Bonus Bone: Felted chandeliers

Delight light (designed by Mixko), available at 2Jane

Hanging Pearl lamp, available at Felt Studio

I'm loving the contrast between the traditional shape of these chandeliers and their crafty felted texture. I bet the light is soft and cozy, although the hanging pearl lamp looks like it casts a crazy, disco ball-like pattern. I kind of like that about it. I think it would make a dining room look magical.

For these reasons, I, Porcelain, declare this a Design Boner.

Mama Cardboard's INMOD Bed

Mama Cardboard's New Fancy Bedding

Mama Cardboard got her new bedding! She would like to thank Apartment Therapy and INMOD for allowing her such a great draw from the Gift Bag.

And now for the the dirt. This bedding, if it wasn't a gift, would cost a pretty penny (approximately $400). So I asked my mom to give us the real low-down on the high-end merchandise.

She says it's very pretty and definitely well-made. The duvet buttons are covered in cloth and "everything is nicely lined and finished." She did note that the embroidery is placed a little high up on the duvet so she has to tilt the pillows upright or the shams will cover the tallest tree. The one thing she still has a problem with is that the fabric is puckered at the edge of the embroidery. She says it's not that bad with the tree pattern but she can imagine it would look really weird with some of the all-over embroideries. She finds it a little odd that they haven't yet "worked that out."

Embroidery Detail

The question we all want an answer to is would she actually buy this bedding. She revealed that she would purchase it but only if money grew on trees (ha!) because it's simply too expensive for something that the "cats get really hairy and dirty (like they do)."

Spring Design Party!

Cardboard and I are excited to be co-hosting a Spring Design Party with Hejfina, Apartment Therapy Chicago, PrairieMod, and Palla Palla. What an awesome list of folks! How can you not come?!?!?!

We'll be getting together to celebrate the new spring line at Hejfina. Helen Maria Nugent, Professor of Interior Architecture and Designed Objects at the Art Institute of Chicago, will be a guest speaker. Nugent will be talking about "Classic Contenders" and raising the question: "Is contemporary design fit enough to get into the ring with the reigning classics?"

All of that plus some cocktails and mingling! So pencil us in on your calendar!

Friday April 13, 2007
6pm-9pm
Hejfina
1529 N. Milwaukee
Chicago, IL 60622

Remember to RSVP to info@hejfinashowroom.com

Not Jan Brady

Goil & the Room of Fire

Oh, Goil. I am sad to see you go. True, you were a spaz but you showed us spunk and ingenuity. I will miss your emotional flair and your quirky accent. You can come paint stripes around my room any day.

Cup o' Journal

Momofuku Journal, at Five and a Half

I'm a bit sad I didn't find this journal earlier. It would have been the ideal travel book to take with me to Japan!

House hunting

After years of renting, my husband and I are ready to buy a little piece of the American Dream. I plan on chronicling our experiences of buying a place for the first time. From getting a mortgage to decorating, we'll cover it all! Cardboard already owns her place and is an expert, so I know I will be relying on her for lots of help and advice.

Over the weekend we popped into a couple open houses in our neighborhood just to get an idea of what was out there and how much they went for. We met a great real estate agent at one of them who specializes in first time home buyers and took some time to talk to us about a lot of the ins and outs. She emphasized getting our credit reports pronto, see what's on there and then do whatever we needed to do about clearing up any possible blemishes.

Step one: Get your credit report and finances in order!

Next we'll meet with a realtor and start doing some serious looking. Wish us luck!

6 & 7

Here are our weekend photos. Visit flickr to see the entire 6 & 7 collection.

Cardboard: left, Porcelain: right

Original inspiration by Stephanie & Mav at 3191

Custom Blindness

Flipping through the most recent Smith + Noble catalog, I saw "windoware" made of bamboo, linen, velvet, and twill. I paused to admire the wooden blinds, so regal in their straightness. Wooden blinds are nice. They're certainly a step up from their aluminum cousins, the sad blinds which crease, break, and get left behind when people move. Smith + Noble, I noticed, knows that sometimes you may want the sturdiness wooden blinds provide but not necessarily the look of the grain. For an extra $20 (per submitted sample), Smith + Noble will custom match the wooden blinds to your decor. They'll paint or stain them to match your walls, floors, furniture, or even the dish you're serving for dinner (assuming you can send in a 1 sq. inch swatch of spaghetti & meatballs).

Hot Cork

I just took a walk to the grocery store and -yay!- no jacket! The weather today (warm and windy) is giving me a healthy "fresh start" feeling. I'm looking forward to long outdoor evenings of pondering the great mysteries of life, over good wine with even better friends. Which brings me to the point of this post: I think an outdoor deck or patio area would look very cozy lit up with an armful of these earthy little cups.

Cork Votive Candle Holders, at 1MintJulep

Bonus Bone: Wonderwall Inc.

In honor of my upcoming journey to the east, I thought I would find "something Japanese" to feature as this week's Bonus Bone. I found what I was looking for (delightfully so) in the Tokyo-based design firm, Wonderwall. Established in 2000 by Masamichi Katayama, the firm seems to have cut itself a nice niche in the often "exhilarating" world of Japanese design. Wonderwall focuses mostly on commercial design but has also taken on some residential apartment design.

Originalfake, store in Aoyama, Toyko

What keeps me interested in browsing Wonderwall's portfolio is the fact that every project is unique and a little crazy. The designs often repeat some sense of glamour and luxury but each space is still its own. Wonderwall also does a good job of bringing in the "Super Happy Fun..." element of Japan that makes me smile and say, "I would never do it in my own house but I love to see it here."

Dress Camp, boutique in Aoyama, Tokyo

Hysteric Glamour Aoyama, boutique in Aoyama, Tokyo

Fleg Ebisu W, serviced apartments in Ebisu, Toyko

BAPE Kids, children's boutique in Harajuku, Tokyo

Gallery Kiki, gallery in Hiroo, Tokyo

For these reasons, I, Cardboard, declare this a Design Boner.

Wonderwall: Masamichi Katayama Projects

If you're loving the design mind of Wonderwall, there is a book and you can buy it! It showcases Katayama's designs up through 2002.

Spring pillows

Crewel leaf pillow, available at Urban Outfitters

Sand dollar pillow, available at West Elm

Beaded rings pillow, available at West Elm

Daylily pillow, available at Anthropologie

I've got a serious dose of spring fever and feel like changing up everything in my apartment!! But who has the money or space for that? A quick, easy and inexpensive way to shake things up is to change your pillows. Right now my pillows just scream winter with their dark, rich hues and shaggy fluffiness. I think I'll be switching to some sunny yellows, leafy spring greens and florals florals florals!

Design Tail

" Extreme Home Mouseover"

One of our favorite sites to lurk about in, Cute Overload, just proved that pets like good design too. Go to town with that feng shui, tiny fella!

Hive H2 shelving system

Hive H2 shelving system, available at Suite New York

The Hive H2 shelving system designed by Chris Ferebee is probably the sexiest shelving unit system I have ever laid my eyes on! I think it is time to say goodbye to InterMetro shelving and hello to gorgeous!!!

National Lampoon's Cardboard in Japan

In just over a week, my family and I are taking a 14-hour plane ride and landing our big ol' American bootys smack dab in the middle of Japan! Yatta! [I'm told this the Japanese equivalent to "Yay!"]

We're flying into (and out of) Osaka and hopping on the Bullet Train to visit other places, such as Kobe and Kyoto. My mom is an excellent trip planner so we have a pretty tight itinerary but I wanted to see if you guys had any recommendations for stuff I should see, do, or eat. Kanpai!

Cherry Blossom 1, photo by bis kis MEG

If the weather cooperates with us, we'll get there just in time for the peak of the cherry blossoms!

"13 Conversations"

"13 Conversations," a series of machine embroideries by Australian artist, Louisa Bufardeci, really hits home for me. Each tiny piece (13 x 18 cm) is a representation of a one minute-long recorded phone call. Her sources are infamously taped conversations, her own private dialogues, and phone calls between "abstract people." Her intent with the series, was to explore how the intrusiveness of wiretapping effects the "home-sweet-homeliness" of private space.

I get where she's going with it but if she really wanted to bring paranoia to the surface, why did she use such lovely colors? Each embroidery does provoke a sense of discontent, with all the erratic lines and overlapping static. Yet, all in all, I think they are also tremendously pretty.

2006/01/16 20:33 20:34 her and you

1965/12/30 22:28 22:39 her with Martin Luther King Jr

"13 Conversations"

No Dream Home for Me

Third Floor Landing

I did not win the HGTV Dream Home.

Even though I knew the risks, I still entered my name a few times. One must admit, it would be pretty nifty to be the one sipping french press coffee and watching the sun rise over the Rockies, even if it would be for only for one morning. But the Winter Park monstrosity went to some guy named Bob from Tennessee.

Good luck with them utilities, Bob.

6 & 7

Here are our weekend photos. Visit flickr to see the entire 6 & 7 collection.

Cardboard: left, Porcelain: right

Original inspiration by Stephanie & Mav at 3191

Bonus Bone: Order valet stand

Order valet stand, available at Design House Stockholm

I try to be a tidy person, but there are some nights when the thought of extending the extra energy to simply hang up my jeans exhausts me just thinking about it. So they live on the floor or if they're lucky on top of my little bench. Then came along the chic valet stand designed by Gabriella Gustafsson. Those Swedes sure know how to design cool and useful objects. She combined various hanger shapes that can handle a pair of pants, a blazer, dress, cardigan and whatever else you slide out of.

For these reasons, I, Porcelain, declare this a Design Boner.

Art of Seduction

If silk stockings, Come hither glances, and perfumed sheets could somehow twist together and form a chair, I imagine it'd look something like this:

Ribbon Chair, at Mig and Tig

Black lace cake stand

Black lace cake stand, available at MoMA

This has to be the sexiest cake stand ever! RAWR! Feed me!

Too Late for Disco

Todd Oldham Disco Mirror, at La-Z-Boy

Now that's a pretty ritzy prize! I might just have to try for this one. The latest Top Design Online Challenge is to:

Create or restore a piece of art using tape. Use any tape you like -- duct tape, transparent tape, painters' tape -- just make it creative and original.

I really don't know what that means. I have a vision of the Venus de Milo with her arms duct-taped back on. Restore? With tape? This could be interesting.

UPDATE: Boo. This challenge ended today. I guess I won't go home and sculpt The Last Supper out of painters' tape. Well, I still could but there's no chance I'll win that mirror. Vote for your favorite tape creation here.

6 & 7

Here are our weekend photos. Visit flickr to see the entire 6 & 7 collection.

Cardboard: left, Porcelain: right

Original inspiration by Stephanie & Mav at 3191

Bonus Bone: Our Mastheads

Design Boner is mostly a way for us to showcase cool things that other people do, or have, or make. We aren't in the habit of tooting our our horn (unless it's completely relevant) but we're going to do just that right now. We just love our mastheads, you guys! We love hunting for the right photo, pulling our hair out as we fight against photoshop, and, mostly, we love the end result. Or, I should say, results.

Original photo used to create Jan 2007 Masthead

Last November, we began the task of designing a new masthead each month. The two of us alternate months and surprise the other with what we find. Our self-imposed limit is that we only use photos taken in (or around) our own homes. We wanted to keep it centered that way because it might, one day, get challenging to find a new angle or shadow, a small horizontal band of beauty, in the everydayness of our own spaces. Right now, though, the possibilities are endless. Some of the mastheads are geared toward the season or a specific holiday and others are captured simply for their smooth color or tidy sentiment. No matter how they all come about, we love each and every one of them.

Since we are so terribly proud of these little creations, we found out how to archive them on our blog. To see the five mastheads we've designed so far, you only have to click on "Masthead Archive," which sits at the bottom of our automatic monthly archive list. If you have any feedback or suggestions for two art student/design junkies dipping their brushes into the graphic arts, we'd be more than thrilled to hear what you have to say. For now, we'll continue to push ourselves to find incredible secret moments and post a new one every month. And we'll always spend the first week of that month obsessively returning to our blog just to feel the giddy thumpety-thump of our hearts as we admire our latest design crush.

Original photo used to create Mar 2007 Masthead

For these reasons, I, Cardboard, declare this a Design Boner.

Pissy Deer & Grumpy Bunnies

I just ordered this shower curtain:

Enchanted Forest Shower Curtain, Funmade/Mookiegifts.com

Detail

Thanks to AT-LA for bringing this hilariously beautiful curtain to my attention! I have been wanting to switch out my sheer curtain and throw a little pattern into my bathroom. I like this shower curtain because it's romantic and girly: brown & pinks, flora & fauna, all the swirly, symmetrical leaf-shapes. But the main reason I like it so much is because the little woodland critters look pissed! I'm so excited for it to arrive. I think it will look pretty rad with the green. What do you think?

Bathroom, east

6 & 7

Here are our weekend photos. We cheated a teeny bit. Porcelain has been sick for nearly a week and she was unable to snap her weekend pics. Sad! We went ahead and recycled some photos she took in back January, when we first started this project. So the dates may be a little screwy but the hole punch photo was taken on a Saturday and the apples fell into place on a Sunday and we think that's close enough. Visit flickr to see the entire 6 & 7 collection.

Cardboard: left, Porcelain: right

Original inspiration by Stephanie & Mav at 3191

Spring Sleeping

I'm in the middle of a little house-cleaning, getting rid of some bad things and, in turn, some pretty bad vibes . One of my projects is new bedding! My current duvet cover is a deep red, raw silk number. It used to look great in my bedroom but it's a little worn out, kitty-claw marked, and just too moody for the way I'm feeling right now. I'm on the hunt for something lighter, prettier, something utterly and completely different.

Duvet - Green

I first fell in love with this duvet cover from Target. I love how simple, clean, and fresh it looks. It's also available in pink, yellow, and I thought I saw blue last night but now I can't find it. Although I really do love this cover, it wouldn't work in my room without changing up a lot of things I don't really want to change. I also read the "guest review" listed on Target's site, and discovered that the green stripe tends to bleed into the white fabric after washing. Now that's a good way to ruin its crisp look.

Suite 109 Serenity Duvet

Next I came across this one from DesignerLinensOutlet.com. It's very feminine and soft-looking, which is a direction in which I wouldn't mind heading. I like all the rusching and texture because it's pretty but it might also stand up to the cats a bit longer than something too sleek. The WHITE makes me a little nervous but at least it's washable. And, at half price, this one is definitely a contender.

Birch Duvet Cover

The final duvet I found last night, before crawling back under my old skanky one, is this snappy silver cover from West Elm. If you look closely, you can see that it's got a faux wood grain that runs throughout the fabric! That's awesome! I wasn't terribly keen on the silveriness of the whole thing, at first, but the subtle pattern makes up for that. Also, the walls in my bedroom are painted light silver-grey so this might fit right in. I think it's something I would have to see in person before I made a decision. Luckily for me, West Elm is offering free shipping on it right now!

If you have any other ideas for me, either a specific duvet or just a place to shop, I'd love to hear them. Here are my standards:

- Full/Queen
- Washable
- Light in color (I have a white cat who likey the bed.)
- Minimal pattern, if any at all (I already have a lot of print-action going on in the bedroom: one wallpaper wall, a giant multicolored rug, etc)
- Decently priced (ie: no Inmod Design Studio)

Brown Seats

The whole idea for this post was to showcase "fuzzy brown" chairs. I was inspired by this pair, found in the design portfolio of Jeffers Design Group.

A Room with a View

The caramel color is so rich and pretty and I just love, love, love the grid pattern.

My next pair of "fuzzy brown" chairs jumped out to me from the commercial design of Kelly Wearstler. The color and pattern operating here is so similar to the Jeffers chairs: soft, glossy, gridded. The tufted plumpness of these short stools, however, is more playful than sophisticated. They're decadent but still cute.

Hard Rock High Roller Suite

Still going strong with my "fuzzy brown" theme, I searched my local craigslist venue and found my next chair. Part of me actually thinks this chair is pretty ugly...but in such an endearing way.

Vintage chair with brown cushions

After that, my search got harder. I decided to scrap the "fuzzy" part and just show off some nifty chairs. They might not be fuzzy or even very comfortable but, at least, they are brown. Here you go:

Honey Orbit Chair, Pier 1 Imports

Blu Dot Couchoid Lounge Chair, Design Public

Round Back Chairs, West Elm

Milano Rust & Black Chair, Target

Lower Fifth Avenue Apartment, David Netto Design