{A R T} Organized Chaos

A few months ago, Beth and I popped into MoMA and of course had to stop into the museum gift store. I was so enamored by the Jackson Pollock Table Textiles—a collection of placemats and runners that feature the master painter's signature splattered look. I just knew that one day I'd have to post a blog about all the things that inspire me to take calculated risks, have fun and let loose.

Below, I've shared a video—"The Anthropologist," directed by Alistair Banks Griffin—that rethinks freestyle painting entirely. It's the work of Etsuko Ichikawa, an artist based in Seattle who uses molten glass to create freeform pyrography. Watching her work is completely entrancing. Take a look and enjoy! 

Slideshow image credits: 1/Drip Wallpaper, Jonathan Adler. 2/Yellow Brushstroke Lamp, Jana Bek. 3/The Medium Transport Tote: Splatter Paint Edition, Madewell. 4/Hinson Wallpaper, Photo by Maura McEvoy, House Beautiful. 5/Nesting Bowls, Chris Earl. 6/Hinson Wallpaper, Photo by Maura McEvoy, House Beautiful. 7/Suite One Studio. 8/Drip Wallpaper, Jonathan Adler. 9/Oyster Colored Velvet. 10/Jackson Pollock Table Textiles, Runner, MoMA. 11/Wing Chair painted by Kerry Irvine Fine Art for EKB Interiors.

{I N S P I R E D} Studio State of Mind

                                                        Martyn Thompson Studio via 1stdibs

Currently in the midst of a big studio revamp, I find myself reflecting on how much time I spend in my atelier. The truth is that studios are truly an extension of our homes—sometimes we even call them home like the lovely and talented NES Creative team or the insanely artistic textile artist Martyn Thompson. I'm happy to report that more and more industries are seeing the value in creating well-designed, positive workspace interiors. I know that I am so much more productive when my own space is happy and bursting with artistic energy.

Here are a few creatively inclined studios that I love and hopefully they will inspire your workflow...   

1/ NES Creative. Alec Kugler via Coveteur. 2/ Lim + Lu. Benjabanpot via Dezeen. 3/ Susan Hable. Rich Gilligan via T Magazine. 4/ Brand Assembly. Jenny J. Norris via Lonny. 5/ Negative. Daniel Wang via Lonny. 6/ Via Best Friends for Frosting. 7/ Carolyn Quartermaine. Martin Morrell via Vogue Living.

{A R T} The Writing's on the Wall

Gallery walls are like a visual puzzle that is so much fun to create. What makes them interesting is the scope of the images that you want to showcase. One recipe that I often use is a mix of different mediums, like we did in our Nantucket beach house (above): Line drawings, photography, oil paintings, sculpture, pastels, posters and collages. When I buy art, I buy it because I like it and then somehow make it fit into the tapestry of a collective. 

If you’re looking to make your own gallery wall, one common thread could be a similar color or a similar frame. Using various sizes of images make it feel more like that visual puzzle that gets worked and reworked until it fits just right. The advantage of a gallery wall is that you don’t have to commit to one arrangement; you can change your mind and shuffle the art around as you go, and that way there is no stress when putting holes in the walls. Think seasonal or have your own art show in your house! Make the artwork the pattern and color, and keep all the furniture monochromatic.

A well curated collection of an art or gallery wall can consist of art bought at a thrift shop, your child’s first painting and your great uncle’s watercolor masterpiece. The trick is having the confidence to put it all together. Here are a few of my favorite examples, starting with my very own home.

1/Patrick Cline. 2/Stephen Kent Johnson, Elle Decor. 3/Jonny Valiant, House Beautiful. 4/Jessica Klewicki Glynn. 5/Roland Bello, House Beautiful. 6/Victoria Pearson, House Beautiful. 7/Jessica Klewicki Glynn. 8/Simon Watson, Architectural Digest. 9/Simon Watson, Architectural Digest.

{I N S P I R E D} Abstract: The Art of Design

Earlier this month an inspiring new series came out on Netflix that captured the creative worlds of eight visionaries. Covering everything from sneakers and cars to typography and architecture, the series is simply addictive, and I admittedly binge-watched all eight episodes in one day—trust me it's easy to do! 

There's something so fascinating about peeking inside the world of a fellow creative and getting an intimate glimpse into the way they process and harness their artistic landscape. I hope there's a season two in the works! Here are a few highlights... 

Renowned portrait photographer and photo journalist Platon. Actress Rooney Mara shown above.

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                          Image via Platon

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                          Image via Platon

A Somerset residence designed by Ilse Crawford, former editor in chief of ELLE Decoration UK

Known for his thought-provoking New Yorker covers, here is illustrator Christoph Niemann 

                                                        Composition by Christoph Niemann

{A R T} How To Kill Yourself With Chocolate

As if chocolate needed a reason to be any more alluring—now the London-based duo of photographer Martina Lang and graphic designer Valentine Ammeux have created a surreal cookbook on the subject: How To Kill Yourself With Chocolate. If the heavy-hued images and intensely striking compositions are not enough to entice you, then perhaps their findings—indulging in 7.8kg (or approx. 17lbs) of dark chocolate within 24 hours is actually a lethal dose—will catch your attention. 

I don't know about you, but I'm still willing to take the risk!

Purchase your copy here.

{H O R I Z O N} Kinetic Energy: Mobiles + Pendants

                                                                           Image via Hotchkiss Mobiles     

I have always been attracted to kinetic sculptures—to their movement, their energy, their artistic nature. I fell in love with the art of Joel Hotchkiss after buying one of his mobiles from the Guggenheim Store in NYC. After researching more of his work, calling him and getting to know him on the phone, he made several custom pieces for me. I then had him make eight pink sculptures for a Pink Aid fundraiser two years ago, and they were a huge hit. Today, I still love his work just as much, if not more, and I’m happy to say I can now call him a friend.

Here are a few swoon-worthy light fixtures whose grace and sculptural quality remind me of mobiles.

1. I love everything Bec Brittain does, but her Themis 68 sconce in brushed brass with white marble and ivory glass is extra special, and the arch gives it that mobile-like movement. Image via

2. Talk about kinetic energy. Naama Hofman's Tube Pendant Collection has so much flexibility, with brass arms and LED-lit acrylic tubes that can be reconfigured into different arrangements. Image by Uri Grun via

3. The OTTO Double fixture from David Weeks Studio might be a bit more linear than the traditional mobile, but the delicateness and arc in its form still conjure the same visions. Image via 

4. Örsjö gives the best description of its Decostick pendant: "a modern chandelier flirting with the 1930s." JV Arkitekter designed the fixture as part of a renovation of the Hotel Riviera Strand in Båstad, Sweden. It allows for different strengths of luminosity to emit from the spheres verses the spotlight, so there's movement even in the light itself. Image via 

5. Jean-Pascal Gauthier. An instant favorite when I discovered his sculptural, mobile-like lights. They're minimalist and avant-garde at the same time, and the inspiration he draws from Calder is clear. Image via

6. Workstead certainly knows how to create a light fixture as an art piece. Its Bent Wall Lamp is the perfect example. The composition of steel, cast iron and brass keep it industrial and debonair. Image via

7. No mobile-esque post would be complete without including Apparatus. These Trapeze lights are inspired by the dynamics of a circus act, and their seriously fun demeanor comes across especially in Trapeze 1 & 2. Image via

8. And finally, the Hely light by Katriina Nuutinen for Klong, made of colored glass, stainless steel, plastic and LEDs. It looks like a piece of jewelry more than anything else, but the shapely form brings me back to the geometry of a mobile structure suspended in midair. Image via

{I N S P I R E D} The Magic Of Fonts

I always say that design is a choice. Even when you nonchalantly select a font to use, every letter tells a story about your choices, whether straight or script, chunky or thin, serif or sans serif. Fonts are always catching my eye, so I'm naturally drawn to artists who have captured the art of calligraphy and hand lettering so effortlessly—like Seb Lester, an artist and designer living in England. All videos of him showcasing his talents are worth watching, but here's one of him drawing water calligraphy using water and colored ink. It's mesmerizing! 

And here are a few brands that I love who know just how important it is to choose fonts that speak to their company philosophies. Take the serif font Hermès uses for example—it's classic, timeless, and instantly recognizable, just like the brand itself.

1/ Sakara | 2/ Hannah Hart for Telavera Tequila | 3/ Herbivore | 4/ Pinky Up | 5/ Five | 6/ Hermès | 7/ Lollia by Margot Elena | 8/ Musq | 9/ Milk Makeup | 10/ Anthropologie | 11/ Leif | 12/ Mistral