After a weekend of dog-sitting this glorious pug, I realized that our fuzzy friends rarely get much love on this blog … And it’s high time to change that! I spent much of my life as a cat lady, but have recently discovered a deep love of large, drooling, slightly simple-minded dogs. There’s something so wholly satisfying about a good game of tug followed by a cozy nap. While I’m not quite settled down enough just yet for my own pooch friend, I do take the time every week to volunteer at a local animal shelter here in Philadelphia called Operation Ava to get my dog fix. (If you live in the Philadelphia area, I highly recommend checking out this shelter!) I like to think of it as practice for when I am ready to make the commitment!
Some of the most darling pet accessories are the ones that personify the animal. I adore a dapper dog, particularly when clad in a bow tie! Silly Buddy has a great selection of bow tie-adorned collars and matchings leashes in a variety of prints and fabrics. Hello, springtime stripes!
And when it’s time for a bit of rough-housing, nothing is better than this rope toy from Domestic Beast. It pulls double duty by also holding a piece of elk antler, perfect for maintaining your dog’s pearly whites and keeping your shoes safe.
Don’t worry, though, I am still a cat lady at heart! A bit more delicate in nature, I think this darling knitted mouse toy from Mungo & Maud is purr-fect for any feline. I know my Georgette would have a field day chasing it all around my apartment!
Lastly, if your cat is like mine and loves to hide, this printed cat tipi from Free People is the stylish alternative to shoeboxes strewn across the floor.
{top image via Free People}
While researching parts for a lighting project I’ve been contemplating, I came across the work of Brooklyn-based Bec Brittain. She has several beautiful lines—the Axial light, A Shades, and mercurial Maxhedron are all worth looking at—but the SHY Light is really a showstopper. Each fixture, inspired by crystalline structures, is a series of component parts including hubs and thin LED tubes. The parts can be configured and reconfigured to create a light that suits any individual space. And as Brittain puts it: “Like crystals, each can be different while sharing the same structural foundation.” The bulbs and hubs have a utilitarian quality to them, but the compositions are so elegant and beautiful.
{Images from Bec Brittain}
I think it’s safe to admit that the norm is for guests to peek in the hostess’ medicine cabinet. However, what catches my nosy eye are the towels. Maybe it’s the textile designer in me, but I tend to judge a home by its towels. Step aside looped terry cloth towels with corny sayings, there’s a more sophisticated option in town: woven hand towels. Often found in a neutral color palette, woven hand towels absorb water, dry quickly, and feel soft on the skin. The Turkish towels from Coyuchi are among my favorites. Woven using the traditional khadi methods, these organic cotton towels are slightly textural, lightweight, and oh-so soft.
If airy, preppy stripes are more your speed, these hand towels from West Elm are a bold alternative. Just a bit summery, wide stripes offer the perfect canvas for monogramming. After all, it is your house!
Lastly, if you’re more of a traditionalist, these Turkish towels from Harabu House are made using traditional weaving techniques and boiled in olive oil soap. Edged in the most darling hand-knotted fringe, they make for a versatile and sumptuous addition to any bathroom.
Pared down and sophisticated just like his apparel, Steven Alan’s home shop speaks to me. I appreciate carefully executed details, no matter how simple, and these pieces deliver. A faceted bottle opener is cast in bronze from hand carved wax molds, resulting in a raw, unfinished feel. Delicate white table linens are perked up with narrow stripes of cobalt to make your tablesetting feel fresh and slightly preppy. Wooden tops are edged in cork to provide an air-tight seal for tall, slender glass canisters. Every detail is considered, creating a calm and soothing aesthetic.
{images via Steven Alan}
Prone to simple silhouettes and clean lines in my home, I often have a tough time mixing in print and color. Kitchen textiles seem like a good place to experiment—perhaps because they can serve both aesthetic and practical purposes. I absolutely love the casualness of these screen-printed textiles from Hong Kong-based Ferse Verse, especially how easily the different patterns can be paired together. I’m not normally one to mix and match, but I could see myself setting the table with the five napkins above!
Made of 100 percent cotton feed sack, I love the thick weave of the fabric. I bet these tea towels feel heavenly, but are also very absorbent—perfect for all of my cooking mishaps.
And how darling is this half-apron? Not only is it useful, it is in one of my all-time favorite color combinations of pink and red!
{Images via Ferse Verse}
