No Need for Bare Walls

I've been helping a few friends recently put the finishing touches on their apartments, condos, houses, etc. and one question I keep getting is where to find afforable decor for the walls? Here are a few of my favorite resources:

Vintage Printable
This site (or blog rather) has hundreds of vintage prints available for download - for free! Everything from birds (like the above) to political figures, war scenes, maps, portraits, botanicals, you name it. Of course a trained eye will know this is nothing close to the real thing, but it's a great, cheap fix some bare walls. Print out on your regular printers on 8.5x11 paper and hang in Ikea Ribba frames.

Etsy
I'm sure you all know and hopefully love Etsy, the online marketplace for artists and artisans of all shapes and sizes. I've bought the now ubiquitous Keep Calm Carry On poster, a few small oil paintings, an Elvis Costello print and lots of odds and ends for elsewhere in the house. Some of the sellers I've added to my favorites:
Made by Girl She, Jennifer Ramos, also has an awesome blog of the same name (her print, left)
Studio 155 Some nice landscapes
Plum Cushion Ok not for your walls, but I love her pillows!
Bold and Noble 

UGallery
UGallery connects art students with buyers. You can search by price, medium, artist or genre. You have to dig because there are a lot of offerings but there are some extremely talented artists here. Painting above by Saul Pitsky of Santa Monica College.

And of course there are flea markets and yard sales and auctions and local art shows that are just full of hidden treasures. If you're in the Philadelphia area and want any suggestions, leave me a comment!

Happy Friday!

Good, Quick Read

What's Behind the Sofa by Rita Konig for NYTimes design blog, Inside Out. 

2 takeaways:

"There is nothing better for creating a sense of life in a room than a table, a lamp and a stack of books — peculiar but true."

and

" — rooms are so much better when each thing has a personal story. They don’t have to be glamorous stories — the fact that they came from somewhere is what makes the place yours..."

ENJOY!

Organized by Color

The color-organized bookshelf has been seen many times (including my own office). Is it getting old? Too OCD for your taste? We're in for a rainy weekend so try it on for size....it's also a good excuse to pull out all of those books and dust your shelves!

Honey Interiors

A few images from Honey Interiors in L.A.

“Mad” for the Draper’s New Living Room

I am a few weeks behind on “Mad Men” (the sensational series on AMC that follows the skirt-chasing, cocktail-filled world of 1960’s Manhattan advertising agents).  I was nearly knocked off my couch while watching Episode 7 when Betty Draper makes-over her living room.  It’s 1963 “modern,” but I love it for 2009.  The deep blue walls and white molding were so sophisticated (Domino featured a similar look in its February 2009 issue).  The Asian influence was obvious.  In addition to the chinoiserie there were Murano glass vases, silk dupioni curtains, a Drexel end table and those two fabulous chairs!  I didn’t like Betty’s late addition of the fainting couch right in front of the fireplace, but I loved her in it.  “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner has often credited another Draper (Dorothy) as a style inspiration for the show.  One look at the Draper family’s stylish new room and you see why he named his lead characters after the innovative interior design maven of that era.

Contributed by Emily.

The Barnes Foundation

Check out the Inquirer's images of the new Barnes Foundation on the Parkway here in Philadelphia. What do you think of the new museum?

The Barnes Foundation is home to works by Cezanne, Matisse, Renoir, Goya, Monet, and Picasso, among others. Currently the art resides in Lower Merion outside of Philadelphia. It was decided in 2002, after a long battle, to move the foundation downtown to increase traffic to this treasured collection.

Being a resident of the area, I've seen the space where the Barnes will eventually exist turn from a dilapidated juvenile center to a field of tall grass in a relatively short amount of time. It's too bad that they weren't able to salvage any of the previous building for use in the museum. It's also too bad that they chose an architect from New York. What about all the local talent?

In any case, I'm looking forward to the completion of the Barnes Foundation, the changes that we're likely to see in my neighborhood (hopefully more parking, shopping and eating!) and of course the chance to see this famed collection in this new, modern space.

Post Script: Since writing this I found an NYTimes piece on the Barnes too. See here. 

For all you coffee and art lovers.....

A local Philadelphia design firm, 160over90, notified us of this great eBay auction going on as we speak....

From Sunday, October 4 through Sunday, October 18, eBay Giving Works visitors will have the chance to bid on a coveted, limited edition De’Longhi Perfecta machine – and donate to Oxfam America - with a click of their mouse.  Making the deal even more appealing to caffeine and art lovers alike, these 29 “Artista Series” espresso makers have been etched with the work of ten 10 designers from the US and abroad at the top of their respective fields.  From popular fashion designer Nicole Miller, to Brooklyn typographer Mike Perry and British interior designer Kelly Hoppen – each artist has put their own spin on their machine.  Proceeds benefit Oxfam America. Bidders can visit www.ebay.com/delonghiartistaseries to get in on the action.

In addition to the auction, 160over90 are holding an event as part of DesignPhiladelphia next Tuesday, the 13th....

What:
160over90 is giving art and design enthusiasts an exclusive look at the De’Longhi Artista Series to celebrate DesignPhiladelphia, the largest national celebration of its kind.  Artists Mike Perry, Damien Correll, and Mario Hugo will be in attendance to discuss their contributions to the series.
   
De’Longhi emphasizes both design and function when creating its products for the home and has taken its philosophy a step further with the De’Longhi Artista Series. Through this initiative, De’Longhi commissioned 10 professional artists, interior and graphic designers from the US and abroad, including fashion designer Nicole Miller, jewelry designer John Hardy, and interior designer Kelly Hoppen, to create original designs that have been laser-etched on De’Longhi’s Perfecta Fully Automatic Espresso Machines.

The engraved Perfectas, produced in limited edition, are set to be auctioned to the public through eBay Giving Works from October 4-18 with proceeds benefiting Oxfam America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the fight against poverty and social injustice. 

Complimentary wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Date:
Tuesday, 10.13.09
Time:
6:00-9:00pm

Where:
160over90
One South Broad Street, 10th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107

All of the designs can be seen here: http://www.delonghiusa.com/artista/

A Love Letter for Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Mural Arts program is one of the largest public arts initiatives in the country. Started in 1984 as part of the Anti-Graffiti campaign, the City of Philadelphia partnered with Jane Golden, a local artist, to rally graffiti artists to paint murals around the city. The program not only provides impressive art in public spaces, but also an outlet for urban artists to hone their skills and give back their community.

One the of latest campaigns for the Mural Arts program is 'A Love Letter For You', by New York based artist Stephen Powers. The murals "collectively express a love letter from a guy to a girl, from an artist to his hometown, and from local residents to their West Philadelphia neighborhood." The murals can be seen on the Market-Frankford line.

Design Week Philadelphia

This week is DesignPhiladelphia, a week of workshops, events, lectures and exhibits celebrating design in Philadelphia. There are a number of evening events, for those that have to work during the day, including the kick off party on the 7th in Love Park. Other highlights include a sample sale the Marketplace, Three Decades of Design (furniture from 1960-1990) at the Calderwood Gallery, Storm Water Systems for the Philly Row Home, the Urban Design Exhibition (at my alma mater!), and lots of open studios and tours of architectural interests around town. There are ten plus events each day, surely something for everyone's interest.

In honor of DesignPhiladelphia, we'll be posting about Philadelphia all week. Hope you can go out and enjoy some design....and some of this good weather!

It's Here!

Lonny is here - and it's awesome! If only I could touch and feel it.... But this is a very close second. Please visit and forward to your friends and check out their advertisers so we can keep this thing going!

PS: Happy October!