Archive for the ‘ Decorate ’ Category

A year of Chicago views

Every day when I look out of the window in my Chicago apartment I feel lucky. It’s just so beautiful. Not only that — it’s the first time in my adult life where the view from my window has not been just another window. Or a wall. I have yet to decide which is worse.

With this view, I’ve felt compelled, ever since I moved to Chicago one year ago, to chronicle what’s outside.

What never ceases to amaze me is just how different Chicago can look from one day to the next. Below is a retrospective of a year of Chicago views.

Click through to see larger versions of each photo.

2011
08/09
CATEGORY
Decorate
1 comment

A city in a poster

I am in love with Ork Posters‘ graphic interpretations of city neighborhoods. I have a Manhattan one in my apartment and I’ve actually stood in front of it with a friend who was moving to New York for the summer, discussing what neighborhoods he should consider living in.

Plus, they’re so gorgeous and original! Even guys love them, which is not always the case when it comes to art… (Case in point — my boss just passed by as I had the Ork Posters website open on my screen and asked me to send him the link. True story.)

Each poster is 22”x28” in size and costs just $22.00 for a regular poster, or $27.00 for a screen print, which gives it a less polished, textured look that has its own unique aesthetic.

They don’t sell frames on the site, but you should have no trouble finding a frame in the right size on Amazon. I especially like this bright yellow one for $17.49.

As always, you know the drill — I get no kickback if you buy.

And if you know of other affordable art and design resources that you love, feel free to drop me a note. I enjoy discovering new things!

2011
08/09
CATEGORY
Decorate
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Art for the wabi-sabi entrepreneur

Every design conscious wabi-sabi entrepreneur needs some art, but budgets are often lacking. Which is why I love The Poster List for fun, hip, affordable posters with a unique aesthetic. I have, like, eight of these around my house.

Each poster is 12”x18” in size and costs just $10.99 — or $27.99 with a frame.
And if you’re pinching pennies, you can save a little more by buying the frame on Amazon for just $8.54.

Not bad right, for something that looks attractive and unique!

And as always, I get no kickback if you buy. I’m just here to share stuff that I like with other cash-poor entrepreneurs looking to add some fun design to their lives.

2011
08/05
CATEGORY
Decorate
4 comments

The perfectly imperfect home

As wabi-sabi entrepreneurs, we embrace the perfectly imperfect in our start-ups… so why not in our homes?

After all, being an entrepreneur likely means not having time or money for sophisticated interior decorating, weekly housekeeping services or — for someone like me — making the bed, eating anything other than ramen half the time, or doing laundry rather than buying emergency underwear at CVS.

But that doesn’t mean we should sacrifice our home lives. After all, I adore interior decorating and design, and I love to come home to a cute, welcoming abode that reflects my personal sense of style. The key is to focus on what really matters, and to learn to live with and embrace the remaining imperfections.

Enter “The Perfectly Imperfect Home,” by Domino Magazine’s founding editor, Deborah Needleman.

I haven’t read it (since it’s not out yet), but it sounds like something that every design-loving entrepreneur should have on a bookshelf.

Design blog Apartment Therapy has the inside scoop:

In her second book, titled “The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well”, Deborah Needleman explores the 80 essentials everyone needs to create a stylish home without having to sacrifice character. With 13 chapters that touch on everything from lighting and bed-making to cleverly titled, broader concepts like “Jollifiers” and “Glamifications,” Needleman guides you through ways to embrace imperfection and offers tips on how to endow your home with a sense of personality.

The release date is set for November.
You can pre-order a copy on Amazon (don’t worry — I don’t get anything if you buy).

2011
08/02
CATEGORY
Decorate
1 comment

Delightfully Analog: Lost Crates delivers curated boxes of stationary

With digital often dominating the entrepreneurial consciousness, it’s a happy surprise when I stumble upon a start-up that’s doing something delightfully analog. Enter Lost Crates — a Chicago-based start-up that ships curated packages of notebooks, pens, and desk accessories.

I’m in love, and not only because I adore stationary. Their vibe and aesthetic are charmingly quirky and their packages perfectly tread the thin line between beautiful and functional. Their cardboard packages appear to be brimming not just with pretty stationary and writing implements, but with ideas, creativity and inspiration to fill pages and pages.

I worry a little that signing up for their $38 a month service would soon find me buried in a clutter of unused notebooks, but I would love to get them for my office. How awesome would it be if your company had a regular supply of gorgeous writing accessories. It would make me much more excited to take notes in meetings.

2011
08/01
CATEGORY
Decorate
Muse
1 comment

Must have this! Adorable woolly critters

Oh my god, I can’t begin to express how much I love Kit Lane’s quirky, imaginative and crazy-skillful felt work. She has a whole collection of these little critters that you can check out on her Flickr page.

Not surprisingly, her Etsy shop — charmingly called “Little Oddjects” —  is entirely out of stock. I hope she makes some new stuff soon, because I absolutely must have it!

2011
07/25
CATEGORY
Decorate
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