... I share with you this gloriously springy and feminine bedside moment (pinned here) by Bailey Quin of Biscuit Home (written up here by Southern Living):
I think I've just found my new favorite bedding store! Loving these awesome Boone sheets:
Wallpaper brought to you by Scalamandre (other colorways available):
Mildly obsessed with this Border sham (also by Bailey Quin and 50% discount now with code SHAMROCK):
I'll be dreaming of that simple monogram all day...
As a little escape from the craziness and frigidness that is NYC in the winter, I popped over to Venice, CA with my friend, Eda, last weekend. Consequently, I'm now utterly and completely obsessed with the Los Angeles area and the west coast in general. We went without too many plans and instead asked the locals for suggestions, and I had such a fabulous time that I thought I should put together a travel guide!
No. 1: Stay in an AirBnB. Ours was one block from the oceanfront--a terrific 2-bedroom with living area and full kitchen at a surprisingly reasonable rate--which made us feel like locals instead of tourists. And the furnishings were darling, in my book:
No. 2: Eat at Gjusta Bakery. Everyone we talked to recommended this place. It rocks and we went every day. Order the rotisserie chicken (thanks Marjorie for that suggestion!), a few salads to share, and the avocado chocolate mousse. Their outdoor seating is quintessentially beachy/LA and feels very local. Great spot to chat up the locals for suggestions, too.
No. 3: Shop on Abbot Kinney. Eda and I stayed in Heist for an entire hour--or more?!--having the best time trying on the most gorgeous clothes. Salt and Aust are also winners for fabulous clothes. Tortoise, a Japanese home goods store, is a terrific stop for the chic-est storage containers, desk supplies, kitchen accessories, etc.
No. 4: Go for drinks at Tasting Kitchen and dinner at Gjelina (or vice versa). Tasting Kitchen has a lovely, laid back yet swanky vibe with really great cocktails, and Gjelina is Gjusta's upscale sister restaurant. Order the king oyster mushrooms and the grilled spot prawn... yum. (Reservations are a little tough but we put our name on the wait list at Gjelina and waited at Tasting Kitchen just down the block.)
No. 5: We also went into West Hollywood with a few friends who made the trek down from San Fran (hi guys!) for cocktails at Chateau Marmont--so swanky and fun--and dinner at Katsuya where we ate allllll of the sushi. Highly recommend both and also highly recommend making reservations prior!
Next time: It was such a quick trip that we didn't get the chance to visit the great museums, though I've heard rave reviews for the Broad, LACMA, and Getty.
Domino's latest issue also has a beautiful spread on Lily Ashwell's home in Venice! Check it out here, and these are her suggestions:
A few shots from the trip:
Now go! Travel! Explore! Live!
Do you have a favorite spot in Venice to suggest? Is there a location you'd like to see featured on The Spoonful Travels? Let me know here or in the comments below!
Welcome to another Artist Spotlight! This spotlight is extra special because the artist has a show opening NEXT THURSDAY at the Agora Gallery in Chelsea. Here is the press release and here is the Facebook invite--spread the word! (And if you're part of the Virginia Club of New York, we're having a tour Saturday, March 12 from 4-5pm with Gregg himself. Mark your calendars!) Gregg Emery--teacher, artist, and generally amazing person--and I met because our easels were side by side at an open house at the National Academy on the upper east side (they have open houses throughout the year--if you're in the city, check it out!).
We've kept in touch and now he's on my blog: reason #476 why I love NYC. Gregg makes these fantastic abstracts that are terrific in photos but even more terrific in person (like at his show at Agora, ahem ;) ). Without further ado, I'll let him tell his own story...
Gregg Emery was born in Bombay, NY, a rural community outside Montreal filled with dairy farms and bordering the Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation. In a town with few creative stimuli and even fewer traffic lights, Emery sketched at the earliest age wherever and whenever possible; his grandest dream was making it to New York City. An even farther thought was having numerous exhibitions of his work, with collectors from across the globe.
Gregg Emery received his Bachelor of Arts with departmental distinction from Hartwick College and a Masters in Fine Art from the Maryland Institute, College of Art, where he studied under Babe Shapiro, Power Boothe, Hermine Ford and Sal Scarpitta. He is currently the Chair of the Visual Arts and Art History department at the Trinity School in Manhattan, a private, coeducational K-12 school. Emery enjoys teaching art & art history, sharing his knowledge and experience with a younger generation. His artwork is included in numerous private and public collections including the permanent collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art. Gregg Emery is represented by the Agora Gallery in New York City.
The Spoonful: Describe your style in 5 words:
Gregg: dramatic, beautiful, athletic, powerful, meditative
The Spoonful: Art background?
Gregg: BA In Studio Art from Hartwick College, MFA from Maryland Institute, College of Art, Apprentice at the Fabric Workshop in Philadelphia, PA
The Spoonful: Whose work do you most admire?
Gregg: Tough question, I love so many artists for so many reasons… I think my family first and foremost, I have so many members of my family who are artists but claim they are not. My great-grandfather who carved amazing wood sculptures and wonderfully detailed drawings... my father, housebuilder turned math/ computer teacher, car mechanic and now keeps bees and repairs/ rebuilds antique clocks. My mother who plays organ/ piano and is a poet with her weekly local newspaper column. The hardwork coupled with humility is what I hope to take away or hope it is in my genes.
More traditional type artists? Hmmm, Caravaggio, huge fan… also Rembrandt, Rothko (his meditative paintings blow mine away)… contemporary I do enjoy Andy Goldsworthy (artwork also found here) & Yayoi Kusama, Takashi Murakami and others. I also have drawn inspiration from many street artists… C215, Banksy, Os Gemeos just to name a few.
The Spoonful: Where do you find your inspiration?
Gregg: Inspiration for me comes from many places… The colors I choose actually come from things I see around me. Recent ones are from movies... from James Bond, Twilight, and even a recent set of pieces inspired by colors in the classic scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indy reaches for the golden idol. The gold, Indy's brown jacket, and this shimmering blue light all make it into the painting. Color is so powerful, triggering memory, hunger, depression, exhilaration and everything in between… Movies are modern mythology, religion or meditation… to me, movie makers are the gods, the creators of worlds, akin to the masters of the Renaissance. I also take color inspiration from travels including a series based on a trip last year to Morocco, markets in Taiwan, even shells from Fire Island or a dessert from a fellow artist, pastry chef & muse. Although these colors may come from specific places, people or moments, I encourage them to trigger your own train of thoughts, and I do hope you enjoy these worlds I created as much as I did making them.
The Spoonful: Ideal workspace consists of...?
Gregg: Lots of space, lots of light, a projection screen (I like to have a movie playing (without sound) while I work), no interruptions. Mostly I work at night and I love when no one is around.
The Spoonful: Greatest piece of advice on being an artist (creating, surviving, anything) that you've received? That you can give?
Gregg: Best piece of advice? I've received much advice over the years. One from my parents, you can learn something from everyone so listen carefully and don’t judge a book by its cover, age, gender or anything else that might stand in the way of authentic communication. Draw everyday, drawing is key, it is the way we think, see the world and make sense of things. Learn from art history, dig deeply into the past to learn your place in the world and find your way into the future. From a student, never become a parody of yourself.
The Spoonful: Five things you can't live without?
Gregg: (hmmm OK Cupid?) alright, 1. Sketchbook 2. Passion 3. Water 4. Breath 5. Silence
The Spoonful: Where can we find your work?
Gregg: I am currently represented by the Agora Gallery, NYC in Chelsea. I have also shown with the Vogelsang Gallery of Belgium. You can find me on ArtSlant and collaborating with great people like the Shadow People Project and the NY Poetry Society. I also have a piece in the permanent collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art.
The Spoonful: Anything else we should know??
Gregg: You should really probably know at least one of the names of the members of the Ramones if you’re going to wear their T-shirt (that was the first live concert I heard.) Also you should know that my college roommate for 3 years was Lizardman, the guy tattooed from head to toe and I also find him incredibly inspiring as an artist. Sincere, intelligent, and who can challenge his commitment? Well, if you did he could eat you so I wouldn’t try it.
Gregg's show at the Agora will run until March 29. Go check it out--and let him know you heard about the show on The Spoonful!
Gregg is also working on a couple of new collaborations including one with a group of professional dancers, the Sydney Schiff Dance Project, whose costumes he painted--they'll be at his opening night, Thursday, March 10, wearing the costumes! He can also often be found at the Poetry Brothel, drawing the poets and those listening to them! Also check out his drawings and other sketchbook work on tumblr, instagram (@aplsd21), and twitter.
Thanks so much Gregg!!
If you know of an artist who'd like to be featured on The Spoonful's Artist Spotlight, let me know here!
Hello! Thanks for the lovely feedback on my bathroom inspiration post (here). Here's another space that I came across and just loved (and currently still love):
It's the office space at ManRepeller, who is hilarious and amazing and I highly recommend following her immediately if you don't already. (AND fun fact: I saw her on the street once and told her that I thought she was amazing and she said the same back to me although she had no proof of such.)
Those great copper chairs are by BluDot, here, and the table is also by BluDot, here. But if you're looking for a more wallet-friendly option, read on...
I love how the desk in ManRepeller is just a big, long table. This one from CB2 is similar to the BluDot one in the inspiration picture and less than half the price:
Or, better yet, this table + top from Ikea for $75 combined:
The copper chairs are a bit trickier to find cheaply, so here's what I would do:
Ikea furniture is notoriously hard to spray paint, but my fave blogger Jenny Komenda at Little Green Notebook writes here about how she had great luck with this particular primer (note that she specifies shellac-based because of Ikea's finish). That said, you could really choose any chair that you'd like to change up and spray it! I recommend Rustoleum, but you may want to try a few brands and test out their particular shades of copper to find which one best suits you :)
Add a few sheepskins to cozy up the "metal":
And some light bookshelves (I have this one in my apartment and LOVE it):
Accessories are a must on the shelves. I love digging around in thrift stores and flea markets (or my parents' attic...) for one-of-a-kind, inexpensive finds. I like how the shelves at ManRepeller aren't overly crowded, but have sweet, thoughtful trinkets and books. Here are a few ideas:
Voila!
Have you seen a lovely space that you'd like deconstructed on The Spoonful? Let me know here or in the comments below! xo
I came across this heavenly bathroom on One Kings Lane's instagram and just about died:
I love every bit of it, from the concrete floors to the leather pulls on the cabinet to the live greens to the wood slab across the tub. And the bath mat! Obsessed.
I thought I'd have a little fun and put the space together on here...
Add a few big-leafed plants and it's a beaut!
Do you have a room you'd like broken down and sourced on The Spoonful? Let me know here or in the comments below!
Many, many years ago, before I even knew the name Albert Hadley, I pinned this image of a bathroom wallpapered in a print ("Fireworks") by the design great:
A quick design history lesson... Albert Hadley was one half of the design company Parish-Hadley--"the erudite yang to Sister Parish's freewheeling yin," as Architectural Digest describes him here--who brought about wonderful things in the world of interior design. His clients included the Rockefellers, the Astors, and the Kennedys, to name a few, and his signature lay in creating a comfortable room with some punchy kick to keep things interesting. Though Mr. Hadley passed away a few years ago, his legacy lives on in many ways--including this wallpaper!
One college summer, I decided my lime green bathroom needed a facelift (really wish I had a "before" photo!), and, remembering that great image, I decided to do a little Hadley-inspired DIY.
First things first: paint the walls. I picked a sandy off-white neutral; this bathroom gets very little sunlight so I made sure to choose a light color, without feeling too sterile.
For the "fireworks," I picked a high-gloss white, the whitest white; the glossiness helps the white stand out against the sandy background color. Once the wall color was good and dry, I mapped out my pattern lightly with a pencil, taking care to space the fireworks correctly. This is one of those steps that takes a long time but makes such a difference and actually saves time--and headaches--in the end!
Then I got to work! I found it important to have enough paint on the brush each time so that the fireworks didn't look too painterly (a look I often love but not here).
I'm still so pleased with the result, even several years after completing the paint job. And it was absolutely more budget-friendly than installing genuine Albert Hadley wallpaper! Maybe one day...
Hello! I'm back! I've kicked off the new year with a few little upgrades in my apartment; here's one of them. Let's back up a few months. When I was searching for ways to squeeze a little more storage space out of my little studio, one solution was to make the most of the under-the-bed storage. This meant simply using bed risers (yes, the same ones from freshman year dorms), which both gives me far more space and makes the bed so high that I all but need a running start to get in. :) Of course, I couldn’t leave that unsightly view uncovered, so I made up a quick and cheap bedskirt.
The beauty of making my own is that I could have a completely custom cover—it would be very difficult to find a bedskirt that I wanted in that length—for a fraction of the cost of having it made by an upholsterer. I used a painter’s drop cloth, one of my favorite sources for inexpensive, heavy-duty fabric.
I cut it to size, leaving extra room at the top to tuck in between the mattress and box springs. Then I hemmed it all around to prevent any fraying down the road. I left it just like this for a while; I kind of liked the simplicity. Then I ran across these bedding images and instantly became obsessed with this version of what I like to call a "sophisticated pom-pom":
From Mui Ma:
So simply lovely. Via L'Aviva Home:
Other color options available too (here):
And this from Urban just makes my heart sing:
I happened to have several samples of this trim (from Samuel & Sons) left over from various projects, which I negotiated to a spacing that I liked; the poms here are about 7" apart. (This city has some terrific trim stores, though: I've had great luck at Mokuba and M&J Trimming, but if you just walk around the garment district--especially 36th to 40th Streets between 6th to 8th Avenues--you'll stumble upon many other gold mines.) The trick for this look is to find BIG pom-poms. I also especially like these because they're not too white; they're actually the same ecru color as the drop cloth. Match made in heaven.
After spacing them, I simply sewed a few stitches on each to keep it in place and called it a day! From start to finish, this little project took all of 30 minutes, and I am so pleased with the result. The poms just make me smile!
I loved seeing so many of you over the break--and I can't tell you how wonderful it was to hear that you've been reading The Spoonful! So nice and I so appreciate it.
And if you have a DIY you'd like to share on The Spoonful, send it on over!
One of my favorite pieces in all of the apartments that I've lived in has been this glorious steamer trunk:
It's an old family piece, and I love all of the textures it brings into the room: wood body, metal hardware, leather straps. The best part, though, is that this thing holds A LOT: an air mattress, extra sheets, towels, out of season clothes... you name it. And in this cozy (tiny) apartment, multipurpose furniture is this girl's best friend!
I've seen the trunk-as-coffee-table idea executed well in many situations. Here's a bit of inspiration...
Love how this room (via CocoCozy) works the deep plum walls and dark floors. And the trunk rocks:
This vintage Louis Vuitton makes my mouth water (from Interiors Addict):
And another LV inspiration. SO GOOD!
It could be yours... to the tune of $24,000 (via 1st Dibs):
While I'm dreaming, how about this amazing trunk headed to Buenos Aires?!
This acrylic trunk (as shown on Refinery 29) gives a new spin on the antique trunk idea:
Here's a similar one on sale at One Kings Lane:
Vintage trunks like mine run the gamut in pricing. Thrift stores often have them--I've even seen one on the street!--and a little elbow grease can go a long way. The key is to pick one with a flat top (to place a tray, books, drinks on top, of course!) that hasn't fallen too far into disrepair, and it should be a good coffee table height. Around 16-21" is standard, depending on the height of your sofa; a table more than 2" lower than your sofa will feel funky. That said, my trunk is higher than 21" and feels perfectly fine! (If you're looking for the right height for your space, I suggest holding up a measuring tape next to your sofa and visualizing it that way. The table should be high enough to comfortably place a drink or book but not so high that you feel like you're at a dining table.)
A quick eBay search turned up a few inexpensive diamonds in the rough, like this amazing green one:
And this one. It's about 14" high--a few inches shorter than it should be--but it could have another, smaller trunk stacked on top, or some great coffee table books piled up on top to add height would look so chic too. It needs some good refinishing and some polish on those hinges, but what a great weekend project, amiright?!
Something about this old trunk makes me want to leave it as-is and embrace its vintage feel:
For those of you dear readers in the NYC area, here are a few Craigslist options:
Imagine this trunk cleaned up with polished hardware... gorgeous.
This is a gem:
Reminds me of this LV orange trunk:
This definitely needs some love but the possibilities are endless...
Have you ever used a trunk as a coffee table? I'd love to see photos--send them over and I'll feature your space on The Spoonful!
It's fall (y'all) in New York City, and this forgotten chill in the air has me reaching for the best coziness formula I know: warm liquids and warmer blankets. I've recently come across some wonderfully warm blankets and thought I'd share my favorites. Nothing makes a sofa seem more beckoning than a comfy throw:
Wonderful buffalo check from Hudson and Vine, $110:
Gorgeous red-orange in this House Beautiful shot:
Wool & cashmere throw from Garnet Hill, $138:
One of my favorite sofas from Southern Living:
Cream knitted throw (with festive metallic woven in!) from West Elm, on sale now for $55:
A luxe-y (faux) fur throw on this leather sofa softens up the dark walls (via The Design Daredevil):
Restoration Hardware ($139) for the win:
How about this cozy reading nook by the fabulous Emily Henderson (and how great is that wall color?!):
One King's Lane has this big windowpane check for $199:
Stay cozy!
P.S. In the spirit of autumn, my mom sent me this darling note:
Isn't she the dearest?? (And for those of you who don't know That Girl... Go! Watch! Now!)
The Artist Spotlight is back! This time I was lucky enough to check in with the wonderful James Erickson, an oil painter in Maryland and a fellow UVA alumni. I love how effortless and calming his paintings feel--and I think you'll feel the same.
The Spoonful: Describe your style in 5 words:
James: I do my best work when I stop worrying about painting with a certain style. My paintings are representational in the sense that they depict real places and people that I encounter. Usually I start out fast, loose and abstract then bring about more order as the work progresses.
The Spoonful: Art background?
James: I fell in love with drawing and painting as a child. I studied painting at The University of Virginia and continued at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) for an MFA.
The Spoonful: Whose work do you most admire?
James: John Singer Sargent, Joaquin Sorolla, Winslow Homer...
The Spoonful: Where do you find your inspiration?
James: Sometimes I see a person or a place that I am inspired to paint but more often it is the process of painting itself that I find inspiring. It is very rewarding to discover beauty in an unlikely subject.
The Spoonful: Ideal workspace consists of...
James: ...working in natural light with the landscape and/or a model. It is exciting to work with the changing conditions.
The Spoonful: Greatest piece of advice on being an artists (creating, surviving, anything) that you've received? That you can give?
James: Stick to what you know. Make art from your surroundings. Develop a daily discipline for your work.
The Spoonful: Five things you can't live without?
James: My faith and my family. Sleep and exercise. Books.
The Spoonful: Where can we find your work?
James: My studio is in Poolesville, MD. I also have paintings hanging at Village Gallery in Culpeper, VA. You can find my work online here, on instagram (@jamesdeanerickson), and on Facebook (jamesericksonart).
The Spoonful: Anything else we should know?
James: I am a husband and father to three young children. Finley (4 years), Joseph (2 years) and Julia Rose (9 months).
James also updates his tumblr often--it's well worth following. Do it! Now! Thanks so much for sharing your story, James!
If you'd like to share an artist to spotlight on The Spoonful, let me know!
I came across this fantastic image from Anthology magazine while I was searching for headboard ideas for my dear friend's new apartment. So cool, right?
Here's another inspiration image from the August Black blog:
She’s looking for a calming, serene retreat in her bedroom, but also loves the boho chic feel, which we’ll incorporate in other rooms of her apartment (more on that to come down the road!). Headboards are one of my favorite parts of the room to DIY because there are just so many options. This solution for a headboard is so very simple and can be quite inexpensive: all you need is the tapestry and a bedframe upon which to set the mattress.
I did a quick eBay search which came up with some gorgeous options, like this big Suzani tapestry:
Or this one:
Love the colors here:
And here:
Pretty pink:
To fit in with her image of a calming space, I encouraged her to pick out a more neutral one, like this:
Or this one:
The tapestry could be attached directly to the wall or it could be mounted on a wood support to be a bit sturdier--it looks like the inspiration image did the latter. Erin Williamson did a great tutorial here, and Mr. Kate used a gorgeous different technique here.
Have you ever used a nonconventional headboard? How did it turn out? Let me know here or in the comments below!
One of my favorite things to do when redecorating a room is to see what existing furniture I have that can be reworked for a fresh look (like I did with my atlas-covered desk). During my last year of college I needed a small bedside table to hold a few necessities--namely, my ever-growing pile of books and a lamp with which to read them. I already had this little dresser with drawers that my grandfather had made years and years ago, which had been painted and repainted umpteen times. I had changed out his original knobs for these funky ones another time, but the drawers just weren't going to work for my books.
I liked the navy, so didn't bother painting it yet again. Instead, I took the drawers out and, taking care to keep the face of the piece navy (but apparently not careful enough--don't look too closely! A little painter's tape might have been helpful here...), spray painted the inside silver. I wanted something a little glitzy inside, but not too overboard. For the record, I don't always love to paint old furniture, especially pieces with sentimental value, but because this already had about five layers of paint on it, I didn't feel too badly.
With a little (okay, a lot; okay, he did it all) help from my dad, boards were cut to easily slide into the dresser as shelves instead of the drawers. I covered them in some wrapping paper I had laying around and reinforced the edges with clear packing tape--a great little trick to keep the edges from getting banged up, which you can't see unless getting very up close and personal! You can see where I was running out of paper and turned the stripes the opposite direction on the last shelf. Gives a little personality :)
Then I filled it with books! And a clementine crate, which fit perfectly, to hold odds and ends.
And that was that! I loved this makeover because I only used things I already had (read: free!), and it was so quick to do--and so functional! Here it is in situ in my old Charlottesville room:
What about you? Do you have any successful furniture makeovers? Contact me here or let me know in the comments below--I'd love to share them on the blog!
After the post on my studio's rugs, I received several very sweet notes wondering where to find rugs on a budget. This is a tough one because, on one hand, carpets can easily get destroyed, which makes investing in them a hard bite to swallow. On the other hand, a beautiful, well-made rug is a purchase that can travel from apartment to apartment for years--that's how I look at mine, anyway. Regardless, here's a round up of some of my favorites that don't break the bank! Color blocked rug (4'6 x 6'6 is about $268) by Ferm Living featured in this great post by Remodelista. Also comes in a smaller size.
Black and white, comes in two sizes (2'6 x 4'6 is about $126). Check out more, similar options from Ferm Living here.
Great graphics (and dark background hides dirt!)... also comes in inverse colors and other sizes. Urban Outfitters; 8' x 10' is $199.
Urban is #winning. Also comes in other color ways and sizes; 4' x 6' for $59.
More color blocking from Urban Outfitters; 5' x 7' is $99.
This colorful tribal flat weave from Urban is $189 for the 3' x 5', and a bigger size is also available.
A classic from IKEA; 5'7 x 8'10 for $199. (When shopping for IKEA rugs, I've found the better quality ones are their flat weaves, not low pile.)
From Hawkins New York; 4' x 6' is $300 and is available in more, equally fantastic colors and sizes:
Love this black and white from Bed, Bath, & Beyond. A 5' x 7' is $160; it also comes in other sizes.
Colors from Land of Nod (yes, that's a children's store!); 4' x 6' is $129.
Another Land of Nod find; 4' x 6' for $99 and other sizes are available.
On sale now at West Elm! 5' x 8' is $150; other sizes available.
More B&W from CB2, 5' x 8' for $249.
Vibin', also from CB2 (also comes in black). 6' x 9' for $249; a runner is also available.
Target for the win with this 5' x 7' for $120.
Have you found any great rug options? Tell me here or in the comments below!
Regardless of the city or circle or stage of life, I've met so many fantastic artists, and I'm taking this chance to show them off through my Artist Spotlight series. Meet Myla Seabrook!
Myla and I worked together last summer, and I was immediately enthralled with her fearless use of color in the terrific landscapes she creates. She was recently featured by Cultation, and her work is really fantastic. She's better at telling her story for herself, so I'll let her!
The Spoonful: Describe your style in five words. Myla: Colorful, loose, whimsical, nostalgic sometimes, happy
The Spoonful: What is your art background?
Myla: I attended the High School of Art and Design and majored in Fashion Illustration there (random, I know, but I loved it), then went to Hofstra University and majored in Fine Art with a concentration in painting. Over the course of my studies I have created drawings, collages, paintings, sculptures, and various clothing designs. I also interned with the West Harlem Art Fund and completed a residency at Brooklyn Art Space.
The Spoonful: Whose work do you most admire? Myla: Albert Bierstadt. He has a huge painting in the Brooklyn Museum (my favorite) that inspired me even when I was too small to be able to create something so large. He was a landscape painter that managed to capture the drama of skies and sweeping vistas perfectly with every painting, and he also worked in the super large sizes that I someday hope to have the space to produce.
The Spoonful: Where do you find your inspiration? Myla: In nature. I spend a ridiculous amount of time staring at the sky or at trees, shadows on grass, the land around me when I'm up on a mountain or a bridge or in a plane, the colors of flowers. I love being awed by natural beauty, as I feel reminded of the majesty of the earth in moments like those. I am also inspired by books. I read a lot of science fiction and supernatural stuff, and I don't think anyone can create a fantasy world quite like science fiction writers can.
The Spoonful: Your ideal workspace consists of... Myla: A large table so I can space things out (I'm a messy person but I get kind of surgical about the layout of my workspace; brushes over here, paper towels over there, paints in the bin along the back...), an easel or two depending on whether or not I'm working on two paintings at a time, and a large wall to tack up some canvas and make a huge piece. Since we're talking ideal here, a ladder would be great too, because I have alllll that wonderful dream space. I also like a good wifi connection and a comfy chair. Sometimes I can spend twenty minutes scrolling through googled reference photos before I feel ready to put paint on the canvas.
The Spoonful: Greatest piece of advice on being an artist (creating, surviving, anything) that you've received? That you can give? Myla: The road to success is winding. And you get there when the time is right. My mom is always coaching me on patience and trusting myself, and I think that, when you're self-employed, those things are incredibly important. Sometimes my path leads me places I didn't plan on being; lately, life has been about adapting to new situations and making the best out of them, assuming that staying focused on my goals/ willing to work and learn will get me to the things I want. So far, so good!
The Spoonful: Five things you can't live without?
Myla: My cellphone (I hate admitting that but there it is), mostly for the Kindle reading, the texting, and the web browsing. I have all the social media accounts in the world but I'm too lazy to be super active on them.
A sketchbook or journal
Nail polish (if I can't paint a canvas, may as well paint my nails, am I right?)
Books. Actual physical books.
Sunlight. Not just for the vitamin D... I really, really love natural light.
The Spoonful: Where can we find your work? Myla: No shows at the moment, but I'm always open to setting up a studio visit at Brooklyn Art Space for people who'd like to see what I'm currently working on. (Editor's note: Myla's art can be seen on her website and Facebook, too.)
The Spoonful: What's coming up next for you? Myla: Currently, I'm working on achieving my goal of making larger paintings, mainly through mural commissions. I've also been working on some concept design for books and book covers, so that's hopefully something the public will see from me soon!
Thanks for sharing your story, Myla! Can't wait to see what's next :)
Do you know of an artist to be featured on The Spoonful's Artist Spotlight series? Let me hear it! Email me at lucyclarespooner@gmail.com.
When I decided to move into a studio, I knew I would need to finagle a divider to define the spaces. It's nice both for myself and for guests to know the living space from the private or sleeping space, even though there's no wall between the two.
Remodelista blogged about a few ideas here, and Buzzfeed has an article here. Here's some inspiration that I played with, too:
This room is just fantastic, packing a double punch with the dividers by using both curtains (attached on only part of the ceiling and not meant to be fully closed) as well as the screen/plant combo. Those herringbone floors... I could move right in.
Another screen. Wouldn't that be a fun DIY??
I love this screen because it doesn't obstruct the view or, more importantly, the light, but cues the separate parts of the room. (The rest of the image is a little froo-froo for my taste but how crazy is that wallpapered ceiling?!)
Bookshelves are a fantastically functional use of space... especially airy ones like these that let light come through:
Here's an example of very thin, narrow shelves that act as a divider:
Great curtains (can you spy the Jielde lamp, like I talked about in this post??):
Another curtain divider here:
I considered all of the above ideas before settling on the curtain, which I like because it's lightweight, lets sunlight through, and doesn't distract too much from the rest of the space. I didn't have the perfect spare curtain lying around, so I decided to make one myself. Keeping in mind something simple, light, neutral, but with a bit of glam, I thought a Pollock-inspired divider would be simple, quick, and have just the effect I was after.
I grabbed a clean, white, flat bedsheet from my mother's linen closet, some gold paint, and a paint brush. After laying the sheet out, I commenced to splattering. To figure out how best to splatter the paint, I studied a few photos of Pollock while working:
I liked how his pieces have both the drip drops of paint, as well as the longer lines that have been flopped down with the flick of a wrist.
Because I wanted plenty of light to shine through, I leaned toward more background, less paint, like this of Pollock's:
I also studied how Pollock made his paintings into fields ("field" refers to a painting, surface, expanse, etc that has no distinction between figure and ground), like these:
... and tried to do the same in mine by avoiding having either clusters of paint or expanses of white, as in this "during" photo of my own:
And finished:
Then I hung it up by attaching a heavy duty wire into the wall with screw-in hooks from the hardware store:
Later, I added a little black velvet trim to the edge to finish it. I would definitely recommend doing this before hanging up the curtain, but fabric glue got it to stick (would've been much easier if the sheet were lying horizontally instead of vertically!):
Now I need a chic little tieback and I'll be set! Stay tuned for a DIY on that to come :)
I love my white bedding (as I mentioned in this post), but it's a little dingy. Okay, it's more cream than white now. Understandably so--I've had it for maybe ten years, including all of college?! Yikes. My college room:
New city, same cover:
It's worn-in in that wonderful way that only constant use and many washes can produce, and for that reason I've been putting off replacing it... but I think the time has come for a fresh cover.
I'd like to keep the bed white for a multitude of reasons: calming, crisp & clean looking, blank canvas for patterns elsewhere. I love the pattern in the coverlet here:
Isn't this setting just to die for?! I'm imagining a duvet cover in the pattern of those front throw pillows. And the wavy white shams... adore.
Amazing pom-poms:
Quite similar to this cover from Urban Outfitters:
So calming.
I really love the pattern in my coverlet now and have had the hardest time finding something similar.
It's neither too geometric nor too floral, but still feminine. This cover that I have now is a matelasse, meaning that it looks like it's quilted or padded but actually isn't, and it's nice and lightweight... but I could switch to a duvet, too.
I've been mulling over a few options, like this one on eBay (free shipping and 60-day returns?! I can handle that):
Simplicity from Anthropologie:
Another very simple spread (and close up) from Anthro:
Do you have any sources for bedding?? Let me hear them in the comments below!
Hello and happy weekend! A few weeks ago I was in a new store in Brooklyn Heights called Collyer's Mansion (named after the compulsive hoarding Collyer brothers), where I saw these fantastic and oh-so-functional extension cords:
So much better looking than any other extension cord I've ever seen! The cord itself is wrapped with string/thread which makes it less prone to tangles. I just love when everyday, necessary pieces are made beautiful.
I immediately thought of the unsightly cords running through my apartment and had one of those "I could make that" moments. So I did, and here's how.
You'll need:
I had this neon string leftover from Christmas decorations that I had picked up at my local hardware store, and what could be better than a jolt of neon green for a little pick-me-up on such a pedestrian object?! Below are options in neon-y colors, but most any string would work for this project, like crochet yarn or standard package string. Good to keep in mind that thicker string wraps more quickly than thin--but I would advise against going too thick because it gets bulky.
I began by laying about an inch of string flush on the cord, cut end towards the expanse of cord to be wrapped, and started wrapping from the end with the plugs (I don't have pictures of this step--oops--but see below where I overlap with pink string. It's the same process!). I made sure to keep the wrapping tight and close together.
The hardest part was keeping the string from knotting on itself, but patience is key! I found that wrapping the cord once then pulling the ball of string through and around, and repeating over and over like that, worked the best to avoid tangles (and hair pulling frustration).
It took a few hours, but it was strangely soothing--and addicting--to see how far along I could get. I found myself picking it up for a few minutes here and there, like how one might with knitting or other handiwork. When I wanted to take a break, I secured the string in place with a little binder clip to prevent unraveling until I picked it up again.
At the end, I ran out of green and decided to switch it up with hot pink to finish it off. First I cleanly cut the green string and taped it to the extension cord using matching gray washi tape that I happened to have on hand:
Then I laid the new color on top and taped around it. I made sure that the tape was smooth to have a seamless transition and to keep it from being too bumpy.
Then I kept on wrapping! (Like I mentioned, this is the same process as starting in the beginning.)
When I got to the end, I taped the pink off, like I had with the green earlier, and wrapped over it again. I didn't cut it until the end, when I knotted it multiple times to keep it from coming undone. You can see where the end is doubled over:
By ending at the plug-in part (my extension cord vocabulary is lacking...), the tie-off isn't as noticeable because it's hidden when it's plugged into the wall.
Ta-da!
And since I had all that string left, I decided to do another cord!
Nothing groundbreaking, but I love the little details. And I think a little neon here and there is fun in any space. I find that neon can be thrown in with most any color scheme just because it's so crazy. And much better than the utilitarian extension cords from before, don't you agree?
Have you tried this DIY? Would you like to see another DIY on The Spoonful? Let me know in the comments below!
I must have lighting on my mind, this time in my entry. While I love the action on the walls, all that busy-ness can't distract me from the rather dreadful light fixture situation going on up on the ceiling.
I have this *lovely* habit of buying things--for a steal of a price, bien sûr--that I don't need now but will *surely* need in the future. Such was the case when I bought this gem at the local thrift for $10.
It sat in my parents' garage for a solid four years, but I didn't forget... and I think it might just be the perfect improvement for my little entry. I know it's seen better days, but some paint and Windex (and new glass and new chain...) will do wonders, I'm convinced. (Let it be recorded that the embarrassingly vast majority of items bought as "I don't need this now but I'm sure I might maybe possibly need it sometime in the indefinite and unruly future" have yet to be transformed. Maybe I'm turning a new leaf?!)
But what color to paint? Of course, there's ample inspiration to be found on Pinterest. Here's an example in a metallic:
Hello, red:
I'm a fan of how this lantern is a bit invisible, blending into the ceiling:
Can't go wrong with black (and a two-toned Dutch door never hurts, either):
Loving this updated take on a black lantern shape:
And another great shape in black (with another fantastic Dutch door):
Stay tuned for the upgrade process! Until then, I'll be reading up on how to become an electrician...
A few weeks ago I wrote about my atlas desk and mentioned how I'd like to find a proper desk lamp for it. I love the vintage glass one on there now, but I have my sights set on a bona fide architect's light. It's a workspace, and I want it to look like one! The French-made Jielde lamp (sold locally in NYC at McNally Jackson in selected colors/styles) is a classic, and one of my all-time favorites. It was produced in the 1950s by Jean-Louis Domecq when he wanted a sturdier working light that could twist and turn without also twisting and turning its wires. Later, domestic styles and more colors (so many colors!) were added to its repertoire. The rest is history--and it has certainly withheld the test of time!
I mean, really, how gorgeous is this olive green??
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After Jielde and I met, I realized the lamps were featured in many of my favorite inspiration images (and not just in workspaces):
They're everywhere! Love the floor lamps too... but focusing on desk for now. Unless of course I did a floor lamp as a desk lamp like this:
There are also several economically happy alternatives, like the Atelier line from Restoration Hardware, which comes in other finishes as well:
... and these from PB Teen:
... and this one by Kenneth Cole for Bed, Bath, & Beyond (also comes in a brass finish):
There are also some listed on Craigslist (for those of you in the NYC area) in gold:
And these vintage ones:
And of course a quick eBay search might prove fruitful, too.
The alternatives are great options... I will say, though, I saw a genuine Jielde with my own two eyes (in McNally Jackson), and the imitations don't do it justice! The colors and finish are exquisite, and it's just so sturdy--a true classic. I think I'll continue to save my pennies and watch eBay like a hawk :)
Hello! I've finally bitten the blogging bullet after many years of procrastination. "Spoon" is my nickname, and a "spoonful" is what I'll provide: of design inspiration, of DIYs, and of my journey through life in New York City as an interior designer. I thought I'd make my entry into the blogosphere with another type of entry: to my apartment. They say a painting is never finished but merely abandoned--I'd say the same for my little studio. I moved to NYC one month shy of a year ago (!) and have really loved every second. One part I especially cherish about living alone is that the space is entirely my own and therefore mine to decorate as I please. My entry (which doubles as a hall and triples as a mudroom) was looking a little bare, so I turned it into an inspiration gallery of sorts and also outlined the door frames with subtle gold washi tape.
I had pinned (search "washi") bunches of washi tape inspiration images and felt like my own space could use a little glitzy uplift, so I headed to Paper Presentation (aka a small heaven of paper goods in Flatiron) and grabbed all of their gold washi tape (washi tape, if you're unfamiliar, is basically pretty masking tape, originally from Japan, that comes in every color and pattern imaginable). Then I stuck it up around the door frames! Simple. I wanted a bit of wall space between the frame and the tape to give more dimension, and I was careful to keep the spacing uniform throughout.
For the inspiration gallery, I started by rifling through stacks of pamphlets and assorted papers that I had found too interesting to toss. The clippings are of images that called me to look twice: gallery pamphlets, postcards, drawings of my own, cards from my dear mother, and even an exceptionally beautiful aquarelle bird from my favorite 8-year-old, the very talented India.
I started in the middle of the walls, at eye level, and worked up and down and all around from there, attaching the images with washi tape again. Using the washi tape lets me see how the pictures are stuck to the wall and gives a boho chic feel, I think--makes moving them around easier, too! Win-win. As I add on, I can even layer over top of the base layer of pictures. And now I have a reason to pick up all the fantastic postcards and flyers that vendors set out!
What I love about this is the way the pictures come together as a sort of wallpaper and how the bits of washi tape attachments give the images the freedom to flutter in the wind... which has been happening a lot lately because spring has finally sprung in this city.
Thanks for sharing my first post with me... and stay tuned for more Spoonfuls coming up!
