the keen eye

day bed, any one?

2008-02-03T18:27:00.000-05:00

i hate my sofa. as a bona fide homebody, i sit on it a lot, surrounded by manuscripts, periodicals, and all the rest of my daily ephemera, and it's just plain uncomfortable. and man, that's a bummer.

sofas are big purchases, and this one was my first adult purchase, a mere 5 years ago. i had it repaired once-not even 2 years ago-to address the terribly uneven wearing and sagging, but the problem has only worsened since then.

so lately i've had couches on my mind. with a relocation in this keen eye's near future, i can see the day i invest in a new sofa. this is great for a few reasons: my current sofa is not just unsupportive, it has ceased to fit well with my aesthetic; i won't have to take it with me when i move, nor feel bad about leaving it behind; i can spend a lot of time choosing my new perch!

i'm currently obsessed with the ubiquitous mid-century day bed, which comes in a range of prices, conditions, and configurations, as seen below.
the benchmark: the case study daybed designed to furnish the houses in the case study project, sponsored by john entenza. this original 1950s design is now manufactured by modernica.

i really like this contemporary design from design within reach, the twilight sleep sofa, designed by fleming busk. i do think, though, that it is better suited to a home office/spare room

then there is this daybed, which frequently appears on ebay with various upholsteries. this one isn't the most glorious, but the low price is right. i'd love to have one to reupholster.

and if vintage isn't your thing, then check our urban outfitters for this newly made version. i don't think it's quite as lovely, but it would do in a pinch!

little circus designs

2008-01-30T23:03:00.000-05:00

gosh, last week just wore us out!

but we're back, and breaking out of the felt rut. i just love these prints from little circus designs.

little circus is madeline stamer. inspired by a childhood spent in the neighborhoods and nature of melbourne australia and an adolescence roaming the streets of melbourne's graffiti scene, stamer's art is keenly personal, yet very accessible. it also feels full of life, the natural world, folk art, vintage fabric, mexican culture.

here are a few of my favorites:

lucky fertile rooster
29200
a new work, fierce protectors
angel you can find more of her work on her website, or for purchase at modamuse.

Felt Friday: (Part 2) Random Roundup!

2008-01-25T17:08:00.000-05:00

as always, etsy never disappoints! below are a few of the best felt products we found out there.

Yorktown Road: working out of northern california, this seller makes modern accessories for the home. the products are simple and charming and always pleasing to the eye (did we mention that the photography is superb?!).

this mini-runner would be great on a bookshelf or credenza : and these coasters (backed in repurposed leather) would provide a great pop of color to any room:
Papaver Vert: another west coaster! founder and artist patty benson knew from a young age (like 6!) that she wanted to create and to share her creations with the world. each piece is hand made from scratch using the old world and labor-intensive craftsmanship of hand felting wool from its semi-raw form. They are made from the softest of 100% merino wool, which makes them not only luxuriously soft but a renewable and eco-friendly material.

this plant holder would be perfect as a catch-all for your knick-knacks or for holding a leeeettle 3" potted plant: this pencil cup is 100% wool and has strips of black leather laced through grommets to create sections for your pencils and pens:

and these 2-square pillows are hand felted from 100% dyed Merino wool and feature a large filled square in the front and a smaller one on the back. they have a leather strip closure that can be tied in different ways: and finally that brings us to 0049. 0049 is svenja and anika, two germans working in australia with shared interests in fashion, graphic design and marketing. the business name is derived from the german international dialing code (+49) and is something unique to our “heimat” (home country) - kinda like their products!

this felt notebook cover is made with 100% wool and comes with a lined A5 notebook and an elastic to keep hold of all your treasures you carry around: these felt storage boxes are perfect for keeping your little treasures in place: and finally, these little cases can be used as a sunglasses case or a pencil pack! cute!

Felt Friday: (Part 1) Random Round-up!

2008-01-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

to finish up a week of felt, friday is all about the random round-up. one offs, one of a kinds, random finds. we'll do two parts - one focused across the web, the other just on etsy. there's a lot of amazing stuff out there.

carga bags: recycled felt bags hand assembled in buenos aries, using recycled industrial felt sourced in brazil.
brocade home's laser cut felt rugs: roost pebble felted rug from velocity art and design (seems like it would feel so nice on the toes!):colorful felt pebbles from branch home:chrysanthemum laser cut placemats: laptop cover: botanical table runner: cappelletti rug (another good one for the toes):

Felt Thursday: (Part 2) Kathryn Walter

2008-01-24T22:00:00.000-05:00

part 2 of thursday is coming a little late - you'll have to excuse our tardiness, but we think this will be worth the wait.

next up: kathryn walters. a visual artist and designer, kathryn's interest in felt is inspired by a family connection to it going back four generations. in 1997, she began researching the material and published a book on it for the Textile Museum of Canada. she loves its sustainability as a renewable, recycled fiber -- in addition to its aesthetic value.

kathryn is also the founder of FELT, a company that specializes in industrial manufactured felts and is unique in its commitment to a material rather than a market.

her products are the epitome of modern style: durable, versatile, and eco-friendly.

briefcase:tote:

log tote (so cute!):
saving the best for last - the hanging pearl lamp: you can learn more about kathryn and FELT studio here.

Felt Thursday: (Part 1) Working Class Heroes

2008-01-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

there are so many great artists out there working with felt. it seems i can't stop stumbling over them. so, thursday's gonna have to be a two part-er.

first up, working class heroes.
inspired by the era when things were actually made with attention to detail, working class heroes create high quality products from the best materials in their studio in vienna. one look at their felt and leather creations says it all.

this laptop wallet is made from 3mm grey german felt and finished with cotton herringbone. sleek!
this mousepad is sturdy and simple and looks great: and how about the ipod cases? love 'em. finally, who couldn't use a waterproof case for their moleskine? they all look so touchable!

you can find more about working class heroes at their website and get the goods on etsy.

Felt Wednesday: Etcetera Media

2008-01-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

let's spice up the mid-week hump with etcetera media, a boston-based design studio founded in january 2005. husband and wife team chris grimley and kelly smith are collectively architects, interior, graphic, furniture, urban and textile designers.

their products are made of industrial felt imported from Germany - 100% wool, 3 mm thick (keeps those electronics safe!), and naturally water resistant. any fabric used is high end upholstery fabric by knoll - usually eco-friendly or recycled, ultra stain resistant, heavy duty and very durable.

this 6-pack wine rack would go perfectly with your josh jackus winepocket! - and it collapses flat for easy storage. coasters seem to be a common item in the felt world...but i won't argue. especially when they look as chunky and gorgeous as these dipped and stamped ones. just love the way the orange and grey work together.etcetera media also makes a great series of felt bags and cases. the stockholm is one of my favorites - and it comes in black, grey, olive, and red. and finally, check out these cute hearts made from the felt leftovers. lots of uses (they give you 10 right there), but i think they'd be great as a trivet or just tossed in a bowl. you can find out more about etcetera media (and shop) at their website or at their etsy shop.

Felt Tuesday: Josh Jakus

2008-01-22T09:30:00.000-05:00

let's take a quick jaunt back to the US for tuesday's felt feature and talk about berkeley-based artist and designer, josh jakus. concerned with making experiential connections between form and function, most of josh's items are made from industrial pressed wool felt recovered from factory excess. easy on the eyes and the environment - can't beat that.

my favorite of his designs is the eggflat. the eggflat evolved out of an experiment in bending surfaces along seams. it folds flat for storage and unfurls to hold coins, keys, fruit, and other small treasures. also, individual units can be joined laterally to form a landscape of sorts. sneaky! another favorite is jakus' winepocket. the result of an exercise in reducing the amount of material and labor required to protect wine during transit, the winepocket stores flat then expands to fit most bottles. the opening also doubles as a handle. and finally, let's talk about the um bag. these are awesome. measuring as tall as a bottle of wine and as wide as a bundled-up Sunday Times, the um bag is comes in the standard grey pressed felt - but you can choose between four different designs and a blue, grey, green, or orange self-locking zipper. and check out how the bags unzip flat! and finally, we've got some coasters - remnants from making the circular handles for the um totes and winepockets. the coasters are linked by a single seam of heavy orange thread.
you can buy josh's creations on his website, or lots of web retailers, including one of our favorites, branch home.

Felt Monday: Pia Wallen

2008-01-21T12:21:00.000-05:00

wow, it's out of control outside. i guess january is when winter really starts to settle in, when you start thinking that we might be in for the long haul. and it's when i start thinking of nothing but heavy wool blankets, pillows, mugs of tea, the couch, dvds.

and also felt.

i've been collecting links to my favorite felt-goods for a while now, and no week seems more appropriate than this chilly one, so for the next few days, it's gonna be felt-central around here.

first up: a selection of beautiful felt goods by swedish designer Pia Wallén. Pia has been desigining goods for over 20 years and often she looks to history for inspiration, combining tradition with fantasy, old with new. you'll also notice her use of traditional swedish materials, technique, and colors which, above all, reflect the northern climate she calls home.

some of my favorites:

these felt boxes are 100% wool and perfect for storage of slippers, magazines, toys or accessories.

these cute-as-a-button coasters are available in 6 different colors.

cozy wool slippers with anti-skid bottoms perfect for bummin' around the house while keeping the toes warm.

and finally, i have a feeling it's way out of my price range (4350 SEK sounds expensive), but oooh, this crux blanket looks so snuggly.

you can find more Pia Wallén goods right over here, including some absolutely stunning jewelry. check out this sterling silver, felt lined bracelet:

green blanket from sweetgeorgia.

sprout home!

2008-01-20T16:06:00.000-05:00

we've talked about sprout home before, but not since they opened up their first nyc-based brick and mortar shop - we're overdue! so yesterday, suffering from a serious case of winter doldrums, this keen eye hauled herself all the way up to williamsburg (a serious feat of willpower when the G train is out of service), and checked out sprout home.

what a treat! there is something so welcoming about a well-edited, well-cared for garden shop in mid-winter. sprout home is like a little green beacon, beckoning you in from the grey, desolate, FRIGID williamsburg waterline.
even though the back patio was closed up for the season, the shop's interior was lovingly packed with all sorts of lush, green goods - not to mention pots and terrariums and vases and other little trinkets and accessories for the home. and, unusual for most nyc garden shops, i felt like everything was very fairly priced (i managed to escape with 5 items for only $30). i could have stayed forever (i think i spied a place under the counter where i could just camp out for a while), and will definitely be back.

i got these two pots for $5 a piece - and then repotted some rootbound cacti that i had sitting around the house.

i bought this neat little hanging glass orb for $12 (sorry for the shoddy shot)...

and these cute little air plants were only $3 each.

sprout home is located at 44 grand street in williamsburg, but if you're not in new york city, you can still shop online!

photo of sprout from platinumblondelife

my new favorite kitchen

2008-01-12T14:19:00.000-05:00

when i finally buy a house (do i say that too much?), i want to make the kitchen look like this:

is that not gorgeous?! and so inspiring when you compare the before and after shots.

he throws, he sews

2008-01-09T22:43:00.000-05:00

so, how 'bout this pottery by keith phillips, made down in north carolina? it's pretty nice, huh? i think it's all quite gorgeous. especially these:

two porcelain mugs:

these hot cocoa pots:
sugar and creamer set:
i also find these french butter dishes quite intriguing:
you can find more at his blog, Mudstuffing (i can't help but crack up when i read that).

numbers

2008-01-06T18:47:00.000-05:00

oh how i wish i owned a house just so i could install these numbers on the outside:
on sale at dwr for only $9.99 a piece (!!!); of course it only works if your address is some combination of 7, 1, 9, or 8...but still!

seasprayblue

2008-01-06T14:05:00.000-05:00

we all know there's no shortage of wonderful screenprints and letterpress designs on etsy...but who can't use a little more eye candy?

today i'm really loving the prints from katrin, found in her shop seasprayblue over on etsy. here are a few of my favorites:

i can wait:

too many teacups:
coming home:

and of course, it's teatime:

ettore sottsass

2008-01-05T15:36:00.000-05:00

ettore sottsass passed away on december 31, 2007.

sottsass was an infamous postmodern designer and founder of the memphis group, an influential Italian design and architecture movement of the 1980s. he was also responsible for the design of the keen eye's favorite typewriter (right up there in our banner), the valentine.

about which he said:

"I worked 60 years of my life, and it seems the only thing I did is this fucking red machine,” he says. “And it came out a mistake. It was supposed to be a very inexpensive portable, to sell in the market, like pens. It didn’t have capital letters, it didn’t have a bell [to let you know when you’d hit the end of a line]. I wanted the case to be inexpensive. Then the people at Olivetti said you cannot sell this kind of cheap Chinese thing. So, everything was put back: the capital letters, the bell, even the expensive plastic, which I was thinking would be this horrible, cheap plastic. So, it was a mistake.”

even so, the design of this machine – released on valentine's day, 1969 – will forever be celebrated as one of Sottsass' great contributions, and remains a beautiful piece.

feather the desk

2008-01-04T20:43:00.000-05:00

my new job has me obsessing about all the neat things that make an office space your own. and, while i like to fancy myself a minimalist, i LOVE fun little accessories like this one!

duck, duck, goose!

nice mugs

2008-01-03T23:13:00.000-05:00

it's really cold outside. realllly cold. no better time, then, to drink a big mug of hot tea.

but which mug shall i choose?

memo script green?

lined notebook?

ruled memo?

think it's gonna be graph paper.

all from the wonderful fishs eddy (having a big 25% off sale as we speak!)

petit collage

2008-01-01T14:02:00.000-05:00

i know these have been talked about in a million different places, but even so, these pieces from lorena siminovich's petit collage are really making my new year's day.

plus, look at her list of likes: "Polka dots, Maps, Traveling, Big cities, Hand writing, Hand embroidery, Owls, Hummingbirds, Sea urchins, White Coral, Old Type, French children's books, Thrift stores Mary Blair, Alexander Girard textiles, Karl Blossfeldt, Modigliani, Egon Schiele, Paul Rand, Bold stripes, Plywood furniture, Pillows, Orange, the color, Orange, the fruit, tea, lots of it, Letterpress, Leaves, Dandelions, Dulce de leche, NY people watching, San Francisco plants, Buenos Aires summer nights"

so cute!

tour her home over at AT, too. gorgeous!

knob

2007-12-31T18:44:00.001-05:00

it hasn't yet been a month since we last posted - and we do have the holidays and a travel schedule to blame - but it is a bit embarassing that it's been so long since we've gotten in gear.

i guess the new year is an appropriate time to get going on a fresh start.

so then, take a look at these gorgeous (original) cabinet knobs i found while looking through a:t's house tour for mara and michael:
so pretty. if only the crummy built-in cabinetry in my kitchen actually had doors...i would totally spruce them up like that.

in any case, here are a few great spots to nab some vintage(-ish) drawer pulls:
* anthropologie
* restoration hardware
* house of antique hardware (these are pretty close!)
* ebay (of course)

the holidays are for eating!

2007-11-26T20:52:00.000-05:00

by request of a lovely friend of the TKEs in search of the perfect dining room table with which to feather her nest, here are a couple great vintage dining tables from ebay.

lovely!

diamond in the rough

ROAR.

2007-11-20T22:32:00.001-05:00

is this old news? maybe. but from september thru february, kiosk is featuring lovely things from finland. including the above calendar (which i must have).

other favorites:this metal water kettle - because as you may know, finland has the highest coffee consumption in the world (fits quite well with this blog as of late).
also think this bottle and can opener set is beautiful. apparently found hanging on a piece of twine in every finnish sauna. i think i shall implement this at my local nysc.
this carpet beater is gorgeous. not that i have a carpet to beat...but i'd still buy it just to lean in the corner.

and finally...even the everyday objects are beautiful: chalk, licorice, mustard, soap, staples. ah! file labels!

sconce ponce

2007-11-20T10:59:00.000-05:00

the last issue of domino had a whole spread about matching your mirrors with your sconces. to which i said, phooey. i didn't like a single mirror or sconce they proposed, and chalked it up to the fact that maybe i'm just not a sconcey-girl. i mean, think of the time and effort (and trouble) they take to install (all that wiring?!) - and if not, then you've just got a cord hanging down...and who wants to deal with that?

but then last night i was over at Velocity Art & Design (fun browsing) and came across a few good sconces that just about changed my mind.

these meridian sconces are totally pretty, and customizable:
and how about the rex sconce? pretty, square, and covered in linen!
i even kinda like the legna wall sconce, and think it could look fab in the right foyer or mudroom. plus, it requires the use of CFLs, and that can only be a good habit to encourage. and, while we're talking wood and rustic, might as well toss in jason miller's antler sconce, which admittedly looks great - but that cord! see what i mean?

under pressure

2007-11-19T21:47:00.000-05:00

in 1933, Alfred Bialetti created the Moka Express. in 2007, i decided i need to own one.

hence this post.

in italy, the moka express is an iconic design - you'll find one in nearly every home and even tucked away in modern industrial art museums.

functionally, they work very similar to a percolator but with one very important difference. in a percolator, the boiling water is forced up the tube, and esentially drips out over the coffee chamber. the water then seeps through the coffee grounds and leaves the coffee chamber through the bottom, dropping back into the lower half of the pot.

in a moka express, the water boils in the bottom chamber and is forced up through the coffee powder and into the upper chamber. it's the pressure that makes alllll the difference and results in a much stronger brew when compared to the drip method.

that being said, let's look at a few of these contraptions, shall we?

first up: the moka express - classic in design and so affordable (and the one i chose to purchase).
next we have this chic, sleek, simple (but pricey!) design by wmf kult:
and finally, we have the villaware stainless steel espresso maker - bulbous and cute:

i thought i might as well check ebay, too, just to see if there were any vintage espresso pots out there. of course i was not disappointed.

this vintage pot is totally cute, and even though the auction won't let me post the pictures, it's still worth a look.

i can't tell if this one is vintage or not, but it has a great 50's-modern vibe.
and finally, don't forget to pick up some coffee from your favorite local roaster!

metal detektor

2007-11-13T07:37:00.000-05:00

oh my goodness! be still my little heart.

when i'm 64

2007-11-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

sometimes i swear i'm an 85-year-old woman trapped inside a much younger person's body. especially when chilly weather rolls around and i start craving afghans, tea, shortbread, knitting needles, and rocking chairs. yes, rocking chairs.

any granny worth her salt has a nice rocker. but they don't all have to be rickety, unattractive comfort machines - there are some rockers out there worth your trouble.... check it:

this gorgeous pair of Ole Wanscher rockers - solid teak with white raw silk cushions. not priced for the weak of heart, but absolutely stunning.

this perfect condition 50s/60s danish modern rocker made in denmark by selig is angled but sleek and would look perfect in that empty corner right over there - you know, the one right next to the radiator where you can sit all day, crocheting doilies.

alright, i'm aware this could be a deal breaker - but really, the frame of this chair is absolutely gorgeous. imagine it recovered in a nice, modern fabric from reprodepot or purl and covered with a handmade patchwork lap quilt. oh be still my heart...you KNOW you want it.

golden millenium

2007-11-11T13:37:00.001-05:00

browsing etsy this morning, i discovered john w golden's rovinato series of digital prints. oh.em.gee, are these gorgeous, or what!?! some of you may know of this keen eye's predilection to the industrial sublime, and golden's prints capture that sublimity in the most perfect tonal and grainy look. here are some of my faves:

the tanker and the skiff

paris railroad

firebell no. 2

the best part is that right now, golden is offering BOGO. so buy one and get another one!

golden's subject matter is not only industrial, he loves puppies too. check him out.

want.

2007-11-07T23:07:00.001-05:00

i feel certain this would make me happy everyday.

reform school - $32.00

i am still alive

2007-11-06T20:33:00.000-05:00

looking back at almost a year of the keen eye, i was reminded of a print that keen eye e and i loved a while back. it read "we are so good together" and really captured our attention.
alas, it's still sold out, as is every amazing print on their website, but i am still alive deserves a post of its own. we keen eyes are all about the letter press, after all.

i am still alive "is a design practice committed to authoring, shaping, and distributing honest and progressive narratives" and in this they succeed. designer dylan fareed's way with words is astonishing. i continually marvel at people who construct simple sentences with tremendous power, such as "we are so good together." this is personal reaffirmation at its most elegant and effective.

i am still alive is all about the message. to illustrate, here is a selection of their offerings. maybe by pointing to them, the keen eyes will encourage them to get back to printing. print more, damnit!

hilarious and stunning!

so true, my friends.

this was, quite possibly, printed especially for my house.

get back to work already, dylan!!!!

perky

2007-11-05T06:35:00.000-05:00

all of us are devoted to our morning coffee. i know - i'm waiting for my pot to finish up its morning work right now. but lately i've been disappointed with the drip brew and have begun to reconsider the percolator. i used a percolator all through college and graduate school, but for some unrecalled reason, switched to the auto drip a few years ago.

well now i'm ready to switch back!
this diagram illustrates the inner workings of the classic glass percolator. the water is contained in the bottom bulb and the coffee is packed in the central chamber and the percolator is placed on a gas burner. as the water boils the vacuum tube pulls it up through the central chamber into the upper bulb. then the hot water drips back down through the coarsely ground coffee. the whole brewing process repeats continually until the whole volume of water approaches boiling, causing that lovely perking sound. (remember that old coffee commercial?) the trick, though, is to prevent the brewed coffee from boiling. as they say, "boiled coffee is spoiled coffee!"

so now that i've convinced you to rethink the percolator, check out these beauties! percolators are often thought of as country decor or camping gear. but these steel pots have a utilitarian beauty all their own.

if you're fond of glass, as i am, check out the line of pyrex percs from the mid century, exemplified by this little guy!
or, if you like the ease of an electric and stainless model (how modern!), check out this new percolator.
any way you perc it, you're going to love the delicious, sweet taste of percolated coffee. there really is no other way to brew it.

another shade of gray

2007-11-02T21:01:00.000-05:00

ah, a relaxing weekend spent on old stomping grounds. good food, good talks, wonderful friends, sweet pups. it's all very inspiring, i have to admit.

anyway, while browsing the web with the better half of the keen eyes, we stumbled across a great new (to us) blog: another shade of grey.

this girl, we swear, is equipped with an etsy-sense like no other! she makes it look easy - all that browsing and searching and viewing - and somehow posts the best finds on etsy we've ever seen. from jewelry to pottery to prints and paper, she's really got the nose.

i mean, these caramel swirl earrings (or these lucite ones)? this zipper pouch? the whole thing is a joy to browse. and the girl's even got her own etsy shop! we're impressed!

schleeh designs

2007-10-12T06:55:00.000-05:00

holy cow, have i found the most gorgeous desk accessories at my local paper boutique, rock paper scissors.

schleeh designs is colin schleeh and rachael schwartz who design everything from jewelry to vessels to desk accessories. as an obsessive for all things to feather the desk, i am most drawn to their desktop line of wood veneer and galvanized steel note pads and frames.
this is the schleeh designs notepad i saw at rock paper scissors. the steel panel slides along the block of note pages so that you can tear the sheet at any point, and the wood veneer is curved just so to cradle your pen. genius!!! must...have...it!

i also saw these frames and think they are just genius - they're not really frames as much as easels! stick the image to the frame with a peg mighties magnet by three by three and you're stuck!

annie fitt

2007-09-23T07:40:00.000-05:00

it's no secret that the keen eyes love prints. we love linoleum block prints, letterpress prints, etchings and monotypes. if it's ink on paper, we like it. so, while perusing etsy the other day, i discovered annie fitt and i'm smitten. not only does her work focus on animals but she lives just across the river from the keen eye b parents - imagine that!

fitt describes her work as very low tech - using no other electricity but that produced by her own body. she seems to focus on portraiture and specifically animal subjects. keen eye e loved the nydam press print of the italian greyhound and she's sure to love annie fitt's greyhound (or maybe whippet) portraits. this particular portrait is called sweetgrey and is tiny - only 3"x2" on 5"x4" paper.

the paper is another fantastic aspect of fitt's art. she uses only llama li bright paper - sales of the paper benefit the paper making cooperatives in rural nepal which produce it.

here are a few more fitt's prints i love, but be sure to check out her etsy shop!

i think stripey cat (also tiny) looks like little d of president street, brooklyn!

i absolutely love this one, called blueberry wine!

please check out annie fitt's etsy shop. you won't be sorry. maybe someday you'll see a portrait of the keen eye canine!

maypop!

2007-09-18T11:27:00.000-05:00

this morning I went out for an early morning exploration of an abandoned rail siding near my house (no, i don’t make a habit of early morning rail line explorations, but the keen eye canine was in need of his walk) and i happened upon the most glorious vision! Along the siding was a thicket of passionflower. i thought to myself, surely that can’t be the same passionflower i’ve been failing miserably to cultivate in my garden for years – and it’s not, it’s maypop! maypop – can you believe the name?

maypop, or purple passionflower (passiflora incarnata), is a fast growing and hardy perennial wildflower in the southern united states. hooray for the lovely climate in my little ‘ville! silly me, i’ve been struggling (read: killing) with the species more ideally suited to the tropics, not knowing that there is a species more native to my area growing right around the corner.
maypop is not only valued for its stunning flowers – it also bears a small fruit, called maypop, may apple, or wild apricot, which can be eaten (although there’s not much to them) or dried and used to aid with insomnia and nervous anxiety.

interestingly, the vine thrives in disturbed areas, like the rail siding, where it provides the most gorgeous contrast to the industrial landscape. i’m hoping to put it to good use along the fence in my less-than-industrial-but-in-need-of-beauty back yard!

yay maypop!

nydam press

2007-09-13T08:56:00.000-05:00

i am in love with these linoleum prints from nydam press. i remember trying to do a linoleum press back in high school...didn't turn out so well.

Fada bullet!

whale!

italian grayhound (how i love this one!):
and close to my conservation minded heart, the piping plover:
you can find all of these over at the nydam press etsy shop (most are only $4!), and fun crafty reading at the nydam press blog.

spelling

2007-09-11T08:57:00.000-05:00

how to waste time (but at least have fun): spell with flickr.

this handy little utility searches out photographs of letters based on the name or words you enter. if you don't like the original results, you can click the individual letters until you find the perfect one.

it's fun on screen, but i think it could also translate well into printed and framed photos for a room. you could print and frame each letter, or you could use photoshop magic and smoosh them all together.

lala dex press

2007-09-10T09:06:00.000-05:00

we all know that there's no shortage of great letterpressed finds out there on etsy, so i won't pretend i'm breaking any boundaries for you, but i did come across these two this weekend that i thought were just too cute to pass up.

from lala dex press:

du er min favoritteperson

and bonjour

buon giorno

2007-09-09T10:34:00.000-05:00

a few weeks ago a friend and i were tooling around georgetown, in our nation's capitol, looking for some yummy italian eats. en route to finding ristorante piccolo (which was molto fantastico), we stumbled upon the vibrantly painted yellow fine art and artists gallery. as if the facade was not enough to draw me in, i spied this stunning textual piece, welcoming the flowers 2007, dominating the back wall of the gallery.

the gallery was, unfortunately, closed when we returned to investigate this enormous and engaging piece, but this keen eye was not deterred. after all, i do have a strong affinity for the art of text. as i gazed longingly into the window of the faa, i was determined to figure out who was responsible. a little searching lead me to the art of john giorno. giorno, known predominately for his poetry and his giorno poetry systems, was socially linked to andy warhol, jasper johns, and robert rauschenberg in the sixties. it's clear that they also had quite an influence on his visual aesthetic.

as giorno is represented by galleries across the country, prices for his pieces are hard to come by without direct inquiry. nonetheless, i wanted to feature a few striking works that really hit my hot button. individual prints from welcoming the flowers are available - it's considered a series of prints making one sceenprinted poem. for example, you might love almost miss america rose - in which case you would contact durham press:

as much as i love the prints that make up welcoming the flowers, i'm really loving this one, featured by galerie almine rech. i think it's so sweet and pure in sentiment.

i'm thrilled to have discovered john giorno's poem-prints, and hope to someday add one or two of them to my growing collection of words and images.

square cat

2007-09-07T09:47:00.000-05:00

if you have cats then cat scratching posts are a necessary evil. rarely are they good-looking, but beware if you try to go without one. that sweet little room and board couch may end up looking a bit too shabby-chic if you aren't careful.

of course you could try this method - oddly cats are really freaked out by alumninum foil - but that's a bit labor intensive.

the other day i shelled out for the [horribly named] Purr-fect Post, which looks better than its $30 competitors at the local pet store (and admittedly work like a charm), but still leaves a bit to be desired, aesthetically anyway:

but then i found square cat habitat.

based in portland, oregon, sqh was born out of the desire to integrate cat furniture into a modern home - to have it accent an aesthetic rather than work against it. i like that.

a few more things, behind deadline

2007-09-05T11:12:00.000-05:00

ooops, i still haven't gotten my posting-schedule straight...but i do want to finish up white-things-week with a bang, so here we go.

first up, the Plant Cup planter by Gitta Gschwendtner. gorgeous on its own, it would look beautiful with some spring bulbs in it - or even with a nice full coat of grass, honestly. it goes even better with a cat inside:

more photos here.

i'm also loving this reality series from Harry Allan. these fruit bowls are quite stunning, and think how beautiful a shiny red apple or bright yellow banana would look against all that white:

the reality piggy bank is a little more freaky, but i still sort of like it:

and i think that's it...no better way to finish it up than with a lifesize piggy bank, modeled with scottish folds. right?

bin-bin

2007-08-30T16:53:00.000-05:00

also from the conran shop comes this sweet wastebasket. designer john brauer crushed many hundreds of small paper models and then unfolded them again until deciding upon the final model. this was then scanned to create a 3D image that was modified to meet manufacturing requirements. he's like a budding frank geary! juuuuust kidding.

grande egg

2007-08-30T16:30:00.000-05:00

"made from fine white porcelain, this simple egg cup has a wide base that is perfect for resting your spoon and holding soldiers, prior to dunking."

i don't know what that means exactly ("holding soldiers"?!) but i like it.

lekker porcelain

2007-08-30T09:21:00.000-05:00

lekker - dutch for alluring, enticing, great, attractive, tempting.

a perfect name, then, for Lekker - Unique Home Furnishings in Boston, started by Amsterdam native Natalie van Dijk Carpenter. founded on the idea that it's important to furnish a home with items that are direct reflections of the people who live there, lekker home is a lust-worthy place to browse (and buy).

thankfully, they have tons of wonderful things to feature this week.

like this plum blossom bowl:

created by Dutch designer Carola Zee. think quick - Lekker is the first to bring this to the United States.

or maybe these porcelain lanterns:

think how gorgeous these would look outside on your screened in porch, or scattered throughout your garden on a cool fall evening.

there are tons of cool white dishes over at lekker home, but i've chosen these as my favorite:

they are neat and sleek enough to remain dateless but also still modern, yet they retain just the right amount of playfulness. no sense in being too serious all the time.

this LEAF dish makes me feel all light in the head:

inspired by the terraced olive groves of Italy where artist Mary Judge spends time to create and produce her designs, when filled with olive oil, this porcelain dish displays a series of concentric rings of lovely greens in descending tones due to the depth of the oil in the dish. with all the olive oil i eat, i should have this.

and finally, check out this "piggybank" woodpecker!

also available in chrome, if you're sick of all this white ;)

Nymphenburg, again

2007-08-28T10:15:00.000-05:00

here's another nymphenburg figure from R&R, this one being a branch. according to the website, this vessel follows Nymphenburg's 250 year tradition of master craftsmanship and natural inspirations. you can choose an entirely glazed branch vase or one with a bisque exterior and glazed interior.

neat.

Nymphenburg

2007-08-28T09:37:00.000-05:00

this nymphenburg figure from rose and radish is stunning, captivating. granted, it's a bit out of my price range for something that just sits there, looking, but it still makes my heart skip a beat.

i know nothing about these mysterious nympenburg figures. must find out more...

tree hanger

2007-08-28T08:21:00.000-05:00

herman hynell's tree hanger, in white.

perfect for beads, bangles, necklaces, keys. also very pretty.
found this at design*sponge today.

mr and mrs jones

2007-08-27T20:11:00.000-05:00

they'll keep the head chef company and entertain guests at a dinner party. for two characters that don't speak they are masters at starting conversation! and if you need to squeeze small fruits like limes & lemons, well they have a head for that too!

week of white: day #1

2007-08-27T09:28:00.000-05:00

so let's get started then.

first up, this planter by science and sons:

drawing inspiration from the bonsai, park planters were created to elevate the common household plant to the status of full grown tree. The potted plant becomes the backdrop for an urban park scene. planter options range from dog walkers to flashers and muggers - but no two scenes are alike.

ok, so mugging and flashing aren't necessarily cute, but i love the idea of these. also can't help but remark that this system would prevent my stupid cats from digging in my houseplants. extra bonus!

they also have this beautifully calming "phonophone:"

without the use of external power or batteries, the phonofone inventively exploits the virtues of horn acoustics to boost the audio output of standard earphones to up to 55 decibles (or roughly the maximum volume of laptop speakers).

neat concept - gorgeous design.

no white after labor day

2007-08-27T09:26:00.000-05:00

it's no secret that i have an affinity for porcelain.

in fact, i love all accessories white - it must be something to do with the fact that i feel most of my life is very cluttered with colors and things and stuff. none of that is bad - in fact, i love colors. but sometimes you need a bit of white, a bit of negative to cancel it all out and bring the intensity down a bit.

so, as summer draws to a close, and i eek the last bit of life out of my favorite white summer dresses before september hits, i'm dedicating this week to my favorite porcelain and otherwise - blanche nesty-things.

allons-y!

photo above from spring globe.

ROUND

2007-08-24T14:41:00.000-05:00

slogging through the keen eye email today, and found the release for the new Rose and Radish show, ROUND.

curated by owner Cate Kellison, the show concentrates on circular shapes and patterns, with an emphasis on textures.

looks gorgeous:

i love the combination of natural and manmade materials - fuzzy, smooth, sharp, shiny.

something else, too, to look out for - a hand-screened limited edition print by jill pilotte is available in the rose and radish shop. it's based on ROUND, and the profits are split 60/40 between the artist and 826 Valencia.

happy weekend!

two wheels

2007-08-24T09:50:00.000-05:00

i've been thinking a lot about bikes lately - mainly because the days are long and beautiful and the subways are crowded and unpleasant. i'd like to get a bike with a nice basket for trips to the market and around the neighborhood...and maybe when i'm feeling brave, i'll take her into the city to work, too.

i'm torn between a couple of different avenues i could go down. i could go the functional-cheap-stable bike route or i could go the thrift-store-doesn't matter if it gets stolen route. or i could go the so-beautiful-i'll-lug-it-down-three-flights-of-brownstone-stairs-just-to-get-the-chance-to-ride-it-for-15-minutes-and-then-back-up-so-a-drop-of-rain-never-touches-it.

yea. i think i'm opting for number 3.

first choice: the electra amsterdam, in clean, simple white. how perfect is this bike? comes with a light, a bell, a skirt guard, and a generator to keep the light working. SIGH.

but lets not be picky. it also comes in green:

and black...

not to mention red and blue.

i'm also a big fan of the bianchi milano, which i first spied in san francisco:

how great is that teal and red? and who can resist a speedy italian bicycletta?

and last but not least, let's not forget a way to store this baby. not a lot of room in this tiny apartment, so let me recommend this Leonardo Single Bike Storage Hook:

light, elegant, unobtrusive. looks ok even without the bike!

forsaken

2007-08-23T11:03:00.000-05:00

we aren't sure what happened over here at keen eye. there was never talk of officially disbanding or putting this sad little bloggy to sleep, but something just happened. the real world outside of the internet's cold 1s and 0s seemed to whisk both of us off in opposite [and sometimes converging] directions so quickly that it was nearly impossible to find the time or energy to log in, let alone post.

but we never officially called it quits.

so that means we can sneak back in and start posting without too much ado, and everything will just feel like old times.

right?

right.

photo above from irinsmith

you light up my life

2007-06-06T15:06:00.000-05:00

i'm in the process of redoing the exterior finish on my old house and as a result i'm thinking alot about the little details that give a house that je ne sais curb, like exterior light fixtures and window boxes.

i'll give you a little peak at the fixtures that have captured my attention. i have a bit of a hook-up at lowe's (or as we like to affectionately refer to it - slowe's. hi mamma keen eye!) so i'm limiting my selection to what they have to offer; surprisingly, they've got a few great, industrial-looking fixtures that hit my hot button. these are for wall mounting; i'm still searching for a porch fixture.

ta da!

i'm pretty fond of this utilitarian look, although i'm not sure it will be my final choice. i bet the mercury vapor bulb casts a lovely glow:

i think i like this wall-mount lantern, but its little hat seems to be just slightly out of proportion. i need to see it in person:
this one would be totally appropriate for the era of my house, but i'm not sure i like the historic replica-look:

as for the one that's captured my heart, i think this is the one. of course it's the spendiest! it's got that perfect blend of industrial-ship yard-salvaged feel, and seems to be just the right scale for my little house.

next time we'll look at window boxes and porch lights!

egg-cellent.

2007-05-24T11:47:00.000-05:00

this morning, after a nice stroll through central park, i found myself avoiding going back to work by eating soft boiled organic eggs and toast at le pain quotidien. they were seriously delicious, but of course now, i'm obsessed. with the eggs, yes, but also with the egg holders. not that the ones at pain were all that great - just your standard sterling silver - but i now i must have some! sweet, simple, and a perfect little extravagance at the breakfast table. plus, it's just so much fun cracking the top off the egg and eating it with a spoon.

i predict my cholesteral levels are going to skyrocket.

anyway, here are a few i found around the interwebs:

first up, over at ebay, is this elegant double egg holder in white porcelain:
next we have this cute little tulip shaped set made in japan: and this one is just perfect, although the description is cracking me up (i think they mean 'sweet' instead of 'sweat'). these slim holders are quite sexy (for egg cups, i mean). this eames-era set of six made in denmark is just stunning: and of course, etsy never lets us down either.
check out these bright red egg cups (with candles!):
and this one out of distressed wood by the same seller is equally as nice:
can you believe i wrote an entire post about egg cups?

bouf!

2007-05-22T10:36:00.000-05:00

i love the idea behind this semi-new (launched in march of 2007), self-described superboutique, Bouf. an online venue where users can buy and sell limited edition, custom-made, highly unique products, the selection ranges from fashion, food and furniture to gadgets, footwear and gifts. all of the products have been curated and are usually made in small quantities, so you're sure to be getting something really unique. it's like etsy, only less crafty.

ContemPlates Dinner Plates: the designers collected images of anonymous figures on various beaches though out the year, then printed them on plates with the date, time, and beach when the figures were captured. neat!

i LOVE these sunday morning chairs by ryan frank. when i have that remodeled farmhouse in the country, these will sit on my back porch. i'm feeling all dreamy-like now.

these champagne glasses crack me up. designed to evenly share a bottle between 6 people, i probably wouldn't often have a need for them (i like to keep my champagne to myself), but i think they'd be worth it even if you used them just once!

this coat and accessory rack is also kind of neat, made from bio-resin and cotton rope.

here's the link again for more browsing!

ISAK

2007-05-21T09:57:00.000-05:00

beautiful happy things from ISAK, a scandinavian and british design business creating contemporary and co-ordinated home accessories:

green apple tray

red daisy cups

blue daisy dishcloth

small daisy wallpaper

and just for fun, a blossom and bill birchwood tray.

are you weary?

2007-05-18T06:41:00.000-05:00

keen eye b here - how ya been? it's been a while, i know. but i'm back, starry-eyed and excited about landscaping and gardening. much like keen eye e, the spring and summer take me outside where i dig in the dirt and worship the foliage (and shriek every time i see a spider!).

also, much like keen eye e, i've recently begun to rework my own plot of land. it's smack dab in the center of my southern city, but it's not city-sized. it's an enormous swath of land. and, in true american fashion, almost every inch of the 7100 square feet is covered in grass.
s i g h .
and, in true american fashion, i roll out the gas-guzzling lawn mower every other saturday morning (i should mow every week, but i just can't bear it!), and shear the tops off each little bad of grass and curse the fool who planted them. (this is no small feat - my yard is nothing if not a miniature mountain range.)

while mowing, i dream of drought-tolerant ground covers in need of little-to-no mowing. i envision my vast expanse of land covered in mounds of fragrant, foot traffic-tolerant perennials. these dreams led me to find stepables - a company that specializes in providing just this type of solution to grass-weary gardeners.

here are a few of my favorite of their drought-tolerant offerings:

wooly thyme - lovely with its tightly matted foliage and lavender flowers.

creeping thyme (white) - looks like a light dusting of snow in the middle of summer!

lotus plenus - this is perfect as a lawn substitute, and glows with lovely orange buds and yellow double blooms! and, it's suited to clay-bound soils, like mine!

so, if you're grass-weary like me, and in the market to green up your lawn (in that environmentally conscious sense of the word), check out stepables for some garden guidance and plant therapy.

things that matter

2007-05-15T08:39:00.000-05:00

i just finished reading this feature, things that matter, over at the metropolis magazine website (anyone have a subscription to this? should i invest?), and wanted to share it with you. the writers asked 30 designers a simple question: “What’s your favorite everyday object?” and put together a slideshow of all their answers. the criteria for the products were simple: the product could be anonymously designed or a pedigreed icon (just as long as it wasn’t their own), but it needed to be useful, beautiful, easy to use, environmentally responsible or technologically innovative.

the results are really fun to read through, with items ranging from a Ford 150 to a spaghetti spoon; it's always fun to get a glimpse of how other people live...not to mention that beautifully-designed, highly-functional objects are some of the only splurges i can make at the moment. take a look-see here.

nadia sparham

2007-05-14T10:12:00.000-05:00

Nadia Sparham is a London-based artist, whose designs are either digitally or hand screen-printed, appliquéd and embroidered onto silks, wools and cottons. all of her products are handmade, save the ceramics which are carefully outsourced. her designs and aesthetic harken back to an innocent childhood time - a bit homemade, a bit modern, a bit playful. she's got a couple of mugs and plates (and a vase) that i'd love to own. look:

this dandelion clock espresso cup and saucer will be perfect when i get my bialetti.

and this spotty leaf giant mug and saucer will work for my tea.
this spot flower plate is very cute...
but not as cute as top of the hill man!

nadia also makes cushions, does upholstery, designs fabric and stationary, paints murals, and crafts wall hangings. check these out:

oh, and just for fun:

that last one reminds me of this photo we took at baxter & liebchen many months ago!

you can browse more of nadia's work over at her website.

seed pods

2007-05-13T11:06:00.000-05:00

oh, and when you're done planting your shade garden as outlined below, you should check out the following prints from etsy (only $18 a pop!).
both from wolfie and the sneak.

shady face.

2007-05-13T10:11:00.000-05:00

finally, finally, finally! i spent all afternoon digging around in the front yard - pulling out those invasive norway maples that had sprouted everywhere, ripping up dandelions left and right, and scooping up leaves into a garbage bag.

now that the ground is clear and the weeds are gone, i can start thinking about what i want to plant out there (lucky for me, my neighbors seem to have only a passing interest in the front yard so i have free reign, mwahaha).

i've finally come to terms with the fact that my yard will never be anything but a shade garden, and despite my irrational hatred of impatiens, the ones that i sucked up and planted last year (after my geraniums keeled over and died from lack of sun) actually looked really nice.

so, here we go: let's take a quick look at the shade plants (and flowers) out there.

first up, impatiens. i don't know why i disliked these for so long, but they do fabulously in the shade and flower continuously throughout the summer. they do like a lot of water, at least in my dry, tree-dominated yard, but perk right up when you water them. definitely getting some of those this spring, probably in white.

next, bleeding hearts. i love these plants SO much, but it never even crossed my mind that they could be an option for my shady front yard. this morning, while walking through the neighborhood, i suddenly noticed them everywhere, in pink, in red, and even in white. the flowers are so delicate and so...dangley. i love them and they've made the list. probably going for red. in the leafy category, we've got hostas, which are easy, come back every year, and provide lots of different shades of green to cover the ground. i've already got tons of these going in the yard. oh, and the big floppy leaves look great when cut and placed in a nice clear vase. of course, these do bloom sometimes, too, but i think they're rather undramatic.
i'm also thinking of trying some polygonatum, or Solomon's seal (though i'm having trouble deciding whether it's weedy/invasive). it seems to do well in partial shade. they grow about 3 feet high, and in late spring / early summer develop clusters of bell-like flowers that hang down. for ground cover, i might try bergenia, with it's large, leathery leaves that are green for most of the year, but turn a wonderful red or bronze color in the fall. they also produce clusters of small, bell-shaped flowers that can be pale pink, ruby red, or deep burgundy.now, to see if my local garden shop actually carries any of these....will report back shortly.

bleeding heart from catmadogma; hosta from spikeblacklab; solomon's seal from lookin glass; bergenia from daclaren

heath ceramics

2007-05-10T08:59:00.000-05:00

just in time for the warm weather (what's up 80 degrees?): heath ceramic's summer 07 collection. they've got all the makings of the perfect lazy summer supper.

window sill seed set (perfect for us urban gardeners!) complete with basil, lavendar, and parsley seeds - to add the finishing touches to your cookin'.

summer iced tea set. just imagine those cool, ceramic tumblers, clinking with ice cubes, on a thick summer night.

some sweet summer bud vases would make a lovely centerpiece filled with daisies.

and finally, a bowl and plate to hold your gazpacho and green salad.
i love the many shades of blue in this line - orange and yellow are great for spring, when it's just warming up, but once summer hits, there's nothing like a nice, cool blue.

it's not what you think.

2007-05-08T08:32:00.000-05:00

trips to france (paris, burgundy, provence) have a way of throwing off one's schedule a little bit - the blogging, the sleeping, the working. especially when that trip constitutes the first vacation this keen eye has had in over 4 years. so here i am, offering up a [lame] excuse for falling off the boat here at keen eye...but also promising to pick up the pace, if only just a bit.

you'd think that a trip to the city of lights, the chic-est place on earth, would be a great boon to the keen eye archives, a veritable treasure trove of nesting goodness. and yes, you'd probably be right, only i decided to plan my trip completely wrong this time, and i ended up in paris, staying in montmartre, on 2 different sundays, and the monday following easter. all of which seem like perfectly reasonable days to parisians to close down shop and sit in a cafe all day. and so it happened that nearly every shop i tried to visit was FERME. le sigh.

but, in the spirit of bringing keen eye back to life, and also international travel, i thought i'd share with you a list of shops-i-would-have-gone-to-had-they-not-been-closed.

ok then, allons-y!

first off is French Touche.

described as the rare device of paris, i knew i had to go when i read grace's description of it over at designsponge (though it's located in the 17th arrondissment, not the 18th as she says). as a quick aside, i just have to share my love of rare device - an always rotating stock of home wares, hand bags, jewelry, and clothing, all by local / independent designers - i try to stop by every month or so just to check it out. i went by last week to catch anatomie and loved it. anyway, though, french touche. same idea - tons of small designers and interesting things, clothing, earrings, necklaces, stationary. you can shop online, too, but i have a feeling it's better experienced in person, you think?

next up: L'objet qui Parle. nestled on a side street in montmartre, L'objet qui Parle translates directly into "the objects that speak" but i have graciously made that into "Conversation Pieces" because it seems nice that way. simultaneously an antique store and a junk shop, i was really looking forward to digging through some dusty shelves and boxes - and finding some kind of glorious treasure. oh well...when we strolled by on that sunny sunday, the shop was completely shuttered. here's a glance at what it supposedly looks like inside - hello! i must have that chicken thing!

onwards to Deyrolle, a 170-year old establishment tucked away on the left bank. one glance at their website will tell you all you need to know, methinks, but to give you a taste, calling this place a taxidermy shop would be a complete and utter understatement. while the entry floor may look like your average garden supply shop, the upstairs is a bizarre menagerie of stuffed lions, bears, zebras, and birds, not to mention a beautiful butterfly collection and various other oddities. it pains me to think i missed this nightmarishly beautiful curiosity shop, and i only hope i'll be able to visit some other time.

and before you get all animal-rightsy on me, i know. i totally know.

and finally, a quick peek into a place that i actually did get to visit in montmartre- Emmanuelle Zysman. strikingly red inside and out, this boutique is all nooks and crannies, chock full of scarves, bags, stationary and candles, but the main attraction here for me was the jewelry. everything is carefully, lovingly arranged and aligned - a table in the center of the room showcased some wonderful sterling silver chains with stones and charms, while the shelving on the walls held stark white coral draped with necklaces and glass bell cloches encasing bangles, beads, and earrings. everything was out of my price range (but what isn't when the dollar is so worthless) but it's well worth a look and maybe a splurge or two.

so there we go - it's almost like i'm giving you a live report from paris. almost.

welcome back, i missed you!

rr x 2

2007-03-28T09:57:00.000-05:00

remember when i was talking about those shelves made of reclaimed railroad ties?

well, hiow about these hand-crafted letters from anthropologie, made of salvaged railroad ties?

busy as a bee...or a bird

2007-03-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

as you've no doubt noticed, the keen eyes went on hiatus last week. it's that time of year when things start exploding - work, chores, blossoms - and we just couldn't keep up.

but today, in honor of the spring-like temperatures and the urge for the outdoors, i wanted to share these wonderful modern birdhouses i've come across in the past few days.

a collaboration between Dale Dixon, practicing architect and a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects, and Nathan Wieler, developer of architect-designed modern prefab homes, modern birdhouse is a series of birdhouses designed to honor the architectural pioneers who participated in the Case Study Houses Program.

there are three distinct birdhouses, named JR, Richard, and Ralph. each are made of sustainably harvested teak and finished with an oil that protects against water, mildew, and uv rays.

the jr [below] was inspired by Case Study House #1, designed by J. R. Davidson and built in 1946.

the richard [below] was inspired by the houses designed by Richard Neutra, and recalls the floating, sloped roofs of three of his unbuilt homes.

and finally, the ralph [below] was inspired by Ralph Rapson's iconic Greenbelt House design (#4), which features an enclosed garden and angled rooflines.
absolutely gorgeous. they are for sale over at velocity design or you can get them straight from the source.

look for a post in the near future about the Case Study Houses.

happy spring.

embroidered calls

2007-03-16T14:57:00.000-05:00

I found these embroidered telephone coversations by louisa bufardeci over at NotCot, and i just love them (by the way, i think the initial burst of popularity was unexpected, as it seems her website has been overloaded).

these are the soundwaves from 13 telephone conversations, all one minute long. she also has embroidered portraits of anti-war speeches.

being the nature-lover that i am, i'd love to see a selection of birdcalls visualized in this fashion....

print shop

2007-03-15T09:08:00.000-05:00

lots of talk about old or vintage-style prints happening...decor8 gave us the lowdown on the botanical print we were wondering about, and everyone's always chatting about the great finds to be had at etsy. i wanted to throw in an oldie-but-goodie found right here in nyc: the old print shop.

i found them while doing some kind of crazy-exhaustive search for french vineyard maps (which, ultimately was unsuccessful i might add), and i've been addicted ever since.

founded in 1898, the old print shop specializes in American art from 1750 to 1950, antique maps 1500 to 1900, photography, american and european art reference books, and artist's books. their online search function is nothing short of amazing, but i can imagine it doesn't hold a candle to actually going to the shop...something to add to my rainy-weekend list. granted, a lot of these prints are WAY out of my price range, but to be fair, there are plenty that are totally reasonable.

this print of geranium pinnatum by h. andrews is only $90, but absolutely great:

these figs by george brookshaw are, dare i say it, quite sexy:
georgium knorr's clove carnations are beautiful - love the hint of orange-red.
oh, this wild yam print by charles millspaugh is f-ing gorgeous...i might have to buy this myself..especially for only $60[!!].
and finally, how about this angelica sativa print by johann weinmann? $350, but worth it!

happy browsing!

RR

2007-03-14T20:52:00.000-05:00

while my fellow keen eye could [and should] write up a much better railroad-themed post than i, i just have to show you these neat-o finds over at viva terra.

viva terra is a fantastic source for eco-friendly home furnishings and accessories; they do a great job melding an international/nature vibe with a modern aesthetic.

check out these shelves are made of reclaimed railroad ties:

and these plinths (also of ties):

both are made of old indonesian railroad ties, and thanks to their age, they have a great, weathered patina. and no two are alike. i love that they are rustic and log-cabin-ny enough to give a bit of intrigue but would still feel right at home among a more modern furnishing. gimme!

first day of school

2007-03-12T21:35:00.001-05:00

what is it about office supplies? there's nothing like a fresh slate, a clean notebook, a crisp notepad, an empty calendar. love it.

one of my favorite offices supply makers, russel + hazel, has a new "shop by color" feature. go drool:

lime:

blue:
red:

black:

white:

this makes it far too easy...and way too tempting. tell me why i don't need 5 new sets of office supplies again?

granny style

2007-03-12T09:51:00.000-05:00

i love the idea of a granny square quilt - in the bedroom, on the couch, draped over a chair. it's cute, comfortable, a bit vintage-y, a touch cosy. but to be honest, my ocd-self just can't have the color and design chaos that is the traditional granny quilt. call me stuffy, call me neurotic, call me whatever, but as much as i love them, i'm just can't seem to ever make it work for me. that doesn't mean i don't like them, though, (my grandma, appropriately, was like a granny-square factory at times) and it doesn't mean that i don't ever get the urge to crank one out. i know, though, i'd never be able to put one together with just left-over yarn (like you're supposed to) because i'd obsess for hours over which yarns would look best together. so, i went wandering around flickr for some inspiration...and look what i found:

this quilt by bergensann is gorgeous - a strange combination of colors that i never would have thought to choose, but together, draped over that white couch, it's stunning. i love the saturation.

this quilt, made by the girls over at purlbee, is so amazing. the colors are a bit crazy for my tastes but i think it could work well in a bedroom. i love the slightly crazy, kind of split-personality aspect of it. well done.

these squares could be the start of something great...and they remind me of this house i saw last weekend.

of course the japanese make great granny squares.

this is one of my favorite variations on the traditional. love the intricate details, and that yellow! makes me ready for springtime.

enamel dreams

2007-03-07T22:04:00.000-05:00

vitreous enamel, more commonly known as simply enamel is the result of the fusion of powdered glass to a substrate through the process of firing. the powder melts and flows to harden as a smooth, durable vitreous coating on metal, glass or ceramic. it's often applied in a paste form and may be transparent or opaque when fired.

now that that's out of the way, let's admire these two gorgeous enamel items i found over at kiosk:

this enamel breadbasket is perfect for a sliced baguette...

and this soapdish, from münder enamel, is lovely in the way it combines country and city...

i think my appreciation of this form goes back to a row of enamel colanders my mom used to have hanging over the kitchen door. i wonder where they are now...

p.s. salvor kiosk is featuring germany from march to july....

light and dark

2007-03-07T10:31:00.000-05:00

i've always loved summer thunderstorms, and especially the ones that roll up in the south...they just don't make 'em like that here in the city. the electric feel of the air, the thick, sweet, heavy smell of summer, the way the sky turns all green and angry in the blink of an eye, the way the trees bend all the way to the ground and the leaves flip over so the entire forest looks white. there's something exhilarating about that - excitement, fear, curiosity, wonder, all balled into one. i also love when, in the middle of a storm, there's a flash of lightning, a crash of thunder, and suddenly the lights drop out, the fridge grinds to a halt, the tv snaps off. the whole world comes to a standstill, silence, dark, and there's nothing left to listen to except the slapping of branches on windows and the drops of rain on the tin roof. it's vaguely romantic, i think, and a bit calming despite the panic one could potentially feel in such a situation.

whenever this happened when i was young, the first thing my mother would do would be to break out these old, vintage oil lamps, and i think it's why i'm always so excited when we lose power now (also never happens in the city, as all the power lines are underground!). there was something so magical about lighting up these strange things that we weren't ever allowed to touch.

it's hard to find these traditional oil lamps now, outside of antique or estate sales, but there are a few more modern variations that i've found to fill the niche.

these shockingly gorgeous oil lamps from eva solo just take my breath away - the combination of smooth porcelain and stainless steel is just lovely. and what do you know - it features an everlasting wick! sadly, they aren't available until may, but start saving!

and to continue down the porcelain trail, how about these hanging lamps by Roost over at velocity art and design? i know, i know, they aren't oil lamps (and thank god, because think how dangerous they'd be?!), but there's a hint of the same kind of feel.

these lamps over at lehman are honestly not the most beautiful thing i've ever laid keen eyes on, but to be fair i think they have their charm and in the right setting could be homey and cute. and did i mention they run on olive oil, which is 99% renewable and produces no odor or smoke? that's always a plus.

these candle flicker lights are said to last for hundreds of hours. they come in a set of 3 and you just place the tubes in any glass, bottle or vase which is filled with transparent oil lamp with a "minimum flash point of higher than 65 degrees celsius" (not sure exactly what that means) and light 'er up!

and finally, i'll close with this little hurricane lamp - its warm frosted glow would be perfect for curling up in bed with a good magazine after a long, drawn out thunderstorm, and right before you settle down to sleep.

spring flowers

2007-03-04T23:16:00.000-05:00

this past saturday was by far the most beautiful day we've had in weeks. sunny, bright, and reaching nearly 60 degrees, i was pretty sure that we'd broken through that icy, grey barrier and that spring was finally here. then, in typical new york city / mother nature fashion, we've ricocheted far back into the opposite direction with sub-zero wind chill and snowfall.

no matter though, because while out and about on saturday i noticed these sweet crocus flowers blooming up in my front yard. bright, cheeky-faced harbingers of spring, the crocus is unassuming in stature (usually just a bloom with small, blade-like leaves) but surprisingly hardy and can survive through the lingering frosts and snows of early spring. most gardeners recommend planting them en masse in clumps of 100-150 for a dramatic effect, but i love seeing them pop up alone, as a brief reminder that warmer weather is on its way.

the crocus is a perennial flowering plant native to areas in europe, north africa and the middle east, and across central asia to western china. botanically, the 80 or so known species of crocus are placed in the iris family and can be found in a wide range of habitats, from woodland to scrub to meadows (and brooklyn gardens in between!).

here are some of my favorite shots on flickr:
• ode to spring flowers makes my heart flutter
• this is why i like crocus planted sparsely
• crocus to the sky!
• tiger likes them, too.

T E X T

2007-03-02T14:05:00.000-05:00

this keen eye has a real thing for text. fonts, lead type, textual images -you name it, i love it. as long as it's got letters and numbers, i'm smitten. as such, i find myself drawn to textual art and thought i would highlight a few pieces here.

i found this one on etsy just the other day! it's by canadian printer magaret rankin, and i think it's pretty fabulous. i've never heard the saying before, and don't know if it's her own, or an old saying. either way it's great: the colors are rich, the font is perfectly suited to the vessel shape, and i love the way the text is linear, but not overly so. nice work, margaret.

the following two are probably pretty familiar to all of us from recent appearances in living etc. and domino, but worth posting nonetheless.

for like ever was designed in 2004 by tracy jenkins, one of the founders of the village type collective. i think this font and the accompanying candyfloss cloud on which the text sits is so exuberant and joyful. the phrase itself is so youthful and sweet. and of course it's printed in red on pink, making it just the perfect love letter, as the members of village intended it. i can't wait to have this on my wall.

keep calm and carry on is so quintessentially british - i love it! the sans serif font in small and large caps topped by the crown - it conveys such a strong and firm message of endurance and fortitude. originally printed to guide the brits through the blitz, it can be relevant to many situations still today. even the colors are convey royalty! you can find the keep calm poster here, in emerald, burgundy and navy.

and finally, this little treasure from the drama store - i hold grudges by dustin hostetler. the colors and font convey such ire and fury and that hand is so vengeful.

these textual images convey such power in such and economical way - words and color, sometimes accentuated with just the smallest of image. language holds so much potential and these artists all captured that in beautiful ways.

chinoiserie

2007-02-27T10:25:00.000-05:00

i was thinking about this isaac mizrahi bedding yesterday after seeing it featured on happy mundane and at, among other places. honestly, i've never been that crazy about mizrahi's products, whether they be his clothes or his home accessories, and that includes this bedding. i think the butterflies are kind of tacky, i think there's too much white space, and i guess what it comes down to is that i don't really like the design or the colors, and i certainly could not imagine it in my apartment (i do, however, really enjoy those mossy green polka dots).

enter this dwell bedding i came across today on design public:

now, i feel like this bedding is trying to accomplish the same thing as mizrahi, only it succeeds immensely - the use of white space is perfect (not blotchy), the birds and flowers are calming, the colors are subtle but still bright, and oh, those brown pinstripes. gorgeous!

and just as an aside, how about that poster on the wall above the bed? love it.

containering.

2007-02-25T14:55:00.000-05:00

my beautiful jade plant is suffering from some malady that is turning its leaves rubbery and yellow, and as such i'm frustrated with all things gardening right now. so instead of talking about a plant per se today, i'm going to talk about plant accessories. i'm in dire need of some new pots around this place and come spring time i'm going to be doing some major repotting. but i need provisions, supplies, preparations, and the local hardware store and lowes aren't doing me any favors, so here are a few of my favorite pots and other containers from around the interweb:

these aged english planters from GRDN are lovely. handcrafted in
terra cotta, the pots have undergone an aging process in the greenhouse. also fun: the moss is real, and will continue to grow once you begin watering your plant, forming a lush green surface over the pot. maybe not ideal for my window garden, but how beautiful in a rambling old yard [wish i had one].

these stainless steel planters from lekker home are sleek and suitable for inside or out. it would be helpful to know whether they have drainage holes in the bottom though - i always have a tendency to overwater (leading to my general preference for clay pots).

these teak planters from smith & hawken are classic and lined with watertight aluminum to keep them from ruining your furniture. they are designed for indoor or outdoor use, but remember to clean regularly with teak oil to prevent graying if you do put them outside.

this aluminum double planter from achela designs makes me so happy. obviously very impractical for someone like me who lives in an apartment and could only dream of having a tree from which to hang it, it's still super cute. it holds two 6" pots, and check it - it's on sale for $9.99. how can you resist?

sprout home has tons of cute, indoor containers. i love these sleek white gloss midori planters. they come in 3 sizes, 5.5", 8", or 12.25" in diameter. they'd look great on a table top with a little collection of succulents in them.

i'm also loving this white ceramic rectangle planter. what is it about white and green together that looks so wonderful?

i've mentioned these before, but i can't overstate my love for all things perch design - and there's no exception for their wonderful plant orb. 8" in diameter, the white ceramic pot comes with 28" long woven sisal cord, with an adjustable loop at the top. one day, one day it will be mine! and i will fill it with hens and chicks.

and finally, don't forget the obligatory gnomes for your garden inside or out!

les carottes

2007-02-25T14:43:00.000-05:00

just browsing around the internets for the weekly greenthumb post when i came across this lovely plate over at the grdn shop. while at $185, it's not going to be in my shopping cart anytime soon, it's still gorgeous and drool-worthy!

redwork

2007-02-22T08:57:00.000-05:00

last week, keen eye b and at:chicago got us talking about quilts. after admiring the red and white patterns on that gorgeous hawaiian style quilt, i started thinking about redwork. while not strictly a feathering the nest type post, i wanted to share a little bit about this fascinating craft, and then show you a few of the beautiful things that have resulted from it.

redwork refers to a style of embroidery that originated in the 19th century in europe. the name is derived from the red cotton thread used in the process. up until this point, colored thread was unable to hold its color in the wash, and therefore couldn't be used to adorn everyday items like bedspreads or dish towels - anything that needed to be washed, basically! the colorfast red thread was developed in turkey using a secret recipe (!).

redwork was generally done on inexpensive cotton or muslin fabrics, and the introduction of the red thread meant that colorful decorative items were no longer restricted to clergy and the wealthy. the technique quickly found a niche among peasants, immigrants and the middle class, especially in america and much of its popularity was due to its economy, sublime simplicity and widespread availability.

children often learned how to embroider on "penny squares," designs printed on muslin and sold at the general stores for a penny, because as we all know, "idle hands are the devil's workshop." even children in orphanages were taught to sew and embroider, because it would be invaluable to them in finding employment as a maid later in life.

when synthetic dyes began to be manufactured in the us, the popularity of traditional "red" redwork diminished and embroidering with colors became very popular. however, redwork can be embroidered in any color: bluework is still redwork, only it's done in blue thread and usually called blue redwork. confusing enough?!

today, redwork has seen a resurgence in popularity - for no one single reason. i think part of it is related to the clean, simple design that is present in a lot of modern home furnishings and accessories, as well as the japanese modern aesthetic - zakka even? (as seen in many of these japanese craft books). perhaps it's related to the vintage and antique craze. or maybe it all comes down to the new interest in the handmade and the homemade, something keen eye b touched upon in her quilting post.

whatever the case, redwork, when done right, is gorgeous in it's simplicity and striking in it's ability to combine the antique and the modern in one fell swoop. and did i mention i'm a sucker for red on linen?

redwork on flickr:

• the best source on flickr has to go to Redwork in Germany. not only is her collection of vintage redwork stunning, but her own creations are breathtaking. really worth some browsing time.
• Iris Susan has some lovely redwork flowers that she's been working on.
• Ribbonwiz has lots of victorian style redwork.
• Norththread has a few redworks floating around in her vintage and craft set.

the green list

2007-02-20T11:40:00.000-05:00

for some reason, our issue of domino always shows up [thrown carelessly inside the foyer at the top of our brownstone steps, i might add] a day or two [or three] later than everyone else. i'm always antsy in the few days leading up to its arrival, avoiding daily dose and trying to click past all of the chatter and reviews and spoilers on other sites who get their issue on time, trying to preserve that christmas-morning excitement for just another day.

i failed this time around because i popped over to the domino site and saw that this issue is dedicated to GREEN! green furnishings, green foods, green companies, green people. i can't wait!

papa stour

2007-02-20T08:11:00.000-05:00

we promise we're not trying to turn keen eye into a blog about fabulous sources overseas that you may never get to visit (although we do love showhome, hygge, and compact desk). but we just have to share with you this online store we came across the other day: papa stour.

conceived in the spring of 2005, papa stour is the brainchild of one rosie brown, who hoped to create an online shop to showcase some of scotland's best modern and inspirational products. the collection is a contemporary mix and includes unique home accessories, gift items and art. the artists and makers come from all over scotland and all do completely different things but have one common thread: dedication and talent. did we mention that the photography on this site is utterly amazing? well it is.

here are a few of my favorite things:

this set of three scottish ash bowls, created by ruth mae, are charming in their rusticity. turned in unseasoned timber and allowed to dry naturally, each one has a slightly different, oval shape. they would look lovely on a kitchen table or windowsill, filled with little curiosities.

this set of four bone china cylinders are, in a word, breathtaking. nearly translucent, and crafted out of bone china paper clay, they are handmade by andrea walsh. due to the making process, every single piece is unique. think how gorgeous they'd be, clustered in the window, holding budding paperwhites to keep with the pure white theme, or, preferably, something pink. don't they look delicate and fragile? predictably, i also covet these "wee" porcelain bowls to keep my favorite earrings and other jewelry in.

finally, papa stour also stocks photography, paintings and prints. i just adore these 'plant studies' done by catherine chalmers. measuring at about 7.5" x 7.5", these pieces are simply ethereal. i think they'd look gorgeous hung as a series by the bedside. click over to the website to have a better look.

since the keen eye is dedicated solely to feathering the nest, i won't go into detail about the gorgeous jewelry and scarves that the shop also carries, but you really should check it out.

"in a world of mass produced products, papa stour choose to relish in the opposite and embrace art and craftsmanship in its purest form."

string of pearls

2007-02-17T16:44:00.000-05:00

for this weekend's greenthumb post, i'm going to talk about something i'm totally, utterly unqualified to talk about. i mean, christmas cactus - totally under control. paperwhites - pshh, in the bag.

succulents - i suck.

seriously, it seems there couldn't be anything easier to take care of than a plant in the cacti family, right? well, i can't handle it. i've been keeping one poor aloe plant on life support for a full 2 years now - i won't even post a picture, it's so embarrassing. my jade plant - no clue why it's lasted this long, but now half of the leaves are yellow and shrivelly, due to some unknown disaster i've forced upon it. but despite it all, i love them. i love their plump, juicy leaves, their cool green textures, their supposed nonchalant attitude.

so, i wanted to share this neat plant i came across a few days ago - the string of pearls, also called string of hearts, rosary beads, or even, my favorite, string of bananas! native to south west africa (which i guess means it's technically an invasive species...the environmentalist in me says that's a big no-no), senecio rowleyanus requires nothing more than lots of sunlight and a bit of water - after that, step back and it's on it's way (that's what they all say!).

the unique shape of their "leaves" allows them to store a vast amount of water and to survive in even the harshest of environments and under severe drought conditions. while they can be easily used as a bit of ground cover, i think they look absolutely gorgeous in a hanging pot, with their long strands draping down to the ground. elegant and a bit otherworldly, how beautiful would they look in a big sunny window - and think of the shadow they'd cast! word to the wise, however, they are potentially poisonous to cats and little ones, so keep 'em out of reach!

and, as usual, here are my favorites from flickr (not a lot over there, surprisingly!):

• macro shot of string of pearls by pixibility;
• gorgeous sun and shadow by sydneyamw;
• my absolute favorite is this one from wisecraft; oh how i covet the plant AND the planter (by perch ceramics).

scandinavian-influenced fish!

2007-02-15T14:41:00.000-05:00

LOVE this pillow from jonathan adler. and it's on sale to boot!

quilts!

2007-02-15T09:47:00.000-05:00

a post on AT:Chicago got us thinking about quilts. we keen eyes love quilts and, in fact, schlepped all the way to bridgeport ct last year to learn from the quilting goddess, denyse schmidt. what better time to talk quilts and quilting than in this week of winter storms.

the keen eyes think quilts have seen a resurgence in popularity lately for a few reasons: the remarkable discovery of the gee's bend quilts and their showing all across the country; a renewed interest in handicraft; and a modernization in quilt designs which appeals to those of us with a more clean, modern aesthetic. we keen eyes would love to spend our days visiting fabric stores, selecting patterns and thread, piecing and quilting. but since we're a little short on physical space, we'll show you a sampling of some of our faves.

my favorite denyse schmidt designs are those she has named after nineteenth century new england mills in the wool and cotton collection. these quilts feature small details of piece work in a field of larger fabric pieces. i'm not sure i can pick a fave from this collection as they are all stunning. check out the boott for example. this pink is enough to make anyone flush with warmth.

denyse also has a line manufactured in india - a country with it's own amazing textile culture. these denyse schmidt designs for sarita handa are striking in their exuberance. i love this version of big dreams: another quilting technique that appeals to the keen eyes' modern aesthetic is hawaiian quilting. the pattering is of single large, abstracted forms typically executed in one or two solid fabrics. the motifs usually evoke the native hawaiian flora and are simply beautiful. keen eye e would love this one with its red and white motif.

the simplicity in color choices and abstracted floral motif are very characteristic of hawaiian quilts. i am particularly fond of the black and white work as seen in this detail.

and finally here is a sampling of the gorgeously colorful quilts offered by anthropologie, including the one that started this line of thinking - the bella - featured on at:chicago.

compact desk

2007-02-13T19:52:00.000-05:00

the last time the keen eyes were both in the same latitude and longitude, one stop of many together was the moma store in soho to peruse the MUJI goods. "MUJI," derived
from the Japanese phrase "mujirushi ryohin," means "no brand goods," and as such, the company embraces a philosophy that emphasizes innovative and simple materials, processes, and packaging, not to mention a no-logo policy. what a refreshing, wonderful idea in a day and age where it's seemingly impossible to get away from advertising and product placement. while keen eye b stocked up on sleek office supplies and agenda refills, keen eye e was completely taken by the muji stuffed dog.

in any case, australian company, compact desk recently caught our eye for similar reasons. started by a group of designers, compact desk strives to create hand finished products that bring order, organisation and ultimately "stylish simplicity" to the desktop and personal space. like MUJI, cd's products are functional, minimal, and inherently beautiful without relying on flashy bells and whistles, big brand names, and loud colors. the keen eyes approve.

these spectacle cases, crafted out of pure wool felt, are gorgeous:
this business card holder is sleek and aluminum, and comes with cute little alphabet tabs to keep things neat and orderly:

and this desk drawer organizer is more beautiful than my cubicle deserves:
"we aspire to create items worthy of the natural energy and resources needed to make them."

porcelain 2

2007-02-10T14:31:00.000-05:00

to continue the theme from friday [and to pass on the news from decor8's most recent post], the rose and radish online store is having a giant sale through february 28!

lots of fun stuff over there, like this porcelain tray from lorena barrezueta (which the keen eyes spied a few weeks ago at spring in brooklyn): these japanese nesting bowls (so soothing to look at): and and these dew trays from finland, crafted out of aspen or walnut.

and, sadly, not on sale but made of beautiful porcelain:

this wonderous nest:
and these pinecones (so gorgeous they make my heart skip a beat!):
happy shopping!

porcelain:

2007-02-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

1. A hard, white, translucent ceramic made by firing a pure clay and then glazing it with variously colored fusible materials; china.

2. An object made of this substance.

yesterday i lusted after these porcelain-like tea lamp holders from walteria:

today i lust after porcelain on flickr:

diastema's porcelain earlobe.

spring globe's porcelain candlesticks (on the mantle!)

and her collection of whites.

norka's object (from poland!) and of course, allelujah's cat patrol!

showhome

2007-02-07T10:38:00.000-05:00

wow, the keen eyes have found an amazing source - if not for making proper purchases (which you certainly may), then definitely for browsing. showhome is a novel idea for a showroom/gallery - a real home, filled to the brim with classic midcentury designs, well-selected unmarked pieces, and contemporary designs.

the goal of showhome's proprietors is to mix "contemporary and mid-century the way you would in your own home." they've done an amazing job, for sure. it's just too bad that they're across the pond and out of visiting reach! but you can peruse their lovely, and well designed web shop here, and of course this keen eye must point out a few of their treasures too. this is just a sampling of their large selection of midcentury pieces.

this coat rack is the bee's knees. the nicest one i've ever seen. the chrome and wood combination is sublime.

this is one of showhome's many small accessory pieces. i love the detail around the opening.

these salt and pepper shakers are amazing. so statuesque and perfect to bring a bit of humor and elegance to your dinner table.

this keen eye is obsessed with planters like this one. it would look so perfect in my front room, below a sunny window. i have never seen one in oak, like this one, and think it looks marvelous.

the keen eyes saw bar stools just like these at baxter & liebchen. we'd never heard of erik buck, the designer, before. i must proclaim that we have a new love. these are stunning in form and function.the sewing table below is a common form in midcentury furnishings, and we keen eyes could cerainly put it to good use. this rosewood version is so refined in it's shape and sumptuous in its materials.
and finally, this amazing little treasure. it's a watering can (although can seems somewhat profane to use in describing this beauty.) wouldn't it just look perfect on that oak planter?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

showhome, london

telephone 020 8761 3405

email info@ourshowhome.com

paperwhites

2007-02-07T10:12:00.000-05:00

i keep forgetting to embark on a paperwhite journey after being inspired by this domino sidebar from the january issue. it's not a groundbreaking suggestion here, but it's a lovely one - there's something about watching a plant grow from bulb to flower that's intensely gratifying (am i the only one here?), and even more so when the roots aren't obscured by soil. i love this idea, and i think it will work beautifully in my kitchen

here are a few notes on paperwhites, also known as Narcissus papyraceus.

paperwhites are a perennial bulbous plant, native to the mediterranean region. they belong to the daffodil family (did you know daffodils are poisonous and can cause death if eaten?!), and are the most fragrant of the bunch, with a sweet, heavily aromatic smell. they produce small, star-shaped flowers that will last for several weeks. some varieties have pure white flowers, others have white perianths (outer petals) with pale yellow "cups" in the center.

photo above from anny's pal.

paperwhites gain their popularity not only from their scent, but also from the ease with which they can be "forced" or coaxed into blooming. (it's called this because you are essentially forcing the spring-flowering bulbs to fast-forward their natural growth cycles and bloom in winter instead.) many bulbs can be forced--grape hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, and crocuses, for example--but paperwhites are probably the easiest as they don't require a long cold storage period to root.

you can learn how to force your own paperwhites here, here, or here and you can purchase bulbs from smith and hawken or amazon.

photo above from karen p.

photo above from erika ebert.

it's so cold outside.

2007-02-05T11:32:00.000-05:00

seriously. it really is freezing. and my apartment, which must be going on 75 years old, has ancient, thick-with-paint, mind-of-their-own radiators. usually when i'm asleep and under a thousand covers, they come on full blast and then it tops out at about 90 degrees. but if i'm just hanging out on the couch, the temperature hovers around 50 and never budges. so, to warm my toes and ears, i fantasize about socks and hats, and especially thick warm blankets and pillows.

that's how i ended up over at hygge, drooling over eleanor pritchard's GORGEOUS woven wool blankets (and pillows).

these things are beautiful, not to mention made of the most wonderful dyed wool and handwoven in eleanor's studio in south london. they are honestly a bit out of my own personal price range, but if i had the resources, i wouldn't balk for a SECOND at the price, just for the chance to lay my mitts on one of these.eleanor graduated from chelsea college of art & design with first class honours in 2001 and has gone on to win various awards for her woven designs, including the ‘Lee 400’prize (Texprint), and the Crafts Council Business Development award.

here's a great interview with eleanor over at hidden art london.

anthro sale pages

2007-02-02T19:31:00.000-05:00

it's always good to browse the anthropologie sale pages now and then. their homewares are usually pretty neat, but almost always out of my wallet range.

this retro utility clock caught my eye - down to $50 from $98. this would look great in my kitchen!

similarly, this hanging lamp is bold but not too aggressive and is also $50, from $98. and finally (the sale pages are a bit empty at the moment), this dark forest throw is a silk-linen steal at only $39 (from $148!).

j. mendicino: ceramics

2007-02-02T08:45:00.000-05:00

you know there's something about a piece of art (especially a piece of art that's meant for your home...i.e. affordable) when it can make you slow down, stop what you're doing, take a deep breath, relax.

joanna mendicino's work does this for me - whether it be in person (at rare device where i first saw them) or scrolling through her website, as i am now.

i'm not sure what to pin it on, but i think it's a combination of the clean lines, uncluttered design, pure whites and creams. when they all come together (even in a bird-like shape, which i am kind of over), they make me take pause, if only for a brief moment.

flickr finds for the nest

2007-02-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

Lalitree's wonderful new Louis Poulsen/Poul Henningsen dining room light:

Lucky Olive's thrift store silverware find:
happything's vintage glass insulators (easy to find in thrift stores, look gorgeous on shelves and window sills!):
Jerrik's bulbs, anticipating spring:

be brave

2007-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

while flipping through the latest issue of readymade (which, coincidentally focuses on greening your nest, something we're quite keen on around these parts), i came across a fabulous end table crafted by the folks over at brave space design. sleek, smooth, and made of blonde and amber bamboo, it's modern without being untouchable or unfriendly.

i hopped over to their website and found a lot of other interesting things - most notably their homage to the designs of alexey pajitnov (the father of Tetris). the reversable and interchangable tetrad shelves make for a seemingly endless number of combinations, and i think no matter what your living space looks like, you could find a way to make them work. [as a side note, their website provides you with a handy printable pdf of all the different shapes so you can plan your shelves before you order!]

by way of background, brave space design is a group of three brooklyn-based designers, sam kragiel, nikki frazier, and jesse james arnold who all met while attending art school in gainesville, fl. their hands-on approach to the design and construction of each piece has led them towards the use of materials that are both durable and environmentally sustainable.

"The climate is right for designers and fabricators to produce their goods in ways that have a positive effect on our world."

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brave space design
449 Troutman St
Studio 2A
Brooklyn NY 11237
646.831.2470

schlumbergera

2007-01-29T20:56:00.000-05:00

because winter, with its snow and frost and sub-zero wind chill is not exactly prime gardening weather, i thought i'd start off our weekly garden series with a tiny houseplanting victory: my christmas cactus is in bloom! while not hard to care for, christmas cacti are notoriously difficult to make bloom (the internet abounds with gardening threads full of different advice), so when it finally happens, it's honestly a bit exciting...especially because they bloom mid-winter, when nothing else colorful is happening.

anyway, enough of the bragging, here's a little bit about how to care for your own christmas cactus.

christmas cacti are actually a tropical plants, growing at elevations between 1000 and 1700 meters above sea level in the organ mountains in southeast brazil. for this reason, i suppose, they require a bit more water than most cacti, but are still tolerant of dry, slightly under-watered conditions, and prefer light shade to full sunlight.

they can be propagated quite easily by removing a single segment and planting it a quarter of its length deep in a pot filled with slightly sandy soil. place the pot in a well lit area (but not direct sunlight) and keep the soil moist...the cutting should begin showing signs of growth after two or three weeks. this really works - my christmas cactus came from an old, old plant my mom was given when she was young.

the secret of good flower bud production (here comes the nerdy part) involves temperature and dark (photoperiod) control. to flower plants need:
• bright light
• night temperatures between 55 and 65 °F
• long nights - 13 or more of continuous darkness each day is required before flowering will occur. long nights should be started in mid-september and continued for eight weeks.

of course, you can do none of the above and sometimes your cactus still erupts in blooms as mine did, so go figure.

here are a few more resources for all your christmas cactus needs:

-lots of pretty pictures over on flickr
-wikipedia knows a little bit
-tons of question and answers here

ebay finds, 1.28.07

2007-01-28T12:53:00.000-05:00

we keen eyes spend a lot of time browsing ebay. we look at furniture, art, kitchenware, and a variety of other things. of course the pieces you find on ebay vary in quality and price, and it is sometimes hard to wade through the wordy descriptions (what does "mid-century, eames-era, knoll, vodder-esque mean, anyway"). but i am never at a loss to find things that catch my eye on the world's greatest internet auction.

as far as ebay goes these days, there are a few things i've become obsessed with: personal valets, benches for the entry, dansk kobenstyle enamelware, and magazine tables. here are a few featured on ebay. i must say, these are the cream of the crop.

this valet is the nicest one i've seen yet. its folding rope seat, walnut construction, and ingenious design features are really tops.

the rope seat conceals a tray where you might keep ties or tights; the hanger form is softly rounded so as not to crease your jackets or shirts; and, the tray at the top holds small items like cuff links or jewels. all in all, the attention to detail and design really make this the nicest valet i've seen. it sure would look gorgeous in my dressing room.

this magazine table may be more qualified for the kitsch klatsch category, but it is featured on ebay, so we'll blur the lines a bit. i love the combination of ashtray/receptacle, table top, and magazine/book support that this little gem offers. the table top is delightfully not perfectly circular and the height variation among the three elements is key to functionality. i hope you'd refrain from using the receptacle as an ashtray - maybe place a little potted succulent there, or use it to hold your loose change. either way, this would make a lovely little side table in your living room.

the expanding slat bench is fairly ubiquitous around ebay, but this one is a real treasure. when expanded from both sides, this bench stretches over eight feet. it's truly a wonder. this would look so amazing in someone's entry hall, as long as you're careful not to obscure it with your coats and bags!

this is also one of the few of this design that i've seen with a designer or manufacturer's name attached to it. the seller explains that this was produced by brown saltman in the 1950s. this keen eye isn't at all familiar with the name brown saltman, so maybe i need to do some research.

no matter the maker, this bench is a rare find!

lastly, the dansk kobenstyle enamelware. not so much furniture (well, not at all) but still a lovely feather in your nest. pieces like this vessel would look gorgeous on that teak sideboard in your dining room.

dansk seems to be the manufacturer of choice for those, like the keen eyes, who love the mid-century aesthetic. the kobenstyle enamelware, with its bright, pure colors and sleek, angular shapes is especially well-suited in a mid-century kitchen and dining room.

you can find a large variety of dansk enamelware pieces on ebay - from those meant for stovetop and oven to serving pieces such as this pitcher.

prague kolektiv

2007-01-24T22:31:00.000-05:00

coming in a close second in the race for "most anticipated shop in dumbo" was prague kolektiv, who are, allegedly, the only enterprise in north america specializing in original czech furniture, lighting, and decorative objects. that's hard to resist, right?

according to their website, the showroom is a collaboration between barton quillen, a new york native, and italian architect, giovanni negrisin, both of whom lived and worked for over 10 years in the czech republic. during this period they were introduced to the remarkable achievements of czech modernism and are now active collectors.

just a quick jaunt from baxter & liebchen, the keen eyes grabbed hot beverages from the coffee stand next door and entered prague kolektiv, ready to be amazed.

perhaps we'd built up too much excitement - admittedly, the website is a veritable treasure-trove of eye candy, and the idea of a store full of obscure czech furniture and lighting at our fingertips was a bit of a romantic notion for an overcast sunday afternoon. we were slightly disappointed, however, by the chilly, disinterested shop attendant who seemed to be more concerned with her imac than our inquiries, not to mention the absurdly out-of-reach price tags on nearly every item in the shop. granted, we're talking different eras and different designs, but the accessibility and warmth of b&l just down the street made the keen eyes feel that this place lacked more than a little humanism.

despite all that, if you approach the prague kolektive as if it were a museum or gallery, full of
beautiful, unique, irreplaceable objects, more appropriate for browsing than for buying, it becomes a fascinating visit. pieces like the barrel back chairs (left) and most of the other upholstered pieces throughout the store were in fabulous shape, the fabric cushions showing only traces of wear; the chrome legs with only the faintest patina of age. there were other intriguing, more modern creations - an avant-guarde constructionist shoe station caught our eye immediately, with it's angled drawer pulls and staggered boxes, fashioned, we guess, to store shoe "accessories" like laces, polish, and horns.

if you're interested in learning more about the aesthetics of czech design or just have a few hours to kill on a sunday in brooklyn, you should absolutely stop by the prague kolektiv...just be sure to bring a credit card [or two]. oh, and don't ask any questions.
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prague kolektiv
143-b front street
brooklyn, ny 11201
718.260.8013

chairs with airs in dumbo

2007-01-21T20:58:00.000-05:00

we're not really sure what "chairs with airs" means, but jake mooney thought it was an apt title for his sunday NY Times post about a little node in dumbo, brooklyn, chock full of great furniture stores. "chairs with airs" implies, to us, a bit of attitude and pretension, but the keen eyes found this to be almost not the case.

we were out on the street exploring dumbo long before we knew about mooney's article in the Times today - what a coincidence! with one of the keen eyes visiting from VA and the other not so familiar with what the neighborhood has to offer, we decided to venture down under the manhattan bridge overpass to see what was up. despite it being "cold as hell out there," we scurried down the cobbled streets for hours, dashing in and out of tons of great shops, stopping only to fortify ourselves with the occasional piping hot cup of coffee or tea.

here is one of our finds from the day:

Baxter & Liebchen
baxter & liebchen was our real impetus for heading to dumbo, both of us being slightly obsessed with mid-century danish design and always on the lookout for new sources. although their showroom has but a wee door and awning, we couldn't miss the huge sandwich board outside featuring some of the shop's key pieces.from the moment we stepped through the black, window- and sign-less door, it was all we could do to keep our hands to ourselves. although warehouse settings can imply a cold, unforgiving space, the 5000-square-foot baxter & liebchen showroom is nothing of the sort. while physically no more than concrete floors and white drywall dividers, proprietor andrew kevelson has warmed the space with the glowing patina of gorgeous mid-century furniture pieces: credenzas, chairs, nesting tables, textile wall hangings, ceramics, and vintage light fixtures adorn nearly every corner.

the furniture is truly the focus of the showroom, though, and kevelson's love and appreciation of danish mid-century design is evident around every turn. we were stunned by his selection of famous name designers (jacobsen, wegner, vodder, and jalk), but were floored by the endless selection of pieces by designers of whom we've never heard (olesen, nissen, lagefoged, and many more). kevelson explained to us that he sources his supply from all across the US and europe, and works to import hard-to-find, never-before-seen-in-america pieces. he's clearly well-connected... and self-educated, to boot!

the keen eyes left the showroom feeling overwhelmed with danish-tinged joy: the furniture was absolutely stunning, down to the last detail; the prices were fair and accessible; and kevelson was engaging, kind, and a joy to speak with. it was clear that he enjoys his work and wants to share that enthusiasm with everyone who visits baxter & liebchen. (keen eye e would also just like to point out that, along the lines of look-alike dogs and owners, kevelson himself somehow resembles a handsome piece of well-sourced furniture. keen eye e means this in the kindest of ways).

another shop we were excited to visit was prague kolektiv. check back tomorrow, when we post about our [very different] experience there.
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Baxter & Liebchen
33 Jay Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718.797.0630

hello world

2007-01-21T20:50:00.000-05:00

welcome to the keen eye, a blog dedicated to the art of feathering the nest. from modern home furnishings to vintage danish pieces, handmade accessories to eco-friendly furniture, we're bringing it all together here.

each week, we hope to post the following features [yes, we are overly-ambitious]:
•tearsheets - design inspiration from our favorite books and magazines
•ebay finds - add em' to your watch list.
•kitsch klatch - maybe you don't need it, but it's fun to look at!
•flickr finds - enough said.
•sources - stores and on-line retailers that we love.
•weekly garden - urban or country, who doesn't need a little green?
•locales - sometimes we travel. sometimes we find neat stuff.

we hope you enjoy!

xo,
b + e