By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
I spend more time than usual in the craft stores this time of year. I'm always inspired by the aisles of faux branches, berries, leaves, and flowers, just waiting to be skillfully arranged into fabulous holiday decor. But alas I just can't bring myself to buy fake greenery. It is convenient, but not nearly as pretty as the real thing.
The trend-spotters at Daily Candy just blogged about Nettleton Hollow, an online source for au naturel branches, leaves, flowers, pods, and more. Check out their blog for some great DIY projects. Their stuff is beautiful and inspiring. I'm ready to create a Manzanita branch Christmas tree now!
How about a grouping of chile peppers on your mantel? A unique way to bring red into your holiday decor.
No, they're not pine cones. They are Thika pods. Great for display or adorning gifts.
Okay, not really anything holiday-ish here, but aren't these Ram's Head pods cool! Add some white paint and glitter and you've got a great gift topper.
For more holiday decor ideas, check out myhomeideas.
by Allison Arieff, Sunset editor-at-large
Every year, my mother kept a datebook, usually one of those from the Museum of Modern Art featuring Impressionists or Frank Lloyd Wright. She wrote her appointments in it but more importantly, she kept all the ephemera of her daily life--business cards, postcards she'd received or just bought on her travels, photos, even movie tickets. At the end of the year the slim volume had plumped up, jam-packed with evidence of a year well-lived. I adopted this habit and was for years obsessed with similarly stuffing the beautiful Redstone Diary every year. These volumes are like mini-histories; they're rich autobiographies I love to return to if only to recall for a minute a dinner I had or person I met long ago.
Jessica Helfand, a graphic designer and founding editor of one of my favorite websites Design Observer, is so taken with these collections of ephemera that she began to put together a book on what she sees as "valid repositories of social history." The beautiful result of her efforts is Scrapbooks: An American History, recently published by Yale University Press.
Some pages record the mundane (though they do so exquisitely) as with Mary Shultz's meticulous records from 1926 of all sort of domestic issues such as stain removal. Molly Kelley's 1929 record of summer camp reveals the mind of an anthropologist in the making:
Others are just plain fun to look at:
The examples in this book are so tactile, so full of texture and materiality that I am almost compelled to ditch the iCal for the blank page.
By Miranda Jones, Sunset style editor
Just in time for Thanksgiving entertaining, Ferm Living is offering their 'falling leaves' wall stickers for $40 (they normally retail for $64). The wall stickers come in a packet of 12 and in a variety of sizes. You can attach the decals to walls, tables, mirrors, windows and vases for a simple (and non permanent) seasonal decoration. Don't they look beautiful applied to the white wall? It seems as though they just fell out of the tree!
The leaves come in black, silver or gold. It would be fun to mix gold and silver for a more dressed up feel.
Just type 'THANKS" in the notes section at check out between 11/4 and 11/21 - your discount will be processed as a refund within 48 hours of placing your order. Then sit back and wait for the compliments to roll in. Tres chic AND easy! How very Sunset.
by Allison Arieff, Sunset, editor-at-large
I received such a beautiful little gem of a publication in the mail the other day that I wanted to share it with all of you--and send you over to their wonderful site so you can check it for yourselves. It's called Growers and Nomads and is devoted to "unfolding the meaning of home."
Though the focus of the website is on home improvement, Growers and Nomads isn't going to feel like the DIY websites you're probably more used to. There's an wonderful emotive quality to Growers and Nomads especially in print. (The short story by Ann Hood had me crying in my coffee.) But it provides tons of practical information as well, on everything from window cleaning to how the economy is effecting home improvement plans to a country cabin renovation. Users can join the Growers and Nomads community to subscribe to the print edition, to share information and get answers from experts on home-related questions; they can even start blogs of their own within the site. This may not be the only place to get this sort of information but it undoubtedly one of the most poetic!
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
One of the many joys of living in the Bay Area is being so close to the Heath Ceramics factory store in Sausalito. Their collections are beautifully modern and timeless. For fans in Southern California, the company just opened their first store in Los Angeles (as mentioned in our November issue). They also just debuted this fun new line of kid's dish sets that can be combined with colorful flatware by British designer David Mellor. All comes packaged in an adorable lunch-style box. A great gift idea for aspiring young modernists!
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
Is it cool, or what? This of-the-moment chair would be great paired with a sleek white desk. Available at the design mecca ABC Carpet & Home in NYC. I found it on Ahn-Minh's inspiring design blog. Check our her musings here. And get out and vote!
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
The older I get, the harder it is for me to shop for the sake of shopping (a.k.a. the obligatory holiday season that is fast on our heels). The other day while shopping for the sake of shopping at Bellisima Jewelry Design (okay, jewelry shopping is still a serious addiction), I discovered Nest, a nonprofit online boutique that sells one-of-a-kind clothes, jewelry and housewares made by more than 80 emerging designers on the indie scene. Profits from Nest sales are used to create interest-free business loans for women artisans in developing countries. I love it! Here are some items that inspired me to holiday shop for this great cause.
This Sky Bowl from Swedish designer Karin Eriksson is so lovely. Great gift for your favorite co-worker!
I love this 8 1/2 x 11 Umbrella print from artist Dallas Shaw. Drawing of butterflies and umbrella is superimposed on a piece of vintage wallpaper. At only $20, it's a great find for your stylish friends!
Who can resist this great-looking canvas tote? What a hip gift bag, that you can use year-round.
by Miranda Jones, Sunset style editor
I love dictionaries and never thought that they needed any improvement. Being a reference tool, they work perfectly well without any bells and whistles.
That is what I used to think. Last week I called in this beauty from See Jane Work for a photo shoot.
I included an enormous picture so that you had no choice but to marvel at it. It is not an understatement to say that I am 100% obsessed with the white crocodile cover and the gold stamping. If this dictionary were a bag I would buy it.
It is $180 but aren't dictionaries investments? It is not as though I would need to buy a new one every year.
In case white hot leather isn't your thing I also found these options at Gift Genius.
It should be no secret that I want that gold one. And maybe the yellow one. What if I decided to put a dictionary in every room? These embossed calfskin ones are a little less pricey at $159 and would make a delightful gift for everyone. Well, maybe not everyone. Everyone I know though, for sure.
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
I love these pendants, end of story. The creative guys at Seattle's Graypants (featured in our October issue) salvage pieces of discarded corrugated cardboard and upcycle them into Scrap Lights, their wonderfully organic and textural pendants. Don't be silly and put them in a damp location. Available at Velocity Art and Design.
by Elizabeth Jardina, Sunset researcher
The marvelous Nikki McClure is on her way down the West Coast!
The Olympia, Washington-based papercut artist, whose bold calendars have inspired a devoted following, is showing original works on her Vote for Survival tour, which opened in San Francisco last weekend, and is headed down to L.A. for a reception on Saturday.
I'm crazy about her limited edition prints on wood, especially this one, Mother.
Nikki creates her images by cutting them out of a single piece of black paper with an X-acto knife — like a gorgeous sheet of lace.
The show in Los Angeles opens Saturday at Giant Robot and runs through Nov. 12. Nikki will be at the opening, so say hi. You can also see her work at Needles & Pens in San Francisco through Nov. 10.
Out of the area? Browse a large selection of her work virtually on BuyOlympia.com or her eco-friendly T-shirts from Patagonia.
My favorite pick for this political season? This bumper sticker — a bargain at 99 cents.
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
After last week's marathon staging at the Monterey Idea House, I was in need of a mindless obsession this week. Lo and behold, the design blogosphere is starting to sprout beautifully-styled 2009 calendars. My calendar shopping usually waits till the January clearance sale at Borders, but it's hard to resist the pretty delicacies I've seen in the past few days.
Snow & Graham letterpress just released their '09 calendar. It's not letterpress, but it is gorgeous. Available at delight.com.
Paper Source just launched this colorful collection of 12 months, made on 100% recycled paper. To encourage recycling at the end of the year, the back of each month has a template for folding the page into a pillow box, hang tag, gift tag, bookmark, or file folder. Genius!
Etsy seller Dutch Door Press offers this hand-colored, letterpress wall calendar, in a limited edition of 100. So adorable, reminds me of tea towels my mom had when I was a kid.
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
All politics aside, would you cozy up to a couch with a bear as a throw? When I saw this image of Ms. Palin's office in the NY Times, I was stumped. I guess I'm just a thoroughly urban girl. Now a cashmere throw, that's something I can snuggle up to.
Photo by the Anchorage Daily News
by Jess Chamberlain, Sunset home & design writer (image of Tumbleweed house on freeway from story)
Being a San Francisco young adult renter, an eco-enthusiast, and not independently wealthy, I've been obsessed with the idea of small, sustainable, minimalist homes for sometime now and just adored this New York Times article yesterday: The next little thing?
In this piece about a surge of interest in tiny dwellings as a reaction to the intense real estate market (and a boom in popularity of the greener life), author Steven Kurutz defines the "small house movement" as "minimizing one’s footprint—structural as well as carbon—by living in spaces that are smaller than 1,000 square feet and, in some cases, smaller than 100."
The story introduced me to the blog Small House Style, which I kind of can't believe I haven't known about. For the first time in a long time I have renewed hope in the idea of one day being a homeowner.
Though I beg for a home larger than 100 square feet.
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
Bad feng shui greets me every time I enter my house: the dreaded pile. A mound of coats, backpacks, purses, baseball caps, and miscellaneous shopping bags sit piled on the floor. There is a bench, but that is strictly for paper piles. I'm in serious need of some hooks. I don't like coat racks, so I've been searching for some cool wall hooks. Here's what I've found so far:
At $1.99, the Molger walnut hook rack from IKEA is my cheapest option. If I had more room, I'd hang three of them staggered.
I'm leaning toward these branch hooks from Urban Outfitters. I like the bronze finish, and they'd still look artful those rare times that they'd be coat-free.
Handcrafted in Vermont, these hooks are available in maple, beech or birch timber from the folks at Live Wire Farm Timber. Okay, I'm leaning toward these, too. So beautifully natural and practical!
The Hang hook from Lekker would be fun in a Kid's room.
From our friends at Design Public, the Harry Allen C'mere Hand Hook would be a guaranteed freak-out for my kids. Also, I'm not so comfortable having a few sawed-off hands greeting people at the front door. I'm trying to get rid of the bad feng shui!
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
The Halloween mood has struck me early this year. I'm ready to start stacking hay bales and pumpkins on the front porch. That must be why I fell instantly in love with the spider designs of artist Sarah Cihat's Rehabilitated Dishware.
First of all, the concept is eco-fabulous. She scours thrift shops and clearance aisles for ceramic dinnerware that she takes to her Brooklyn studio and reglazes and refires into chic and cheeky designs.
Check out her site for other fun graphic motifs and online purchasing. Available at Rose and Radish in San Francisco.
by Allison Arieff, Sunset editor-at-large
For the last several months I've been driving by this cool looking building in downtown San Francisco and wondering what it was.
I'm so glad to learn that it not only looks great but there's a great idea behind it. In a city where space is at a premium and home prices remain staggeringly high, Cubix offers small, space-maximizing units (about 250-350 square feet) at a price that more closely aligns with the national median (around $200,000). Other major cities like New York and Hong Kong have long offered tiny but stylish multi-family options; it's an idea whose time has come here in San Francisco.
Designed by Hauser Architects, Cubix takes a lesson from Jane Jacobs and promotes walkability. Apart from the small and efficient square footage of its units (because after all, shouldn't we be out enjoying the world outside our door a little more), the building is in easy walking distance of downtown (and of all of the city's major public transit systems).
You'd do just fine here without a car (and if you needed one, you could just pop on over and get a Zip Car for the afternoon. There's a Whole Foods down the street, the amazing Ferry Plaza Farmers Market just blocks away, and countless amazing restaurants like Fringale, Coco500, and South Park Cafe nearby.
Perfect for first-time homebuyers or empty nesters. Ideal for the environment. I'd love to see more of this forward-thinking city planning happening here in San Francisco and elsewhere throughout the country.
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
It's taken me awhile to warm up to the look of faux bois. It is, after all, fake wood. Nothing pretty about that. Also brings back memories of the oh-so-popular paneled dens and dining rooms of the 1970s. Today, as a recognized design trend, faux bois revels in its fakeness. I kinda like that.
We're featuring these pendants from 2Modern in the kitchen of our Monterey Idea House. They add a touch of design irony to a room filled with beautiful veneers and reclaimed timber.
Martha is riding the trend with these faux bois towels at Macys, in a range of lovely Martha colors.
Search the word "faux bois" on Etsy, and you'll find 14 pages worth of tchotchkes. Seller keykalou has this cool business card case that would be a perfect gift to celebrate a new job.
The blog It's (K)not Wood (can you believe it?) is dedicated to all woods fake. Here I found these fabu Keds.
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
Where did the summer go!? It's goodbye to fresh peaches, white pants, and the Menlo Park Idea House. This is the last weekend to check out this bursting-with-ideas house! If you're too busy enjoying those final lazy days of August, see it online or pick up the October issue of Sunset where there will be how-to's on some of the many great ideas seen in the house.
I wish I had a place in my house for this bamboo table. If you're interested in it, or something like it, check out the 522 Industries blog. You'll also get a sneak peek of some of the beautiful headboards they're making for our Monterey Idea House. See you there!
by Miranda Jones, Sunset's style editor
It is almost too good to be true, my friends. Earlier today I found out that Jonathan Adler relies on Sunset for his outdoor decorating tips and now it looks like Sunset magazine can count sfgirlbybay as a fan!
This is uber exciting, not just because the post on her blog was very complimentary or because it was accompanied (in true sfgirlbybay style) with lots of photos to drool over, but because so many of us here at Sunset are huge fans of hers.
If you love new artist, interiors, design, constant furniture rearranging and fantastic photos and don't already know about sfgirlbybay, then it is high time to check it out!
Like right now. Also, don't forget to check out Sunset's article on Victoria (sfgirlbybay) in March!
by Miranda Jones, Sunset style editor
You know those really great moments when you find out that someone you admire thinks that you are great too?
Turns out that Jonathan Adler, the man that made pottery and needlepoint cool again, thinks that Sunset is nothing less than, wait for it ... his Bible!
While doling out decorating tips on The Huffington Post, Mr. Adler suggested consulting Sunset when redecorating one's outdoor space. Obviously, I couldn't agree more. Thank you for the shout out, JA! We think that you are the cat's meow. Read our Q&A (including Adler's favorite eBay search terms).
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
The minute I saw this, I knew it was an idea to steal. All the old flower frogs I was just about to give up to the Goodwill have found a new life...as photo stands for vintage photos and postcards! I've got to confess, this idea came from my newest obsession: Saffron and Genevieve in Santa Cruz. This inspiring vintage furniture shop has that bohemian country look I adore. Owner/interior designer Colleen Hickey handpicks each item in the store from scouting trips throughout the West. Visit her blog to read about her antiquing adventures.
I've got my eye on this cool chair.
This vintage rattan side table already made its way home with me. Next time you're in Santa Cruz, visit the shop at 910b Soquel Avenue.
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
The scene: builder and painter frantically finishing the kitchen of our Monterey Idea House. Reggae music, blasting from a boom box, heightens the mood. BTW, they've got one hour before the photographers return from lunch. The thrill of it all!
by Allison Arieff, Sunset editor-at-large
A handpicked group of some of the coolest architects and designers in the Bay Area have stepped to the plate to create everything from beer halls to food halls for Slow Food Nation, the first-ever American collaborative gathering to unite the growing sustainable food movement and introduce thousands of people to food that is good, clean and fair through enjoyable, accessible and educational activities.
Jensen Architects' bold Welcome Pavilions, created from shipping containers, will lure visitors to SFN's Civic Center and Fort Mason locations.
Chocolate will be even tastier when sampled in the multi-sensory pavilion created by Aidlin Darling Design (who are also the designers of one of my favorite SF restaurants, Bar Bambino).
You can sample charcuterie to your heart's content while viewing a cultural history of meat in Cary Bernstein's gallery-inspired pavilion.
Other cool projects include Randolph Design's Beer Pavilion featuring a bar made from recycled beer bottles, Sagan Piechota Architecture's Pickle and Chutney Pavilion, which involves the suspension of over 3,000 mason jar lids from the ceiling, and walls made from mason jars and filled with recipes and pictures of pickles from around the world, an "infinite" table for picnicking by David Baker + Partners, and a compost exhibit from the designers of IDEO including "black gold" compost bricks for visitors to take away.
Hungry yet? Slow Food Nation will take place in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend, August 29 to September 1, 2008. Sunset is proud to be a sponsor of this amazing event. For tickets, click here. See you there!
By Jennie Nunn, Sunset associate editor
On Thursday, July 31st, CB2 will open its doors in San Francisco’s Union Square. The 8,000-square-foot store, with exposed brick and dark bamboo floors, is stocked with modern goods including cherry red wing chairs, recycled placemats, wall hangings by Finnish artist Maija Louekari, and tangerine-hued side tables designed as a nod to Florence Knoll.
For a glimpse inside the new space, head to 35 Ellis St., San Francisco, Cb2.com. A portion of the proceeds from opening weekend will benefit San Francisco’s Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation.
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
It happens every year. Summer rolls around and I have every intention of immersing myself in a good, juicy read and the next thing I know, The New York Times is publishing its year-end list of the most notable books of the year. Summer 2008 was looking like another missed season of reading till today, when The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton crossed my desk. Yes, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but this is such a happy cover. The basic premise is how the buildings we walk by, work in or come home to affect how we feel. Looks like a summer read I'm ready to dive into.
by Miranda Jones, Sunset style editor
Last Thursday night welcomed a new kid to the interior design block of San Francisco's Union Street. Designers Tyler Dawson and Caitlin Moran put their stylish heads together and opened a new store that is in between their two offices (literally - it is in the room that separates their respective spaces)
Found is a collection of 'rediscovered objects for the home' put together by two ladies with eagle eyes and fantastic taste. Caitlin thinks of it as a 'well-edited estate sale'. Well edited and spiffed up - many pieces have already been repainted or reupholstered and are ready to go - no fixing up necessary!
" We're trying to give people an opportunity to find home furnishings that are beautiful, unique, and have a story, says Tyler Dawson. " We're trying to create a shop that appeals to designers and lay people alike, with a wider range of price points than you might find at other interior design shops".
Have a look.......
I wish my place looked this good after I spent the day at the Alameda Flea Market! Maybe I can convince Caitlin and Tyler to let me tag along with them next time.....
Found is open 12-5, Tuesday through Saturday, 1842 union St (between Octavia and Laguna)
By Jess Chamberlain, Sunset home & design writer
I'm a self-admitted target customer for die-hard plants, and also a total softie for home & garden gift shops, especially those with organic-modern aesthetic. I was therefore over-the-top thrilled to find out about the Life + Limb store while doing some work in Portland, OR a few months ago. A visit to this lovely and unique urban succulent and modern design haven lead to some container cameos in a recent home story photo shoot, which appears in this month’s issue, pages 57-62. Unfortunately we didn’t have room to focus on these lovely arrangements, so an extra-big shout out (and adoration!) to Life + Limb (and talented owner Molly Quan) right here!
Tabletop arrangements pictured above: Haworthia Fasciata in containers, $60/arrangement ($6/plant, 4 in each pot; $28/container; $8/potting)
Tabletop arrangements pictured above:
Right and left: Ferocactus chrysacanthus in Adam Ceramic pot, $27 ($8/plant, $15/pot, $4/potting-service)
Middle: Opuntia in Adam Ceramic pot, $29 ($10/plant, $15/pot, $4/potting-service)
And below are some pics of my visit to the shop back in March, when it was a mere 5 months old. I was like a kid in a candy store, awe-ing at the gorgeous architectural indoor plants and the well-edited selection of accessories and home accents—a must shop for gifts! I loved watching the in-store potting service in action as a young couple chose a plant, a container, and mulch and had it all assembled right there—likely on their way to a housewarming.
More pics here.
Life + Limb, which specializes in indoor plants (namely succulents) offers rotating monthly art shows, gift registry, complimentary gift wrapping, in-home consultation—and potentially online shopping soon!
Visit: Life + Limb; 1716 E. Burnside, Portland, OR; 503/233-4738 or lifeandlimb.net
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
There is no rest for the weary Idea House team! We just finished staging our Menlo Park Idea House and now we're gearing up for moving into our Monterey house in a couple of weeks. No time for vacation, but a day of furniture shopping in Laguna Beach is not a bad fringe benefit!
Our great friend Laurie Alter of Tuvalu Home Environment in downtown Laguna is helping us complete the casually elegant look of the home. Tuvalu provided most of the accessories for our Orange County Idea House, and did a phenomenal job in helping us add layers of luxurious beach house style.
Her selections for the Monterey house are just as fabulous. These lights are made from natural wild vines. We are going to group them together in a large indoor-outdoor room that opens up to the landscape and a majestic native oak.
This lovely Jamie Young lamp would look great in my house the Idea House! Excuse my vicarious shopping, another on-the-job hazard.
I love these vintage wheels. We may use the large one as a piece of art in the entry to the house. Stay tuned for the start of staging!
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
After a couple of almost all-nighters, the Menlo Park Idea House opened to great success last weekend. It's fantastic to see, what for so long have been ideas percolating in our heads, finally come to fruition after a lot of hard work and determination (not to mention umpteen trips to Ikea, Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond!).
Here's a sneak peek at some of my favorite ideas and spaces in the house.
The living room beautifully epitomizes our vision for the house: combining old and affordable pieces with the new and luxurious to create a fresh, unique and elegant look. Sofa is from InformSeattle, side chairs and vintage file cabinet from Cisco Home, coffee table and curtains from Ikea, all paint from Benjamin Moore's low-VOC Aura collection.
There's a chorus of "wows" every time visitors enter the boy's room and see this vintage album cover headboard. It's a great way to show off that collection of album art sitting in your garage. The Plexiglass front is easy to remove, so when you're tired of the album covers, you could easily replace them with fabric, photos, or paint out the framed squares in different colors!
Here is another room that elicits a visceral response from visitors. This yellow paint, Benjamin Moore's Soleil AF-330, is like sunshine in a can. It practically glows with cheer! It's impossible to be in a bad mood when you're in this room. Alas, a good choice for a tweener's bedroom. The vinyl graphics, Ilan Dei's Anise from BLIK Surface Graphics, add instant art to the happy walls.
In the master bedroom, we created a mantle headboard from foam architectural trim from Fypon. Great way to save some $$$ and no woodworking experience required! Wallpaper is Lace Stripe from the Velluto Collection produced by Printers Guild Series. We found it at California Paint Company in Palo Alto, 650/326-9285.
Visit the house for many more cool ideas. It's open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday till August 31.
Continue reading "Idea House Menlo Park: now open for tours!" »
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
Whew, it's been awhile since I've been able to post. We start staging our Menlo Park Idea House this week, so I've been consumed with the inevitable last-minute dramas that happen just before the builder hands us the keys to the house. Stay tuned for a behind-the-scenes post later this week as we unload the furniture trucks!
A trip down to our Monterey Idea House is a great escape from the frenzy, even if it is to attend a four-hour construction meeting. In the grand scheme of things, there are worse ways to spend your time.
Here are the views we enjoy during our meetings. This particular view is from the master bedroom. No excuses for waking up on the wrong side of the bed when your bed looks at this million-dollar view.
Here is the shower wall in the master shower. Turn to get your bar of soap, and you see the aforementioned million-dollar view. I'd be a squeaky-clean person if I lived in this house. Who'd ever want to leave the shower? The Sakura Mural Tile is from Ann Sacks.
The hardwood flooring from BR-111 just arrived. How gorgeous is this, especially set against the Oceanside Glasstile that wraps the fireplace.
Before we install the flooring, Uponor's underfloor radiant heating PEX-a tubing goes in. This is one of those cool, hidden products that goes unseen during the open house tour.
There's a circle motif going on in our kitchen. This large circle peeks into the kitchen from the dining room.
Adding to the whimsy, circle cut-outs on the opposite wall look into the family room. Come back soon to see the backsplash tile that surrounds it!
Continue reading "Idea House Monterey: views from the bay " »
By Jennie Nunn, Sunset associate editor
Armed with the essentials: flip flops, a notebook, pen, digital camera, and a sturdy canvas bag, I walked through Coverings, (an international stone and tile show) in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, combing the place for the latest and greatest in tile and stone.
I knew the show was going to be huge, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see during the two-day event May 1 and 2 with 1,200 exhibitors.
From round penny tiles made from tiny bits of recycled glass to hand-stenciled subway tiles with elegant damask patterns, glittery metallics, and porcelain reminiscent of faux leather (so realistic I had to touch it to see for myself), my favorite had to be the “Vintage” tile from Spanish company, Inalco Ceramica.
The tiles, reminiscent of puffy quilted upholstery, were strategically placed above a queen-size bed for a luxurious look complete with indentations that doubled as buttons. (This image hardly does it justice, but I just love the inventive use of tile in the bedroom).
So, who needs a headboard when you can just use tile? Not to mention the fact that it’s easy to clean. I used to think tile was only practical for use in the kitchen, bathroom, garden, or even a fireplace façade, but now I’m inspired.
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
We're three weeks away from placing furniture in our Menlo Park Idea House. This is when activity at the house is at full throttle. It's also the time when co-workers walking the house are guaranteed to ask, with genuine concern, "Are you guys going to get this done in time?" Don't they watch Extreme Makeover? We've had eight months to build this house, of course we'll get it done! Check out the progress this week.
How many guys does it take to get a 42" refrigerator into a house? When they're rolling it uphill, on soft dirt, it takes about five. Plus, two women in the background yelling, "BE CAREFUL, sponsor product!"
Another beautiful handmade tile from Fireclay Tile. This is on the face of the Living Room fireplace.
Here's the kitchen just before the appliances went in. The red lamp, from Croft&Little, is a fun punch of color against the cool blue tile and white counters.
Whew, the range fit. Always a nail-biter till it's installed. Glass backsplash tile is from Modwalls.
Vintage 1949 school map that we were going to use as a window covering, but instead it will be wall art.
Bob, our builder, who's driving us to the finish line. Great work, Bob!
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
Blossom Home, an adorable vintage furnishings shop in Los Gatos, has been on my gotta-see-it list for a few months. I wish I could say that I discovered this lovely gem, but I'll confess, I read about it on the sfgirlbybay blog, a source for extraordinary design finds in the Bay Area and beyond.
We're still searching for some vintage pieces for our Menlo Park Idea House, so during our mini heat wave last week I escaped the triple digits and took a step back in time into this charming shop. What a find! The owner, Sylvie Oxman, is a thrifting genius with a fantastic flair for combining different styles and eras to create a look that says French flea market chic.
Sweet display of vintage lamps.
Luscious vignette, straight out of a set design for a '40s movie.
We're considering this beautifully refinished makeup desk for the girl's room.
Great idea for displaying a collection. Finally, something to do with all my cupcake tins that haven't seen a cupcake in years.
Sylvie and her cute family.
For more of Sylvie's inspiring style, check out her blog or view her Flickr photostream.
By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager
We're about a month away from furniture deliveries at our Menlo Park Idea House. Viesso, a furniture maker in Los Angeles, will be making the sectional for the Family Room. You've got to be careful when selecting sectionals, as they can suck all the life out of a room if they're too large for the space.
The other day Kelly and I spent a lot of time in the Family Room trying to determine the size of the sectional. We did a dance around the room with a measuring tape, she at one end and me at the other. Still couldn't get a clear picture of the size of the sofa. One of the painters left a roll of masking tape. Boy did that help!
Here is the style of the sectional, color and fabric still to be determined.
