So Cool: Scott Ingram

Apartment Therapy posted about this artist, Scott Ingram. His work is crisp and fun. The concept is simple, thought I suspect it's not as easy as one would think to execute (like lots of great art). He is represented by Lydecker Fine Art, on West 10th Street. Ann Lydecker says " I am representing Scott Ingram in New York and five of his works for sale. You can see two works on paper hanging at Fountainhead Cafe at 181 W.10th St. at Seventh Avenue. or you can call me: 917.940.3353 for more information." Ann also told me that Scott's work will be featured in the upcoming issue of House and Garden.

Very nice!! Any of these would look great in our living room! ;)

Branch Home (...and still more pillows!!)

Pillows are a great way to add color and personality to a room. And there are a TON of options out there. So I'm trying to edit myself, but I really like the pillows sold by Branch Home. I like the boldness of the this handmade embroidered pillow (made by artisans in Transylvania!).

Branch has a lot of cool things, and they are "environmetally responsible".

They also carry KStudio, and this one that designed by Tina Ratzer reminds me of the Hudson Bay blankets my grandmother used to have.

More Pillows: K Studio

Since I am on the subject of pillows, I also like the pillows made by K Studio.I'm not a big fan of the animals/people designs, but I really like the branch, floral, pebbles designs. If you order directly from the K studio webiste you can pick your size/shape, fabric color and stitching color.

FOLD Pillows

I really like the pillows from FOLD design. I need to add color to our new sectional and break up all the brown in the room. But I would prefer to stay away from prints. I think these pillows would look in great in our living room in blue, grey and white. I ordered swatches from Design Public to help make my decision. I think offering free swatches is great customer service! If I do end up buying these I will get them through Design Public (and free shipping over $100 is a nice bonus).

Ragellah Rourke

Since I mentioned my dream of buying some original artwork I thought I would post about an artist at the tippy top of my list. Her name is Ragellah Rourke, she lives in upstate New York. I have seen only a couple of her pieces in person, but I have been viewing her work online for about a year. I hope to visit some galleries that represent her in the Catskill/Hudson NY area some day soon. Windham Fine Arts is on of those galleries, and the gallery director (Victoria), sent me some great advice on buying art:

"My advice to you is BUY WHAT YOU LOVE! It doesn't matter if it matches the couch. You won't have that couch for the rest of your life, but a work of art reflects your taste and personality. Sometimes a buyer will love something that even surprises them prompting a new awareness in themselves. Buy from an established dealer or gallery....Don't buy for an investment. So much for what determines whether your painting goes up in value has nothing to do with the artist and his/her talent but more with what important people have added them to their collection or revues, so again BUY WHAT YOU LOVE! Will it make you smile when you see it? Can't put a value on that."

The photo above is from Ragellah Rourke's latest show at Windham. It's titled "Immersion". I think it's really impressive, and imagine that it looks even better in person.

Ragellah's work can be seen at Windham Fine Arts and Gallery 100

ArtRiver: Paul Klee

I've been looking for artwork to hang on our many bare walls. I would like to get some original artwork, but it's low on the budget priority list. I found this site called ArtRiver that has a nice philosophy. This is from their About Us section:

"Some time ago we at ArtRiver recognized a problem: art enthusiasts, like ourselves, were forced to settle between the common poster and the unreasonably expensive print with almost no middle ground.....At ArtRiver you will find a steady source for rare and collectible prints drawn from around the world. Many of the prints on the site are the last of their kind on the market and in most cases once a particular print sells out it is gone for good (this is not a sales pitch but an honest disclosure)."

The site is fairly limited. And many of the works that they showcase have no descriptions. I'm skeptical, but I love Paul Klee ("Perspektive" pictured above) and they have some intriguing pieces. It may be worth a phone call or email.

Red Ball Rocker

This rocker would look great with the Eames chair in our living room! I've seen it in person and it is very pretty. I like it because it has a sculptural quality, but is practical and will be fun for the kids. It's hard to find things for kids that have a reasonable life span and are not plastic (and ugly). I would also like to think that it would inspire creativity, as it is not the standard rocking horse.

Available at DWR(jax).

Eames Plywood Chair in Red

I LOVE this chair. I have for a long time, so I know it's true love ;). It doesn't even bother me that everyone has it, and you see it everywhere (it's part of the permanent collection at MOMA). I think it is so beautiful, and surprisingly VERY comfortable. It has a great byproduct story too: "the Eames' discoveries led to a commission from the U.S. Navy in 1942 to develop plywood splints, stretchers, and glider shells molded under heat and pressure."

If I buy this I would order it through Circa 50. I like the guys that run this website (they are very nice, and from Vermont). We bought our Saarinen coffee table from them. They do the larger deliveries themselves in Boston and NYC and they always have items in stock. (Also they offer free shipping which is a bonus).

Brooklyn Follies...Yawn

I recently finished reading Paul Auster's latest, "Brooklyn Follies". I probably bought it because I am very familiar with the area depicted in the cover art, and Amazon readers gave it 4 stars. What I should have done was read more than the first paragraph of the Washington Post review (by Jeff Turrentine), but I have a very short attention span and took a chance. This really hits the nail on the head, yawn. I'm sure it would make a great Hallmark movie:

"The manner in which everyone's miseries converge and nullify one another is what defines The Brooklyn Follies, ultimately, as a comedy. Suffice it to say that by the end, the partner-less are happily partnered, the long-lost are returned, and love finally flourishes where dread once thrived. All just in time for Sept. 11, 2001 -- the day Nathan ends his account. Dread has just been forestalled, of course, not vanquished."

To cheer myself up I just bought Richard Russo's Straight Man. I'm on chapter 4 and so far so good.

Ahhh....Alessi
The Michael Graves teapot and sugar/creamer set are 80s icons, very fun as well as beautiful. They work so well in all different types of decor. When I was in high school I worked in a high end gift shop and this was one of the best sellers. It sold for $90 then, and now sells for $135, so maybe it can be written off as an investment?!? (it was originally priced at $60 when it was released in 1985!).

Hivemodern is selling the 20th anniversary set, which is nice but I prefer the classic colors.

Michael Graves at Hivemodern, free shipping

Personal Stationery (not Stationary!)
A friend of my mother's sent me a baby shower gift with a note on her personal stationery. Since then personalized note cards have moved to the top of my "frivolous indulgences" list. I have looked at a ton of options over the last year and have decided that letterpress is the way to go. And if a long lost relative dies and I get an inheritance check I will spend it at Pearl Papers. I LOVE "inky" design #2 (aka merrill holden). I would also stick with off white paper and onyx lettering, as I think it makes the most impact.

Introduction: Not a "Blogger"

I didn't think I'd ever have a blog. I used to feel that people just wrote them for attention. Over the past year however I have been reading a lot of blogs. I stick to art & design, interior design, real estate, and of course all things baby product/clothes related! I created this blog for purely selfish reasons. I plan to use it as a design diary/scrapbook, or wish list. I plan to post about design related products for our home, books, movies, music, and baby clothes and toys. I'd like to be able to look at it years from now and think "Oh yes that was great!", or "What was I thinking?".

My favorite blogs currently are (in order of preference):

Apartment Therapy
Designsponge
Brownstoner
Babygadget
Only The Blog Knows Brooklyn
Productdose
A Brooklyn Life
MocoLoco
Suburban Bliss
Baby Chic 101