Face

Just an incredible design and fabrication studio in Brooklyn that goes by the name Face. 
Mind numbing melt your face off kinda of work.  Have a look.

Also I think I'm going to take a week off and play catch up. It's piling up around me, literally. See you back here in a week or so.

A day at work

I'm pretty sure a day at work never looked like this for moi. But hey, a gal can dream no?  Lovely arrangements by Kontor Kontur.

An Arborist
A Telegraphist (I'm pretty sure this did not translate correctly, what is a telegraphist? Of course I googled it.  Do those jobs exist anymore?)
and A Lumberjack respectively.

Kontor Kontur is a multidisciplinary design firm from Sweden.

Eva Black

Incredibly beautiful folded paper installation piece by Eva Black. What I wouldn't give to see this realized as an actual window treatment shade. Could we make this fold up? Repetitively? My current shades are of a paper like material and quite frankly while they do the job they aren't the most lovely things to look at. Don't get me wrong they are modern and minimal but they could do a little better in the aesthetic department. And they aren't cheap either! How can we get large companies to engage designers like this in the U.S.?

brought to my attention by the darling Ms. Ella

Wood & Faulk

I've been wanting one of these classic collapsible stools for awhile now. No, not for camping but for sketching. Ever wanted to sit while you finish that sketch but only have the sidewalk as an option. (Yuck, you do know what's on sidewalks don't you! I'm talking to you flipflop wearing or barefootin' it people.) Not to mention sitting on the ground completely messes with the perspective you wanted.

Wood and Faulk reworked this timeless piece into an elegant and collectable new version. Can't wait until they are available in the shop as I think I'll finally take the plunge.

Country views

The Mister and I took off for the weekend to Ukiah at the invite of our dear friends. Their place is so serene and lovely on top of the mountain. It's filled with laughter, good food, incredible views, and little creatures. Every time we go there are new creatures spotted. This time it was a family of quails and bunny rabbits hanging out right outside the kitchen window. (Last time a heard of baby wild turkeys, circling the property.) I swear I was watching a scene from Bambi. We also spotted two sweet young deer and from afar the famed Asian white deer.

I'm almost always drawing or painting nearly the whole time. So when I came across these they immediately reminded me of the Ranch. Perhaps next visit I'll have to try my hand at some landscapes.

Artwork by Marsiart

Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny: An incredible project by Jenny Chapman and Mark Reigelman. It's in downtown San Francisco on the side of Hotel des Arts. I wish I came across it myself as it would have been a more magical meeting to just see it affixed to the side of it's host building but thankfully for the artists there has been quite a bit of local press. I'm hoping to make it downtown this week and catch a peek of it in person.

Around the house

In the bedroom.



A hand carved piece from one piece of wood.
A new painting by a dear friend.
And a holiday gift to ourselves... it had been three years!



New reading material and a new project.

Mikko Kuorinki

I'm exhausted kids. Shouldn't even be up right now. But I just love these pieces by Mikko Kuorinki at the Kiasma. I still think the Finn's have the wackiest names in the best possible way. Don't you just smile when you see all those syllables. And the Kiasma I remember being an incredible museum in Helsinki designed by Architect Steven Holl. A great space to experience during an incredible time in my life.

The top one feels like I could have written it myself to my dear Mister. Seriously, sometimes generosity are the things we leave unspoken. And the one below, well, I should make this my motto. You should peruse the rest over here.

Update: Whew, just read that original posting... could you? It was a typo party up in here. Lesson learned just go to bed next time. 

Love Ever After

While I'll admit that I'm not one for Valentines in truth I am an utterly hopeless romantic (sometimes to a fault... why I stayed in my first relationship far past it's expiration date? I was sure there was only one love of my life. Oh dear, how much you learn.) Lauren Fleishman started photographing and interviewing couples in New York that had been married over 50 years after being inspired by a letter she found from her grandfather to her grandmother during WWII. So far she's funded this project all on her own dime but would like to continue it and needs a little help. If this project touches your heart the way it does mine send a little love her way.

There's something else that strikes me about this project. Are these couples a dying breed? Will people of our generation have couples married for 50+ years? I certainly hope so. Although happily married is the key isn't it. Miserably joined is fun for no one. I often wonder if the Mister and I will make it here, it's an awfully long journey from here to there.

Wood you be...

I'm not one for Valentines day. Never have been. It just seems so forced. And don't hate me on this one but all the single people complaining seems pretty lame too. (Sorry, I was single many a Valentines day) I say that because I think Valentines should be used to tell all of those you hold dear that you love them not just the one you are or are not romantically linked to. Seriously! Remember in grade school when you gave out Valentines to your whole class, who is in your grown-up class? Call you Auntie, your Mom, your best friend. Think about how blessed you are to have the people in your life that care and look out for you. Now, doesn't that feel better.

My other pet peeve (besides that word, yuck!) is that it's always women centric and focused on the inane things like chocolates and roses. So when I came across David Stark's Wood Shop I was all agog. How mirthful to turn this tooth-achingly sweet holiday into a Dude's day. Love it!

Flipping for Coco

I came across Coco Flip a multi-disciplinary firm in (drum-roll please) Melbourne. Sometimes I think the universe is telling me I am supposed to be there. Incredibly beautiful work. I'm looking forward to watching her work progress.

I'll also add that when I see multidisciplinary work like this, I realize this is what I'm striving for. This can be a difficult struggle in the US that sees architecture with a capital A or in San Francisco that just doesn't foster multi-disciplinary firms like this. But perhaps I'm blind to some of these firms living right here in this city? If so please contact me a let me know. Or leave a comment.

Printed Matter

If you happen to live in San Francisco or the Bay Area, pick up this month's 7x7. Not just because it's the Eat + Drink issue which should be enough (this is afterall the land of  food and restaurant culture obsessed) but also to read my first piece IN PRINT on my dear friend Neil Jorgensen's place. A Big Thanks to 7x7 , Lauren Ladoceour, Laura Flippen, and of course Neil.

Cabin Fever

If you remember I did a quick studio tour with Alex Palecko and his work not so long ago. Well, I received a little nudge to see if perhaps he would be open to a little home tour too. And lucky for me and you Alex and Jodi agreed, not to mention I got to meet sweet Sullivan and Scampy (the pup) too.

Actually,  Sullivan's imminent arrival is what began their search for a new place.
 
"Our Victorian was loud, drafty, dark and haunted--the cottage is magical and cozy and makes us forget that we are anywhere near a city.  We knew that we were pregnant when we found the cottage, and moving into 420 square feet was hugely impractical, not nearly as impractical as actually giving birth to him here. "
 
Found on craigslist, their first viewing of the photographs online and Jodi remarked... "We can't live there."  and after their first visit and viewing that changed to... "We can't not live here."




"The framed lithographs were a gift from Jodi's 92 year old grandmother shortly before she passed away. She was an avid art collector and the lithographs were from a larger selection of about 50 lithographs from various American artists." 


You can spot sweet Sullivan's changing table and dresser on the right crafted by Alex. Sully was actually born in the cottage on April 26, 2011.
 
I was struck by how organized and well put together their tiny kitchen was. This is no tiny feat when living in such a small space. And the gorgeous various jars filled with every kind of dry goods, why should you hide such beauty in a cabinet. And who wouldn't fall for the grape lights especially when they have magical powers of love... okay I'm being dramatic but they do have a lovely story behind them told to me by Alex.

"Those lights are a house warming gift from a very special friend of ours, Lulu. His home is covered in textures of fabric, prints, and lights. Jodi and I met lounging in his bed, watching project runway, and drinking champagne. He has these identical lights all over his kitchen." 


Jodi, Alex and Scampy snuggling up with a good book.


Up the ship-like stairs is a loft left only for slumber. The birds sculpture/art piece are from one of the first art shows at Stumptown Division Cafe from when Jodi was a barista there. She now manages Four Barrel on Valencia.  Can you spot Sullivan down for a nap?
 

 
When I photographed the space there was but one bike on a pully system but since then they have devised a system for hanging a few more all on their own rope and pulley systems. "It has really extended the square footage of the cottage," says Alex. 

 Alex plays the guitar too.

"When Jodi and Sully fall asleep I sneak downstairs and setup my recording equipment. I compose music with an acoustic guitar, vocals, and whatever toys sully has sitting around."

What sweet lullabies, to fall asleep to.  


Thanks again, Alex and Jodi.

Carine Brancowitz

An incredible talent to emulate and watch, Carine Brancowitz. I love those fortune teller fish and I think I'll be trying my hand at some product illustration soon. I wish Micron's came in every Pantone color.

Lover of hats...

Tonight I'll listen to another lover of hats and lover of designy type things like chairs miniature or regular size. Wishing you a lovely weekend.

Now the question is what hat shall I wear?

p.s. You should watch this silly video too!

photos via nysocialdiary
 
Update: I wore the above Schiaparelli hat. It was it's first outing. And Maira Kalman loved it sooo much she had to take a photo of it. Over the moon, I tell you. Over the moon.

p.s. Daniel Handler is HILARIOUS.

Minakani

Just when I thought I might be slightly over all the wallpaper madness, I come across Minakani a Parisian based textile Atelier. I fully realize these might be making the blog rounds but how could they not? They are too incredible not to share.

You can find more about the paper here. But I would also check out their whole textile portfolio over here. Have fun.

Celebrate

So I took a couple days at the end of last week and the beginning of this one to celebrate my grandmother's birthday. She turned 80 last week! Doesn't she look great. A talented artistic and loving woman who raised my Mom and my Aunts in NYC all on her own. I owe her so much for all she's done for me. And I wanted to take a moment to thank my Mom* and Aunt Linda as well who helped pull everything together for a perfect family gathering.

*My very talented and artistic Mother took this incredible photo of her.