Hi, my name is Amy and I'm a designaholic.

Hand lettering is alive and well

2007-01-27T11:13:00.000-05:00

While browsing through Jan/Feb issue of PRINT Magazine, I came across an article about illustrator, artist, letterpress printer, and all around "boy genius" Ray Fenwick. I instantly fell in love with his award-winning comic Hall of Best Knowledge. I absolutely love his hand lettering, writing style and use of black and white in his illustration. Granted, the comic strip is for a newspaper, but truly that is part of the designers job - to understand your medium and printing process and design to those strengths.

As for how I see these in my apartment, I'm envisioning a group of 3 comics grouped together on a wall, possibly a hallway, to create a fantastic composition. Not only strong as individual pieces, but arranged correctly these parts will form a beautiful, unified whole.

Sealed with a kiss

2007-01-25T12:41:00.000-05:00

As a graphic designer the critique, admiration and joy of reviewing stamp designs has always been a favorite pastime. It amazes me how these elite group of illustrators and designers have managed to create such clever communication in such a tiny little space. And this years Valentines Day stamp, designed by illustrator Jose Ortega of New York City and Toronto, is no exception. I give it 5 hearts!

Sofa search update

2007-01-18T10:52:00.000-05:00

Flipping through this months Living Etc (ok, technically I don't "flip", I devour), I came across this couch. I'm in L.O.V.E. The only difference for me would be the fabric and that's mostly because of my before mentioned dog. There is just no possible way we could have light colored fabric on the sofa (trust me, been there, done that. Had to throw it out). She gets into everything and then that everything gets onto the sofa, rugs, linens, etc. But I do think it would look fab in a dark purple velvet.

I should mention the designer, as I have a feeling this will not be the last time you hear of him. His name is Russell Pinch. A former senior product designer for Sir Terrence Conran and founding member of the hugely successful design firm The Nest, Pinch now runs his own furniture design shop, appropriately called Pinch. Check him out at Pinch Design.

Yes, let's tauk

2007-01-17T14:52:00.000-05:00

Our search for a new couch came to a screeching halt last weekend. We finally got the up the nerve to price out our fav Montauk sofa and woke up bright and early on Saturday, caught the T downtown, stopped at the much hyped Flour Bakery and Cafe to stock up on croissants and coffee (slightly disappointing. not quite worthy of the hype.) then headed towards Chinatown only to find that Montauk Sofa has closed it's Boston location! I'm not sure if this is for good or not, but we were totally disappointed. I took it as a sign that Montauk was just not for us, but my ever practical husband said we should just roadtrip it down to NYC and check out their location along with Room & Board (for comparisons sake). So the search for the perfect sofa is on hold until we gather up our stamina after the holidays to drive down to NYC.

I'm Cuckoo for....

2007-01-16T16:37:00.000-05:00

What a very merry christmas it was. i've been coveting this clock for months and low and behold, my very own santa had it delivered FedEx style right to my front door. We've moved it around the apartment to find just the right spot and it finally came to landing here. Now when I, or anyone, walks into our apartment it will be the very first thing they notice (besides the rambunctious dog leaping up to kiss their face!)

My little bad ass

2006-12-19T16:09:00.001-05:00

I realize this it totally out of the realm of design, but I couldn't resist!

Comfort in the Scottish Countryside

2006-12-19T13:20:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to write about Rosie Brown's house from the very first time I saw it in the November issue of Domino and seeing it featured again in the December of issue of Living Etc was the kick in the pants I needed to get writing on the matter.

Imagine a time when the world was smaller, the pace was slower, and you could stop and smell the flowers - that just happened to grow wildly in your 150 acre backyard. A time when you built your house with your bare hands and the material mother nature gave you. Well, most likely what your imagining is Rosie Browns amazing retreat on the coast of Scotland. The home is a 150 year old red-sandstone cottage and she's managed to create a warm and inviting, personal space that just begs you to slow down and smell the flowers, or mint, or eucalyptus. She's done a fantastic job of mixing the old, the new and the eclectic to form a space all her own. This is truly an inspirational house that reminds you to buy what you love and everything else will fall into place.

(photos courtesy of IPC Media, Ltd.)

I'd also like to mention her wonderful website, www.papastour.com, where she features Scottish artists and artisans work. I'm particularly drawn to the photography of the products - so refreshing for an ecommerce site.

(photo courtesy of www.papastour.com)

Incidentally, you can have a piece of Rosie Brown's design sense all to yourself, if but for one week at a time! "Papa Stour have recently refurbished a charming croft called Callakille, up in the North West Highlands of Scotland which is now available to rent. It is located 8 miles north of Applecross in one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland, with fabulous uninterrupted views over to Skye, Raasay and Rona." Rates are available at http://www.wildernesscottages.co.uk

(photo courtesy of www.papastour.com)

For the rest of us

2006-12-08T12:30:00.000-05:00

Do you ever read those home magazines, wondering where could the homeowners have possibly found all of those wonderful pieces of furniture, lamps, wall art, consoles, etc, etc? How do these people do it? Where do they find the time? The resources? The MONEY?? Especially, when inevitably, those beautifully decorated homages to mid-century pieces of Eames and the like are all owned by "fledgling" fashion designers or photographers? Right, because as a "fledgling" graphic designer my largest homage is to the great world of Ikea. Well, I have found a resource, which I hesitate to put out there, but believe it could possibly help the rest of us with the hope of one day having our own collection of wonderful home pieces. It's called 1stdibs.com and I've become an addict. I'm searching for that perfect piece, particularly a couch, and this little website gives you access to tons of antique collectors, and their collections, around the country. Ahh, just in time for the Holidays!

Enjoy!

http://www.1stdibs.com/

Oh Tannenbaum

2006-11-28T13:38:00.000-05:00

We picked up our Christmas tree last night. In a very strange turn of events from years past, we had to go to Home Depot for the tree. In Philly you could get a tree on practically every street corner, under every underpass, in every parking lot. We literally walked out our door, walked 1 block, picked out a tree and dragged it home. Well, that's definitely not the case up here. We actually drove around for a while looking for a school, supermarket, gas station, anywhere selling trees, when finally, like a beacon in the night, we found one store. But, like many a child on Christmas morning, we were sorely disappointed because the store was closed. It was 8:00 p.m. So that's how we ended up at Home Depot. Because, at Home Depot, you can still buy a Christmas tree after 8:00 p.m.

In all honesty, I'm very happy with our tree. First of all, it's enormous. Second of all, it's really enormous. I've always wanted an enormous tree, and thanks to our wonderfully high ceilings and wonderfully normal sized doorways, we were able to get one this year. Now, when it comes to decorating the tree, I stick firmly to my interiors style motto - just throw it all together, don't take it too seriously and see what happens. I definitely am not one of those to have a monochromatic theme for all the ornaments - everything needing to match and be picture-perfect. It's just not me, I'm not that coordinated, and honestly that looks really fantastic for a photo shoot, but not so for my home. I like things to be just slightly off, eclectic, mixed up and quirky. That's just how I am.

As I'm getting ready to trim the tree THE big question arises: do I put up the color or the white lights?

Up next ... 25 Gifts for the Procrastinator in All of Us.

"Your hardrive is toast"

2006-11-18T12:26:00.000-05:00

I'm already veering off my subject matter and this is only my second post. However, this news is just too devastating to not mention and in a sense this little gadget is definitely part of the design community. I'm talking about the iPod, and in the words of the genius bar genius, mine is "toast". I could hardly believe my ears. It's only, maybe 3 years old, and I realize that is ancient in techno years, especially for Apple, but at $400 bucks they should be able to last a little bit longer. I use it all the time: working out, on the train, in the grocery store, in my car. All-the-time. So the genius bar genius mumbled off some possible options I may have in revitalizing my toasted hardrive, but to be honest, I was so flustered at the thought of my precious iPod being dead I hardly listened. I think I may just tinker with it myself. I'm not totally inept at technology. I mean, really, how hard can it be?

New city + new house = new design challenges

2006-11-16T23:31:00.000-05:00

What better way to open this blog than with an explanation, or better, the inspiration from which it came. You see, I've moved for the first time in over 12 years and a move like this really gets you thinking. First of all, I am crazy excited for all the possibilities that a new city offers: meeting new people, seeing new places, tasting new food. All of this leaves me so optimistic about where this move will take my career and my life. The unknown is thrilling.

But, it also gets you thinking about more practical things like will my furniture from a narrow, traditional Philly rowhome (freshly renovated over 4 years with my blood, sweat and tears) fit into this new "condo"? And by condo, I mean a 1,000 sf 1st floor apartment in a renovated Queen Ann in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston. The layout, the color, the light, the feel are all completely different. So of course my first reaction is no. No, our furniture just won't do. And, yes, my husband is just thrilled that I've come to that conclusion.

The move has also inspired thoughts about where I want to take my design career. I'm a graphic designer and artist, practicing for 10 years. I love what I do, but I have to admit, owning ones own home definitely opens your eyes to all different kinds of design from furniture, to textiles, to lighting. I'm so inspired by people creating anything. I'm amazed at the energy and the dedication that artists put forth in becoming a success. It's contagious and makes me want to do more. To get out from behind the computer and interact with artists of all kinds. To just create.

And lastly, this is my attempt at reaching an audience I would otherwise never meet. I thought, why not jot down my adventures in this new city - the little gems I come across as I walk the city neighborhoods or as I search and search for a new couch that will fit just so in the new "condo" or as I scour the city looking for a coffee house that either serves La Colombe or something close to it. (Oh, you Philly people know what I'm talking about. There is NO coffee like La Colombe, and don't even get me started on their cappuccino's. My mouth is watering just thinking about it....)

So, in essence this blog is going to be a little bit about me, a little bit about Boston, a little bit about Philly (hey, it's hard to shake your roots), and a lot a bit about design.

Welcome & Enjoy!