resource review: chairish

Over the weekend, I discovered Chairish. Created by a husband and wife team who found it difficult to sell their high end furnishing, Chairish is a curated, online marketplace that allows people to easily sell their pre-owned quality home items to other design minded individuals. The team at Chairish sets the criteria that items be "stylish, in good shape and offered at a great value". Sellers set their own prices but are encouraged to mark things at 25-30% of the estimated retail. To sell items, you fill out a simple form, take high quality photos and submit your pieces to be listed. Chairish takes 20% of each sale and covers payment as well as assists in the shipping process. A nice added feature if you live in the San Francisco, New York or Los Angeles area is that you can search listings in your immediate vicinity and can arrange for local pick up. I am not an expert but the pricing seems reasonable and they have some really great stuff. Below are a few items that I can currently eyeing. 

Mid Century Emerald Velvet Chair - $900 

Brass Gazelle Bookends - $295

Vintage Oil Painting - $400

Vintage Brass Pendant Light - $975

Yellow Gourd Lamps - $200

resource review: design sponge series

series by Design Sponge illustrations by Libby VanderPloeg

The very popular design blog, Design Sponge, has been running two related series that I have really been enjoying. Called Design Icon and Pattern Book, the series detail the history behind iconic designs. Design Icon features furniture and objects while Pattern Book highlights what else - patterns. Matched with great illustrations from Libby VanderPloeg and Maxwell Tielman, the posts are a quick and informative read that will instantly up your design knowledge and vocabulary. Here are a few interesting things I have learned thus far.

- The slinky was named by the inventor's wife after she came across the definition of slinky - sleek and graceful - in the dictionary.

- The Honeywell thermostat was designed so that it always hung "squarely" on the wall no matter how or where it was installed.

- The Coca-Cola bottle design was the result of a competition in which the winner was inspired by an image of cocoa pad he saw in the Encyclopedia Britannica. 

- Houndstooth is associated with peace as it was originally worn by Scottish shepherds and had no association with any particular clan or group.

- The Greek Key pattern is thought to be inspired by a labyrinth, symbolizing infinity and unity.

Continue on to the series to learn more!

why stay in Chernobyl? Because it's home.

Monday mornings are great for TED talks. They provide inspiration at the start of the work week and often lead me down a path of thinking that I had never considered. This short TED talk by Holly Morris tells the story of an unlikely community of women who live in the dead zone of Chernobyl. It is a tragic yet beautiful story about the power of home and place that Morris states "rival even radiation". A must listen to especially if you are looking for a way to start your Monday other than with email. Have a good week everyone!

Click here to be directed to the talk.