mod pod

in downtown corvallis many lovely shops abound, but one of my favorite's is one of the newest: mod pod. the owner, jessica klein, has a great eye for finding chic-contemporary and midcentury, retro-inspired modern furnishings and decor for just about any budget. it's bright & cheery with a great combination of both neutral and colorful furnishings. mod pod is geared towards bringing accessible and affordable modern design in to everything from dorm rooms to offices. and what a blessing ~ especially since it's the only one of its kind in the willamette valley. please enjoy a virtual tour with some of my faves from around the shop. . . .

dennis king woodworking now on etsy!

my brother-in-law's etsy shop {dennis king woodworking} is open and ready for business! solid wood, eco-friendly children's furniture that's extremely well made with a nice mix of country & contemporary styling. it's actually a family effort with me designing and painting the items and dennis doing all the wood working. we've had a ball working together and are really excited about the results.the tables are big enough for all types of kid's projects and play things while sized just right for a child's perspective. they are designed with a center console for storing art supplies and other sundries. they come with painted bases or plain wood finish. the tops are made from blue pine ~ that's what gives them the lovely greyish striping. all are 100% solid wood with non-toxic finishes {no-voc paint, all natural citrus-based finishing oils} the chairs are multi-faceted and can serve as seating, step stool and storage. they can be sold individually or as modular groups for a fun and functional storage and seating solution in one. as with the tables they are 100% solid blue-pine wood and can come with painted interiors or plain wood finish. either way, they are non-toxic with no-voc paints and all natural citrus-based finishing oils.

please jump on over to etsy to check out dennis king woodworking ~ and maybe buy a few items for the creative kids in your life! everything is made to order and fully customizable to the sizes you need. . . . .

oh, and have a wonderful weekend while you're at it!

what a good day.....

.....to start blogging again!
as you might have presumed by now, i have been extremely distracted with all the changes in my life and i just couldn't keep-up with blogging. but, as you can see from the lovely little flower fairy above, i have good reason. with the new season of spring upon us and easter being only a couple days away, i just wanted to pop on here with an update and some spring cheer to share!

first off, is the subject of seating:
here is a lovely little toddler bench i designed & had built with my father. yes, i had it built locally in my dad's woodshop. see i'm a very lucky designer, because i have a very talented carpenter father who can make anything out of wood. any thing. he is an elite member of a rare breed of woodworker ~ he is a true craftsman. i have been reeling with ideas of furniture for him to make {and hopefully someday to sell}! here is the first of our father-daughter projects together ~ i think it turned out really well.it's a solid oak bench/step-stool, sized just right for a toddler. being solid wood, it's not super light-weight, but i think that is a very good thing so it won't go tumbling over when a toddler climbs all over it. it has a handle space in the back for easy mobility and it has an open space beneath the seat for putting special things that need their very own place. it's a clean & simple design, and would fit well in many styles of home decor. know anyone who might want one?

also on the subject of seating, i have been loving going to flea markets lately. here is one of my fabulous finds, or should i say two:
i don't know what it is about this fresh & funky vinyl, but i love it! i mean, really, how could you not be cheered up in the morning sipping coffee & fresh squeezed juice while you're sitting on one of these happy chairs?!?!


second subject, is the subject of home. for those of you who haven't heard, i'm doing a fun little dance between two very wonderful, but very different, places..... san francisco and corvallis. i won't dive into the details of my west coast bounce, but suffice it to say i am loving both places very much. what can i say, i am a true town & country girl.

{at coit tower on top of telegraph hill, a couple weeks ago}

{walking at bald hill outside corvallis two days ago}

we love the sunshine and all this springtime splendor, and we hope you're enjoying all the rejuvenation and fresh sweetness of the season!

{photo of a & a taken by the incredible jeff zender}

the green home center

i finally got a chance to visit the green home center on polk street and am so glad i did! this is a very inspiring place for me because ever since i did a school project on designing a green design center i've been dreaming about being able to own one. it was fabulous to see one up and running and doing really well. the green home center is a co-op of many different green-oriented businesses from contractors & interior designers to home-related products & other services. there are cabinet makers, upholstery & rug makers, solar engineers, tile & countertop farbicators, flooring manufacturers, led lighting, and so much more. really if you're at all interested in anything sustainable for your home or office you must stop in and check them out. what's more, the people working there are extremely knowledgeable and helpful ~ not pretentious in the least, which is a relief after spending so much time at the sf design center where i'm perpetually unimpressed with the sales people's attitudes. but that is a tangent not worth digging in to.... anyway, i'm just on the cusp of starting my own green design business {admitting it here is kind of intimidating, but i'll just take the leap and say it anyway!} and spending time at the green home center was thoroughly uplifting and encouraging. i hope you'll stop in and visit them soon too. if you do please tell them studio wellspring sent you and then let me know what you think!

polyvore amore

do you like to browse for interesting images? do you like to make collages? do like to research all types of products? do you like to share collections you make? if you answered "yes" to any of these questions then polyvore is for you. i can't even begin to tell you how elated i am to have found this website. i just spent 300 hours playing around on there and i could easily do 300 more if it wasn't time to go make some supper. basically it gives you the ability to search through thousands of images to create collage collections with any theme and subject you can dream up and then share them with others. plus it gives you exact product information on every single image in its database, so if you love something enough to want to buy it, you're good to go. just look at the fun i made in the last couple hours.....seriously folks this site rocks!

bamboozled ~ in a good way

besides the ever popular & beautiful use of bamboo for flooring, many designers have found other lovely ways to utilize the versatility of this material. whether you're looking for exotic one-of-a-kind furnishings, an asian-island motif, or chic contemporary style, bamboo can shine in any setting. just take a look at some of the fantastic finds i've gathered. . . . .

{ok, a bit wild, but definitely will be an eye-catching and noteworthy piece on the patio or sun porch ~ the yoda sectional sofa from janus et cie}

{seascape woven bamboo pendant found at velocity is simple, soft & entirely lovely ~ it almost has a mid-century modern feel to it}

{this elegant venetian bamboo leg table from wisteria is both chic and refined}

{yum! bamboo bowls & spoons from viva terra}

{sleek and modern, the jimbaran coffee table oval by sueno studio}

{hearty and beautiful bamboo vessel sink at stone forest}

{bamboo stick screen from bamboo54 is perfect for that tommy bahama look}

{bamboo fiber textiles by donghia ~ just one of many examples using bamboo fibers to create functional fabrics for upholstery, drapes and decor}

{contemporary style with island whimsy ~ eric brand's bamboo credenza through thomas lavin}

{solid bamboo chest at ecodesignz is a great beauty for form and function}

{the ornate black throne chair by dan marty design would bring regal and sleek styling to any room}

{the bamboo-inspired meurice chandelier by jonathan adler, actually made of nickel. mr.adler has several more pieces in this line ~ all of them equally as fabulous}