Gotta give Gerrit a big high five for his installation of the Inhabit Seesaw Wall Flats in his minimalist dining room. Can you imagine the room without the texture of the wall flats? I certainly can’t. No doubt, minimalism is so much better with a little bit of character. Good show, Gerrit!

Name: Gerrit

Where do you live?: Visalia, CA

What do you do?: I’m a police officer

DP purchases: Inhabit Wall Flats

Favorite DP product: Inhabit Wall Flats

How would you describe your design style? Modern/minimalist

Any design pet peeves? Tan colored walls

Favorite design ideas? What was the best advice anyone ever gave you? Less is more, just because there’s an open space (wall or floor) doesn’t mean it Read the rest of this entry »

This week a group of images in our Fresh New Spaces Group on Flickr caught my attention. They were the minimalist spaces from a boutique hotel in Berlin called Hotel OTTO. Here, the neutral color palette and restrained furnishings let you enjoy the view, the photography and the warm hardwood floors:

This simple bedroom contains lots of space saving tips, including using thin but colorful upholstered canvases in lieu of a clunky headboard, and utilizing swing arm sconces to save nightstand space (and of course, when you don’t have room to cram in a nightstand, these are a great solution as well).

The palette is kept very simple, letting this iconic Eames fabric get the attention it deserves:

However, if a subtle blue, gray and black palette is not for you, they’ve got some electric preppy pink and green options for you. Note the extra shelf on the nightstand, which is great for tucking away books, magazines, and even that annoying glow from a digital clock that can exacerbate an insomniac. They’ve also scooped up some of the floor space with this piece so that you can take some of that stuff out of your suitcase and really get comfortable:

Thanks so much to Hotel OTTO for sharing these shots with the group! More information about Hotel OTTO

Let’s start off the week with a little serenity (now!), shall we? I love this picture from Michael Freeman’s book, Pocket Gardens. It consists of horizontal bands made up of white gravel and moss, which are mounted vertically. Love the pattern, love the palette, love the composition.

It may not come as any surprise to learn that at Design Public we LOVE bedding. We treasure bedding pieces that make it a joy to go to bed at night as well as hard to want to leave in the morning…not to mention look sharp all along the way.

With the introduction of Sanford Burrows we knew right away that we found something amazing. Take a look at the embroidery, the Italian crafted textiles, and the attention to detail Jill Sanford Burrows puts into her work and you’ll see what we mean. Enjoy the Q&A!

I’d love to learn a little bit about your background…how did you get into working with linens and designing for the home? How did Sanford Burrows come together and get off the ground?

I had a long career as a graphic designer. Years ago, I was living and working in London and found myself wanting to design something more tangible—something that people would have an immediate, emotional reaction to that didn’t carry a marketing message— so I decided to take a few fashion design classes. But, my interest kept being drawn Read the rest of this entry »