Design Sponge in Print!

Did you hear?! Design Sponge is publishing a book! 400 pages of DS DIY, inspiring homes, before and afters, styling tips and more. Maybe some recipes? Read their official announcement here.

The book won't be in print until fall of 2010, but you can bet we'll get an eye-full of sneek peeks over the next year.

Congrats Grace and the DS team!

The September Issue

The book and the movie “The Devil Wears Prada” will forever be etched in our collective consciousness when we think of Anna Wintour and the culture of Vogue.  When reading/watching them, in the back of my mind I couldn’t help but think, “…this is crap.”   If I were Andrea Sachs, I would have shut my mouth, opened my mind and worked my ass off in order to finish the year out, as I consider myself one of those million girls who would have killed for that job. “The September Issue” justifies all of my musings.  Early in the documentary it is explained that not everyone is cut out for working at Vogue and many people have to leave because of it; simple as that.  While it is never explicitly said, it is inferred that Vogue and its creators do not care if you are not cut out for the work, if you don’t have it they are not going to waste time trying to spoon feed it to you. Working for Anna Wintour is not roses and sunshine. I mean, come on, never has a mousy, little face ever been so scary. Her gaze and seemingly expressionless countenance elicits the most painfully awkward (and slightly hilarious) responses, from her fashionistas-in-training to the likes of designer power houses like Jean Paul Gaultier. But if the movie demonstrates anything it shows her steadfast work ethic, her loyalty and her desire to showcase new, fresh talent.  From recommending Thakoon to create a new spin on the white shirt for GAP, to the small reference to Plum Sykes, a Vogue writer who has become a chick lit powerhouse with the help of Wintour, she is not stingy with using her power for good. Keep reading here.....

iomoi

I'm shopping around for a wedding gift and was reminded of one of my favorite online stores, iomoi. Turns out their product line is about to expand to include more home accessories like ice buckets, pillows, and salt and pepper shakers. I've ordered personalized stationary and envelopes as a housewarming gift and personalized coasters for my Mom's birthday - both were a hit!

On another note..... Monsters of Folk

This is not related to the home in any way (though good music in the home is of upmost importance of course) but exciting (to me) none the less....

Monsters of Folk is a super group made up of Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, and M. Ward. Their album comes out today and from what I've heard so far, it's awesome. We have tickets to see them play in Philly in November at the Academy of Music and I can't wait. Hear them on Conan tonight!

And speaking of music, have you seen the news of the New Moon soundtrack? Bon Iver, Thom Yorke, Death Cab, Sea Wolf.... WOW!

Shag

 

Today we're featuring Shag, a mid-century, vintage shop that opened this past July in Mid-town Philly. Shag carries furniture and home and kitchen accessories. We know the term “fabulous” is thrown around a lot in this particular section of Center City, but Shag really is a fabulous shop. Clean, monochromatic and warm, the store has a roomy, open floor plan, a remarkable feat considering the small square footage. The product is strategically set to create a look of sparing abundance. The aesthetic is very much like that of mid-century furniture, in that it speaks volumes with sleek, minimalist lines. The goods are clean, in impeccable condition and are very reasonably priced; every time we have gone in, we have been delighted with new choices. We caught up with Jenn and Matt, husband/wife owners of Shag, so we could shamelessly gush about how much we love the store, pick their brains about design, try to get them to divulge the secrets of their process (you'll have to excuse the poor quality of photos below, my camera belongs in it's own vintage store at this point!)

DT: Where does your love of mid-century come from? 

Jennifer: I think it goes back to when I was kid and was fascinated by what I found in my grandma's kitchen. She had an old Hoosier cabinet and metal kitchen cart. That was probably the sub-conscious beginning. I really started to fall in love with the period through vintage ephemera while studying to be a graphic designer in San Francisco. I could spend hours looking at the typography in an old ticket or piece of packaging. That led me into the furniture. When we left San Francisco we sold just about everything in our apartment and purchased a great mid century chair. We were moving to a much smaller apartment in New York City.
Matthew: I really had not thought specifically about the period until we bought that chair in San Francisco. I've never liked furniture that was fussy or ornate-I've always gravitated towards clean lines and simple but smart design.
 
DT: What is your research process when finding pieces for your shop?
 
Jennifer and Matthew: We should probably do more research. Right now it is all about instinct and having an eye for the period. We aren't looking to sell a vintage Eames chair for thousands of dollars-that's not the price range we're working in. Instead, we're looking for, well, the stuff that was in my grandma's house: well cared for furniture and housewares from the period. We actually end up doing post-research. We'll find something that looks great and will research the company that made it. Then we'll be on the look out for more items made by that company. It is a bit of a treasure hunt.
 

DT: What is the mid-century market like?  Where do you source things?
 
Jennifer: The market seems good. We get a mix of customers-some knowledgeable about the period and some that are just looking for nice glasses. It's fun to introduce someone to the period that maybe hasn't thought much about it. We're trying to make "antiques" a bit less scary, a bit less intimidating. This stuff was made to be used and I think it should be.
As for sourcing: that's a secret. I will tell you that we've been all over PA & NJ, made a few trips to South Carolina, and have even been to West Virginia.
Matthew: The Philadelphia market for antiques seems pretty good. Even on Pine Street-Antique Row-you'll find a mix of stores covering all periods. Most have mid century pieces. But each store comes at it from a different angle which gives customers very different experiences. We've taken a more curated approach with our store, giving someone a boutique shopping experience. It feels less like a resale shop.

DT: Do you have a favorite designer? 
 
Jennifer: Obviously, Eames stands out. But I'm not really partial to any one in particular.
Matthew: I get excited about industrial Jens Risom pieces.


DT: What has been your most exciting find?
Jennifer: That's tough. There have definitely been pieces that have been difficult for me to part with: the red stool that is in our web site photo and a beautiful wooden Danish folding chair that I don't think we will ever find another one of. The most exciting finds are always great consoles and awesome cocktail sets. I get pretty excited over an ottoman, too.
Matthew: The Flare Ware cookie jar that was shaped like a space capsule from the 1960s.

 

DT: What is your favorite room in your house, past or present, and why?

Jennifer: I have a love/hate relationship with my kitchen. I love it because it still has the 1950s metal cabinets and porcelain sink-a great find. I sometimes hate it because I know how much work it will take to restore what I want to keep and replace what needs to go. I also love our dining room because we bought the mid century dining room set before we even had a dining room. After the chair in San Francisco it was our first major mid century modern purchase. It is a Broyhill Brasila set that includes the china cabinet, buffet, and table with six chairs. My parents were nice enough to store it for us until we had the space for it.
Matthew: Our TV room. We have the most variety of mid century pieces in that room: the chair from San Francisco (our cat loves to sleep on it), a floor to ceiling pole lamp, a vintage ottoman, and a shag rug. We also have a sofa from Design Within Reach-a splurge purchase from our move to NYC.

DT: What's your advice for someone that's decorating with mid-century pieces?
 
Jennifer and Matthew: Buy what you love, regardless of the designer name it does or does not have. Buy what you will use-this stuff wasn't made to sit behind glass on a shelf. Buy what works with what you already own or aspire to own-mid century mixes well with many just about any style.
 
DT: What are some of your favorite decorating blogs?
 
Jennifer: For decorating I always go to design*sponge. I also get inspiration from the following general design/lifestyle blogs:
midcenturymodernist.com
jordanferney.blogspot.com
withthisnest.com
minordetails.typepad.com
ohjoy.blogs.com
paigeandmodern.com
grainedit.com
 
Thanks Jenn and Matt! Be sure to check out their store at 118 Pine Street, on the corner of Pine and Quince.
Have a good weekend!

Lonny Launching October 1st!

 In case you're not already a fan of Lonny Magazine on Facebook, they announced yesterday their official launch will be on October 1st! Lonny Magazine is an online design magazine from Michelle Adams (of Rubie Green) and photographer Patrick Cline. Together they also have a photograpy and styling biz, also called Lonny. Their first edition will be close to 200 pages and feature Deborah Needleman (from Domino), among others. Can't wait to see it!

Laundry List 2

 

Lizzy's back with the 2nd installment of your Laundry List for fall.... 

“Room Change” is the creative term for turning over product, whether it is clothing or furniture, in a retail space. Usually instigated by the seasons, this transformation takes many forms, from the incorporation of a new concept into older collection, to the complete replacement of one collection for another.  In a non-retail space, room change can include anything from the seasonal rotation of clothing, to the complete re-imagination or rearrangement of your domestic space. Because these alternatives can be, but are not always, mutually exclusive, it is quite easy for room change to start small and snowball big.  One minute you are opening bins of winter clothes and the next you are on your hands and knees, scrubbing under the cabinets under the kitchen sink, the contents of the cabinets surrounding you on the kitchen floor. Then suddenly it is four hours later, you have taken your entire apartment apart and are in the process of figuring out how to put it back together. Continue reading....

Adelante - Austin, TX

You may have seen the Design Sponge post about Adelante's new Airstream trailer, a mobile store and trunk show covering the Austin, TX area. What caught my eye were the Trina Turk fabrics used for the curtains and pillows. I had ordered a few samples when they first came out last spring and it's fun to see them in use. So I checked out Adelante further and found their shop to be right up my alley - women's fashion, shoes and jewelry and, even better, reworked/recycled vintage furniture. Check out some of their pieces available online. 

USA

We remember today's events with heavy hearts and all those that lost their lives. Hope you all have a nice weekend.

Image from Flickr

Kings Lane - Madeline Weinrib

In case you haven't already heard..... Kings Lane has Madeline Weinrib pillows and rugs on sale today! They are still uber expensive but much less than retail. Loving the ones above.

Laundry List

 

To kick off our fall posts....a piece from Lifestyle Contributor, Lizzy:

Spring cleaning is usually spoken about with reverence and excitement and tackled with sunny determination.  At the end of the long, spring cleaning road, one is assured by a glass of crisp, white wine with the sun on their shoulders, knowing that they have sparkling and fresh smelling house to go home to. Fall cleaning, on the other hand, is met with disdain; it marks the end of summer and while fall is a fabulous time for colorful scarves, lightweight jackets and new boots, the preparation for winter can be a brutal and miserable experience. It harkens back to an earlier time when families would have to can and preserve enough perishables and salt and cure enough meats to get through the frontier winter. Fall cleaning isn’t fun, it is daunting and exhausting, and at the end of a long, cold winter, you still have spring cleaning to gear up for.  

Several people think I am crazy - fall cleaning? and all this winter preparation? It is early September and there is so much time! My response? EXACTLY! These Wednesday installments of Laundry List are designed to guide you quickly through your fall cleaning projects and to provide guidance for creating a clean and orderly foundation for turning your home back into a cozy, winter retreat. 

Check out the first installment of Laundry List - Caring for your Cashmere. Washing your wool and cashmere sweaters is the best way to begin to tackle fall cleaning; you should always do this yourself, as dry cleaning chemicals are very harsh on these items. The next installment of ‘Laundry List’ will be a lesson in closet organizing strategy. 

Fall

Although the first day of fall is still a few weeks away, we all know what Labor Day weekend really means....back to work! Especially for those of us that are lucky enough to have summer hours - short Fridays, Memorial Day through Labor Day.

It's a cool, gray day in Philadelphia, rather fitting I must say. But rather than shed tears over our loss of summer, we're going to celebrate all of the great things about fall over the next few weeks - autumn colors, sweaters and boots, changing leaves, crisp afternoons, plaid, apple cider (and rum!), good movies, wool blankets, Indian Summer, camping, Halloween, and the chance to start fresh with a new season.

Photos: VT Living, Coastal Living, Habitually Chic, Barrie Benson, Katie Ridder, Anthropologie, House Beautiful, Apartment Therapy, Bon Appetit, Barrie Benson