Hi everyone! Last night Hurricane Sandy hit NYC and most of us at D*S lost internet, cable and power. We won’t be posting today but we’ll be back up and running tomorrow with normal posts. Hope all of you are safe and sound at home… xo, grace
Sneak Peek: Chris & Dave Plantan
Chris and Dave Plantan have lived in their Minneapolis, Minnesota, home for the past 15 years. It has survived two children, two dogs and loads of entertaining. Even with their children off in California now, it’s a place they’ll always call home and a comfortable space to recharge. Chris describes their style as whimsical traditional and full of things they hold near and dear, and with two working fireplaces, the house is “like a big hug.” Chris was founder and creative director of Russell + Hazel where she worked for 12 years. Currently she’s in a “what’s next” phase of her career, moving beyond work/office supplies and into the realm of home decor and personal accessories. We’re looking forward to what she cooks up next. Many thanks to Chris and Dave and to Vickey Weiss for the photos! — Anne
Image above: The dining room side table holds my collection of small perpetual calendars. I found the table in a flea market in Paris, discarded because it didn’t have a top. So lovely . . . but could not imagine it with a wood or stone top. So I decided to top it off in glass, even though it is unfinished on the top.
Image above: I love desks. I love office products. This is a beautiful partners desk and home to puzzle solving, modeling building and book reading. And it makes a great surface to host cocktails and small plates. Just like buildings are crowned at the top, I like to cap off my stacks of books with finials I find.
See more inside Chris and Dave’s home after the jump . . .
Sneak Peek: Lizzie & Kathryn Fortunato
Even the most enthusiastic travelers crave the comforts of home. For Lizzie and Kathryn Fortunato, that place is aptly referred to as the treehouse. Nestled on a tiny cobblestone street in SoHo, Manhattan, the two sisters (twins!) describe it as a little gem in the middle of the city, and they’re right. Every square inch of their apartment is bursting with the spirit of adventure and love of beautiful craftsmanship that characterize their accessories line, Lizzie Fortunato. Each object is displayed like a work of art — from the textiles brought home from their travels to exotic locations such as India and Guatemala to family heirlooms and photographs passed down to them through the generations, each has a history and tells a story, much like the jewelry and leather goods they create. Their pieces are handmade in New York City with materials sourced from around the globe. Thank you, Lizzie and Kathryn, and thanks to Max and Bernadette Pascua for the beautiful photographs! — Shannon
Image above: (From Lizzie) We lived in this apartment for over a year before finding a coffee table we liked. Finally, we found this one on a spontaneous trip to the Brimfield Antiques Show with our mom. It works perfectly in the small space, and we can move it easily because it’s on wheels. Our living room is littered with textiles and finds from our travels. The tapestry on the sofa is from India, we have pillows from Turkey, and the block-printed bed sheets (stored under the coffee table — gotta love New York!) are also from India. We bought the Madeline Weinrib rug on major sale at ABC Carpet, and I adore the peach colors and graphic print. Oh, and the tote is one of my designs for the Spring ’13 collection. The bottom portion is entirely hand beaded on looms . . . As you can tell, I love a good print!
Image above: (From Lizzie) This table is right in the entrance to our apartment, and the circus-print Fishs Eddy plate is often where our keys and phones get dumped upon entering. But it also houses some of our favorite keepsakes. We grew up hiking and skiing in Wyoming with our family, and the state map (I found it at Pageant Print Shop on 4th Street, which I frequent often) reminds us that there’s life outside of New York. The polaroid is of one of my closest friends, set designer Kate Dougherty, and I taken right after we both moved to New York City. It’s such a happy, spontaneous shot and reminds me of those unexpectedly great nights that tend to happen in this city. I love the orange hourglass — I bought it for next to nothing at Bloodline, a great vintage and home goods store that used to exist on Forsyth Street and has sadly closed. The old pharmacy jars house change (one for American money, and one for foreign coins), and the hanging plate is from John Derian. The blanket underneath this table is a vintage manta from Peru. We brought it back after a trek to Machu Picchu this spring, and I love the rich colors and extraordinary woven detail.
See more of the Lizzie & Kathryn Fortunato’s New York City apartment after the jump . . .
Sneak Peek: Julia Okun of Rennes
Growing up, Julia Okun’s friends would comment that her bedroom looked like a shop or a museum filled with carefully arranged knickknacks or fossils, and she still has a tendency to do that. This tendency has extended to her home, located in Jamaica Plain, Boston, with tiny curiosities scattered about, such as a small handmade robot or Dorothy’s ruby slippers brought all the way from Kansas. Among these collected objects, Julia and her husband, Jesse, manage to keep things simple and functional with pops of color mixed in sparingly. Four years ago, Julia started the accessories line Rennes after a search for the perfect bag left her empty handed. She does all the drafting, cutting and sewing, creating beautiful bags, pouches, wallets and occasional knitwear pieces. Thank you, Julia! — Shannon
Image above: My parents gave me this Japanese Noren curtain as a gift. As soon as we started decorating, I knew that the curtain would be a perfect divider between the kitchen and the pantry. It lets lots of light in, and the color gives it an airy feel.
Image above: The kitchen didn’t have any cupboards when we moved in, so we decided to put up wall shelving. It’s since become a home for bowls, cups, tea, and pictures.
See more of Julia’s Boston home after the jump . . .
Obsessions: Lauren Wolf
Not only does Lauren Wolf have a namesake rough-beautiful jewelry line, but she also has a store in Oakland’s Temescal, a ‘hood that is basically the height of awesomeness. At Esqueleto, she sells jewelry, bags, scarves and the kind of items that make a home “Sneak Peek” worthy on this very site: found Navajo rugs, mind-blowing geodes and chairs that can change a room. This is all to say that the designer-slash-shopkeep who just made a killer, limited-edition druzy ring for the site I co-founded, Of a Kind, is really good at curating cool. These are the things she’s all about at the moment, and they happen to look stellar together. — Erica
Image above, clockwise from top left:
Michele Quan Medium Painted Jingle Bell, $175
“Michele used to be a jewelry designer — she was the person behind Me&Ro for a long time. Now she does her own line of all these ceramic pieces, and I just think it’s interesting to see a jeweler’s point of view taken to ceramic. This actually makes a sound — it has a little bell inside.”
Erie Basin Georgian Turquoise and Hair Sentimental Ring, $695
“That’s hair in the ring! It’s a memory ring, which was really popular back in the Victorian era. But this one’s really unusual — you don’t usually see a lot of turquoise in that period — so I think it’s a really interesting piece. And I love Russell, the owner of Erie Basin. My boyfriend and I used to live next door to him in Red Hook in Brooklyn.”
Isabel Marant Edilon Devoré-Velvet Tapered Pants, $655
“Isabel Marant is one of my favorite designers, and I’m a pants kind of girl. Plus, I love textile design, and pattern is something I’m really into.”
Rachel Comey Jab Oxfords, $391
“Moving from New York to Oakland, I wear less fancy shoes — not less expensive, necessarily, just less fancy! What I like about Rachel Comey’s shoes is that, design-wise, they’re amazing, but they’re also really practical. For me, working at the store and running around, I’m not going to be wearing heels.”
Image above: Lauren’s latest Of a Kind edition
Image above, clockwise from top left:
Melissa Bolger Drawing
“We did a Day of the Dead group show at Esqueleto, so we asked 14 local artists to submit their own take on the famous holiday. This happens to be one of my favorites — I think it might have my name on it.”
Job & Boss Blocked Tote, $225
“Since opening the shop, I’ve become much more of a bag person. I went through a phase: I used to really like bags, and then I started making jewelry — so that’s sort of where my obsession turned to. You’re seeing a lot of these colors, and denim’s so popular right now. But I think they’re just doing a really different take on the whole idea, and it’s all handmade in Oakland.”
Succulents
“This photo was taken at Crimson, which is one of our neighbors in the alleyway. It’s a horticultural store, and we get all of our succulents for the shop there.”
Ali Golden Camel Wool Coat, $394
“This coat is perfect for Oakland weather. Of course, now it’s 100 degrees out here, so it’s going to have to wait. But what I love about Ali’s work is that it’s really effortless in its construction and the way it wears. I feel like you can wear this coat with anything.”
New Mexico
“There’s a lot of Southwestern inspiration in my work, and I am planning a trip to New Mexico in November to do just a research and buying trip. I just think it’s really inspiring on a physical-landscape level, and all the artistry that’s been done there and the history of native jewelry work adds to that.”
Vintage Navajo Rugs
“This is a Navajo rug I found online that I liked. A lot of the rugs I find have little holes in them, and I think that really adds to the character. The colors are pretty consistent with the rugs that I have at home — the worn-out red, orange and beige with a little bit of brown.”
Human/House/Harvey: Vacation Style
Mr. Harvey and I are hitting the open road this week for a quick getaway to the California coast. The weather has been incredible out here (even though I am craving some cooler fall temperatures), so I thought it would be an ideal time to embark on a coastal road trip. As we prepare for our travels (you can see our itinerary right here), I’ve been looking at all the great travel gear for me, my home and my pup. Here are some of my favorite finds. — Stephanie
HUMAN — I adore this weekend bag. I love the vibrant red mixed with the leather elements and the brass domed feet.
HOUSE — There is something about these map throw pillows that maps me happy. I’ve always been fascinated with vintage maps, and this is an interesting way to showcase them.
HARVEY — How fun is this pup tent? Harvey and I will be stopping in Yosemite along our journey, and while we won’t be camping, I could see him really enjoying a night under the stars in this awesome tent.
