There's a good chance that you've stopped by at least one of her websites. Maggie Mason is the genius behind Mighty Goods (a shopping site), Mighty Junior (devoted to kiddies), Mighty Girl (her personal blog), Mighty Finds (an Etsy shop) and — as of last week — Mighty Haus (a shopping site devoted to housewares). Somewhere between running all of these lovely sites, she found time to snap some photos of her San Francisco apartment and give us a little insight into her decor.
We have an office in our house, but the truth is, we don't actually enjoy spending too much time in it. Why? Because it usually means we're working (instead of playing) or attempting to file months of paperwork. Yet, as we're toiling away, we can't help but smile whenever we see one of Sally Shim's wonderful office goods. It helps ease the pain of being stuck sitting at our desk for hours.
San Francisco artist Lorena Siminovich has a knack for putting things together. Take her collages, which combine vintage, found, recycled and painted papers. The end result? Whimsical works of art that are carried in stores like Velocity Art and Design, Zinc Details and Anthropologie.
Then there's the Edwardian house she shares with her husband, fashion designer Esteban Kerner. It's a wonderful mix of finds from their favorite shops, as well as garage sales and flea markets. The couple, who hail from Argentina, have also infused an international flair with pieces from New York (they moved from Brooklyn to San Francisco in 2006), Buenos Aires, Paris and London. It all comes together in a home that is as comfortable as it is stylish.
Anthropologie does it again! This is the current display above the registers of the Santana Row store. If only we had soaring ceilings and a few hundred more square feet in our house, we would consider a similar installation! But wait ... Last week's design*sponge DIY project showcased a version of this look on a smaller scale.
Last Saturday, ceramicist and textile darling Lotta was in town for a printmaking party at the Craft Gym. (Her latest book, Lotta Prints: How to Print with Anything, from Potatoes to Linoleum, was just released a few weeks ago.) We stopped by and were amazed by the turnout and the beautiful designs that people had made. One of the coolest things about the evening: Lotta requested that small pieces be left behind for inclusion in a quilt. Tomorrow night, when a similar event takes place at her Brooklyn studio, she'll make the same request so that a Brooklyn quilt can also be whipped up.
Wallpaper posts seem to be popular around here, but almost always, the question comes up: Are there any good options for renters who don't want to risk losing their security deposits? Well, we may have found a solution with the Pottery Barn "Overlapping Leaves" wallpaper.
While browsing at Henri Bendel in NYC last week, this display area caught our eye. But not because of the colorful dresses on the mannequins. We were much more interested in the wall behind the mannequins — a look that could perhaps be duplicated at home for our collection of art prints.
In Sunday's paper, C.W. Nevius wrote about the prospect of the Tenderloin pulling "itself out of decades of urban blight." How will this happen? According to the columnist, perhaps with an influx of "young professionals, just getting started, who scrape together everything they have to get a foot in the housing market." About halfway into the piece, we realized that the couple Nevius focuses on entered this year's "Small Cool" contest.
Name: Jennifer B.
Location: Sausalito, CA
Size: One-bedroom apartment (about 550-600 sq. ft.)
Years lived in: One
>> Enter Tour Slideshow
You've probably heard this design advice before: Fill your home with things you love. And we admit, we've been skeptical that this simple approach will lead to a cohesive space (e.g., can action figurines really co-exist with vintage, floral cushions?). But Jennifer's Marin County dwelling is making believers out of us. Many of her finds are from flea markets and small Bay Area shops, as well as from her travels. The end result is an apartment infused with her personality — and it definitely all works together.
When Heath Ceramics owners Catherine Bailey and Robin Petravic offered to personally take us through their factory in Sausalito, we jumped at the chance. We were especially impressed by their passion for their products and the artisanal, old-fashioned way by which their tiles and dinnerware are still produced. More pictures and details of the factory, as well as information on an upcoming Heath store-wide sale, are below the jump.
Name: Holly and Sean
Location: Nob Hill area
Size: 700 square feet
Years Lived In: Just over a year
>> Enter Tour SlideshowYou'd probably never guess it by looking at these photos, but IKEA and Target are regular resources for these two. Holly and Sean seem to have mastered the art of decorating with those familiar, budget-friendly names. By incorporating travel mementos throughout their space, they have created a stylish and inspiring home. We imagine that an in-person tour would lead to lots of wonderful stories about some amazing destinations.
Better Homes and Gardens is bringing its "Living Green Tour" to San Francisco this weekend. On March 21 and 22, the 2,500-square-foot traveling home will be open to the public in Union Square (10am-9pm). Tours are free, and the purpose is to show how easy and beautiful green can be. The interior was designed by Libby Langdon, whose name you may recognize from HGTV's "Small Space Big Style."
Just in time for spring, we're taking a peek at the home of a designer with some floral and plant expertise. In addition to interior styling, Martie Accuardi creates the most fantastic arrangements. Her work first came to our attention during our stay at Portland's Ace Hotel (those terrariums in the lobby are hers). And we just knew that equally cool botanicals would be sprinkled throughout her house.
We are so inspired by folks who can give up that comfy day job (with the regular paycheck and medical benefits that often come with it) to pursue their true passion. Now, we can add Sasha Wingate to that list of people. Formerly an art director for the likes of big-name retailers like Levi's and the Gap, Sasha is fulfilling a longtime dream of hers and setting up shop in the Mission District. Although she's busy preparing for this weekend's grand opening party, she was kind enough to give us a peek at BellJar.
A few weeks ago, I posted about Christiana Coop's home for Apartment Therapy. I loved her story so much — she left law to pursue a career in design — that I decided to go more in-depth and write about her for the SF Chronicle as well. When the article ran on Saturday, I noticed something in the paper's photos that was not there when I visited her fantastic apartment: a candelabra that Christiana completely updated. (Instructions and before shots below the jump.)
She's a Jill-of-all-trades. She's an illustrator (she created the Sixty Forty Print Club, which splits its proceeds between the artist and a non-profit). She's a floral designer (it's in the genes — her mother, aunt, and uncle all had flower shops in her native Rhode Island). She's a small business owner (she runs Small Stump). She works at one of our favorite local shops (Rose and Radish). And Jill Pilotte also keeps a lovely home in Pacifica, which you can see more of below the jump.
During a recent visit to Portland, a friend exclaimed that she wanted to take us to her favorite local store. We thought we had heard of most of the cool design shops in town, but we weren't familiar with this one: Olio United. We sure are glad she introduced us to it! The six-month-old store boasts some wonderful housewares and clothing, as well as a super-friendly staff. And perhaps best of all, Olio is committed to carrying green, sustainable products.
It should come as no surprise that Christiana Coop's San Francisco apartment features some fantastic wallpaper. Afterall, she is the U.S. rep for Danish company Ferm Living. But Christiana's design skills clearly extend well beyond picking just the right wallpaper for her dining room (shown above) or kitchen and living room (pictured below the jump).
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