With the help of my favorite area rug distributor, Tufenkians, of Portland, Oregon, I recently filmed a segment for BETTER, with Brooke Carlson, in the home of News Anchor Natalie Marmion. We discussed the do's and don'ts and where to begin when trying to find the best area rug.

- Rugs change color based on which direction you lay them. If it looks too light, try turning it the other direction and watch how the colors in the rug completely change!

- When selecting size for the living room, a good rule of thumb is to have all of the furniture on the rug or off the rug. Obviously the coffee table can stay on the rug, but it's best not to have any of your chairs or sofas halfway on and halfway off the rug.

- When selecting size for the dining room make sure you have a minimum of 2' behind each dining chair on all sides. No teetering chairs at the dinner table allowed!

- Always try out the rug in your home prior to committing to the piece. Tufenkians will deliver your rugs, help you place them and then bring back the pieces you dont want.

I haven’t had a chance to do one of these posts in awhile; I’m behind on my blog reading lately! Here’s a journey through my blog catch up:

I say Congratulations! One of my favorite bloggers, Erin of Elements of Style has a new website for her design company, Element Interiors. Check it out here. Also, I meant to link you over to her post Orange You Glad it’s Fall? awhile back, so I will now - it’s a great collection of orange in decor.

I obsess with all of the step-by-step printmaking eye candy over at Heart Fish.

I ogle surreal pieces available from the Tony Duquette Collection spotted over at The Peak of Chic.

I wonder how swissmiss manages to find so many clever things every day. For example, the mobile bench.

I ponder whether the person who designed this treehouse cafe I spied at Inhabitat was high and chowing down on Keebler cookies when he/she came up with this treehouse.

I say “Hooray; I love these guy!” as I read this post from Home Rejuvenation for the tenth time.

I realize I will NEVER have a garage that looks this neat as I read The Inspired Room.

I am reminded by Style Court that I really need to get a library card.

I get pumped up for Halloween reading this post from katiedid.

Well, I’m off to one of my favorite cities, Charlottesville, VA for the weekend. I’m not sure if I’ll have time for my 20,000th visit to Monticello, but I’ll get my TJ fix on the UVA campus. See you on Monday!

• image from elements of style
• image from heartfish
• image via The Peak of Chic
• image via Swiss Miss
• image via Inhabitat
• image via Style Court

I never thought I would say this, but thanks to designers like Susie Mendive of SUM I am actually ecstatic wallpaper has made such a solid comeback. This is gen-u-ine excitement. My parents coated our home with wallpaper in the early 80’s, and it wasn’t pretty. It was so bad I remember as a little girl trying to peel it off to hint to my parents that they needed to do something with the walls. Now, times are different and I want to paper my walls myself!

Wallpaper actually gets me all riled up so I apologize in advice for my lengthy list of questions with Susie Mendive. Enjoy!

I know a bit about your background…a graphic designer with a graduate degree from North Carolina then to LA then to NY as art director with stila cosmetics…but I think there are some holes, especially in how you transitioned from branding cosmetics to designing modern wallpaper. Tell us more! How did SUM come together?

It happened very organically. I very much wanted to design and produce my own product and call all the shots. It just made sense at that point in my career. There is a lot of hard work involved and it can be consuming but I like taking it one step at the time.

Tell us about the name, SUM. How did you come up with this?

My husband and I were in Tokyo and it just hit me, Su is from Susie and M from Mendive but more than that it was the idea of a total home concept…SUM of all parts. A total approach to design and living.

The female silhouettes of your Floral Femme Fatale prints are an amazing graphic. They have a significant presence let alone bring movement, style, femininity, character and a sense of a couture-ness to a room. I would guess that your time with stila cosmetics may have carried over into the inspiration for these designs, is this right or was it something else?

Yes, that’s right. The silhouettes are something I started with at stila. They have a very universal quality and allow you to project your own thoughts on to them. I am always more intrigued by what is left out of an image or illustration.

Many of the modern wallpapers we see are meant to be an explosive replacement for traditional wall art which I find very refreshing and exciting, but also a bit of a challenge! I love the colors and graphics of the Vespertine Wallpaper in Twilight but am not sure I could pull it off in my space (maybe the black option would be better for me). What tips do you have for creating a harmonizing space when using bold/graphic wallpapers?

It isn’t as difficult as it might seem. I think Vespertine Twilight would be great in a powder room, kids room or a small kitchen. It uses bold colors but you can paper a single wall if you are unsure and pick an accent color from the pattern for rest of the room. Items like lampshades or rugs will help unify the scheme and wood and chrome or bronze elements will add a little luxe to the mix. I try to stay away from a too done, matchy matchy look or it seems like a set rather than a lived in space.

Was it a challenge to create a line of wallpapers that are made in the USA, constructed of recyclable paper and hand screen printed with water-based, non varsol inks? I can’t begin to image how long your screen printing stations must be!

Too long for a Manhattan Apartment! I actually use a company out in California who share the same values as I do about the environment. They have been hand screening wallpaper for over 20 years and converted to water based inks about 5 years ago. We try our best to maintain the highest quality product and still be kind to mother nature.

I always appreciate getting a glimpse into a designer’s work space and adore the photos of your loft on hgtv. Any difficulties to living/working in the same space?

I don’t actually live in that apartment anymore but still do the live/work thing. For me work and life are not separate. Living is by design. I have an enormous bedroom now (with a door this time!) and carved out two spaces with a beautiful, white modular folding screen. I then built in a storage/desk unit and of course wallpapered the space in Underwater Bamboo Pink. The whole color scheme came from the wallpaper so its silver and soft pink. It got a little too girly so I peppered it with earthy accents of walnut wood. The whole space feels very glamorous but warm and grounded…what’s more inspiring than that.

If you could paper someone’s walls, whose would you choose and which design might you use?

Frida Khalo
Diane von Furstenberg
Bjork
an Obama White House

…all custom designs of course!

I crave an opportunity to experiment with wallpaper, but I also fear it because: 1.) Of the expansive range of possibilities 2.) It is wallpaper and I don’t trust myself to be able to successfully apply it to my walls. But, I want to try so badly! What do you suggest for someone who is venturing into this arena for the first time…especially if the possibilities are as customizable as your wallpapers?

I think all the options available actually make it easier to find something that will work with your existing decor or serve as a jumping off point for a revamp. I understand the fear of installing yourself, many of my clients feel similarly. Wallpaper is really not that hard to put up and there are so many DIY sites out there with step by step instructions… in the end there is very little guesswork. I hung my very first Femme Fatale strike offs so I could learn how to do it and see how the paper performed, not the easiest, but definitely not hard. Having said that, if you are still hesitant, hire a painter or wallpaper installer. Many professional painters have experience hanging papers and the necessary tools in their arsenal. The most important thing is to be bold and experiment! Most of my clients are like you, saw it in a magazine and wanted to try it for themselves. All of them have been thrilled with the results. And remember nothing in this life is permanent!

How do you get out of a creative rut? What most inspires you?

Travel, travel, travel. It is the single most inspiring thing I can do. Floral Femme came together after a trip to Shanghai, Animalia after spending time in Holland. Places seep into me and become creative output.

What is next for SUM?

More wallpapers! I have one in the design stages that looks like painted canvas on the wall and another that is very male. I don’t see a lot out there for the boys so I thought it the perfect thing to design. SUM is now available in Utrecht, the Netherlands at Springers Wonen, in Malmo, Sweden at Tapetorama and we are looking to expand further in Europe and of course stateside. We are also moving into Fabrics and are looking to add other designers under our moniker… more parts to SUM total.

Thanks, Susie!

View all of Susie Mendive’s SUM wallpaper collection on DP.

Photograph: Alain Levitt
Makeup: Melissa Silver

One of my favorite sites in London is Spencer House, located in St. James. Built in the mid-eighteenth century for John, first Earl Spencer (yes, those Spencers), the house's first architect was John Vardy, a student of William Kent. It was Vardy who was responsible for the exterior of the home as well as some of the interior rooms, though unfortunately for him, he was later replaced as chief architect by James "Athenian" Stuart, a disciple of Greek architecture. Stuart's influence is seen in the classic Greek detail throughout the interior, making it one of the first examples of neoclassical architecture in England.

Throughout the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, subsequent generations of Spencers set about at refreshing and remodeling the interiors of the home, including a remodeling led by Henry Holland. After all, the Spencers were a prominent and highly social family, so Spencer House had to reflect this. Interestingly, the Spencers lived in the home until the late 1800s, at which time they leased the house to the Duke of Marlborough and his wife (Consuelo Vanderbilt) as well as various organizations. During the blitz in WWII, the contents of the home, including the fixtures, were removed and shipped to the Spencer estate Althorp for safe keeping.

Fortunately for us, Spencer House is now restored to its former glory and is open to the public. Of course, the fact that Spencer House is one of the few remaining private palaces in London makes it important. But the other nice thing is that it doesn't seem to be on many tourists' radar, meaning no long lines!

(One tidbit of info that I just gleaned- Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, was the daughter of first Earl Spencer and thus lived in the home until her marriage to the Duke of Devonshire. For a great book on Georgiana, you might want to read Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman. Or, I suppose you can wait for the upcoming movie based on Foreman's book. But the book is really a good read.)


The Palm Room was used by gentlemen after dinner. It was Vardy who was responsible for the design of this room.



The magnificent Great Room. According to Spencer House's website, the coffered ceiling and frieze were inspired by the vaults at the Temple of Concord and Victory in Rome.


The Painted Room (c. 1759-65) was one of the first completely Neoclassical rooms in Europe. Designed by Stuart to celebrate the marriage of the first Earl Spencer and his wife, the room is dominated by images of marriage and festivity, all inspired by ancient Greece and Rome.


Vardy's design for the Ante Room- originally conceived as the Spencers' private dining room- includes a stunning coffered apse. It was Henry Holland who inserted the mahogany double doors under the apse in 1792.


I like to purchase guide books from the sites I visit- just in case I missed something on the tour. I also like to mark the date of my visit on the inside cover. This might become especially helpful when my memory starts to fail me- hopefully not anytime soon!

Attention all Marie Antoinette fans! (Oh yes, and you Francophiles, gardeners, and historians too!) There is an upcoming book release that you must not miss. Marie-Antoinette and the Last Garden at Versailles (Christian Duvernois author, François Halard photographer, Rizzoli New York, October 2008) is an enthralling look at the doomed Queen and her gardens at Petit Trianon, the royal retreat at Versailles. Now, I'm familiar with certain aspects of Marie Antoinette's life, but I knew little about her involvement in the creation of the glorious gardens at this chateau. Marie Antoinette had a keen interest in gardens and the pastoral life (albeit a luxurious one), and she was determined to create a landscape like no other.

According to the book, there was great debate in mid to late 18th century France about formal gardens versus more naturalistic ones. Louis XIV's Versailles was of course noted for its rigid gardens designed by André Le Nôtre. But by the time Louis XVI ascended to the throne, there was a growing group of aesthetes who championed gardens and landscapes that were more loose and natural. And Marie Antoinette fell into this camp. When she became chatelaine of Petit Trianon, she set out to create a Franco-Anglo-Chinese garden complete with man-made lakes, ridges, and vistas. To me, the most interesting parts of the gardens are the structures that were built, including the Dairy House, the Tower of Marlborough, the Hamlet, and the Rock- a folly meant to resemble the mountains of her Austrian homeland.

The text of the book, written by Christian Duvernois, provides us with an engrossing account of how these magnificent gardens came to be. I think the author does an excellent job in helping to correct the misconception that Marie Antoinette was simply a vacuous and supercilious woman. And for those who can't get enough of beautiful photographs, there are plenty of those too. François Halard's haunting images capture the awesome splendor of this thoroughly unique place.




A bust of Marie Antoinette by Louis-Simon Boizot (c. 1775)


A view of the French Pavilion at Petit Trianon. The pavilion, designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel for Louix XV, anchors the main axis of the French Garden.


The ornate interior of the Queen's Theater. The plain exterior of the Theater belies the sumptuousness of the interior.


A marble fountain inside of the Dairy House. The walls were painted in trompe l'oeil to resemble real marble.


Vibrant pink roses in the Queen's gardens.


A view of the Dairy House (right) and the Tower of Marlborough.

(Photo credits: François Halard from Marie Antoinette and the Last Garden at Versailles, Rizzoli New York, 2008.)

Seeing that we have no gas here in Atlanta, I've had to severely limit my running around. I use very little gas as it is because I live in the heart of the city and I don't drive an SUV. But still, it's chaos here with people spending all of their time driving around and around trying to find gas. And when you do find it, you have to wait in line for HOURS. It's absurd. Absolutely maddening. And on top of that our governor is in Europe and seems to be doing little to solve this mess. Needless to say, I'm staying close to home and to the office knowing that the situation may not improve for another few weeks. (That's the rant.)

So, my shopping and browsing is now limited to the internet. It's not as gratifying as the real thing, but it will have to do. And the timing couldn't have been more perfect to do a little vicarious shopping with Grant K. Gibson.

I've admired Gibson's work for some time now. The San Francisco designer aces that fresh and clean traditional look with some gusto thrown in for good measure . Recently, Gibson was featured in a California Home and Design article (Oct. '08) extolling the virtues of the shops of Sacramento Street. He's definitely the one to ask. After all, his design studio is located on Sacramento.

I always make a point to visit the Sacramento St. shops during my twice yearly visits to San Francisco. There is something about that street that is so appealing to me. It's not frenzied nor frenetic but rather low-key and charming. In fact, during my last trip there my sister took me to a very trendy, still rather gritty part of town to visit some hip design stores. I took one step out of the car, assessed the situation, turned on my heel and said "May we please just get back into the car and go to Sacramento Street?" What can I say? I'm a creature of habit- and comfort.

There is legendary shop Sue Fisher King- one of my favorites for linens (Porthault included), tabletop, and accessories. And of course there's Kendall Wilkinson Home. These too are favorites of Gibson. But another Gibson recommendation is new to me: Ribbonerie. Gibson suggests shopping there for ribbon for pillows or lampshade trim. Who doesn't love a good ribbon and trim shop?

And one more gem- Birch, a floral shop with a black interior (almost like a retail version of Mrs. Delany's Flowers!) Gibson likes the shop because the black walls make the flowers pop.

So for those of you whose style is being cramped by the gas shortage or those who just want to spend some time looking at beautiful things, visit Gibson's site and those of the featured shops for a little inspiration.




A few glimpses of Gibson's portfolio.


These are the types of beautiful things you'll find at Sue Fisher King


A view inside of Kendall Wilkinson Home


This is just one of many ribbons you'll find at Ribbonerie (both in their store and online.)


A floral arrangement by Birch

Image at top: Gibson about to embark on some Sacramento Street shopping with the doggies. (Photograph by Jen Siska)

you’ve got to love a city whose motto is “keep austin weird.” full of flavor (i’m talking amazing tex mex), color and character, austin is a city that seriously has it all. it also has one of the best vintage/design scenes full of incredible shops like uncommon objects and room service vintage - and these places keep popping up all over the roundup for austin inspiration (check out the d*s austin guide here for more great shopping). so without further ado, today’s talented roundup: joel mozersky (the designer behind the real world: austin house!), d’ette cole {etta industry}, melissa gable {one creative girl}, jennifer braham {brink design} and jaime jo fisher {jewelry}. in case you missed it don’t forget to check out the regional roundup: austin- part 1, and stay tuned next week for our third and final installment! [thanks, designers!] -anne

CLICK HERE for the full post or just click “read more” below.

One.Eleven.Design

1. Where are you from? Where do you live now?
I grew up in San Antonio, Texas, but Austin has been my home for 22 years.

2. Describe your work.
I design residential and commercial spaces, such as restaurants, bars, retail stores, and hair salons. I also designed tour busses for the Dixie Chicks and the house for “The Real World-Austin.” I would describe my work as modern interpretations of classic design influences and eras. I’m much more interested with the history of decoration, and the relevance it has today, than what is happening “right now.” I think overtly contemporary design tends to look dated quickly and takes itself too seriously. I like my spaces to have a wink- a sense of humor and, most importantly, a soul.

3. How is your work influenced by where you live?
Austin has become very cosmopolitan in the past 10 years, but what is great about it’s growth is pretension is frowned upon. Austinites see right through it. It is an exciting place to be creatively- how can you move design forward, but maintain a foothold on what makes our city unique?

4. Where do you go in Austin when you want to feel inspired?
Uncommon Objects, Mercury Design Studio, Uptown Modern, and Room Service Vintage- I always find something I love at these stores, and they inspire my work tremendously.

5. How would you describe the Austin design scene?
We have an incredible creative community- architects, interior designers, artists, and craftsmen- who are a pretty tightly knit group. We also have clients who understand what makes a city great and unique is its culture of small businesses, and who support local talent.

6. If you could go anywhere where would you go?
There are so many places I haven’t been, but I would love to go to Thailand.

Click here for more of Joel’s work.

Etta Industry

1.  Where are you from? Where do you live now?
[From] Houston, Texas. [Now]  Austin ~ deep in the heart of Texas.

2.   Describe your work.
Working as an art director/designer/artist in a variety of mediums and arenas, my work combines a never ending love of color, a strong design sense, an eclectic aesthetic with a driving spirit of curiosity and wonder.

3.  How is your work influenced by where you live?
I think Texas is a really interesting combination of bold frontier independence, rich
cultural influences of Mexico and a vast landscape.  This region of Texas seems a
creative wellspring because Austin is an overgrown college town that embraces/
encourages diversity and individuality.

4.  Where do you go in Austin when you want to feel inspired?
Outside, it’s lovely here, sometimes kinda hot, but a lovely heat.

5.  How would you describe the Austin design scene?
I think it’s in its ‘tween’ stage, it’s just starting to stretch and grow and come into it’s own identity.

6.  If you could go anywhere where would you go?
Excluding time travel, if we’re talking places that I’ve never experienced, I’d like to see, eat and smell Cinque Terre.  If we’re talking favorite places, hands down that’d be Uzes, France.

Click here for more of D’Ette’s work.

One Creative Girl

1. Where are you from? Where do you live now?
I grew up in a big, old house in Columbus, New Jersey - surrounded by trees and fields and dairy farms, a mile from the “world famous” Columbus Farmer’s Market (and flea market). After graduating from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I moved to Austin looking to be “wowed” by a new city (and I was).

2. Describe your work
A colorful, quirky, mish-mash of vintage images, found objects and stuff I like, dissected and arranged One Creative Girl style.

3. How is your work influenced by where you live?
Austin is a very colorful and off-beat place with lots of art and design and plenty of places to hike and swim and stay grounded  - it’s a pretty great place to live and play, dream and create.

4. Where do you go in Austin when you want to feel inspired?
I love to roam my favorite shop -  Uncommon Objects - it is cram packed with vintage goodness and always gives my brain a good jump start. In addition to that, a long creekside hike to connect with my froggy friends also works.

5. How would you describe the Austin design scene?
Encouraging and supportive - i have lots of friends who find Austin to be a great place for a creative lifestyle. There are yearly studio tours in several different neighborhoods and it always amazes me when i see just how many artists are here creating fabulous stuff!

6. If you could go anywhere where would you go?
I would love to live and create in Mexico. It is such a colorful and dynamic culture, I think it would be a perfect environment for me. Whenever I visit, it is so hard to leave. I have been searching for a way to live between Austin and Mexico for a while now and am sure it won’t be long before I find it!

Click for Melissa’s website, blog and etsy shop.

Brink Creative

1. Where are you from? Where do you live now?
Until age 13: Pennsylvania. Ages 13-18 Los Angeles. Age 21: Santa Fe. Ages 13-30: The Bay Area: Santa Clara, San Francisco, Berkeley. I live in Austin now. South Austin.

2. Describe your work.
A product of intuition and channeling my clients. Assemblage of everything I absorb. Reflections of when, where, why…either the solution, posing the question, regardless, always a combination of as many emotions evocable. Japanese : retro : contemporary : interactive 2d : hand made pixels…lush, love : life : contemporary : familiar : redefined : color that shifts energy. As much as possible by hand and then the fascinating life the artwork takes on as it’s digitized and moves throughout it’s many applications.

I stay open to the discoveries in “mistakes”.

I still measure equidistant areas from left to right and top to bottom when treating typography…respecting my traditional design education, but hand made patterns may have a loop or twirly thing out of whack. Don’t stop the press! Instead, magnify and celebrate. Keeping craft alive. Attention to detail and allowing the process to allow the product to develop. Pushing and pulling these poles while staying committed to the task. Inspirational design that serves it’s function, has a strong foundation and expansive possibilities.

3. How is your work influenced by where you live? 4. Where do you go in Austin when you want to feel inspired? 5. How would you describe the Austin design scene?
Austin is a city in flux…more so than most. Just when I’ve seen the major transformations in the town in just a year and the resulting dichotomies are tense: Fluidity and resistance; sloooow and fast paced; limited with a whole world of possibilities…hence a culture that attracts and continually stimulates artists of many a genre. Here’s a way in which allowing the ever evolving process to flow while keeping a standard and integrity. The work comes from the constant combination of this tension. It’s exciting, sometimes painful, but always rewarding in an amazing end design, lesson and developed relationship with all the players involved (me, the client, printers, writer, programmers, sign vendors…all the people it takes to get the job done well).

In Austin, we’ve had a poor rap about our art/design scene and I feel that’s quickly changing. I push push push to help set a higher standard. Many push to keep the original Texan/Mexican spirit alive. That combined with an influx of people from everywhere is dynamic and keeps me designing around the clock. I lived in San Francisco and LA…I love both places, but I feel as though the gold (for me) has been found. Here, there are new discoveries abound!

A city undefined, although I hear many trying. The subjectivity of it all spurs interesting conversation and certainly influences my work as I push push push myself to levels beyond what I thought possible. I think I do the same to my clients. Much to some of their dismay…it’s never easy giving birth!

Physically, my word is influenced by found materials and I do my best sketching at my favorite restaurant. Now I prefer to go alone…hmm, I can’t believe I just admitted that. To feel inspired, I go to beautiful stores (preferably second-hand), my full flat files, my growing library and I hang out with my brilliant artist friends.

6. If you could go anywhere where would you go?

If I could anywhere: 1. I’d go back to my mom’s garden. A penny for every beetle I picked off the green beans. I’d make $3 a day sometimes! 2. In a hammock during the fall at dusk. My lifestyle doesn’t allow much sleep. 3. Camping with my significant other with nothing but a t-shirt, jeans, my toothbrush, water and my dogs.

Click here for more of Jennifer’s work.

Jaime Jo Fisher

1. Where are you from? Where do you live now?
I grew up in a small town in southern Illinois just east of St. Louis.  I currently live with my husband, Chris Campbell and our dog and cat, Brinkley and Tula in Austin, Texas. I work full time in my home studio making jewelry that I sell thru my website, galleries and a few juried art festivals.

2. Describe your work.
I make jewelry and sculptural boxes with sterling silver, mineral stones and a wide array of found, vintage or repurposed materials.  These commonly overlooked and typically discarded materials can be a piece of broken windshield glass, a fragment of plastic from a doll shoe, a found pebble or shell, or even a tiny stuffed pillow sewn from the plastic of a thrifted rain poncho. Many people who see my work for the first time assume the stones are all resin, enamel or beach glass and seem pleasantly surprised when I tell them it’s plastic from a bundle of rubber grapes or the sculptural box they see actually houses and displays a wearable ring.

3. How is your work influenced by where you live?
I have been living in Austin for over 2.5 years. Living in this progressive city directly influences my work.  Austin is about nostalgia, the DIY approach and green living including recycling and conservation. This is evident in the design, fashion and craft of local artists.  This idea is very much in keeping with my work as well.

4. Where do you go in Austin when you want to feel inspired?
Austin has a plethora of great thrift stores, from the high-end vintage stores to the more hardcore, not for the faint of heart, to scavenge about digging for potential new goods to incorporate in my work.  I am always looking on the ground, in thrift stores & flea markets as well as online. I enjoy finding things that will seem slightly bizarre when used in my jewelry, some of the more unexpected being bristles from a toothbrush and dryer lint from my lint trap. There is also a really great bead store in Austin, called Bead It, where I get some amazing vintage plastic and glass pieces that appear in my work as well.

5. How would you describe the Austin design scene?
I am part of an organization made up of an amazing group of women that live and work in Austin called Handmade Austin Women. The weekend show is a fun filled family event that offers some exquisitely designed and handmade items including paintings, pottery, jewelry, handmade clothing, hats & bags as well as some 2d & 3d collage work.   Another event on the art scene is the East Austin Studio Tour. My husband, who is a potter, and I turn our garage into a temporary gallery space for a weekend during the tour to show our work along with over 200 other studios that reside in East Austin.

When feeling uninspired or less than motivated, you may find me at any number of art galleries in Austin, at a friends studio to chat up their current work, at Book People or Domy flipping thru their amazing book collections, taking a Bikram Yoga class at Yogagroove, window shopping at a local vintage shop or digging around at a local thrift store.

6. If you could go anywhere where would you go?
If I could go anywhere my heart desired I would plan a road trip with my husband, with a tiny “fixer upper� trailer in tow, and discovery the sites one city at a time.

Click here for more of Jaime’s work.

today’s city guide belongs to wilmington, north carolina and comes to us courtesy of ellie snow of mint. ellie grew up in wilmington and has been living in the triangle area of north carolina ever since. she’s currently a graphic design at flywheel design in durham and is thrilled to share her favorite hometown spots. wilmington is known as “wilmywood” to some, because of the numerous tv shows and movie that shoot there, so if you’re in town keep your eyes open- you never know who you’ll bump into (i’ll never forget hearing from friends in wilmington who got to see the dawson’s creek cast for years). click here to view the full guide or just click “read more” below. thanks, ellie!

Nestled between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean, Wilmington is often called the Port City; although many fondly refer to it as “Wilmywood” in honor of local motion picture and TV studio Screen Gems. (Think Dawson’s Creek, or the recent Nights in Rodanthe). Wilmington was settled nearly 300 years ago, and today visitors can stroll tree lined streets past century-old homes, then drive less than twenty minutes to find themselves among surfers and sunbathers on beautiful beaches. In the mid 1980s, Wilmington began to revitalize its downtown and today the area is rich with restaurants, bars, boutiques, galleries, and antique shops.

SHOP:

-E