Design Philadelphia

GRMers - I'm super excited to let you know that I'll be heading off to the nation's largest design celebration this week: DesignPhiladelphia. In its fifth year, DesignPhiladelphia boasts over 450 participating designers and 150 exhibitions, as well as countless lectures, discussions, and workshops.

While there, I'll be attending DuPont's Carte Blanche Exhibition, discussing design with Todd Bracher*, and admiring the car weaving skills of Jeanne Wiley, amongst other things. If you're headed to this event or are in the area, come find me! I'll be the short girl with glazed-over eyes and a constant smile: living in design heaven!

Of course, I'll be keeping my ears to the ground and my eyes peeled for new affordable-modern designs to share with and keep you inspired, so stay tuned!

Learn more about DesignPhiladelphia here.

*If you have questions for this talented designer, send them my way!

[A huge thank you to DuPont for sending me out to this event as well as hosting the Carte Blanche and Dialogues on Design events!]


Way Back When :: Mini Mod Tour

Grassrootsmodern is proud to once again be a sponsor of another fantastic Salt Lake Modern event. This time we are not doing just one house tour, but an entire neighborhood. TheWestshire neighborhood is an incredibly unique neighborhood that contains over 150 homes all designed by MCM architect Ron Molen. If you have never been out there before you absolutely need to go, and if you have been out there before, this is your chance to tour 4 of the best houses out there.

Check out the Salt Lake Modern facebook page for details. See you out there, make sure you say Hi!


Origami Banks :: West Elm

I'm not usually bowled over by much of West Elm's offerings, so two posts in one week is sayin' a lot*. Take these porcelain Origami Banks, for example. That's some legit, bowl-over power right there. Playful, modern, and did I mention for a good cause? Five dollars from the sale of each bank goes towards St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Way to be, West Elm. Way to be.

Origami Banks from West Elm: $22 - $24

*Seriously. Have you seen their newest catalog? Loads of cool stuff!


Nau Fluent Stash

With as much as Capree and I obsess over felt, we may as well change our name to Feltrootsmodern. That being said, a reader sent me this link to the Fluent Stash from Nau and I couldn't resist sharing. Nau is one of our sponsors here at GRM and last month I reviewed the Motil messenger bag. Based on my experience with that bag, I would venture to say that this Fluent Stash a winner as well. Nau doesn't just do bags either. I just picked up a poletariat shirt and some cargo pants and I must say I am completely in love. Not only are all of their products super high quality, they are all 100% sustainable, even the felt.

Fluent Stash felt bag $80 from Nau


Munge Leung :: Interior Design

Wow. Absolutely gorgeous work from Canadian interior design studio Munge Leung. I love the "House on a Ravine" project the most, which is a 7300 square foot home (designed by Taylor Smyth Architects) set onto a spectacular conservation area in Toronto. It won the 2004 Design Exchange Gold Award and the 2004 Best of Canada Award for Residential Design.

Check out the rest of their portfolio here, including some great commercial spaces. Meanwhile, more pics of "House on a Ravine" below!


A new chapter

I'm both happy and sad to say that my home in Olympus Cove is sold. I'm happy because after just three short weeks I had a full price offer by someone who truly appreciates the architecture and will pick up where I left off. Sad because it really was a great house in a wonderful neighborhood.

The good news is that between the divorce, selling the house etc I have an opportunity to start a new chapter of life. While things are so up in the air, I figured it would make more sense to rent for a while instead of buy. I've always wanted to live down town, so I'm elated to report that I spent last week moving into the Patrick Lofts which are located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. Look for lots more details about the Patrick Lofts as soon as I get a few more boxes unpacked.


Juice Box :: Blu Dot

Well, it looks like I just found my design Kryptonite: walnut and felt in the same product. Thanks for the sudden case of wobbly knees, Blu Dot. Thanks a lot.

About:
One outlet, multiple electronic thingamajigs to plug in, let the Juice Box help balance that equation. Mitered walnut box with felted wool removable top tames the tangle of cords, while concealing a power strip of your choosing.

Juice Box by Blu Dot: $99


Martha Stewart modern cabinetry at Home Depot

Capree may have been the first to do the unthinkable, blog about Martha Stewart on GRM, but I'm hot on her heals. It seems like old Martha has more tricks up her sleeve than modern pet accessories. In a decidedly huge step forward she has released a new line of kitchen cabinetry that is available through your local Home Depot. While most of it leaves a lot to be desired, the Weston collection shown above looks like it has some series potential. I have no idea on pricing yet, but assuming it falls in line with the rest of Home Depot pricing it should be pretty good. The one real question I have is how the hardware compares to that of your standard Ikea Kitchen? If it can match that quality, it may worth some serious consideration for those on a budget.

Thanks to Allison for the tip!

Martha Stewart modern kitchens at Home Depot


Three-Tier Mobile :: John-Paul Philippé

I spotted this fun, retro-inspired mobile in West Elm's newest catalog and got a little lusty for it. Designed in collaboration with artist John-Paul Philippé, this three-tiered mobile can be hung against a wall, in a window, or from the ceiling. Made of soldered/cast metal, which will tarnish and allow a unique patina to form over time. This is definitely going on my holiday wish list!

Three-Tier Mobile available from West Elm: $49


O Clock

Made in Italy? Check. Sleek white minimalist design? Check. Water resistant? Check. Priced under $50? Double check. The O Clock watch manages to look great, be functional and cost less than dinner and a movie for two. I guess you know where to find me on date night ... at home admiring my new watch.

O Clock watch $36.


Smood

Due to my recent divorce I've recently found myself lacking lots of basic kitchen items that I had grown accustomed to. Like a couple weeks ago when I boiled up 5 pound of yukon gold potatoes only to find I had no mixer. A quick rummage through the drawers revealed that even my old trusty hand masher was gone. Later that night while eating some mildly smashed potatoes I vowed to keep my eye out for a good hand held potato masher. The Smood by Dreamfarm has caught my eye. Simple, sturdy, and it looks to be very efficient as well. Check out the You Tube video after the jump if you don't believe me.

Smood potato (and everything else) masher $19


Kate Banazi :: Screen Prints

First things first, I can't believe I haven't posted about Kate's work on GRM before. (I've gushed about her plenty here.) Anyway, let's rectify that shall we? Kate is by far my favorite print artist - scratch that - favorite working artist ever. I've had the great pleasure of developing a friendship with her over the last couple of years and several of her prints proudly reside in my home. She knows how to use color like nobody's business, tossing it around like some kind of professional chef, a color chef if you will. Aside from that, what I really love is her knack for infusing each piece with her incredible sense of humor and wit. (For a taste of what I'm talking about, check out this interview.)

Some of my favorite pieces come from her recent Lamington Drive Exhibition. I also love her weekly collaborative series featuring silkscreen prints over digital photographs. I could go on and on about how amazing she is, but I'll just leave you with a few links to explore and ponder. Click on them, you won't regret it.

Portfolio | Flickr | Shop | Blog

More pics after the jump!


Origami Light :: RS Barcelona

12Aptly named, this striking floor light is made from a single piece of folded aluminum.  The over-sized bare bulb is supported by the folds at the top as well as a circular cutout.  Simple, unique, and colorful: all good things in my book!  Available in five modern colors. Size: 6wx63hx12d Origami Light by RS Barcelona - couldn't find pricing, but try contacting them for US dealers