Blue Gingham Walls

I just came across this painted gingham dining room on House and Home's website:

Gingham is traditional pattern but it can easily go modern when you play with a larger scale and choose a bold color. Tony and I would love to take on a project like this in someone's home because we've run out of walls in our own--just throwing it out there!

Vibrant Rugs by Sonya Winner

With three cats and a dog, we've simply given up on the idea of having rugs in our house. I guess that's what I find so many I can't live without, like nearly every single design by Sonya Winner:

Are you holding your breath yet? It looks like there's a signature in some of her rugs, which is fitting for the works of art that they are. Everyone else can stop making rugs now, I think Sonya's got it, thanks.

Right Round

I've been seeing a lot of circle-shaped housewares that are really appealing to me. Captain's mirrors seem to be having a surge of popularity, but I don't use mirrors much. These would be more functional for me:

Vintage Mid-Century Black Metal Magazine Rack

 Blackwood Circle Shelf

Round Chalkboard with Bamboo Tray

The chalkboard is on my "must buy" list. What's on yours?

New Work by Tony at Jamaica Plain Open Studios

Tony, along with other Boston-based artists, will be showing new work at the Aviary gallery for this weekend's 18th annual Jamaica Plain Open Studios. If you're in JP, stop by the gallery at 48 South Street from 11 am to 6 pm Saturday and Sunday to view and buy original oil paintings, drawings, and digital prints like these:

R2-D2 with Crystal

Skull Study with Cube

Miss

Fool's Gold

Ghost Mask

We just did a major update to Tony's Etsy shop, so if you can't make it to Aviary this weekend, you can buy online. Hope to see you either way!

Pendant Lamps by Studio Snowpuppe

Nellianna and Kenneth, an architect and an industrial designer respectively, make beautiful paper origami pendant lamps by hand in the Netherlands under the name Studio Snowpuppe (I'm not sure what a snowpuppe is, but I'm sure that I want one). The lamps are fascinating to look at from all angles, making them perfectly suited for installation over a dining table or a seating area in the living room. Of their three available designs, here are my two favorites:

 Signature White Paper Origami Lampshade, size XL

Chestnut Paper Origami Lampshade in Yellow, size S

The Chestnut lamps also come in pink, grey, and white, and they're all available on Nellianna's Etsy shop.

Felt and Gravity by Amy Hunting

I spotted yet more rainbow-y furniture recently on the always fantastic Shoebox Dwelling blog. These Felt and Gravity pieces are by London-based product designer Amy Hunting:

 

You could store any number of things in the super-saturated felt pockets of these tables and sideboards and still have an overall look that's colorful and neatly pulled together. Also awesome is Hunting's Ottoman design, which features hand printed fabric covered in Norwegian motifs:

See more photos of the Felt and Gravity series on Shoebox Dwelling and Amy Hunting's site.

Pebble Table by Nada Debs

This Pebble Table, designed by RISD graduate Nada Debs, really caught my eye in the September/October issue of New England Home:

It's easy to see why, right? I love the clean lines, the modular style that can be rearranged in any space, and the candy colors table tops that can be changed around. That means if you have--ahem--a compulsion to put things in rainbow order, you can easily satisfy that need (clearly Debs is a designer who understands the rainbow-impaired). The table is available in other finishes, but lots of color just makes me smile.

Chroma Lab in Design*Sponge at Home

We were delighted to learn that our "Deep Sea Dresser" was included in the recently released book Design*Sponge at Home. Grace Bonney and Co. contacted us back when the book was first being put together in 2009 and asked if we wanted to be involved (of course, we said yes), but we didn't realize we made the final cut until a few days ago. Many thanks to our friend Laurie for alerting us!

I got my copy over the weekend and I must say, it's a gem of a book that will take many days to read through and absorb. The book's layout by ALSO Design is fantastic, and a few of the sneak peek house tours finally inspired Tony and I to stop dithering and pick a new paint color for our living room (Ben Moore's China Blue). If you've taken a look at the book, I'd love to know what you think, and if you haven't yet, I hope you'll get your copy soon.

Singing the Vintage Blues (And Yellows, Etc.)

I don't spend a lot of time looking for vintage housewares online because our apartment is full already and I'm almost always too late. I see it, it's sold, and I'm left crying in my cornflakes. But this vintage yellow lamp, my friends, is still available!

 

Vintage Clip Light from EarthSeaWarrior

 

Design a Custom Lamp Kit from EarthSeaWarrior

Ursula, the EarthSeaWarrior shop owner, also sells a put-a-pendant-light-together-yourself package that includes a cord in the color/design of your choice, a fixture and a bulb. I'm pretty sure I posted this kit before, but what the heck. It bears repeating and I just can't resist a rainbow of options.