stylized with this paper cutout look (as above). See the entire set here.

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