Liam Gillick

See that little peek of color on the ceiling of this Berlin apartment? It's a piece by British-born, New York-based artist Liam Gillick, whose signature aesthetic is vibrant, graphic color:

Marie Claire Maison

Liam Gillick

Gillick's work clearly translates well to domestic interiors, but his gallery installations provide even more immersive color:

Liam Gillick

Liam Gillick

Casey Kaplan Gallery

Palais de Tokyo

Tape Hooks by Torafu Architects

I try not to re-blog too many things from SwissMiss because I know you all read her excellent blog (you do, right?). But these tape hooks by Torafu Architects are just too great to pass by, given that they hit some of my must-have-in-design categories: whimsical, colorful, and functional:





Once these are available I'll be using these all over the house. Thanks, Swiss Miss!

Colorful Throws by Avoca

Here's how Megan, proprietor of North Vancouver-based shop Room 6, describes one of the lambswool blankets she stocks from Avoca Mill in Ireland: "Imagine you had a box of colourful crayons in all your favorite hues. Vibrant pinks, yellows, blues, purples and greens. And then, you spilled 'em." That's a good way to describe a lot of my favorite things, and these blankets are most certainly among them:

Circus Throw

Meadow Throw

Silken Throw

I mean! I included the top blanket in a blog post this time last year, but these are just too good not to have a look at again. Head on over to Room 6 for more good stuff for your home and thanks to Poppytalk for pointing the way.

Cammeo by Kähler

I'm about out of things that need containing, but my enthusiasm for containers never seems to fade. These Cammeo porcelain containers, designed by Louise Campbell and made by Danish design group Kähler, are enough to make me seek out more stuff to store:




I know what you're thinking because I thought it, too: But how do I choose the rubber band color?! Thankfully, each container comes with a selection so you can switch them out at will (and presumably store the rest inside). You can buy them state-side at A+R Store, which I've come to think of as a purveyor of all household items worth owning.

PS Kähler is the company behind those awesome "My Life" USB necklaces that were featured in Dwell magazine awhile back.

Emily Green

The handmade "Pop" necklace I ordered from Melbourne-based designer Emily Green arrived this weekend, and it's very pop-py indeed!

Pop

It looks great with everything and has a nice length to it. Here's a few more necklaces that might make their way from Melbourne to Mass:

Jade

Morisot

Rousseau

Most definitely "Rousseau." Emily also designs geometric brooches--see them all in her shop here.

Colorful Homes

I'm sure you know Mallory McInnis from her various online pursuits, including the truly fantastic blog Where The Lovely Things Are, her tumblr blog Loveliness, and her mother-daughter business, the Merry Crown Society, among other things. I was excited to learn that she's expanded her reach by starting two new tumblr blogs, Wear Color and Colorful Homes. Mallory is an expert and prolific collector of all things bright, beautiful and inspirational, so I couldn't be more pleased to see this dedicated collection of interiors images:




Some of my favorite of her picks so far:












I had the pleasure of meeting Mallory last summer and she is just as I thought she'd be, smiley and fun and nice as all get out. So is it her sunny disposition that leads her to look for all things lovely, or the other way around? Either way I'm glad she shares it all with us.

The Merriweather Council

If you spend time on Etsy, you've likely seen the beautiful hand embroidered hoops by Danielle Spurge of The Merriweather Council. Her signature wishbone stitch and use of color is a perfect blend of a traditional technique and an abstract aesthetic that, to me, is reminiscent of Expressionist painters Joan Mitchell and Lee Krasner. In short, I love them:






When Tony and I attended the opening of Danielle's show Small Lines, Long Tales at Aviary (the gallery opened in our neighborhood by our friend and client Lindsay Metivier), we immediately singled out and bought a favorite hoop. When you can support two creative and wonderful people in one fell swoop, there's no need to mull and hesitate, folks. Aviary is open Thursday through Sunday, and I suggest you visit and pick out a piece for yourself before they're all sold:



I would be remiss if I didn't also mention Kristin Texeira's lovely paintings which are on display with Danielle's work. There were a couple Tony had his eye on, so you better snap some of those up, too!

PS If you're not in the Boston area, buy Danielle's work from her Etsy shop. All photos by The Merriweather Council.

Magic Suitcases

I saw these aptly named Magic Suitcases by artist Kristin Farr in the (rainbow-fied!) Big Cartel shop of Swarm Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in Oakland:

Magic Suitcase

Magic Blue Shoe Case

As if you needed one more reason to be excited for your next vacation! See more of Farr's colorful work on her website, and see the rest of the Swarm "Quick Stop Art Shop" on Big Cartel.

PS For more suitcase art, check out the series of portable cities by one of my favorite contemporary artists, Yin Xuizhen.

Knoll Textiles, 1945-2010

Knoll Textiles, 1945-2010, an upcoming exhibition at the Bard Graduate Center, promises to call some much deserved attention to the often neglected field of textile design. The show (and catalogue, yay!) will focus on Knoll's contribution to the interior design world through its fabrics and highlight the work of the company's designers, many of them women.

NYTimes

If you're in NYC this show seems like a great opportunity to see some classic textile and product design up close and in context. Three cheers for institutions like the BGC for giving decorative arts and design history its due.

Citti by Zweed

We're back from our spring vacation! It was great to take some time off and focus on our own house for a change. I spent my free time doing what I like best--decluttering and organizing. Storing everything we need for all seasons in a relatively small space can be a challenge, which is why this modular storage system called Citti by Swedish company Zweed is so genius. Pick from a range of colors and sizes you've got a custom, ever-changeable console or bookshelf or buffet or shelving unit or...whatever!:






Citti is a great example of flexible, colorful and functional design. Ah, those Swedes. Or those Zweeds, I should say. I saw Citti on Shoebox Dwelling, a fantastic resource for design-oriented folks who live in small spaces. Do take a look!