Blog of the Week: Happy Mundane


Confession time. I have a huge crush on two very clever little blogs out there, Happy Mundane and It's (k)not Wood. Both actually originate from the same brain, that of Jonathan Lo. Well sorta. It's (k)not Wood is from both Jon and his buddy, Emilyn Eto.

I'd like to hear what you think about this... As for me, I'm completely fascinated by a blog that limits itself to one single topic, and a rather odd topic at that, faux wood. Show of hands here, how many of you would have thought this idea was, well, nutty? But, the neatest thing happened. Jon and Emilyn did it anyway and It's (k)not Wood is actually a blog that people are loving - so much in fact that it was recently featured in The Washington Post Express! Can I get a yeahhh baby?!

It's interesting to see how many stylish faux bois items exist in the world, am I right? Staggering. It's clear that Jon doesn't suffer from ADHD, the guy has got some focus to stick to wood. But, then again, perhaps that's the reason Jon launched Happy Mundane. Could it be that he needed to 'branch' out? Enter Happy Mundane, my blog pick of the week.

I met up with Jon, who is an Art Director and Design Consultant from Irvine, California that, in addition to blogging, also runs a successful design agency, J3 Productions. Would you like to learn more about Jon and Happy Mundane?

decor8: Hey Jon, thanks for stopping by decor8. You know I'm a big fan of your blog, maybe you can tell readers a little about Happy Mundane.
jon: Sure. I started Happy Mundane as an offshoot to another blog I do with my
friend Emilyn Eto, It's (k)not Wood, which is devoted to all things faux bois (fake wood). Not that we don't love REAL wood, we just enjoy the novelty of faux bois. I met Emilyn while being graphic designers in the fashion industry. We still work in the design world today. Happy Mundane launched in March. It's a place for me to talk about happy things, good design of any kind (sometimes in places you don't expect), and just to provide a place to appreciate the things that sometimes get overlooked in the every day, a.k.a. the "mundane."

decor8: What makes your blog different from the rest?
jon: I guess because it's my own perspective and perception of the things around me.

decor8: I like that - it's your unique perception that makes your blog different. Simply put, but so true! How do you keep your blog interesting and fresh?
jon: I try to maintain a sense of consistency, but really there's so many wonderful things out there, its hard not to be inspired.

decor8: I can relate. It seems as though there is never enough to blog about. I read Happy Mundane daily because for one, the content is excellent and of course being as visual as I am, I'm attracted to the clean modern layout -- it's very uncomplicated but chic. Now that I've made you blush, I have another question for you... What motivates you to keep blogging?
jon: So far, the motivation is coming in through all the great responses and e-mails, and meeting new friends. It's great to know there are others who share your point of view.

decor8: I think most bloggers keep it up for that same reason, the people you meet and the readers that you know stop in daily to see what you've posted - you don't want to let them down. At least that's how I feel. Speaking of readers, what would you like your readers to tell a friend about your site?
jon: That maybe they were inspired by something they saw or that it made them smile or laugh, or perked their curiosity to find out about something else.

decor8: What do you see in the future as far as both of your blogs are concerned?
jon: We'd love to put together a book that documents all the amazing faux bois and woodgrain products we've seen within the past few years. As for Happy Mundane, who knows!? There's no time like the present!

I hope you enjoy checking out Happy Mundane, look for it all week in the left column. If you'd like to be featured in "blog of the week", please write to me at decor8blog [at] yahoo [dot] com.

(images from happy mundane)

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