Sorry to deviate away from inspiring home design ideas, but I have to share the look my 3 year old niece presented me when I gave her a zid zid kids bird cushion:

Needless to say, she liked her gift.

I know a major round of holidays just ended and the last thing anyone wants to think about is another holiday. I also know that a lot of people are not too gung-ho with what will soon be coming our way…Valentine’s Day. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but the fact is V-day is approaching and whether you are super, semi or hope to be chummy with your love he/she probably wants a small token of appreciation whether you like it or not. So, I thought I would collect some of my favorite Design Public Valentine’s Day-ish gift ideas…

For the guy/gal you feel a super strong attachment to, one of these may symbolize your love. You’d be surprised by how many pieces we have of two people attached to one another…

1.) A Hybrid-Home Anatomical Print:

2.) Donna Wilson Creatures – Terry Tina: Read the rest of this entry »

A very merry New Year from Design Public! Always fun to start a new year with fresh excitement and anticipation for what may lie ahead in the world of design.

As a little teaser, next week we’ll be doing…

Each day we’ll post articles chock full of tips and inspiration from favorite bloggers, DP designers, professional organizers and DP staff members to help you get your home in order. Get your cleaning clothes on and pop open a beverage of choice…it is time to get organized!

My first ever attempt at a gingerbread house with my three year old niece. It came out a bit messy, was almost a disaster and not all the modern pre-fab home I was shooting for (trying to teach the three year old to appreciate modern design may take a bit of time) but at least it was a cavity invoking treat to make!

Happy Holidays from Design Public!

I know next week most folks will not be as attached to their computers, so I thought I would send a Happy Holidays from Design Public! greeting to all of you now. Here is a virtual version of my holiday card for this year:

A bit of a step up in style from our holiday card last year: Read the rest of this entry »

A very Happy Thanksgiving from the DP crew.

After you stuff yourselves silly sit back and enjoy this classic moment from the 90’s…

DwellStudio was founded by Christiane Lemieux in 1999 in an effort to bring modern textile design to the world of home. The company quickly established itself as a leader and innovator in the bedding market – and expanded to a fuller offering of home furnishings products, including table, baby, and junior. What follows is a guest post by Christiane regarding her new found Thanksgiving traditions. Take it away Christiane…

DwellStudio’s Christiane LemieuxAmerican Thanksgiving is new to me. I’m Canadian (we do have a Thanksgiving of our own—in a different month, with a whole different history) and I’ve always used Thanksgiving as an excuse to take a nice long weekend, nothing more. This year is different, though; I’ve got two little Americans at home. It might not be my tradition, but it’s going to be theirs. Welcome to my first American Thanksgiving.

I decided to do some research (apologies in advance if any of this is inaccurate!). The general consensus is that the first Thanksgiving took place in 1621, on a day the Puritans had set aside to celebrate their first harvest, and to mark their first year in the new world. The Puritans broke bread with their neighbors – depending on who you ask, the Wampanoag or Iriquois tribes. I already feel more connected to this holiday; I’ve got Mohawk Indian blood on my dad’s side.

All I knew about the Puritans (or Pilgrims, whatever you want to call them) was their big black hats. But forget all the complicated political issues of colonization; these people left their homes in search of a better life. Isn’t that what we call the American dream? And this year, of all years, there’s a renewed optimism in the air, an excitement about what it means to be American. I’m ready to celebrate that.

But within reason. Our philosophy at DwellStudio (and my philosophy in life) is to keep things simple. I’ve got two kids and a full-time job; there’s no way I’m going to make a papier-mache cornucopia.

Since I didn’t grow up with all the trappings of an American Thanksgiving, I felt free to create my own tradition. On this holiday, the meal itself will be the center of attention, so you don’t need to do much in the way of decorating. The rich cranberry red, the warm orange of pumpkin and sweet potatoes, the perfect honey brown of a crisp turkey — it’s already a gorgeous color palette.

With that in mind, I decided on a simple, monochromatic backdrop; I plan to use our Sketch place mats and runners, paired with Bodoni napkins – the subtle, graphic black and white are the ideal starting point for any table setting. To warm things up, I’ll add some vintage brass flatware, and serving bowls with a beautiful gold interior. Remember, dinner is the center of attention, so I’ll use a monochromatic centerpiece: a grouping of white vases and vessels I have around the house, plus some gourds, spray painted white.

DwellStudio Place Setting with Sketch place mats, Sketch runners, a fine glass of noir and a tasty dinner roll.

A centerpiece of white spray painted gourds adds an air of modern sophistication while not detracting from the main event – dinner!

Of course, I’ll loosen things up a bit for the kids’ table; after all, if the kids are restless, the adults won’t get to enjoy the impeccably-set table or the lovingly-prepared meal. It is a holiday, after all, so I’ll pull out all the stops, making dinner for the little ones an interactive experience. I will use all our DwellStudio kids’ favorites (a puppet repurposed as a place card holder, a fun kit unfurled and used as a place mat) and plenty of crayons and toys to keep little hands busy.

To me, the results will feel special and festive, a nod to tradition but in keeping with the way we live now. It’s the perfect modern Thanksgiving — and I can’t wait to celebrate this way for years to come. Happy Yankee Thankee, from DwellStudio.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM DP!

Since none of us are dressed in costume today (boring!!) you’ll have to make do with “Finney the Fire Dog.” Old guy was kind enough to pose for me for a few minutes this morning…

I hate fakes. Fake people, fake boobs, fake Prada bags, and most of all, fake Christmas trees. Forecast Earth linked me over the Yahoo Green today, where they confirm that the renewable resource of tree farm trees are much better for the environment than PVC fakies. Now we have the green trend to stand behind us when someone says “Oh, but they have artificial trees at Lowe’s now that are really nice and look totally real.” No they don’t, and they are sucky for Mother Earth, so forget it!

So I was playing around on flickr, trying to find some good turkey pictures, and I stumbled across this awesome series of, I guess, a Frye Daddy turkey documentation?  The comments are hilarious.

This one says “Sweet fancy Moses that’s a good lookin bird!”  A similar photo says  “Although it may appear of the contrary, we did not in fact remove the fence panels for an emergency…”

For the whole series, click here.

HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Photos are from flickr member mjagunic