Knack Studios {Greenville, SC Art}

Yesterday I went to see my friend Barb at Knack Studios, and I have to share her with you. I stumbled upon Barb's work after finding some of her pieces at a local antique store. Her card was there with her studio address and I drove right over, thinking she might have a shop I could browse. She didn't have a shop, and she was actually right in the middle of a shoot for her book (available now for pre-order!), but she was so sweet and gracious and let me come in and look around anyway.

Living with Plants: Air Plants by Sea & Asters

Hi, friends,

I mentioned last week that I'm going to try, as we get settled, to add plenty of green life in our home. I've been wanting to try Air Plants for a while. Low-maintenance is good for me, and these don't even require soil. When I found Sea & Asters, I had to give it a try. This shop handmakes little custom pods for you that are perfect homes for the Tillandsia she sends along with them. Take a look at what I got in the mail this week.

The pods are so tiny and beautiful. The shop owner also sent a handwritten thank you note, which totally won me over. I chose gold to complement our living room (work in progress), but it was nearly impossible to turn down this sweet little heart.

The best thing is that I'm only going to have to soak these once every week or two for them to thrive.

Happy air planting, and big thanks to Sea & Asters for the lovely order.

Then and Now

In our ongoing quest to make our empty house a home, John and I have been planning an Ikea trek for several months to pick up a few basics. Ikea might get a bad rap because of its reputation as the college-student go-to, but the truth is, it's a great place to find clean, modern lines and affordability. I needed some Parsons style tables to accent our living room, and while I love the West Elm offerings, it was impossible to ignore the good old $7.99 Lack Side Table in white.

When I decided on two wide, modern grey stripes to be the focal point in our dining room, the Docksta was the perfect accent. The room is small, so a round four-seater was the only way to go.

The Expedit Shelving Unit in white is the perfect piece to create an entryway in our happy little living room. Add the Capita legs for a little more polish, and now the keys and mail and candles can all have a place to go at the end of the day.

I loved The Everygirl's Ten Favorite Ikea Finds, which included several pieces from my own shopping list. On our next trip, I'd like to find a work table to create office space upstairs, and we aren't sure yet, but we both love this revival chair, the Strandmorn. It made the cover of the 1951 catalogue! Reading chair, maybe?

Don't miss this fascinating post about the history of the brand: how Scandinavian progressivism became design for the world.

Makeover

Hi, everyone!

I've been quiet on the blog, but hopefully that will change soon. I've been using free moments (and late nights) to give myself this much-needed makeover. I couldn't justify spending money on design right now, so with inspiration from a few other bloggers who took matters into their own hands, I tackled the world of DIY Code. It was a lot of fun. I'll probably be tweaking it over the next few weeks, but it's exciting to have a prettier place to write.

The tabs at the top are exciting, though eventually they will become more organized pages. For now, I'd love to hear what you think, and check out my grown-up About page!

Have a beautiful weekend.

xo,

Lm

P.S. If you're here in Greenville, come hear my friends joie. play at Upstate Pride tomorrow!

Light & Gold

Hi Friends.

John and I have been painting our condo. Its small size calls for white, to let the space and art breathe, but I'm incorporating some color as well. It's tricky, because we don't have a ton of natural light. Meanwhile, I stumbled across these lights and think they're the prettiest thing ever. Imagine a room with layers of neutrals and gold, with a couple of these hanging from the ceiling.

xo.

Our Wedding {Decor}

I had a really good time planning and designing our wedding. My family thought I was a little crazy when I insisted that we stick to a certain (early) timeline, but I'm really glad I followed it; it made the weeks around the wedding pretty stress free! I was busy beforehand, but it never became unmanageable. 

Red Orange Yellow

by Bri Emery of designlovefest

I can't get enough of bright, vibrant color.

For the Cynic

Sometimes I get so excited that it's really hard not to type my whole post in capital letters. This is one of those times. Good things are happening.

I have always loved the prints from Fifi du Vie (especially Oh Darling..Adventurers). This one has been on my mind lately, because after leaving my iPhone in an H&M dressing room in Atlanta, I actually got it back 12 hours later. 

John and I also booked our honeymoon flights this morning, and I've been jumping up and down in my head all day.

xo,

         Lauren

Down Filled

Recently I've been thinking lots about how to decorate our new home, a place that represents us and will foster happiness and creativity. Even though I wish I could buy/paint/create/find everything right this minute, having to wait makes it a more fun and thoughtful process. Meanwhile, Herbie is obsessed with my new pillows from CB2. And contrary to his mom, it has nothing to do with the color.

Shapeshifting

via Design Sponge

Inspiration comes in so many forms. For me, it's clearly been in music (though not as much these days) - and often in words, color, and design. For a while, it was our wedding. Designing a day to represent both of us individually and what we've become as a unit kept me entranced for hours on end. Most recently, it's become our home. We finally have a place of our own combined with the feeling that we're going to stay a little while. What inspires me now is having a space to create something for us - a place to live, work, and play - a blank canvas that will serve as the backdrop for our next few chapters.

We both have a penchant for bright colors, so I'm thinking a neutral background that will allow for lots of warm, energizing pops of color. I've been having a lot of fun searching Design Sponge, Design Love Fest, Oh Happy Day!, and others to see what excites me and find offbeat ideas on where to shop.

Scouring Craigslist for thrifty furniture finds becomes so addictive!

xo,

        Lauren

Right Now

What I need to drink right now;

How I need to pour right now;

What I need to taste right now.

Amazing packaging.

I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to open them - a favor I usually reserve for fancy soaps.

Happy Weekend!

Currently

I have accepted and become obsessed with the potential of Japanese masking tape. Expect gratuitous cards from me with taped designs. 

via happytape

John and I have some interesting things in the works, although we're not sure which will be a "go." Cross your fingers!

Tons of wedding planning going on, and it's so fun. An old typewriter, our silhouettes, and wooden postcards all play roles in the next project.

via All Things Cupcake

Quiet Weekend, please.

Hi friends.

I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend with John. We have no plans, which is exactly what I want right now! Hopefully it'll be some cooking, some yoga, some movies -- bliss. Calm before the storm of packing and moving!



letterpress

 

Wallpaper's Comeback

This weekend I had the real pleasure of working with Currents, my friend Donna, and a fantastic photographer named John Bashian.The site was Romo, a contemporary wallpaper and fabric studio. Friends, let me tell you: this stuff was amazing. The space was incredible, and the fabric beautiful....but the wallpapers! I have never seen wallpaper like this. The texture was amazing, and the design exquisite. I wish I had more pictures to share with you. Whether it was wallpaper that looked like bubbled off-white leather, or metallic textured striped designs that change based on the light, it was fantastic. I wanted to move a bed in and stay. 

The $10,000 espresso machine didn't hurt, either.

Three Cheers for Swedish Design

We all know that Scandinavia has us beat when it comes to clean, clever, and contemporary design. 

Wouldn't these make being at home just a little more fun?

Swedese Coat Rack from Huset

Tea Towels from Isak Blossom and Bill

Same Same But Different glasses by Muuto
(Muuto= "fresh perspective" in Finnish)

Unexpected wallpaper.

Thanks to Liz

I have a really dear friend named Liz. We went to graduate school together, but our friendship didn't really flourish until we acquired the same bizarre church job. We got paid to sit in an organ loft, listen to a crazy, smelly Scotsman play the organ and tell inappropriate jokes, and use our favorite books to drown out a long-winded pastor who annually bestows her congregation with pet rocks. Liz endured my half-asleep "I woke up at 7 on a Sunday" demeanor and offered some really great advice along the way.

The two of us, unfortunately, live in separate parts of the country, but gchat and a knack for emailing have served our friendship well. And when I have the dollars to travel, you better believe Austin is high on my list.

At her (never disappointing) suggestion, you've got to see the following:

My mind is spinning with living room concepts based around this chair.
Think rustic but soft, with lots of natural woods and neutrals, letting this piece speak for itself but with a few whimsical touches. A mantel of old pictures and clocks, and below a yellow coffee table?

from inhabitat.com

This is Anna-Sofia, spotted by Hel Looks, who says
"I'm wearing my aunt's old jacket from the 70s, my friend's beanie and my roommate's boots. The backbag is always with me. I don't buy new clothes. I don't want to be part of the culture of consumption. If I need more energy, I wear orange. If I want more peace and calm, I wear blue.”
Liz said I would love this, and she was right. Anna-Sofia has my vote, from her awesome use of texture to the annoying culture of consumerism to the effect of color on your mindset.

I have tomorrow off! The plan is to have another date with John, see a daytime movie, and celebrate with friends at tomorrow night's Murray Hill Galleries Holiday Open House.

And one week till we drive South!

Yay for Great Design

I love Jessica Hische's modern and intelligent approach to design. She sells beautiful prints. 

Plus, she has a font named Snowflake. Adorable.

xoxo,

     Lauren