I was in Portland Maine last weekend and I saw the most fabulous re-use of old tires:

I just wonder what will happen to them once the windows change? Perhaps a funny planter that matches some pink flamingos?

Do any of you watch True Blood? It’s been extra gross this season, but one of the most fabulous things about it is Russell Edgington’s house. I knew when I saw the octagonal onion-domed beauty that it was in Mississippi (as it is on the show), but I could not remember much else about it.

The estate is called Longwood House and it’s in Natchez, Mississippi.It’s a National Historic Landmark and it’s the largest octagon house in the United States. It is owned by the Pilgrimage Garden Club.

A quick look at Wiki led me to images of other octagon houses. Check them out here. They range from New York to Wisconsin, Mississippi to San Francisco. It’s really fun to see their forms at different scales and in such starkly different settings. Each is remarkable in it’s own way, and it seems no two are alike. For example, compare the one in S.F. to the one in Natchez:

Photo Credits:

• from flickr member sunnybrook100
• by Rosencruz Sumera

You’ve got to admit you are slightly intrigued by the Heather Lins Home 3-D Eye Chart pillow. Or maybe you are thinking, is that really the form of human anatomy sewn on to a pillow in the Science Project Collection? Yes it is. Now meet the mastermind behind these highly creative and rather quirky Heather Lins Home pieces, Heather Lins. Enjoy!

Tell us a bit about your background. How did you get started in the design industry and how you got to where you are today.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be an interior designer. In college, I got interested in graphic design because I had always enjoyed art and writing and it seemed like an area where I could blend the two. However, I kept having ideas for designs that were outside the traditional client/designer relationship. (3-D Eye Chart Pillow anyone?) In 2008, I entered a competition for up and coming designers held by the New York International Gift Fair, the A+: Young Designers Platform. To my surprise, I won one of three exhibit spaces and debuted my home textile collection at the nation’s largest gift fair.

Did you have good or bad experiences at the doctor (i.e. what provoked the eye chart and anatomy pillows)?

No. My husband accuses me of being a hypochondriac so maybe I’m working out some issues.

How would you describe your design style?

A writer once called my work “very literate.” I like that. I often start brainstorming by free associating words and then sketching. I strive to make my designs modern, accessible, witty and beautiful.

Love your sketches for your Numbered Edition (among your many other drawings!). Where do you do most of your doodling?

Just about anywhere and everywhere.

We have to talk about the Science Project Collection. Brings me back to elementary school when I was almost a finalist with my science fair project (think cotton swabs of dog saliva and testing antibacterial creams…aka thanks for doing my project, Dad!). What inspired you to dive into such a theme?

I have always found science diagrams very interesting and beautiful. I find I am more able to see their beauty if I take them out of their usual context (science class) and put them someplace unexpected — like on pillows! I love designs that are beautiful and quirky.

I saw your pillows on the cover of the most recent ReadyMade Magazine. How exciting! Do you have Read the rest of this entry »

The other day I had a truly thrilling experience of space. After climbing to the top of the stairs to check out the view from the base of Owl’s Head Light, I realized the front door was open and I could go in and climb up to the top. In the sixty some years my mother has been visiting this lighthouse, this has never been possible, and were were psyched! I couldn’t get over how beautiful the inside of this small cylinder was, yet the space was so nice and not at all claustrophobic:

Did I mention that restoration was completed on the lighthouse just a few weeks ago? The restoration was made possible by The American Lighthouse Foundation, as well as The Friends of Rockland Breakwater. Lighthouses are such special places and have such long and heroic histories. I wanted to let you know about this organization so that if you have a passion for lighthouses, you can think about donating.  Just look at how spiffy she looks!

For the past few weeks I’ve noticed my air conditioning unit cranking and cranking and it just doesn’t seem to shut off or get very cool. At least not according to the thermostat. I’ve always hated the placement of the thermostat but haven’t gotten around to having it moved. Anyway, after two visits from the repair dude and about $160 later, I realized that the light bulb (a compact fluorescent) was throwing off the thermometer! That lamp has only been there for a few weeks. I knew that the thermostat should not be near an exterior door, but it took me weeks to figure this light bulb problem out.

Anyway, this mistake was so stupid, but I thought there might be someone else out there who had also made the same dumb mistake, and that I could save you a few bucks!

Lindsey and I were so inspired by the new offices at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce that we decided to throw together a few collages with products that are available new today that capture the feeling of Madison Avenue in 1965.

Modern Roger Sterling Office by thebubbreport on Polyvore.com

The office above is inspired by the office that Jane Sterling decorated for her husband Roger. We love the palette of black, white, metal and mirror. The Heather Lins Conversation Pieces Pillow is a perfect addition for these guys who play with words all day:

Well, I’m on vacation, so I am totally phoning in this post and just sharing a few shots I’ve taken in Maine so far. I’m giving them to you a whole 12 hours ahead of time.

There’s something about this space that’s pleasing, even though I’m not seeing the middle of the room or how the space planning really works. I think it’s just a combo of the fireplace, the shelves, the fact taht I think I see actual ALBUMS, and the red Panton chair:

These photos come from flickr member designcuriosities, who shamelessly added them to our Fresh New Spaces group in the hopes of garnering votes for The Selby contest that’s currently going on with another retailer that’s not design public. About that…we don’t care, it’s great, I’m pissed I didn’t think of it first, and thanks for sharing d.c.! Plus, our competitor does not sell Panton chairs, but we do

Oh man, I have been meaning to share the last bit of progress in my office for awhile, but little things kept stopping me, like wanting to style the space to perfection, hating that very nineties green wall color, or waiting to choose wallpaper. If I wait for that those things (even though I’ve improved my organizational skills) I’d have to wait until about 2015. So here’s a bit of progress, ugly exposed cords (major pet peeve) and printers and all – it’s reality.

SHELVES & DRAWERS: This formerly dead space now offers all sorts of storage and space to be organized. Now my picky aesthetic preferences dictated that the shelf brackets go where the outmost studs were, but I’m noticing that they are starting to bow a bit, so I may have to suck it up and add some extras.

The real gift these shelves have given me is proximity. Everything I need is within arm’s reach, and having the shelves and file drawers next to my desk allows me to keep my desktop clean! Hallelujah!

One other thing I learned is that as you tackle your piles, you’ll learn what kinds of things need their own drawers. I had kept my design catalogs in baskets for so long that I’d never thought to designate a drawer for them. However, as I cleaned things out, I realized they’d be a lot handier and more organized in a drawer adjacent to my desk.

LABELS: From the workshop I took over at Simplify 101, I learned that labeling is a big key to organizing. Now I not only have a place for everything and everything in its place, I actually know where those places are! You can go bananas with how you label things – I happened to have a pack of these tags and a roll of black raffia on hand, so I made do. Not the cutesy-est, but it works for me. Another thing to remember is that when something’s placement is NOT working for you, to move stuff around and figure it out.

CONTAINERS: Because I have a lot of drafting and art supplies, I’ve been experimenting with what works since grad school. I will never get tired of metal paint buckets for keeping things organized. They go with all kinds of decor, they have handy dandy handles, they hide a multitude of sins and most importantly, they are dirt cheap and readily available at any hardware store in a variety of sizes. Check around your own house for containers that might come in handy. Maybe it’s a closet organizer you aren’t really using in the closet (my printer sits under my desk on a former shoe rack shelf, and there’s room for reams of paper and toner underneath). I used some Liberty of London gift boxes from Target to corral all of my cosmetics and medicine, I found the wire shelves in my attic (leftover from grad school), etc.

All systems are go! Oh, if you want to help me out of my wallpaper decision paralysis, check out what I’ve narrowed it down to below the break and please give me your two cents.

Read the rest of this entry »

I am enjoying pouring over the September issue of Elle Decor so much – it’s a goodie! The glass house in New Canaan, a town we like to keep our eye on, was an inspired remodel of a classic modern house that had been somewhat “colonialized” over the years. I like that the family and the designers wanted to appreciate the original intent of the house, but did not feel shackled by restoring every last little impractical bit of it back to 1960, or limit themselves to strictly mid-century furnishings. There’s a gorgeous slideshow over at elledecor.com shot by William Waldron of the whole house. Here’s a sneak peek:

But I have to say what caught my eye the most, besides Michael Bay’s house, which made me think “hey, that’s the house from Hogan Knows Best!”, which immediately filled me with deep shame, were these animals. Were they donkeys or mini-horses? Turns out, they are mini donkeys. Yup, a couple of asses, just hangin’ around the perfectly manicured pool in the Hamptons. Are miniature donkeys the new trendy pet? Should the pot bellied pigs be worried? It says the owner/designers, Amy and Todd Hase are Francophiles. Does this mean miniature donkeys are all the rage in Paris? Will Kanye get one and get it platinum horseshoes from Jacob the Jeweler? Time will tell.