Pottery- Not from a barn

While visiting Kansas City for a dear friend's wedding, we met some interesting people. One being Matt Jorgenson, a ceramics artist and potter. Once a student at the art institute in Kansas City, he currently lives in Minnesota honing his skills at a pottery studio. His background is in interior decor and design, so naturally I began to think of him as an up and coming Jonathan Adler, but in reverse (designer turned potter, rather than potter turned designer, as Jonathan Adler). I liked his theory about how creating large luxury pieces that have no other purpose than beauty is, of course, directly related to luxury interiors. So it would only be natural for the two fields to be related!

His pieces are incredible. I love how large they are and the abstract detail that he puts into them. These large objets de l'art are etched, painted, and partially dipped. I took some snaps of his work hanging around the apartment where some of his student work lives.

the one on the far right is actually a butter dish!

tea pot

butter dish

sugar jar

the artist at work

These images make me want to try my hand at pottery again! I love the forms of all those pieces as well as the colors and finishes! So cool!



xoxo,

*professional images from Kansas City Art Institute, his alma mater.

Designer Spotlight: Amy Meier

"Home is your life's fingerprint."

This statement so boldly describes San Diego designer Amy Meier's over-arching design theory and is a lovely quote that I'll tuck away for my inspiration folder. 

how cute is she?

The rest of her philosophy is equally wise: 

"I believe a home should wrap its arms around you. Home is our safe haven. It ought to be filled with colors, textures and objects that delight the senses and inspire our finest aspirations. Like any creative process, we get from our home what we put into it."

I found out about her work through Eddie Ross' website when he posted THIS fabulous image that I can't stop thinking about: 

Oh. My. Word. I so want to recreate this incredible entry-way little bar! And that stool!? How did they know I've been drooling over such a similar one from CB2? What a perfect little cocktail bar. I just adore it! 

The rest of the feature is lovely as well.

(this is GREAT advice for kitchen renovations too!)

Great design philosophy, great article, fantastic cocktail bar (and kitchen)- well done, Amy Meier!



xoxo,

 

Hurry Up & Get Here, Fall

 Back to School! I miss going back to school! I was such a nerd! I have always loved this time of year, getting new supplies and clothes, figuring out class schedules. I was talking to my husband about how I just love learning and I think that's why school was so very fun for me. Sigh. In the real world, you have to take what you learn and make money with it.... I'd rather keep on learning. ;)

Aren't these fall window displays from Anthropologie amazing!? Good ol' Anthropologie NEVER fails to disappoint.

don't you miss those little chairs from elementary?

reminds me of rolled blueprints in design school

i love books!

what if some of these were T-squares!

sheet music? or book pages?

Maybe I should take a leisure learning class or something... to make me feel like it's back to school time. :)

Good luck to all of you going back! And good luck to mommies who are sending kiddos back! :)


xoxo,




*all images via.

Monday Inspiration

Happy Late Monday!

via.

I'm heading out for a midday run (as soon as I post this) and my legs are just itching for it. It's been nearly two weeks since I've fallen out of my running routine (thanks to sickness and traveling).

via Tilly & Fran.

Unexpected Color Palette: Aqua and Eggplant. 

The soft grey background is the perfect background for this combo.

via.

Someone did a wedding in these colors! How lovely! I especially love the peacock feathers. hearts!

via.

Unusual Art: Drafting Tools.

I like this idea of mounting tools as art. I spy drafting tools!

Spa Luxury: Humongous Bath Tub.

I was bemoaning missing our huge garden tub at the first place we lived when we were brand-newlyweds. I never get tired of a nice bubble bath with fragrant bath bombs and salts. Mmmm... relaxation.

via.

Make-It-Yourself Summer Treats: Healthy Popcicles.

All I need are some super cute popcicle molds (like these or these) and fresh fruit. Yum!

Now for that run....

xoxo,

Livable Design

“The drama of this interior doesn’t come from the obvious; it comes from the strength of the point of view. The rooms are sets—not for theater, but for living.”—Interior designer Vicente Wolf, August/September 01 Elle Decor

Let's meditate on this for a while today, shall we?

Neutral palette + mixed textures and pieces, unknown source.

Multiple colors and textures + color, unknown source.

Classic pieces + casual arrangement, Windsor Smith.

Restored vintage living furnishings + neutral/industrial colors, via Second Hand Hannah.

The point of view should come from the people in the home and their everyday activities of living- cooking, cleaning up, lounging on a couch to read, entertaining friends, morning preparation rituals, bedtime rituals. All these daily life kind of activities are in fact kind of sacred and special. If your home is a museum, then what good is it to live in? We need spaces for living, that are beautiful, inspiring, comfortable, and functional. I think I love Vincente Wolfe's quote so much because it rings so true to my very favorite design theory by Le Corbusier: "A house is a machine for living in."

Vintage classic furnishings + bright pops of color, Domino.

  One of the reasons I love residential interior design so much is because of the personal nature of it. The visual elements of arrangement, color, and style collide with the needs and desires of the person living in the space. As a designer, my job is to help a client recognize what their needs and desires actually, visually, artistically look like. At the end of the day, a well-designed and decorated space is not the stagnant, pristine, model home looking space- it is a comfortable, function, and inspiring happy and beautiful space that fits the person living in it.

Moody neutrals + graphic print, Dwell Studio.

Natural materials + bright jewel tones, unknown source.

Don't all these spaces look like they could be comfortably lived in? Well, depending on who's living in them. ;)

xoxo, 

 

Industrial Loft

Apartment Therapy, you never fail me. Just look at this beautiful home tour, of super cool L.A. loft, designed by Chris Cushingham.

{source}

As if I didn't want to move to Cali already. :)

  xoxo

Summer's End

So sorry for my lapse in blogging, guys. I've had an eventful end of summer including:

• finishing up a long design project (which is turning out GREAT, by the way- moodboard soon)
• me and husband's 3 year wedding anniversary (tribute post soon)
• playing with lots of new friends and community in our new city home
• watching lots of documentaries
• running a lot in preparation for the half marathon (think about trying Vibram Five Fingers), also just bought this app to help my training program
• researching going raw (see this link for how I'm going to slowly acclimate) or at least 51% raw because of this movie

So that's what I've been doing. 

My next arty project is going to be something similar to this wedding invite from 100 Layer Cake. I want to slowly begin making a piece of "doodle" art that frames a silhouette of me and hubby... a late 3rd anniversary project. So cute, right? My sister-in-law made a list of all the inside jokes she and her husband shared and framed it and gave it to him for their 10th wedding anniversary. I think doodling my inside jokes and dreams with my man in this kind of way will be a great sentimental piece of personal art. I'm excited. First, I'll find a silhouette-y photo of us that I love and scan it and photoshop it into a silhouette. 

Then I'll begin the slow doodling process.

xoxo,