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1st Dibs: It's up!
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: katiedidWell, it is really up!
Patricia Dobashi from 1st Dibs was so kind to ask if I would like to be profiled for their wonderful site.......who, me?!? Be on a website that I have admired and looked at for inspiration since it began? Absolutely!
I was put in touch with Marcia Sherrill, who was so very fun and kind. (Marcia has a profile on 1st dibs as well...check it out here!) She has done such a nice profile it makes me blush. (To get there directly go here. )I just wanted to extend a heartfelt "thank you" to everyone at 1st Dibs who made this such a great experience.
And if you have not already, do take the time to read all of the really fantastic articles on their site. Especially the one about Michael Bruno, of course!
Thanks again 1st Dibs! It has been a complete pleasure.
Cool Stuff: Ferm Living Oilcloths
04/14/2008, 20:40 | Original Site: More Ways to Waste Tim
I don't know what the weather's been like in your neck of the woods, but here in Northern California it was blistering hot this weekend. (Is it global warming? Is the Bay Area the new Palm Springs? I'm busy plotting our move to Vancouver through the sweat over here ... )Anyway, all this unseasonal heat has me itching to move mealtimes outside, where we can take shelter under the shade of our towering birch tree while praying for a cooling breeze. And what better way to dress the patio table than with these brand-new oilcloths (such as Family Tree, above) from Denmark's Ferm Living, the maker of some of the coolest modern wallpapers around?
Even if it's still chilly in your area or you don't have an outdoor dining space, these are a fun way to dress up your kitchen or dining table -- and are particularly great if you have spill-prone kids.
Take a look:
Branch
Walldots
Bindweed
BerryFerm's oilcloth is about $28 per linear meter, which is roughly 39 inches; the oilcloth comes in 55-inch widths, so if you want a tablecloth that's about four and a half feet wide by six and a half feet long, order two meters. It's available through the Scandinavian Design Center -- which also carries beautiful oilcloths from Marimekko, Pappelina, and Susanne Schjerning.
Check them out right here.Food Tour
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: Bluelines
Posted by LenaI just got back from a quick trip to Portland, Maine. I was there to work, but spent a big portion of the time eating!
Dining in, dining out... both simple food and sophisticated... it was all so delicious.
Here are some snapshots of my meals in Portland, and a list of restaurants I highly recommend.
FORE STREET
Fantastic local, seasonal food in a beautiful old building.
288 Fore Street
BRESCA
A sweet, intimate restaurant with great Italian dishes, also made with fresh, local ingredients.
111 Middle Street
BLUE SPOON
The perfect place to get a really delicious soup and salad for lunch.
89 Congress St
FLAT BREAD COMPANY
Wood fired pizza with toppings like organic vegetables, homemade maple fennel sausage, and goat cheese.
72 Commercial Street
SARA'S TEA SHOP
This sweet little tea shop doesn't have a website, but the loose teas are wonderful and the homemade scones are to die for.
195 Congress street
guest blog: alma and nancy?s home
04/04/2008, 14:00 | Original Site: Design*Sponge
i just wanted to thank elka for her incredible guest blog posts this week. her final post today belongs to the beautiful home of alma and nancy, artists based in joshua tree. there’s only one word to describe their home: spectacular. click here to check out their home photos and read elka’s interview with them.
The Poster List
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: Design Milk
If you don’t know about The Poster List, now is the time!! Adam sent over this awesome new take on the “Keep Calm” poster. Sweet. I also included a few others I really like below:
All posters are printed with 100% vegetable ink on organic acid free paper. This week and next they are having a 2 for $20 sale: 2 posters for $20. Go poster crazy!
More on Mallory and Those Walls
03/25/2008, 16:51 | Original Site: style court
This is a good week for Atlanta-based designer Mallory Mathison. Apart from being named one of the domino 10, her traditional-meets-chic Peachtree Road residence is expected to be featured in the AJC's Sunday home and garden section. I think the coverage will inspire anyone who dwells in a small space.
Mathison's style epitomizes that youthful Southern look I've been talking about this month. In her bedroom she liberally used an oh-so-trad Scalamandre linen floral, "Bantry House" in Aqua (if you've seen the latest Vogue Living you know this also very "now") but balanced the feminine print with rich faux lacquered espresso walls inspired by her heroes Billy Baldwin and Miles Redd.
Baldwin was legendary for using deep dark walls in tiny spaces. And this Redd-designed room above, published in Southern Accents, specifically influenced Mathison.
She says, "The bedroom was actually an experiment. I have always loved lacquer, loved the way Billy Baldwin used lacquer on walls, furniture, lamps, lampshades -- anything! I wanted to try it out in my teeny little condo and so I decided to do it in the bedroom, because it was the space with the most natural light and I could off-set the deep espresso-brown with light linens and porcelains."
"I used Farrow and Ball's "Mahogany" paint in full oil gloss to achieve a sort of "faux lacquer" effect -- of course not the same [as the real thing] but it worked and was a fraction of what it would cost to have the walls professionally lacquered."
By the way, her ceiling is a soft aqua. So all of her painted surfaces reflect light.
Mathison does doubt she would ever do such dark walls for her clients. She adds, "More likely in an entry, dining room or library -- very dramatic and rich!"
On blanc de chine (a French term usually reserved for all-white Chinese porcelain) she says she is especially obsessed with white porcelain Asian figures. "I pick them up wherever I can, estate sales, antique shops, etc. I have also started collecting lamps, vases -- anything in white. They are just so pretty and create amazing contrast against dark surfaces -- delightful!"
Be sure to look for editor Katie Leslie's piece this weekend in the AJC!
Related reading: Blanc De Chine: Divine Images in Porcelain
More Mollies
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: absolutely beautiful things
A few weeks ago I posted a beautiful picture of a room at Mollies Boutique Hotel in Auckland as a link to a post This Is Glamorous did on Mollies. I recently stumbled across these images of the exterior of Mollies on Trip Advisor and felt I had to share them. Such a pretty building!! Enjoy!!
48. Happy Birthday Husband
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: let your creativity .... FLOW
like many women, my husband has a shoe fetish. but unlike many women, his passion for shoes does not come from the specific shade of red or the height of the heels and tag that lies inside, rather his passion falls on high top, limited edition air force ones!
for his 33rd birthday yesterday, i managed to pull myself together to purchase him this CB25 limited edition $300 shoes that i know he will never wear! why would i do such a think you might ask yourself - simply because i love him and he would never expect a cheap arsh like myself to ever put down that kind of money for something that will never be utilized! so this post goes out to my husband...
happy birthday baby
Something For The Weekend...
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: absolutely beautiful things
If you live in Brisbane and you're wanting something to do on the weekend I would highly recommend checking out the 'A Day On Earth' closing down sale. Lots of great vintage pieces, artwork and accessories at fantastic prices. They are located at 18 Arthur Street, Fortitude Valley. If you're after a bargain I would definitely head over there!!
Maison 21, Onion Domes and Dr. Zhivago
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: katiedidFor those of you that have not yet seen this gorgeous hunk of crystal, let me fill you in: the incomparably witty, creative and hilarious design blogger Maison 21 has thrown down the glove. He has challenged all who dare to design a room around what has been described as the "Moscow Mafioso" chandelier. Now, at first glance, one might consider this to be a mite "over the top", a bit crass, a tiny bit Atlantic City Trump.
But there was something about it. It conjured up something I couldn't quite place. Something romantic and exotic. So when I commented on M21's blog saying I thought it would be sort of fantastic in the right setting, he called me out. And I am just not one to back down from a challenge...although perhaps in this case I might not recover.
OK, now do you see it? That's right...Dr. Zhivago. The ultimate Russian romance with icy onion domes. So there you have it. This is my inspiration.
So where to begin? I thought I would place this brilliant extravaganza of a chandelier in a Dining Room. I love the restrained eye of Axel Vervoordt. His use of natural elements like plastered walls and lime washed wood floors lend an air of relaxed formality. On the other hand I also can see the more tailored and modern sensibility of Vicente Wolf. I am somewhere in between here. Both are masters when it comes to using the soft greys and blues so often found in Northern European climates:
These rooms from "Axel Vervoordt, Timeless Interior" by Armelle Baron, Photos by Christian Barramon
"Learning to See" by Vicente Wolf
"Crossing Boundaries" by Vicente Wolf
I would start with wide plank, lime washed floors and use a plaster with integral grey/blue color for the walls. The ceiling would also be plaster in an ivory color. Perhaps there would be a simple fireplace mantle as in the Vervoordt photo above in aged marble.
(Oh! I just have to add that I would take the chandelier and re-plate the brass metal in zinc or something that would have that same flat grey color. Can I do that and still stay within the rules of the game?)
Add these chairs (love those feet. A little reminiscent of a wolves at the door.):
In a fabric like this cool blue linen velvet by Lee Jofa:
A painted trestle table used as a sideboard, in a Scandinavian style: 
With an over scaled (read: huge) winter landscape by Kate Bright on the wall above it:
The table could be flanked by these urns on pedestals (sort of adds that touch of the Czar I think!):
Perhaps these zinc urns on, or under the sideboard:
With perhaps some icy looking accessories like these frosted glass vases from Oly Studio:
Maybe silver punch bowls filled with chunks of rock crystal, or vodka bottles in ice:
Over the marble mantle, a little wild life:
Two cut glass mosaic mirrors on the walls flanking the fireplace:
Above a couple of demi-lune tables painted in a dark grey blue:
Perhaps a pair of rock crystal lamps on the tables:
In front of a wall of windows draped in an ivory wool, two of these hooded chairs would keep out the chill:
A glass side table from Oly Studio in between seems to be a sculpture of ice.
A few more icy accessories like these rock crystal candlesticks, candlelight and a fire in the fireplace to warm things up a bit, and I will be ready for a glass of that vodka and a bit of caviar.
( All items above were found on 1st Dibs unless otherwise noted)
So, perhaps you have been inspired to take up the challenge yourself! I hope I can twist the arms of a few of you. C'mon...take a chance, and you too could be the proud winner of your very own Dr. Zhivago commemorative collector's plate:
(OK....I really don't know where to get a plate like this....you would be surprised what came up with a Google search of Dr. Zhivago)
Thumbtack Press {gorgeousness}
04/25/2008, 00:33 | Original Site: decor8Here are some fabulous prints that caught my attention today over at Thumbtack Press, who happens to have a very strong collection of prints online featuring the work of some of my favorite artists. I'm hoping that you'll enjoy them along with me. :)
I adore Bride Diving by Penelope Dullaghan and Gossip by Chris Silas Neal. I always seem to go for images of girls jumping, not because I secretly have thoughts of suicide or anything (he he), more because I am constantly jumping into new things and love the thrill of just getting involved in something I'm passionate about. Also shown above is Bluebell by Lilly Piri and Presagio di Primavera by Gianluca Folì. Drool.
Long Beach Shoreline by Shiho Nakaza, I Miss You Already by Jared Drew Moody, Angel by Irana Douer, and This Flooded World by Sarajo Frieden. Isn't Irana amazing?
The Great Flood Series (set of 3) by Oksana Badrak, Spam One-Liners: Happy Life by Linzie Hunter (fun!), HiFi by Chris Silas Neal, and India Dawn by Oksana Badrak.
And finally, Don't You Leave Me Here by Matthew Woodson. Isn't this a melancholy, tender, emotionally charged glimpse into the life of the modern relationship? We all have fears of being abandoned at times and I think artist Matthew Woodson did such a great job capturing this emotion here.
(images from thumbtack press.)
I adore Bride Diving by Penelope Dullaghan and Gossip by Chris Silas Neal. I always seem to go for images of girls jumping, not because I secretly have thoughts of suicide or anything (he he), more because I am constantly jumping into new things and love the thrill of just getting involved in something I'm passionate about. Also shown above is Bluebell by Lilly Piri and Presagio di Primavera by Gianluca Folì. Drool.Long Beach Shoreline by Shiho Nakaza, I Miss You Already by Jared Drew Moody, Angel by Irana Douer, and This Flooded World by Sarajo Frieden. Isn't Irana amazing? The Great Flood Series (set of 3) by Oksana Badrak, Spam One-Liners: Happy Life by Linzie Hunter (fun!), HiFi by Chris Silas Neal, and India Dawn by Oksana Badrak. And finally, Don't You Leave Me Here by Matthew Woodson. Isn't this a melancholy, tender, emotionally charged glimpse into the life of the modern relationship? We all have fears of being abandoned at times and I think artist Matthew Woodson did such a great job capturing this emotion here.(images from thumbtack press.)
Killing two birds with one stone
05/14/2008, 09:06 | Original Site: desire to inspire
Sorry for the rather murderous analogy but it will all become clear soon I hope. I'm in a retro kind of mood today. It must be due to the lack of retro posts lately. I've also been inspired by Tessa's design dilemma. When Kim bewailed the fact that no one paints a room burgundy my immediate thought was "they used to". The light bulb went on in my head and one name was there - David Hicks. I've paid homage to Hicks before but I realised he was part of the solution. These are his lush rich rooms, not always burgundy but brave in their dark hues.
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Tessa leans toward super bright hues (oranges, yellows, apple greens, etc.), Kim had some great ideas and with David Hicks' help I'm going to suggest a few more. White, white, white. Tone it down with white. White furniture - think sleigh bed in white gloss, white sheers and fabric that uses white. Chocolate and white, navy and white, pink and white, black and white and even certain greens with white. Treat your burgundy walls as a deep dark neutral.
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Bright colours? Why not! All these fabrics were pulled from Lee Jofa's Groundworks Collection. Many are by David Hicks. Bright colours particularly orange and yellow and pink and green are all happy with burgundy. You don't have to buy these fabrics but they give you an idea. Maybe florals are more your thing Tessa. I suggest a trip to the paint store. Gather together as many burgundy paint chips and every possible accent colour and play to your heart's content. My second suggestion is dark wood with an ethnic twist, suzanis and kilims in rich reds, pinks, oranges and black. Layers and layers of pattern. Cocoon yourself in the mysterious dark. OK now I have retro rooms and Tessa's burgundy dilemma out of my system. Two birds - not bad!
Another Week Begins
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: absolutely beautiful things
I love filling my blue and white ginger jars and vases with fresh pretty flowers just the way Meg Braff has done above - so pretty!! I hope you all had a great weekend! To start the week here at ABT I would like to thank Grace over at Design*Sponge for featuring my 2 wing chairs in her before & after series - thanks Grace for your continued support. I'm looking forward to lots of great posts here this week so stay tuned!!
Image via House Beautiful
Sparse postings
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: HueJust wanted to let you all know I'm traveling to CA to do some house hunting this week. I've got a few posts ready to go, but it might be wee bit lighter than normal. I'm back next week, and will let you know how the search went!
image sourceIn the spirit of all that is the hassle of traveling these days- I thought these luggage tags were funny.
Lighting Millinery
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: The Peak of Chic
Before I left home for college, my mother warned me about mixed drinks and alcoholic punches- too much and I might end up with a lampshade on my head. Well, I heeded Mother's advice and thankfully got through school without any major embarrassments. But after seeing these lamps by mat&jewski, I say bring on the Hunch Punch! I'm ready to wear these lampshades.
Now, I'm not really a fan of flouncy or cutesy lamps and shades. And despite the whimsy of the mat&jewski lamps, they unfortunately would not work in my home. But I just couldn't help but think of those great feathered hats that women used to wear. You know, women like Doris Day, Audrey Hepburn, and the like. Maybe it's time for feathered millinery to make a comeback. And you can start with one of these lamps at your next party. Just don't say that my mother and I didn't warn you about the punch.
All lamps by mat&jewski; vintage fashion photos from Conde Nast Archives; images of mannequins with feathered hats by Stephen Jones.
Fan Tan Fabulous
05/28/2007, 09:07 | Original Site: * Terramia *
This is by far one of the most amazing stores I have ever stepped foot in... Fan Tan Gallery located in Victoria's historic Chinatown, just steps away from the famous 5-foot-wide Fan Tan Alley. Bette Patrick and her son Alan are the shopkeepers and maintain a superb home décor store. I don't think I have ever seen a more remarkable merchandise display that changes *weekly* (see a post I did back in February showcasing some fabulous examples).
It is always a treat to stop in for a browse whenever I go for a pitterpatter downtown. And Coal the gorgeous cat is sure to greet you at the door, or at the cash register (sooo darling!).
Diwali Ki Shubhkamnayen: 1.11.2007
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: Rang-Decor {Interior Ideas predominantly Indian}
Dust that old spice box, bring out that antique jewellery box your mother gave you, better still if it has some compartments in them.Display it on your center table or that coffee table in your drawing room where you welcome your guests for Diwali.
Fill each compartment with dry-fruits, sugar candies, chocolates, take your pick:-) Drop a tiny tea light candle in one of the slots and see the festive glow it it brings into your home and on the faces of your guests:-)
(Images & ideas by Arch, feel free to get inspired and link to me but if you want to use my photographs for some other purpose please send me a mail.)
Les Indiennes.
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: Rang-Decor {Interior Ideas predominantly Indian}
Another post on block-print? Well, I am so taken by these beautiful Indian Kalamkari inspired designs by Mary Mulcahy, the one behind Les Indiennes.
I am sure many of you are aware of the amazing line of products by Les Indiennes, but what I really liked is use of just one or two colours, using Kalamkari technique which traditionally uses multiple colours.
Kalamkari is an ancient Indian Art which involves dyeing of sun-bleached cotton fabrics with natural dyes and then hand-block printing with carved wooden blocks.
Les Indiennes has products in various materials like fabric, paper & felt.
You can view & buy their products online and get inspired by these dreamy images in their Inspirational Flip Book.This is so soothing, so summery, so cool and so inspiring:-)
(images from Les Indiennes.com)
63. Diane & Peter
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: let your creativity .... FLOW
saturday diane & peter drove down to toronto from windsor and we spent the entire afternoon driving around town taking pre-2nd wedding reception photos.
diane & peter got married last year in vietnam and for their 1 yr anniversary they're celebrating again by holding another wedding reception here for their friends and family who couldn't attend their orignal wedding in vietnam. they're an awesome couple and i had such a great time!
i'll be in windsor on the 21st shooting the reception as well :)
Greenwashing -- Biodegradeable Home Products -- come on!?
01/01/1970, 01:00 | Original Site: on interior designWhat To Do... Paola Thomas
04/24/2008, 19:03 | Original Site: decor8I'm still feeling a bit groggy from all the meds I'm on, but I can't stop thinking about you and your many emails and comments that continue to wish me a speedy recovery. Thank you so much for your caring words but it's just a virus, nothing major really! :) I thought that since I'm not up to blogging at my regular Holly speed, I will post a few things today and tomorrow to keep you inspired until I'm back on Monday. Since I have a few more posts from the What To Do When You Don't Know What To Do series, I think I'll start with these...
Today we'll hear from creative lady Paola Thomas who is a Seattle-based mother, wife, blogger, and online shop owner of MirrorMirror. She, alongside Velocity Art & Design, just recently launched a creative meet up in Seattle called The Lab, too. Busy lady! Let's talk to Paola, shall we?
How do you think a person can find their spot in the world of design?
Take a long hard look at yourself and what you can do and what you enjoy doing. What do you really LOVE to do? I guarantee the business you end up doing will not be the one you envisaged, so don?t wait for something fully formed to drop into your lap, start experimenting with something TODAY and then watch it unfurl and grow. Do a new thing to your baby business every day, and grab every opportunity with both hands. You can always stop and change direction if you?ve made a mistake.
Let's say a person found what they love to do, is there more to it than creating pretty things?
Oh yes! Be truly honest with yourself and also focus on what you CAN'T or don't want to do. emember if you want a real money-making business that there's an awful lot of selling and marketing and networking and finance that needs to be done. You can hire people to do some of those things if you've got the money, but you have to at least be able to manage those people. I happen to love that side of things, but if you don't, then I really would think long and hard about whether you want to turn your creative passion into your business. I've seen people end up hating their passions. Instead have a job that pays the bills and develop outlets for your creativity in your spare time.
One thing I've heard a million times over is to see if there's a market for your work. Just how important is this?
One should think seriously about whether there?s a market for what you do. Just doing what you love is not enough. Keep testing and experimenting to see what will get you an audience. If you make stuff, get an Etsy shop; if you take photos, get on Flickr; if you want to write, start a blog. If can get an audience in these challenging environments, then maybe you have the beginnings of a business.
Great advice. Speaking of blogging, I met you in 2005 long before you had a blog. Can you tell us how that came about?
I find my blog tremendously useful for exploring ideas. It started as a marketing tool for my shop, but has now become a way for me to experiment with ideas, practice my writing and photography, and act as a platform for the things I like doing such as cooking, knitting, decorating etc. I doubt very much I?m going to make money out of these things, but having that outlet for my personal creativity is enough. For example when I started my blog I didn?t possess a digital camera. Now photography is a huge part of the blog and of my life.
Do you feel that you've found your 'calling' as a web shop owner and blogger?
I'm definitely going in the right direction but I'm nowhere near where I want to end up. My background is in finance and business development ? I worked for many years as an investment banker and then management consultant, before losing my job at a small Internet company in the dotcom crash. I realised then that I liked cushions and colour more than spreadsheets and legal docs and started combining some freelance journalism with doing a home study course in interior design. I soon realised that I don?t think spatially enough to be a great designer (and I want to be great at what I do) and also really missed the commercial side ? I love marketing and I love the Internet. Which is why I decided to set up a business that's actually primarily all about selling and marketing and the Internet, but focused on a market I really understand (women like me) and brings me into daily contact with beautiful things and creative people. And along the way I've had to write a business plan, get a bank loan, manage the building of a complex e-commerce website, run a customer database and PR list and pay sales tax etc. It?s not all about cushions.
You mentioned you lost your job and launched your web shop, but how can one afford to do that?
The upside for me is that my husband's salary has been enough to support us in this ?experimental? phase ? every penny the business makes gets put straight back in - though we have far less money than we used to. The downside has been that I've been combining it with being at home with a baby/toddler, so am only doing this stuff very part time so far. But I love what I do, I have created myself a ?job? where reading design magazines counts as work, so therefore I'm happy.
Thank you Paola! If anyone has questions to ask Paola about running a web shop, etc. please use this as your opportunity and ask some questions in the comments section below...
Today we'll hear from creative lady Paola Thomas who is a Seattle-based mother, wife, blogger, and online shop owner of MirrorMirror. She, alongside Velocity Art & Design, just recently launched a creative meet up in Seattle called The Lab, too. Busy lady! Let's talk to Paola, shall we?
How do you think a person can find their spot in the world of design?
Take a long hard look at yourself and what you can do and what you enjoy doing. What do you really LOVE to do? I guarantee the business you end up doing will not be the one you envisaged, so don?t wait for something fully formed to drop into your lap, start experimenting with something TODAY and then watch it unfurl and grow. Do a new thing to your baby business every day, and grab every opportunity with both hands. You can always stop and change direction if you?ve made a mistake.
Let's say a person found what they love to do, is there more to it than creating pretty things?
Oh yes! Be truly honest with yourself and also focus on what you CAN'T or don't want to do. emember if you want a real money-making business that there's an awful lot of selling and marketing and networking and finance that needs to be done. You can hire people to do some of those things if you've got the money, but you have to at least be able to manage those people. I happen to love that side of things, but if you don't, then I really would think long and hard about whether you want to turn your creative passion into your business. I've seen people end up hating their passions. Instead have a job that pays the bills and develop outlets for your creativity in your spare time.
One thing I've heard a million times over is to see if there's a market for your work. Just how important is this?
One should think seriously about whether there?s a market for what you do. Just doing what you love is not enough. Keep testing and experimenting to see what will get you an audience. If you make stuff, get an Etsy shop; if you take photos, get on Flickr; if you want to write, start a blog. If can get an audience in these challenging environments, then maybe you have the beginnings of a business.
Great advice. Speaking of blogging, I met you in 2005 long before you had a blog. Can you tell us how that came about?
I find my blog tremendously useful for exploring ideas. It started as a marketing tool for my shop, but has now become a way for me to experiment with ideas, practice my writing and photography, and act as a platform for the things I like doing such as cooking, knitting, decorating etc. I doubt very much I?m going to make money out of these things, but having that outlet for my personal creativity is enough. For example when I started my blog I didn?t possess a digital camera. Now photography is a huge part of the blog and of my life.
Do you feel that you've found your 'calling' as a web shop owner and blogger?
I'm definitely going in the right direction but I'm nowhere near where I want to end up. My background is in finance and business development ? I worked for many years as an investment banker and then management consultant, before losing my job at a small Internet company in the dotcom crash. I realised then that I liked cushions and colour more than spreadsheets and legal docs and started combining some freelance journalism with doing a home study course in interior design. I soon realised that I don?t think spatially enough to be a great designer (and I want to be great at what I do) and also really missed the commercial side ? I love marketing and I love the Internet. Which is why I decided to set up a business that's actually primarily all about selling and marketing and the Internet, but focused on a market I really understand (women like me) and brings me into daily contact with beautiful things and creative people. And along the way I've had to write a business plan, get a bank loan, manage the building of a complex e-commerce website, run a customer database and PR list and pay sales tax etc. It?s not all about cushions.
You mentioned you lost your job and launched your web shop, but how can one afford to do that?
The upside for me is that my husband's salary has been enough to support us in this ?experimental? phase ? every penny the business makes gets put straight back in - though we have far less money than we used to. The downside has been that I've been combining it with being at home with a baby/toddler, so am only doing this stuff very part time so far. But I love what I do, I have created myself a ?job? where reading design magazines counts as work, so therefore I'm happy.
Thank you Paola! If anyone has questions to ask Paola about running a web shop, etc. please use this as your opportunity and ask some questions in the comments section below...
Garden Inspired...
04/24/2008, 20:04 | Original Site: decor8It's funny how your own work can inspire you, isn't it? But then again, I constantly refer to decor8 archives for ideas and inspiration. Here is a little garden-themed post for your enjoyment today, inspired by this. If you blog, maybe you'd like to pull together a garden post of your own and share it with us? You can link to it by clicking on Links To This Post below (near comments) and then click on Create A Link.
Flower garden seed, some pretty doormats from Anthropologie along with a pretty pot, and a great book and blog that I go to when I'm in need of some gardening help called You Grow Girl.
The Sun Was Blinding by Wren and Chickadee, A Little Bird Told Me pendant by Little Put Books, Summer Day tea towel from Skinny LaMinx, Swan Lake by Pepperminte, and Lola French Market Summer sac from Dottie Angel. All of these things are totally putting me in the mood to plant my flower bed and hit a flea market!
Felt ipod cover from Suezy Bees, Field Guide print by Dolan Geiman, Creation by Betsy Walton, and Quail print from Stephaine DosReis.
(images linked to their source above)
Flower garden seed, some pretty doormats from Anthropologie along with a pretty pot, and a great book and blog that I go to when I'm in need of some gardening help called You Grow Girl.The Sun Was Blinding by Wren and Chickadee, A Little Bird Told Me pendant by Little Put Books, Summer Day tea towel from Skinny LaMinx, Swan Lake by Pepperminte, and Lola French Market Summer sac from Dottie Angel. All of these things are totally putting me in the mood to plant my flower bed and hit a flea market!Felt ipod cover from Suezy Bees, Field Guide print by Dolan Geiman, Creation by Betsy Walton, and Quail print from Stephaine DosReis.(images linked to their source above)
Beautiful Necklace
03/13/2008, 13:50 | Original Site: Belle Vivir
Source and Image from something old something new.
Tiny Chairs - How cute are these!
04/21/2008, 07:02 | Original Site: ::Surroundings::
Miniature Chairs Set
Dimitra & Bill of Up To You in Toronto sent word of these cute - and tiny - reproductions that they are carrying. There ar four different designer sets (9 chairs in each set,). Designers represented include: Eames, Mackintosh, Mies van der Rohe, Prouve, etc. Each set of nine chairs is $95 and there are a total of 36 chairs available at $12 each.
These are great alternatives to the Vitra chair minis, which I saw at Conrans in Paris a couple of months ago. (I've been waiting for a chance to use these images!)
What is it about tiny things? So cute!
