design-phan

Philly Pride

Caroline — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:38:47 +0000

As Philadelphians dig out from beneath 24 + 18 inches (two blizzards’ worth) of heavy snow, local letterpress mavens, Louella Press, have released these beautiful, limited edition Neighborhood Prints ($25 each). The first is inspired by stops along the R5, which meanders through Philadelphia’s Main Line…..
And the second by the charming/gritty/electic nabes that surround Center City and inspire fierce devotion from those who know and love them …..

Collect them both along with Ork Posters’ Philadelphia Neighborhood Poster ($22) for a wall that says, “I’m a fan of typography; I heart design; and I know better than to ever call Philadelphia ‘the sixth borough’!”

[photos from Louella Press' etsy shop and orkposters.com]

you’re my arty valentine

Caroline — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:04:20 +0000

Despite being a Libra and ruled by Venus, I’ve never been that into Valentine’s Day — Hallmark holiday and all that. But Mara Zepeda of Neither Snow and her new Project Valentine is making me into a believer, at least into a believer of limited-edition calligraphed valentines with vintage postage.

Zepeda rocks a calligraphy style that manages to be simultaneously sumptuous and whimsical. (She also happens to be a fellow journalist and Philadelphian.) With Project Valentine, she’s paired her gorgeous script with groupings of vintage stamps on an oversized envelope that opens to a card with a short (20 words or less) message or quote. At $45, this wee work of art is bound to be much more memorable than the typical chocolate and roses .

Zepeda is taking orders at her etsy shop for these custom valentines until February 6 — she’s only making 100. The full range of stamp sets is here and there’s something to please everyone’s sweetie, from Robert Frost enthusiasts to train buffs to fans of Toto.

bright student

Caroline — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:57:15 +0000

I blogged just before T-giving about seeing Marcel Wanders receive Collab’s 2009 Design Excellence Award. Someone else received an award that night, too —Philadelphia University sophomore, Jordan Cammarata, won Collab’s Student Design Competition.

This year’s competition guidelines challenged students to “design a ‘tabletop luminaire’ in the style of Marcel Wanders that included a careful examination of historic references, creative use of materials and technology and that appealed to the human experience.” Easy peasy, right? The judges unanimously chose Cammarata’s design, PULL, to receive first prize over 70 other entries. It obviously appealed to those humans. See if PULL appeals to you:

The lamp is a riff on Harvey Hubbell’s pull-chain socket, patented in 1896. In Cammarata’s lamp, the pull is the stand and the lamp. Seven LEDs are encased within polyethylene spheres dusted with a light coating of metallic paint for a traditional brassy sheen. The electrical components are concealed in the base and the lampshade.

Cammarata says he came up with PULL after doing about 20 sketches to perfect a design that “maintains the proportion of a tabletop luminaire and incorporates the pull chain as a stand.” He even found a way to keep the orientation of the pull chain left of center, as it hangs in regular lamps, for that x factor that’s universal in all winning designs: the one that brings the “oh!” and the smile to the end-user.

Calling Kikkerland …

cash for covers

Caroline — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:40:13 +0000

First there was Cash for Clunkers. Then there was Cash for Couches. Now Kellijane, the high-end (i.e., your Snuggie probably won’t qualify) bed, bath, and table linens shop off of Rittenhouse Square is offering a Blanket Exchange through the end of December. Bring in a gently used blanket or throw for 20% off a new model. Kelly Monk Reed, owner of Kellijane, is donating the blankets and throws she collects from customers to Philadelphia’s DHS, to be used in kids’ group homes.

Some samples of the merch:

• Snuggle up on the couch with this luxe purple throw, called Oliver, by Italy’s Cecchi e Cecchi — originally $295, it’s $236 after the discount.

• Or outfit the guestroom in style with a microcotton herringbone queen blanket from Home Source International — originally $290, it’s $232 after the discount.

Arrondissement Charmers

Caroline — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:45:22 +0000

(National Geographic Traveler)
In Paris, neighborhood hotels have sprung up.

Untangling the Web

Caroline — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:40:43 +0000

(NYT Style Magazine)
Two years ago, the Dutch designer Tord Boontje visited the lace archives at the Design Center at Philadelphia University and emerged with reams of ideas. …

Sipping l’Histoire

Caroline — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:38:39 +0000

(Delta Sky)
Even those who’ve sniffed, swirled, and spat their way around the globe may not fully comprehend terroir until they’ve stood atop a berm at Chateau Belingard in the Dordogne Valley, overlooking the vineyard’s rolling hills.

Radio Rescue

Caroline — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:24:28 +0000

(Fortune Small Business)
A product overhaul unites form, function-and fun.

Talent for Sale

Caroline — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:23:41 +0000

(Town & Country)
When Philadelphia’s Moore College of Art and Design doubled in size several years ago, it carved out space for the Art Shop @ Moore, a store and gallery that not only promotes the work of students and graduates, but also raises funds for the school.

Country Modern

Caroline — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:20:56 +0000

(Philadelphia Home)
When the owners of hip Foster’s Homeware escape the city to their country home, one thing they don’t leave behind is their sense of style.