Inspiration: Serge Mouille

Serge Mouille was a French industrial designer and silversmith working in the 1940’s and 50’s best known, and rightfully so, for his collection of black metal lighting. The collection started with the three-arm floor lamp, and branched out into sconces, chandeliers and table lamps comprised of the signature long bent arms, sweeping lines and organic lamp heads, influenced by musculature and skeletons. The designs were a departure from anything else being designed at the time, and continue to be featured in high-end interiors today. 

Interior by Raiana Schwenker

Day Birger et Mikkelsen via Lonny Mag

Designs are sold through Design Within Reach, but the price tags leave many looking for a similar look elsewhere. The only reproduction seems to be the one by White on White/Organic Modernism, but the influence is plentiful in other designs.

Jason Koharik is a designer and craftsman working in Echo Park, California who has definitely nailed the spirit of Mouille lighting with hairpin-like arms and more rounded lamp heads.  

(Almost) The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread: Tool Library

The Seaport Tool Library (or tool-lending libraries in general) are such a brilliant idea that it blows my mind. Why didn’t I think of this?  Probably because I was too busy looking around for it. They are a “library” where you can borrow all kinds of home improvement tools, whoozits, whatsits and ...”other” stuff. Such a great idea for those of us with limited storage space, who just can’t justify purchasing a large and/or expensive piece of equipment for one little project. 

Unfortunately, the one in NYC is not incredibly complete as the Boulder, CO ReSource Library pictured, and I couldn’t find that jig saw I was hoping to borrow. But just knowing this resource exists warms my heart.

Has anyone used one of these, in NYC or any other city?

Masculine Pillows

I have recently been helping a friend find some pillows to complement his new sofa, and in the spirit of upcoming Father's Day, I thought I’d share some of the looks and sources that help make for a comfortable yet definitely masculine look.

Matte linen

 

Linen with a visible weave is both durable and comfortable, and has an almost industrial look to it. Libeco makes amazing large square pillows made of high quality Belgian linen in solid earth tones. Available at Greenhouse. The medium and dark grays really shows off the fabric texture.

Tonal linen

 

Canvas sells these rectangular pillows in a hand-dyed linen that have a little more variation in tone. The variation gives this fabric a bit more depth, and the different color on the back provides a touch more visual interest.

Subtle pattern

Patterns that look like they belong on a tie tend to look the most masculine. Those that would make for an awful tie will still make an awful pillow. This patterned pillow by Haus Interiors is simple yet striking.  

Make Your Own Art: Instagram to Canvas

I can't take a decent picture to save my life, but my friends seem to take the most amazing photographs. I'm hoping to one day turn their talent into art through one of these services that prints photos onto canvases:

Canvas Pop 

Instacanvas

Snap Fish

A high contender is this photo my friend Beth took of Harlem being blanketed by snow fall:

Or this one of her white fox-dog looking very regal:

Or this one of Manhattanhenge taken by my sister:

Or this one of the Event Horizon art installation taken by my bestie's little sister (actually an amazing  photographer, whose work can be found here):

Has anyone tried one of these services before? I would love to hear any recommendations.

Saving Water: Installing an Aerator

Apartment living in New York often means living with very old fixtures. If you have an old kitchen faucet, whether you plan to replace it or have no control to do so, there is something you can do now to make your kitchen a lean, green, water-saving machine: install an aerator in the kitchen faucet.

An aerator is a small metal or plastic cylinder that fits inside the end of your faucet and spreads the stream of water, which creates a steady spray rather than a pour. This causes less water to feel like more and reduces splashing.

Old faucet without aerator

Old faucet retrofitted with an aerator

The latest faucet models come with an integral aerator to set the water flow rate. Those that don't, especially if they are older models, are likely using a huge amount of water - up to about 5 gallons a minute! Installing a 1.0 gallon per minute (gpm) aerator will cut that water use by over 60% without a perceivable difference. Unless your faucet splashes, in which case you might notice no longer getting wet.

To start saving water today, you will need an aerator and hands (just one will do.) Universal aerators (which should fit most faucets) cost less than $3 and take about 3 seconds to install.

Minding the Gap

Very old wood floors, beautiful as they are, inevitably raise the question of how to seal the gaps that develop between the planks in order to make the floor safe and functional. During warmer and colder temperatures, the wood can expand and contract, and therefore the wood filler needs to be flexible in order to move with it. The thicker the wood planks and the deeper the gap, the more difficult it may be to find a solution that seals the gap and still looks good.

That’s why I was thrilled to spy this solution being implemented at Maison Premiere in Williamsburg.

This lovely oyster bar has gorgeous decades-old wood flooring. The substantial gaps between the thick planks have been filled with rope and stained to match the floor. The rope expands and contracts along with the wood, ensuring that it never falls out or widens the gap. It also looks fantastic, and matches the distressed look of the flooring. And most importantly, it keeps staff and patrons from tripping, ensuring that the delicious cocktails and oysters are all accounted for. 

 photo courtesy of Maison Premiere

Inspiration: Café Sabarsky

One of my favorite museums is the Neue Galerie, dedicated to German and Austrian art and design from the early 20th century. The building itself has the regal coolness of traditional Viennese architecture; toned down baroque created through glossy black wood floors, high ceilings and huge casement windows. It acts as the perfect backdrop for the colorful works of Kandinsky and Klimt and more "modern" styles like the Bauhaus. The same style permeates Café Sabarsky, the famed café inside the museum. Besides having perhaps the best apple strudel in town, the café is a design inspiration. The tables in the downstairs café feature a mustard yellow and black pattern by Dagobert Peche under glass. Set against the black and white checkered floors, it should be overwhelming, but feels neutral and light. 

High Impact in Small Doses

Let’s get one thing straight; I’m not afraid of color or pattern. Or commitment, for that matter. But sometimes the idea of covering an entire wall or room in a very bold look can be a little too much. For anyone who isn’t quite ready to make the plunge, but would like to dip a toe into the pool, there’s always the throw pillow. Many of the big wallpaper brands produce their prints in fabric as well, which makes it possible to find throw pillows that offer the high impact of bold patterns, in smaller doses. Much easier on the wallet, too.

Hinson Martinique wallpaper in bathroom via Apartment Therapy

Tropical print pillow by Whitlock & Co.

 

 Designer Tiffany Richey’s office with Thibaut Tanzania wallpaper

Les Touches pillow from Arianna Belle 

Hotel Bedding

Every once in a while, something that is typically thought of as classic is paid a lot of attention, and becomes almost a trend. Hotel bedding is one example. The layering of crisp white sheets, emulating a luxurious, comfortable hotel stay is a great as either a stand-alone look or as a backdrop for more colorful prints. It's certainly nothing new, but it seems to be especially prevalent these days. So is it a fad or is it a classic? You decide. 

Guest bedroom via Elle Decor

This classic triple embroidered stripe bedding is available by Frette, Pottery Barn and Luxor Linens

Bedroom via Lonny Mag

O Baratoo Bamboo bedding

Bedroom via Lonny Mag

A delicate tipped edge style is available at Restoration Hardware

Better Than Sliced Bread: Good Guide

True story: I once spent 1 hour and 45 minutes at the drug store trying to find the shampoos that do and do not contain Methylisothiazolinone or MIT. It's an ingredient that a National Institute of Health study has shown to cause nervous system damage in rats and yet is still found in shampoos and soaps. And it's one of a pretty long list of toxic chemicals that are still allowed in household products despite being identified as harmful by the EPA and listed in the Center for Disease Control's Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances (RTECS) database. But where is the common consumer to get this information, much less screen it from the millions of products lining the pharmacy shelf?

Enter Good Guide.

In the modern age of products loaded with harmful ingredients, Good Guide is like a magic 8 ball for what you want to know. Founded in 2007, the online guide has independently tested thousands of products in every category (health and beauty, household cleaning, food, apparel, appliances, etc.) and given them a rating based on how safe or harmful the ingredients are to human health, the product's impact on the environment and the brand's ethical and corporate practices. Ratings are very clearly broken down to show how and why the product has earned each score.

Use it as a reference for your future purchases to save your time and your health.

Update: 

For more information on beauty products, check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. The database assigns detailed ratings to both products as well as individual ingredients. Click on each ingredient to see not only list the level of health risk, but the specific adverse effects and the numerous studies that revealed them.

Make Your Own Art: Abstract Spots

The easiest art to make yourself doesn't involve any skill at all. In fact, lack of skill is encouraged. All you need is a blank canvas and some paint to drip, dribble and splatter. Get your inspiration here:

Jenna Lyon's dining room with abstract dot painting via Domino Mag
 

Yayoi Kusama, Accumulation, 1952 

DIY Fabric Shades

Fabric shades work for any decor style, and are a great way to add warmth and color to a room. But no matter how you slice it, fabric shades are expensive - even the cheapest are 3 to 4 times the cost of vinyl blinds. Here is a great way to turn traditional vinyl blinds into a roman shade at a fraction of the cost. 

You will need: 

-Traditional vinyl blinds

-Fabric* 

-Plastic rings

-Scissors

-Needle and thread

-All purpose or fabric glue

-Tape measure or ruler

*To get the size of fabric you will need for each shade, measure the size of your window and add 4 inches to the width and 6 inches to the length. I used a lightweight linen so that the light could filter through it as much as possible, as my room is quite dark. The light weight results in a very casual shade, with the sides hanging loose. If you are looking for more privacy or a more structured look, you can use a heavier weight fabric or sew a cotton layer behind your face fabric.

How to Save Water: Replacing a Shower Head

The hardest part of replacing a shower head is choosing among the various options for a new one. Once that's done, replacing the fixture takes about 10 minutes. If you're a renter, you can keep the old one and swap it back when you leave, taking your water-efficient new shower head with you.

You will need:
-A new shower head
-Plumber's tape (also referred to as Teflon tape)
-Pliers or a wrench
-A rag

1. Use the pliers or wrench to loosen and unscrew the shower head from the pipe that leads into the wall. If you plan on saving the old shower head, place a rag between the fixture and the pliers to keep from scratching it.
2. Clean off any old tape or dirt on the threaded end of the pipe and wrap some new plumber's tape around the threaded end of the flange. Apply several layers clockwise and wrap it tightly, making sure it gets pressed into the grooves of the threading. This will prevent leaks between the pipe and the fixture.
3. Screw on the new shower head (no need to use the wrench or pliers)
4. Turn the shower on to make sure there are no leaks. Tighten the shower head or reapply plumber's tape if needed.

Save Water, Add Style: Choosing a New Shower Head

By far the easiest plumbing fixture to replace yourself is the shower head, and doing so can have a huge impact on the looks and water use of your bathroom. Older shower heads use a LOT of water, raising both the water bill as well as the energy bill, since heating hot water constitutes a large part of building energy use. If your shower head was installed before 1992 (when the Energy & Policy Act of 1992 went into effect), it can be using over 5 gallons of water a minute - enough to fill an entire bathtub in 9 minutes flat!  Replacing that shower head could reduce shower consumption by about 70%. Even if you have a 2.5 gallon per minute (gpm) fixture, which became the legal limit after 1992, updating to a 2.0 or even a 1.75 gpm model can save 20%-30% of your water use.

What's wrong with a 2.5 gpm fixture? Well, nothing, really. But the thing to keep in mind when you hear about plumbing code or legal limits for plumbing fixtures is that it is a law. Meaning the bare minimum. Meaning the WORST possible thing you can still legally build because it is against the law to do any worse. If you want to accomplish significant water savings and have the fixture pay for itself in about a year, it’s possible to do much, much better. 

The great news is that there have been leaps and bounds in plumbing technology in the past few years, and switching to a high-efficiency shower head does not mean sacrificing your shower experience. Not. One. Bit. Regardless of what your brother's friend's aunt said about one she tried 30 years ago. Shower manufacturers have tweaked the size of the droplets and the speed of the flow to create products that look and feel (and wash out shampoo from long hair, reports a girl with long hair named me) just as well. In fact, this one reason alone may make for an even better shower experience: your water-hogging shower head will no longer cause you to run out of hot water.

Lamp Shade Sources

Whether you make your own lamp, restore an old one or have just had a lamp for a long time, at some point you may need a new lamp shade. The following are some great sources for shades, in a range of price points listed from high to low:

Saving Lamps

When I moved into my apartment, I was desperately lacking in light sources and my mother graciously donated an antique lamp that had been sitting in my parents' garage. My plan at first was to make it white and glossy to emulate the Jonathan Adler Capri lamp, but after noticing the frayed cord, I decided to rewire it as well. 

For anyone as petrified of rewiring lamps as I was: don't be scared! It's a piece of cake, it's cheap and it doesn't require any tools. A standard lamp kit costs about $11 and comes with everything you need, including simple directions. Lamp kits are available with or without the harp (the curved piece that holds a lamp shade up if the lamp shade has spokes that meet at the top of the shade). You may not need the harp, as many lamp shades such as the ones sold at Ikea and Target attach at the base of the socket.

How to Create a Gallery Wall

A gallery wall is a collection of artwork that looks casually assembled; a perfectly haphazard mix of sizes and shapes. It's a great way to show off a collection of prints, photographs or even objects. It also makes a space look more personal and lived-in than a single piece of art. 

Some helpful tips to pulling off a great gallery wall that shows off your style: 
- Keep frames approximately 3" apart for more structured look...

... or space frames wider apart for a more bohemian vibe

via Little Green Notebook

Better Than Sliced Bread: Closet Rod Light

A great and inexpensive solution for those who don't have lighting in the closet. A closet rod with battery-operated lights integrated along the bottom. 

 via LA Closet Design

 
It attaches to a shelf above, similarly to a standard closet rod - no wiring required. The light portion uses an energy-efficient LED light instead of fluorescent bulbs and also has a motion sensor to turn the light off for you, further conserving the battery. Comes in 22” and 34” lengths. 

Not the right sizes to fit your needs? Rite Lite offers less sleek but just as convenient products like LED puck lights and LED strips that can be affixed inside your closet. Also wireless and energy-efficient. They use LED bulbs and have motion sensor or remote control options.

Spring Swishing

With spring around the corner, I know many of you are getting ready for spring cleaning. There's an amazing way to clean away clutter, organize your closet, go shopping and hang out with your friends at the same time: Host a clothing swap party!

photo via the-budgetista.com

  
The premise is simple: Each guest brings a few articles of clothing or accessories that they no longer have use for, and other guests can choose from among them. One person's unworn, ill-fitting or regretted purchase is another one's treasure. And it happens to be really fun.

Best of Brooklyn Flea

There is nothing I love more than a good flea market, and one of my absolute favorites is Brooklyn Flea. It takes place every single weekend. In the winter it is indoors at Hanson Place, the building directly next door to the every-single-train stop at Atlantic Terminal. In the warmer months it moves outdoors and turns into a sort of block party, at Fort Greene on Saturdays and Williamsburg waterfront on Sundays. If you're looking for something original, vintage, hand-made or delicious you're in luck.

Over embarrassingly many trips to the Flea (I'm there just about every other weekend) I've found a few amazing vendors for home goods. The following is a short list I recommend to anyone visiting for the first time: