Whats black and white and amazing all over?

words to live by...

Saw this on a wall of the UK design firm Candy Black and fell in love with their space.... 

The Era of Design

Read this great article in Forbes by Adam Swann of Gyro about how Design has been "Democratized".  Customers have become sensitized and particular when it comes to products, interiors, interfaces, etc... that have been poorly designed.  Companies like Apple and Target have raised the bar and are exceeding their competitors profits even in this economy.  We still have a long way to go, I can't tell you how many times a day I notice how poorly designed something is, whether its a bad web site, door handle or uncomfortable chair...Thanks to Susan Fireside of Winter and Construction for posting this

Waterworks

So beautiful I almost did cry...the new waterworks catalog came out today and I am in love with their new styling and new product offerings.  Please peruse their stye pages for a look see and don't forget to checkout their website for the gorgeous details.  I am particularly coveting the Industrial fixtures...and, as always Square One Studios is happy to purchase any of these items for you.

Classic

Industrial

Organic

Traditional

Eclectic

Where the Wild Things Dream

“Here is Menard's own intimate forest: 'Now I am traversed by bridle paths, under the seal of sun and shade...I live in great density...Shelter lures me. I slump down into the thick foliage...In the forest, I am my entire self. Everything is possible in my heart just as it is in the hiding places in ravines. Thickly wooded distance separates me from moral codes and cities.” 

― Gaston Bachelard, The Poetics of Space: The Classic Look at How We Experience Intimate Places

“If I were asked to name the chief benefit of the house, I should say: the house shelters day-dreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace. ”
― Gaston Bachelard

That very night in Max's room a forest grew...and grew...and grew until his ceiling
hung with vines and the walls became the world all around...

Being a big fan of Maurice Sendak, I was saddened by the news of his passing today... I wanted to honor him today by showing you how he inspired me as a child... His illustrations were rich, dark and incredibly imaginative but one of my favorite drawings was this one from Where the Wild Things Are... I still have my 1963 copy that now sits on my grown daughter's book shelf.

He illustrated the perfect room to dream, taken over by the deep dark forest that opens to the world of possibilities outside, a scary world that a child can create and tame... a wonderful message.

R.I.P. Maurice Sendak

Wild and real.
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Anthropologie
artful and whimsical
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Very sweet and romantic.
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Minimal and serene.
The Forest bedroom at the Moschino Hotel.