Over at Apartment Therapy today they are announcing the winners of their Small Cool 2008 - the Smallest, Coolest Apartment Contest. Here's a peek at the Northwest winners, Dave & Rob's very colorful, 579 sq. ft. San Francisco apartment. Looks great guys, and congratulations! To see more entries and winners from the contest, both nationwide and internationally, click here. And, congrats to all who entered and all the other winners Small is cool!
Very Hush Hush is a small gallery run out of a restored 1964 Airstream Trailer in Nelson, British Columbia. They feature craft, art and design by independent designers. Hush Hush is getting all polished up for a second season opening on the May long holiday weekend. If you know me at all, you know I've been dying for one of these Airstream beauties - I could take sfgirlbybay on the road! The girls from Very Hush Hush found their trailer in pretty rough shape and had it all retro-fitted into a retail space. What fun! Here's a little peek at their beautiful trailer and some of the designers they represent.
Co-founded by Cathy Terepocki and Tracy Fillion, Very Hush Hush is a logical extension of their own labels ( Horn of Plenty and Dear Pony, respectively). While both have been selling work in stores throughout Canada, opening up a retail space of their own seemed like a reasonable next step. What started as an unconventional idea has snowballed into a distinctive collection of clothing, jewelery, ceramics and other accessories by more than a dozen artists.
In my Unexpected Guests post on the lovely home of Analisa Payne, she mentions Maison Reve as on of her very shops in Mill Valley. So, I made a visit to the shop over the weekend to check it out. I'd stopped into Maison Reve once before quickly, and was aware of their online shop, but Analisa couldn't have been more right - what a lovely shop! Their things are definitely of the French farmhouse style, and bit on the shabby chic side. But they carry a cool mix of textures and finishes, and I saw lots of accessories and furnishings I could scoop up and take home to mix with some of my more modern pieces. I couldn't stop snapping pix (oh, could that be my new camera's fault?), so here's a peek into beautiful Maison Reve. If you can't get to Mill Valley any time soon, be sure and check out their website for online shopping and some great inspiration.
UPDATE: As a way of saying thanks to all the readers, Yasmine from Maison Reve is offering everyone 10% off anything they buy at Maison Reve through July 4, 2008 if they just mention sfgirlbybay. Thanks so much Yasmine!!
Loads of great wire baskets and bird cages.
Colorful garden cafe chairs and wrought iron accessories.
Vintage furnishings and pretty floral pillows.
Fun enamel wares.
Beautiful vintage French flour sacks are make great pillow cases.
Lovely old watering cans and French inspired striped canvas.
I am really excited to share with you today my very good friend, Analisa Payne's beautiful Mill Valley, California home. Analisa is a recent first-time home buyer, and shares a beautiful lot with her amazing sister Quinci, and best brother-in-law ever, TJ (we'll be visiting them sometime soon!). The three went in on a duplex together, and Analisa's unit is downstairs and is just an exquisite place surrounded by lush greenery and gardens. Analisa is a longtime advertising industry Art Buying guru, and her great eye for buying photography and illustration has translated into creating a really beautiful and welcoming home. Being there is much like a being away at a woodland lodge, indeed, and often I feel like I'm off on a zen retreat, what with the natural beauty of Analisa' place, the calming interiors and the abundance of delicious healthy food she serves up! Oh, and there's the yummy wine and great laughs we all enjoy there, too! Thanks for sharing your gorgeous new home, Ana!
What is your idea of a perfect day in your city?
There are so many ways to have a perfect day. But the first that comes to mind starts with a bikram yoga class, brunch at Toast in Mill Valley, or Fish in Sausalito, and a hike from Tennessee Valley to Muir Beach for a pint (and maybe a game of darts) at the Pelican Inn. Hang out on the beach, collect some rocks and shells, hike back, head home, have a nice long shower, hang out in my back yard. Then hop on my cruiser bike to downtown Mill Valley and have dinner at Ora, Small Shed Flatbread or Bungalow 44, and then check out who’s playing at the Sweetwater.
What don't you leave home without?
Lip balm.
What's your favorite local shop?
In San Francisco, Timeless Treasures; in Mill Valley: Maison Reve, and Summer House.
What's one thing about you that would surprise people?
In college I didn’t really exercise, and my diet consisted mostly of not mac and cheese, but spaghetti and Velveeta, Pyramid pizza, quarter pounders with cheese, and Sonic tater tots.
Who are your favorite artists and photographers? And why?
Henri Cartier Bresson: He captures honest moments that pull you into a deeper story; Henry Ossawa Tanner: his brush strokes are as rich as his subject matter; Andrew Wyeth: the mystery; and Auguste Rodin: his realistic ability to express movement and character of his subjects.
Where do you find inspiration?
Flea markets, antiques stores, paper/stationary stores, junk shops, nature.
Who do you admire and why?
My mom. She’s the hostess with the mostess. She can whip up a dinner party in an instant. She knows her way around a garden, and can spot a weed a mile away. She volunteers for Youthfriends, and at the library. She’s a dog lover, a voracious reader, and loves to travel. She always has fresh cut flowers and night water by my bed when I come home for a visit. Not to mention she’s incredibly thoughtful, crafty, talented, smart and fun. And, wow she can cook. And, of course, because she married my dad, who's the best sous chef, yard manicurer,
handyman, builder of many fine things, and all around great guy.
What's the last great book you read?
Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow.
What's your favorite film?
Secretly? Sixteen Candles, and then there’s Big Fish.
If you could photograph anyone in the world, who might that be?
Queen Elizabeth.
Who would you like to sit down to tea with?
Maya Angelou.
Do you have a guilty pleasure?
Baked goods, pretty much anything with cinnamon.
What is your most treasured belonging?
My grandmother’s Fiestaware.
What's souvenir did you bring back from your last trip?
Maracas and a tapestry.
Greatest indulgence?
Consecutive spa treatments.
What is your idea of living hell?
Having to eat a cantaloupe, raisin, bell pepper and beet salad.
What are some of your favorites websites/blogs to visit?
Sfgirlbybay (of course, and I’m just not saying that, your perspective is classy and sassy and inspiring); beachbungalow8 (not because Megan is one of my oldest friends but because she’s super talented and smart, has a great eye, and is full of wit), and bonjourbruxelles (because I love Karen’s amusing take on life). You girls are always teaching me something new. Thanks for having your eyes wide open.
Hey, it's my birthday, too, yeah!
Today we're visiting a very talented local craftswoman, Whitney Smith. Whitney is an amazing ceramics artist who's been living in Oakland, California since 1996, along with her husband, Andrew. Whitney first fell in love with throwing clay on the wheel when she took a class at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz in 1994, and her design aesthetic definitely emulates the craftsmanship of an earlier time. Her style is strongly influenced by Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movement of the 19th and early 20th Century, and is often laced with Dogwood and Lotus flowers. Whitney likes the look and feel of old things and antiques, and her glaze choices have a certain look that reminds us of a different era. Whitney currently has a ceramics design studio in Oakland, and her beautiful pieces are carried in shops all across the country. For more about Whitney and her work, check out her blog, This Artist's Life, as well as her etsy shop and her ceramics shop, where you can purchase her beautiful pieces online. Oh, and Whitney is also having an Open Studio Sale on Saturday, May 17th, from 11-5, so don't miss it!
What is your idea of a perfect day in your city?
Riding my tandem Schwinn around with a friend from out of town so I can show my city off. I would take them around Lake Merritt, over to Oakland Chinatown, through downtown to admire all of the great old buildings and architecture, up to Mountain View Cemetery to wander through the acres of hills and admire the beautiful views. We’d also have to have to eat every few hours at some of my favorite restaurants Cock-A-Doodle Café for breakfast, BC Deli for lunchtime Vietnamese sandwiches, Mezze for dinner… Sounds like a pretty good day to me!
What don't you leave home without?
Shiny lip gloss. Most of the time I look like a mud-wrestling street urchin in my work clothes, but lip gloss makes me feel glamorous.
What's your favorite local shop?
Favor on College Avenue. Caramia makes jewelry under her label Hotcakes Design that is so fun to wear. She always has great stuff she picks up from other designers, plus champagne in her little fridge in the back! And for pure imagination and fun I love Castle in the Air on Fourth Street.
What's one thing about you that would surprise people?
I used to be painfully shy and sometimes I still am!
Who are your favorite artists? And why?
My first favorite artist was Georgia O’Keefe. I found her when I was 14 and really getting into my painting. She was the first accomplished artist who I identified with. After seeing her work I realized I could paint the stuff I wanted to paint, which was mostly nature inspired abstracts. Being that young I didn’t have my style down yet, but she totally inspired me.
Where do you find inspiration?
Nature is my main source for ideas. Being out in the world and away from the city opens me up to beauty and gives me inspiration to create. I also love to spend an afternoon looking at contemporary art in the galleries. It reminds me that art is a wide, open place and it’s important to stay receptive and not oppress my own ideas.
Who do you admire and why?
I have a strong admiration for my husband, Andrew. He is so patient, calm, and brave. He’s an extremely good influence on me. We’ve been together since I started making pottery and he has always supported my development as a ceramic artist, even when I’ve been down to my last dollar and not sure how I would make it another month.
What's the last great book you read?
I was delighted by Eat Pray Love. I also just read Bill Byson’s The Lost Continent and I laughed every five minutes. Any book that can make me laugh that much is a great book!
What's your favorite film?
I don’t really have a favorite because as much as I love movies, I forget them almost immediately. One movie that I saw within the last year that made an impression was The Lives of Others. It gave me a lot to think about in terms of what it means to be an artist in an open, free and privileged culture.
If you could photograph anyone in the world, who might that be?
Nelson Mandela.
Who would you like to sit down to tea with?
All of my girlfriends. At once. Without their kids (sorry kids!). Oh, and with vodka tonics, not tea.
Do you have a guilty pleasure?
I love blowing my money on wine. I don’t feel very guilty about it though!
What is your most treasured belonging?
A teapot made by Christa Assad that I traded some pottery with her for. And a quilt my mother made for my 30th birthday where she scanned some of my drawings from when I was a kid a stitched the images onto the quilt.
What's souvenir did you bring back from your last trip?
I was in Japan last summer for a ceramic residency and I went to a craft fair where I bought some exquisite pottery, including a paper thin porcelain plate with a matching cup. I actually came home with so much pottery I had to buy myself a new baby blue hard case to transport it all home!
What are your greatest indulgences?
Trips to New York City! And I love buying pottery.
What is your idea of living hell?
Having to be at the same uninspiring place everyday at the same time surrounded by annoying and insecure people. I think it’s called junior high.
What are some of your favorites websites/blogs to visit?
Well, of course I love sfgirlbybay (shameless flattery) and my favorite blog is Thirty-Year Old Secretary, but he has not posted in while, which is unfortunate for his readers. I always read Savage Love every week. I secretly want to be an advice columnist and Dan’s advice is always so thoughtful and right on, even with the crazy topics he writes about. I also love to check in on Urban Mercantile’s blog; Bradley Burch writes about more than just home décor in a style that I really appreciate. I love Posy Gets Cozy, her writing is so engaging. And I always visit my friend’s blogs to see what they are up to — Rae Dunn, Diana Fayt, Terrill Waldman, and Christa Assad.
What music are you listening to these days?
I let other people control my listening habits—at the studio I pretty much listen to whatever the KALX dj, or my assistant plays, at home whatever my husband has going in our 300 CD player. My favorite recent musical discovery is Toshi Regan. I saw her at Joe’s Pub in the East Village last year and there was not a dry eye in the house.
It was a lovely Sunday in the City...well, kinda, sorta. I also headed out across the bridge to lush, green Mill Valley to find some sunny morning skies, as the San Francisco fog had rolled in and I was much in need of warmth and sunshine. Here's a glimpse of all that I saw in and around our beautiful San Francisco bay.
Barbershop.
F is for Feminine.
Picture Postcard.
M is for Masculine.
Apple Blossoms.
Green Day.
Hairy Barker.
I'm wrapping up my guest blog duties over at design*sponge today
I love the amazing patterns and gorgeous colors of Amy Butler's fabrics. And these inspirational photographs I found on her website of her easy to sew clothing patterns come to life, get me pretty inspired to get out the good old sewing machine! Her clothing patterns just speak to me - I love the vintage inspired fabrics mixed with the simple, modern lines of her designs. And everything looks very sleek and comfortable to wear, too. Mixed and dressed down with jeans, or dressed up with some fun vintage sandals and accessories...I see it all just blending really well with what I already like to wear. I feel one of these patterns, Amy's fabrics, a bobbin and some thread in my immediate future!
I was looking at the whole sum of my current flickr faves last night, and couldn't help but notice what a nice composition they make up...the colors, the patterns, the themes. I think I subliminally find these images sometimes, unconsciously choosing them with some kind of common thread in mind. Or, maybe I just lucked out and these amazing photographs from my flickr friends just happen to look so right together. Regardless, I am constantly in awe of the talented photographers on flickr and am inspired each and every day. Addicted? Yes. Problem? No!
Today I take a visit to Lisa Congdon & Rena Tom's Rare Device.
Browsing through the March issue of Marie Claire Maison, one of my very coveted issues of the French design magazine, I saw these clever ideas for making the most of your limited storage possibilities. I love the artsy book rack on the back of the bedroom door - it creates a kind of 3D sculpture. And these many hooks affixed to every possible surface of this walk-in closet are a great place to hang your bags and accessories for easy access (above).
The peg board, painted metallic silver and mounted to the inside of a kitchen cupboard looks really great, and functions well, too. And the book rack (on the right) and little cubby shelf are a fun way to display and store your very cutest shoes.
Utilizing every space of the back of your bathroom door is an efficient and attractive way to store bathing supplies and beauty necessities. And the fun bungee cords are a quick and easy way to tuck away toys, or even your prettiest hats an scarves. Thanks again to Marie Claire Maison for these quick, easy and cute storage tips.
Today on design*sponge I share more vintage collectibles
