Recently in Design Category

You changed the world, Steve Jobs. Thank you.

You changed the world, Steve Jobs. We will miss you.

I'm on a SK8 kick these days...

If I had to choose one store in which to blow a ton of money I don't have, I would--without hesitation--throw it all away at LN-CC, aka Late Night Chameleon Cafe. Pretty much ground zero for the heppest of hep-cats in East London (and many a celebrity who book private appointments), LN-CC is a Kubrick-esque concept store, web shop, library, basement club, music hub, and mini style museum. I'm going to go ahead and declare it the coolest store in the world right now, because you know what? IT IS.

Launched in September 2010, LN-CC is the brainchild of seasoned buyers John Skelton and Dan Mitchell (formerly of Harrods and Oki-Ni). Boasting innovative and hard to find labels like Damir Doma, P.A.M, Saskia Diez, Folk, Tze Goh, and footwear brands like Silent and Yuketen, LN-CC takes their retail concept further by stocking art books, zines, and music. They also host DJ nights and art openings such as this month's Richie Culver exhibit and have recently introduced a sort of "thank you to our International customers" contest that will give away a free trip to London plus a £15,000 shopping spree at the store.

A place for inspiration as much as retail-ization, the LN-CC store itself is a dramatically minimal wonder. From a caged hallway tunnel to a series of individual rooms linked via untreated wood, soft lit concrete, and gravel pathways, it's a lifestyle store unlike any other. Here's a peek inside...

The Earth Room

The Light Room

The Library

The Warmth Room

Items from my wish list...

Looking forward to the next issue of Zoetrope: All-Story guest designed by Beck.

"I don't do minimal."

I'm not alone when I say that octogenarian style-icon Iris Apfel is one of my heroes. A longtime New Yorker and polymathic aesthete, she lives her life in BOLD. From a legendary wardrobe bursting with eclectic accessories and whimsical ensembles that has been celebrated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute to her maximalist taste in interior design, the world Ms. Apfel has created for herself is utterly unique and entirely her own. She seems to relish living life by her own rules.

I've always wanted to know what Ms. Apfel's Manhattan apartment looks like, and this month's issue of Architectural Digest gives us a rare peek into her home life. It's just as I imagined and more. I especially loved learning more about her history, specifically that she used to be a copy girl:

"But after landing her first job as a $15-a-week copy girl at Women's Wear Daily, she figured out that advancement there was blocked because the editors she hoped to someday replace were, as she puts it, 'either too old to get pregnant or too young to die.'"

True words, even to this day. Perhaps inspiration for those of us who want to live by our own rules or break out and do something by ourselves in a different way. I don't know about you, but I think our world needs more color, whimsy, and individual exuberance. Also, gigantic glasses and multiple brooches on one lapel. I love you, Iris!

Photos via Architectural Digest

My new favorite store reminds me of both home in the desert southwest and what my dream bungalow would look like in Silverlake.

Love, Adorned: 269 Elizabeth Street between Prince & Houston; loveadorned.com

One of the pleasures of living near friends in NYC is popping over for a spontaneous movie night. I hosted the most recent one, and in between wine sips and ice cream scoops we took in the romantic slo-mo tableaus of Xavier Dolan's Les Amours Imaginaires, aka Heartbeats. The sophomore effort from the young French-Canadian director/actor/writer is a menage a trois love story of sorts set in modern day Montreal. The plot isn't totally new or completely fleshed out (pun intended), but the aforementioned slow motion closeups are so bright and beautiful you find yourself desperate for Pepto-pink dresses, thick eyeliner, or a straw boater--if only just to have the baby blue lined hat box it rests in. A hit at Cannes, Heartbeats is a lovely, lazy romp through French New Wave fields that are dotted with Almodóvar poppies, and there are delightful performances from the entire cast, especially the hilarious Monia Chokri, who can count me as one of her new style stalkers. The Good Neighbor Film Society (which I've just dubbed us) suggests you watch it tonight on demand!

It's ridiculous how much I want this belt. Isn't it amazing?! It's the cast bronze wonder-work of Brooklyn-based Serra Victoria Bothwell Fels, an artist, traveler, designer, jeweler, metalsmith, teacher, writer, illustrator, and rusty object collector. That's just a preliminary list of Serra's polymath-like descriptions, FYI. She currently makes awkwardly shaped house installations in places like a former convent and will be showcasing new work at the Gowanus Ballroom's Art + Architecture show opening this Friday. Go check it out!

I was up at 5am this morning for the Nike Liberty 2011 Collection launch hoping to get my quick-typing fingers on a pair before they sold out. Success! Liberty will release some styles today and others (like my faves, the vintage plane pair above left) in the coming weeks, so follow them on Twitter for more info.

"Work to me isn't hard; it's who I am. I think what's hard is going against a current, trying to be something else."

Artist and Etsy seller YOKOO is known for both her hand-knitted products and the uniquely stylish way she photographs herself wearing them. I peruse her shop regularly just to see what outfits she's concocted around her gigantic knitted scarves or pom-pom hats. Yokoo spends over 15 hours a day knitting her wares describing herself as a perfectionist who truly enjoys the process of creating and completing her work. She does all of this while watching old movies on her iMac, too, which might seem like a dream job until you realize how fast her hands must be working.

All of the hard work appears to be paying off as evidenced by a NY Times article that listed Yokoo's earnings as more than that of most law associates. She has singlehandedly proven that Etsy can turn a hardworking artist or craftsperson into a bonafide industry. Recently, The Storque (Etsy's handmade blog) did a fantastic film portrait of Yokoo capturing her thoughts, work process, and picturesque environment in Atlanta, Georgia. It's an inspiring and moving piece on the importance of staying true to yourself by doing what you love. Also, that hard work pays off in more ways than just your wallet.

I'm obsessed with the new Svpply website. Not only does it help you locate cool and interesting products from around the globe, it allows you to create and share your ultimate wish list. Just in time for the holiday season!

Artist Maria Forde was hungry for life advice, so she turned to a group of people rife with years of wisdom: the residents of her grandmother's retirement home. Compiled within the pages of a zine entitled Longview and also as the gallery show, "Life Portraits," Forde's whimsically detailed drawings and accompanying words and stories bring the midwest residents of the Longview retirement community to life reminding us about what's important (or not important) in our time here on Earth. For just $6, couldn't you use a bit of wisdom?

(Note: Maria also created the Marlon Brando comic book from my New York Art Book Fair post below. All of her work is FANTASTIC. Take a look here.)

These architectural rings by Phillipe Tournaire are SPECTACULAR. I'm not typically a jewel-y type of gal, but whoa. Also, hello, Dream Christmas Wish List!

Hi there! Please excuse my latent postings, but I'm in the midst of moving apartments. Moving is always such a thrilling time isn't it? For the past year or so I've lived in an airy yet oddly oversized space that I thought would be hard to say goodbye to. Strangely, I'm ready to embrace a cozier more uniquely detailed space. Something with soul in its bones and ghosts in the ceilings. That's what I find most exciting about living in NYC--the possibility of tapping into the ancestral energy of a place.

Mr. H and I have a good feeling that our new home will be filled with inspiration. Thus, we decided to christen it with something bold. This will give you an idea...

I want a house full of Truck.

I recently started eating burgers again.

Meat and Cheese by Mike and Jen aka Duotard video by The Selby from the selby on Vimeo.

I used to work with this delightful girl named Janet who gave me a whole stack of gnome stationery once just because I mentioned how much I liked the little fellows. Her cubicle was always decorated in bright assorted lovely (as was she), and when she was pregnant, she bopped around the fluorescent lit hallways sporting the cutest Heidi braids. The last time I saw Janet was when they laid off our entire creative department two weeks before Christmas, but thanks to the glory of the internet, I have found her again! And now she's peddling her lovely. She and her husband Stu recently opened this fantastic online design shop from their new home in Virginia called Three Potato Four, and I urge you to take a visit. Look at that cactus kit above! Fantastico. I've also got my eye on these plates by Snowden Flood.

.

Take a visit and be prepared to make room for a old sign that says "Camp" or a pair of ceramic baboons to keep your bookshelf company. Congrats, Janet and Stu! Your store is my new favorite.

I just bought the lovely print above from the lovely Black Apple shop. Not only do I also love this and this, but I simply can't get enough of Inside a Black Apple and Some Girls Wander By Mistake. I really enjoy sneaking peeks into the lives of other artists to see how their art influences their style, and this li'l chiquita es muy bonita! I guarantee that after you check out her blog you'll either wanna bake a giant cupcake or buy a couple of hedgehogs.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are proud to announce the arrival of a new member to our li'l web family, STUDIO TOURISTIQUE! Why don't you help us celebrate with some pretty and pink bows:

Both the t-shirt and poster were inspired by the Tennessee Williams short play This Property is Condemned.

Fantastic new Mike Mills posters over at his Humans site.

I'm totally digging K. Cooper's blog Hoping for Happy Accidents. Impeccable taste, great interior/home links, and an "accidental interview" (love it!) with one of my favorite film directors, Michel Gondry. Oh, and if you haven't checked out "The Science of Sleep" yet, do yourself a favor and make it a Netflix night. Put together a spread of wine, cheese, and chocolate and lose yourself in some spellbinding incandescence. Easily the best film of last year.

Nice couch! Nice helmets!