Like these [...]]]> I’ve been pleasantly surprised lately by the interesting things that Urban Outfitters sells in its homeware section. America’s hippest chain store is introducing some emerging young designers and artists to a huge market across North America (I counted 123 locations in the US alone), which seems to me a win-win situation for everyone.

Like these cushions made from prints by Valerie Lueth:

Lueth is a printmaker and artist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she owns and operates Tugboat Printshop with her husband and fellow artist, Paul Roden.

You can find examples of her original drawings and prints on the Tugboat website. These are in the same series from which the Urban Outfitters cushions were made:

I find them beguilingly beautiful.

For other Urban Outfitters stuff, check out their custom bike shop, some fab patchwork throws, this cushion by Melissa Moss, their latest collaboration with Blu Dot and tons of crafty DIY supplies.

The market, held in Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, Queens blew in a breath of fresh air – as well as a thunderstorm like no other – [...]]]> This weekend, the Makers Market introduced me to a few designers in the New York City area, and further afield, whose work I was not familiar with.

The market, held in Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, Queens blew in a breath of fresh air – as well as a thunderstorm like no other – with its selection of hand-made or small-run designs curated by a team that included Doug DeNicola of the Noguchi Museum; Evan Snyderman, principal of the design gallery R 20th Century; and Andrew Wagner, the editor of ReadyMade. From robust handbuilt motorcycles, to delicate jewellery in gold and silver, the range of design was of a consistently high standard.

These are some of the things I saw at the Makers Market.

The Tier shelving unit and hanging light with spirograph thread are by Hivemindesign, a local design outfit based in Brooklyn.

Weave Screen is by design duo Levent and Romme, exhibited by Spring Gallery.

Ceramics by Sanam Emami.

Patrick Weder’s walnut and corian dresser.

Poltrona Suave lounge chair in stack-laminated plywood by Julia Krantz, displayed by R20th Century.

Robot toys by Rusti D. (Deimos) exhibited by R20th Century.

Serpentine glass candlesticks by Jeff Zimmerman, shown by R20th Century.

Jacquard woven and knit pillow set by Elyse Allen.

There was tons more on display. Take a visit to my blog, The Brooklynist, to see loads more photos taken in the tents at the Makers Market.

The chaise-lawn is an amended wheelbarrow planted with sod grass.

The table above was created when DC sprayed [...]]]> Deger Cengiz, who calls himself “DC” for short, is co-owner of a new furniture store, Voos, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Trained as an architect, DC is also a designer of quirky conceptual pieces that fall somewhere between furniture and art.

The chaise-lawn is an amended wheelbarrow planted with sod grass.

The table above was created when DC sprayed the tablecloth with epoxy and reinforced it with Kevlar. “Selfish & Devoted” is a combined watering can and plant pot, above made from galvanized sheet metal, so named because it creates a selfish and devoted relationship between the two, explains DC.

“The nature of the interconnection causes the plant to grow at an angle,” says the designer.

This breakfast tray looks like it belongs in a Dr. Seuss story book.

The VersaRoom, shown here at Voos, is a modular system for easily creating private rooms within larger shared spaces. The entire system can be assembled and taken apart in a couple of hours with basic tools. The wall panels, shelves, lights and planter boxes are interchangeable and the size of the room can be adjusted as well.

You can see more of DC’s designs on Voos’ website. And check out their full range of designers here as well.

We hear about [...]]]> We’re thrilled to kick off the week with a guest post from Neville Trickett, who, amongst other things, is one half of the genius behind the botanically-inspired Saint Verde stores. Neville’s relatively new to blogging, but his Saint Verde Digest has been top notch right from post #1. Take it away, Mr Trickett!

We hear about the Roaring 20’s, the Fabulous 50’s, the Swinging 60’s and… well, the 80’s, which was the decade that taste forgot, but we hear very little about the 1940’s. This is a great pity as the 40’s was a great refinement on the 1950’s, and the perfect launching pad for the 1960’s. The French got this right on target, so much so that the furniture, as well as the textiles of this period have continued to influence the current French superstars. For your pleasure, I have paired an edited selection of 1940’s french furniture with Josef Franks textiles from Svenskt Tenn, produced between 1933 and 1967 .

See more inspiring juxtapositions, as well as some mischief and beauty at Neville Trickett’s Saint Verde Digest, and visit his Flickr for even more.

Justin’s prints, made from his original gouache paintings, poke fun at stuffy bewigged historical men. You can see more of his Big Wig series here and another series that toys around with the almost sacrosanct image of old Abe here. (Not to mention a [...]]]> I recently discovered Justin Richel’s fanciful artwork at Spring in DUMBO, Brooklyn.

Justin’s prints, made from his original gouache paintings, poke fun at stuffy bewigged historical men. You can see more of his Big Wig series here and another series that toys around with the almost sacrosanct image of old Abe here. (Not to mention a rather, ahem, risque historical portrait here.)

Justin may be an iconoclast, but he is serious about his craft: he studied icon painting at the Franciscan Monastery in Kennebunk, Maine in 2004.

Justin has exhibited all over the States and in Europe. But, lucky for us, he is a firm believer in keeping some of his art accessible. Check out his etsy store for incredibly well-priced prints. And his other etsy store for his series of “talking paintings”.

Kartell’s Cindy table lamp [...]]]> I spent an embarrassing number of hours exploring the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in Manhattan last weekend. There was so much to see, from the solemnly staged, exquisite Japan by Design pavilion to the Designboom Mart selling many tempting, affordable items. Here are my picks of some of the most memorable things:

Kartell’s Cindy table lamp designed by Ferruccio Laviani.

The Armadillo Chair, Aodh O’Donnell’s winning design in the 2009 Wilsonart Challenge.

Scottish designer Donna Wilson’s wonderfully mad knitted creatures, lambswool cushions and throws.

Tom Dixon’s Slab chair, Spot table, and red Lean table light.

British design team Deadgood launched its brand of home accessories and furniture, including the Wire light, designed by Ziglam & Brook, and the Love Collection, a collaboration with North East retailer Barker & Stonehouse.

Belgian designer Maarten De Ceulaer’s Rubber Iron Bookends, above, and Pile of Suitcases, below, at the 101% Designed in Brussels booth.

Nonfiction Design Collective’s King Rabbit light.

British designer Miranda Meilleur’s silverware.

IKEA launched its PS Collection with products such as the Pendel clock, top, Gullspira wall hanging, above, and August day bed, below.

I’ll be lining up to snag some of these well-priced designer goodies when IKEA launches the collection in select US stores on August 1.

I’ll be posting more about the ICFF over at my blog, The Brooklynist, this week so check that out for updates.

Top of my picks of the most inspiring stuff on show [...]]]> May brings design fever here in New York City. Last weekend were Brooklyn Designs, the Design on a Dime benefit and the Affordable Art Fair, this week is the New York Photo Festival, and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair rolls into town this coming weekend.

Top of my picks of the most inspiring stuff on show at Brooklyn Designs was the Enso Table by Eric Manigian, shown above. You can read more about Eric’s labour of love at my blog, The Brooklynist.

At the other end of the style spectrum was UM’s C-Beam Table with linoleum top and aluminium legs, above. It is made of eco-friendly materials and comes flatpacked. UM also showed these Milking Stools and hugely popular Nebu Chandelier, below.

The Rhodes Chaise by Matthew Fairbank Design was a sophisticated lounger with a saddle leather seat, bronze nail heads and pickled oak frame.

Takeshi Miyakawa’s Gang of Four shelving can be assembled in multiple different configurations.

I’m really looking forward to the ICFF this weekend, which will have a special Japan by Design section, the designboon Mart where you can buy items for under $100 and a roundtable on the state of German design. Check back next Wednesday for my report on that!

As many readers will know, Alexander Girard was an American designer who was raised in Florence, Italy, and is best known for injecting bright, playful designs into [...]]]> I’m so pleased to find that the exuberant designs of Alexander Girard have found new life with House Industries, a typeface foundry and general purveyor of very cool stuff.

As many readers will know, Alexander Girard was an American designer who was raised in Florence, Italy, and is best known for injecting bright, playful designs into Herman Miller textiles. As a designer, Girard didn’t ‘do’ plain: see his inspired rebranding of the now defunct Braniff International Airways as evidence.

Lucky for us, House Industries has researched Girard’s oeuvre and come up with a few quirky products, like this Nativity Scene.

They’ve also released a line of fabric dolls ,which illustrate the folk-art aesthetic that drew Girard in (he and his wife had an impressive collection of folk art).

Girard first came across the doll designs, made by a woman called Marilyn Neuhart, when his friend and fellow textile designer Ray Eames sent him one for Christmas.

House Industries has a lavish, limited edition book for sale, documenting the research it has done in the process of bringing Girard’s many typefaces to the world.

Some of the typefaces can even be bought and used as interior or exterior signage.

House Industries has also drawn on illustrations Girard drew to create a Memory Game for kids. Here’s an idea I think he would have loved: why not turn the thick wooden cards into coasters?

Then I’d raise a glass and toast Mr. Girard for bringing the world his gorgeous designs!

These are the words of photographer Gail Albert Halaban, whose exhibit “Out My Window” showed last month at the Robert Mann Gallery in Chelsea.

I love [...]]]> “I think every city has its own way that people connect to their neighbors. In LA it’s through the car window. In New York, I think it’s through the apartment window.”

These are the words of photographer Gail Albert Halaban, whose exhibit “Out My Window” showed last month at the Robert Mann Gallery in Chelsea.

I love the grand scale and sense of intimacy of these photos, which couldn’t be a more perfect way of capturing the experience of living in New York.

What began as a fascination with the view from her own apartment window became a deeper exploration of how we New Yorkers like to spy on each other from the safety of our own apartments. (Get us on the subway though, and we won’t dare to meet each others’ gaze!)

Halaban talks about the stories behind some of the photos in a fantastic video on the website of local public radio station WNYC. I love how her voice brims with excitement for what she is doing.

Some of the photos set up a “conversation” between the views from windows that look onto each other. Halaban took photos from her friends’ apartments, and then tracked down the neighbour upon whom they looked, in order to snap the reverse shot.

What results are some surprisingly personal stories and insights into people’s everyday lives.

Halaban says the project exposed her to a lot of different people – some with views of a dreary supermarket and other with sweeping views of Central Park – but the mundane details of everday life “remind me we’re all kind of alike and have a way of connecting.”

Check our Gail Albert Halaban’s blog here.

I like to think of Frances’ style as “quirky classical” for its traditional shapes and imperfect details. Made of vitreous china, her pieces are sturdy and casual enough to be used every [...]]]> Frances Palmer’s Pearl Collection is just the breath of fresh air I need with the slow arrival of Springtime here in the Northern Hemisphere.

I like to think of Frances’ style as “quirky classical” for its traditional shapes and imperfect details. Made of vitreous china, her pieces are sturdy and casual enough to be used every day. Pressed from molds taken of her hand-thrown prototypes, each one is finished off individually to retain the human touch.

Frances’ handmade collection explores a broad range of shapes, most of them a little wonky, and all with asymmetrical fluting and surprising details.

I had the pleasure of meeting Frances at a spring party held by New York boutique, Abitare last weekend. Her platters and cakestands looked beautiful displaying the gold-flecked, organic, dark chocolate cupcakes by Sarah Magid (yes, that is real gold powder and yes, it was delicious) and the felt creations of Llubav Choy Duerr.

What a way to usher in the Spring!