It’s time for Take Five Tuesdays so let’s see what’s on my radar for this week. Ready? Let’s explore…
If your name starts with a T, I, or L (or last name) you’re in luck because Dutch blogger Yvestown opened her new etsy store under the same name and she’s selling handmade box letters in addition to her chair pattern for the IKEA Skruvsta chair along with vintage teacup candles. They won’t last long, so if you like ‘em… Run!
Marisol Toledo of Dita’s Bazaar lives in Chile and is an art teacher and a photographer. She creates screen prints and likes to layer her images on vintage wallpaper along with Spanish text.
Handmade by Moi is a little shop owned by Tanya Todd, a Canadian based in the south of France. She loves linen and I adore her lavender tea bag sachets made for placing in your dresser to keep your clothes smelling pretty. They’re so simple and yet so charming and useful. Tanya is also a blogger, I loved reading about some of her adventures in Europe.
eighty8words is a wordsmith and a silversmith who decided to combine her passions to form a business creating wearable words. These are quite cute – great gifts!
Paloma’s Nest is one of my new favorites on etsy. I enjoy (so much!) her understated yet gorgeous ceramics in organic shapes, some with meaningful hand-stamped words. I’ve been watching her shop for weeks and just love how her product line has grown in such a short period of time. In addition to her plates, she now creates cards, ornaments, bowls, and the Will You Marry Me? tiny text bowl box set — so guys if you’re looking to pop the question, this is truly a most romantic way to do it.
Take Five Tuesdays is a weekly decor8 feature dedicated to highlighting talented artists on Etsy. If you or a friend owns an etsy store that you think I’d like, please contact me at decor8blog{at}yahoo.com.
If you’ve missed previous TFT’s, click here to catch up on your reading. :)
(images linked above to source)
Have you heard of the Keep Calm gallery? They just starting producing this terrific print in the sweetest cross stitch typeface, and the message is by far the most inspirational I’ve come across in a print since this one from Matirose.
‘He Who Cares Wins’ is currently available in a limited edition run of 50 in your choice of red or blue ink printed on recycled cotton rag paper from India.
This is a powerful message! At the end of the day it boils down to making a difference, having a positive influence on others, and considering the big picture when it comes to what we’re doing – how is your life impacting others. When you do work you care about it shows. Your positive energy spreads to others because ultimately you get back what you put out into the world. When you care, you win.
(images from the keep calm gallery)
Reader Diana from New York City wrote in looking for the lantern pendant shown below. She’s hoping that one of us can point her in the right direction. At first glance it looks like fabric vs. paper so I’m thinking it’s a gauze lantern from China. Asian Ideas, Good Orient, Luna Bazaar, Party Lights, and ebay are good places to start for gauze and paper lanterns, but I think Asian Ideas may be the perfect fit, although the shape isn’t exact. I included the others just in case. ;)
Diana have you tried Chinatown since you live in the city — perhaps Pearl River?
Or if you’re looking for something a little more unique, you can order a lantern from Orike Muth, I met her and viewed her handmade lanterns in person – they’re beautiful and very well made. She design textiles and lighting out of her studio in Hanover, Germany.
(image from orike muth, top image submitted by reader without source.)
By Rachel Perls of Hue Consulting, decor8 guest writer.
Ah, good ol? brown. Woodsy, earthy, dependable. It?s not actually a spectral hue, but a dark version of orange. All the same, rustic, wholesome brown is a staple in interior design and deserves its moment of glory.
via: LivingEtc.What words come to mind when you think of brown? Snuggly, rich, comfy, natural, soothing, luxurious and warm may be a few. It?s also a safe choice, if red shouts, then brown is a soft hum. Brown’s pale sibling, beige, is a very popular wall color here in the states. No wonder IKEA targeted us with their popular “Be Brave, Not Beige” campaign including a fun website dedicated to encouraging the infusion of saturated color into the home, especially the ‘typical’ American one. While I believe strongly in the use of color in a space, I?m not entirely against beige and its milky cohorts. From buff to burgundy, rust to wheat, brown can give you a huge range of looks and whether understated or bold, it’s often a terrific canvas to work from.
Soft and cozy via: LivingEtc.
via: House to Home UK.These neutral tones can work quite in supporting roles: to provide a backdrop to accent pieces, or maintain continuity between stronger tones. The warm mushroom chaise lounge works wonderfully here as a counter-balance to the soft grey wall.
Here, deep brown paint provides weight and a sense of depth in this sitting area. Chocolate also look lovely in smaller spaces, such as an entry, kitchen, or bathroom. via: Homes and Gardens UK.
Wood floors are a basic component of most homes. And wood furniture. Most people stop there, concluding that since wood is brown all wood furniture must match. Right? Have you ever considered that each variety, while still ?brown?, has a different undertone? Cedar, pine, oak, cherry wood tones range from red, to orange, blonde or even blush. via: Flooring Express.
Chocolate bread pudding cupcakes with toasted walnuts, homemadetoffee, and cream by Cheryl Porro, recipe here.
Think of the food craze for a moment, chocolate and coffee. Ranging from milky caf? au lait to triple shot espressos, cupcakes, and cookies. Not only does chocolate taste great, but it can create a genuine sense of warmth and security, while stirring up your appetite. No wonder that it’s called Comfort Food. (Now I?m hungry!)
Speaking of food, aren?t these walls below simply edible? Brown is an excellent choice when you want to set off a more saturated hue. Think about contrast – dark against light, muted against bright. Brown and orange, or turquoise, or pink…
via GV Interiors.
Here?s a nod to the brown and pink fad. via: Zia Priven Lighting.
A passion for purple? This unexpected combination reallyworks in this space. Warm brown is rustic, while purple adds
a modern playful touch. Love it! via: The Rug Company.
You can also go light and airy with a touch of vintage.
This seems to be all the rage at the moment. via: LivingEtc.
via: LivingEtc.
Or you can try brown with a little navy and lilac, a bit more masculineand sophisticated while still providing relaxation and comfort. via: LivingEtc.
via: West Elm.
via: Domino magazine.
Texture and pattern are important considerations when you?re mixing monochromatic (one color) elements. To dabble in brown, start with accent pieces: a throw pillow or piece of artwork. Amenity Home has a beautiful range of textile pieces to bring nature inside.
By combining lights and darks, and layering different textures together, basic brown spaces can become anything but boring. Do you like using it in your space? I bet you have more of it around than you realize!
[To read more of Rachel's posts on decor8 about color, click here. Thank you Rachel for stopping in today, with chocolate lining all the aisles of stores, your timing is great!]
(images all linked above to their source.)
I’m constantly on the prowl for beautiful fabric and apparently so is graphic designer Nicole Balch from Making it Lovely, who turned me on lately to the work of Vanessa Arbuthnott. Vanessa’s prints are quite country so I guess for all you non-country fans I should write this with a warning: Arbuthnott may not appeal to everyone. Even I had to draw the line at the rooster and check prints because it’s not really my style. But I’m a firm believer in keeping an open mind so I don’t pass by anything without digging first, often the most amazing finds are from the least expected places – like finding something that is so you in a store that caters to a style you don’t find appealing. Vanessa Arbuthnott’s linens, cottons, and oilcloths (along with her collection of rugs and wallpaper) call to mind a charmed life in the English countryside peppered with cozy cottages, winding roads through green pastures, garden parties with afternoon tea.
Of course it’s only reasonable to assume that not everyone prefers country prints in their home but again, keep your mind open because some of these would fit nicely in a mid century or a bohemian modern home too – like the little leaf in gray, duck egg denim, or any of the pie in the sky colorways (my favorite pattern). They’d look great transformed into roman shades, chair cushions, bench slipcovers, quilts, duvets, or trim on the bottom of solid drapes.
Want to try before you buy? If you’d like a few free samples, click here where you can order up to five at no charge. Yay for free!
And thanks Nicole for the fab tip…
(images from vanessa arbuthnott)
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