Color Story

So after just about a month (very little of which I've actually spent there), my new little apartment may just be coming along.  My room is pretty much put together but our living space is a hot mess.  I mean, it's my hot mess, so the sideboard looks awesome and my free-to-me, fancy-schmancy navajo rug is anchoring the hell out of the room, but otherwise its bordering on shambles. 

 

First of all, we have no real seating.  This is only a problem if you like to sit...which I do, so it's my problem.  I've got a couple of solutions on the horizons (will I finally reupholster the sofa of my dreams? Maybe, if my fellow CL poster will get back to me.).  But while I wait, I'll leave you with some photos from my long lost trip to Iceland in March. 

 

I was so inspired (and relaxed) by the beautiful hot springs there, especially the color story they create.  Leaving the science out of it, the silica mud at the bottom of the pools cause the normally black lava rock to turn a pristine white.  I don't get it, but I sure do like it!  Between the matte black, glossy white and the crisp blue?  I think I have some ideas for my sofa...

 

 

 

 

 

Chair from Heaven?

 

I am sadly a person who really loves "stuff."  My "things" make me really happy.  It's not the healthiest attachment, but it's also not the worst.  But this chair...I just can't help it. 

 

It's got a Finn Juhl vibe and oozes comfort from every angle.  And in this particular example, the heathered teal fabric is so good.  Maybe too good.

 

So like I said, it's a little Finn Juhl-y but it is not in fact a Finn Juhl. I'm not really sure what it is.  I am (and have been) actively searching for a source to purchase my own slouchy seat from heaven and I'll keep ya updated on my progress.  But if any of you have any hints, I would appreciate 'em; I'm feeling mildly discouraged.

 

Happy Weekend!

"Homemade" Pizza

So this post is a little love letter to one of my best bros Adam, currently gallivanting around Eastern Europe like a G.  I visited Adam earlier this year in Denmark where he's been living (soon to return though!).  I'm going to share some photos and stories from my visit ASAP (again, bad blogger) but until then I thought I'd throw my latest cooking adventure at you.

 

 

I absolutely love pizza.  This is not news to anyone.  Bread and melted cheese and anything else: count me in.  Adam and I have made a little ritual of making our own pizzas, drinking sweet brews, and having girl talk (which isn't to diminish his masculinity, but in fact, speaks to what a killer friend he is).  So this is my first "homemade" pizza in Brooklyn, which sort of makes sense, but also confuses me.  Pizza is obviously easily attainable in NYC but I do love making my own so much that it's surprising I took so long. 

 

 

 

Well I had some sprigs (maybe that's the right time for that word?) of basil slowly deteriorating so I decided...pizza!  I use quotation marks around "homemade" for a variety of reasons. 
 

1. I have taken to buying the pizza dough from local pizza shops to seriously cut down on my cook time.  Making your own crust is awesome and delicious, but it also takes at least three hours.  I have a life (read: I'm lazy) so I have no time for that.  In the real world, a ball of dough should cost you $2, but since it's Brooklyn, $5 is what I paid.  A 75% markup seems right (god, NYC is starting to wear on me). 

2. I often buy delicious, bougie sauces rather than making my own.  Again, "I have a life."  This one was Arrabbiata from Michael's of Brooklyn.  I know I'm committing Italian sins with this switch-up but I like some spice and Arrabbiata has just what I'm looking for. 

3. Homemade sometimes (maybe 50 years ago) conjures up the idea that it's cheaper than buying from a store.  For the $5 I spent on the dough, I could have gotten two slices from the pizza shop.  Tag onto that the $20 I spent on sauce and fresh mozzarella?  Well, I'm not doing my wallet any favors.  None whatsoever as a matter of fact.

But the truth is I love love love making pizza; it's stupidly easy and I feel really accomplished. Which I am realizing is half the battle. Sometimes you need to give yourself some easy tasks to check off the proverbial list just so you can feel a little more confident when you tackle the big things (major life decisions). So a tip for all my fellow 20-somethings constantly saddled with big choices; make some pizza. You'll feel better.

 

 

 

So the most fun part of pizza making (besides eating) is making the dough fit the pan.  Pizza dough is this weird indescribable texture which seems to refuse to mold to the shape you desire.  I honestly think it's an active decision on the part of the dough to make my life complicated.  So I have developed a finely-tuned strategy to outsmart an inanimate object.  Some might call it dance, but that would be too kind.

 

If you've ever done this before, you know you can't just press out pizza dough like say, cookie dough.  This shit is obstinate.  The old images of men throwing it up in the air is no joke, but I don't trust myself with that kind of gravity involved so I instead do I little dance and wiggle out the dough in the air while grasping it firmly with both hands.  I'll leave you to paint that image in your heads now.

 

 

 

 

Beautiful, right?  Y'all don't even know until you try it.

 

 



 

 

So the rest is a cake [pizza] walk.  Throw on your sauce of choice and go to town on your toppings.  For this (and most of my pizzas) I chose fresh mozzarella, basil, gorgonzola, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes (in place of fresh since I had them handy) and lots of hot pepper flakes. And maybe 20 minutes at 350 and you're ready for awesomeness in your mouth.

 

You're welcome.

 

(Adam, miss ya bud.  Get home.  Let's make pizza.)

My how time flies when you're...having fun?

Holy crap, it's been over a month.  My bad.  My really really very bad.  Bad blogger.  Alright, enough self-hate. 

 

So quick update on life post-shitshow.  Since y'all heard from me last, I've moved to Crown Heights which is a bit bittersweet, but is working out by and large.  I am living with new people which was unexpected and stressful but NYC housing always does that, and everytime I do this (move somewhere or have someone move somewhere on me) I think I am getting a little better at rolling with life's punches. 

 

But now that that is out of the way, I am working on paring down my stuff (tangible and intangible) and getting back to doing little things that make me happy.  Going out for a run is all well and good, except when it's the middle of winter and below freezing.  So I'm getting back into refinishing furniture for clients in my spare time and am even sketching out ideas for a pipedream future that only exists in my head...for now.

 

So for now I'll just share some snapshots of images rolling around in my head these last few weeks; some are my own, some are inspiration, and some are just fun to look at.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Design Files

Hey y'all, sorry for the radio silence.  With my apartment move quickly approaching (and with no new address yet), life is a little overwhelming.  So this one's going to be quick.

 

Holy moly, this whole house is incredible.  This is the Morrocan vacation home of Yves St. Laurent so no wonder this is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. Take a look at all of the photos at the link below.

 

 

http://theartoftheroom.com/2013/02/la-zahia-villa-oasis/

 

 

My favorite element of the room is the use of color.  Like I said in the last post, as a renter, I really miss the ability to paint my walls.  And you know how I feel about this blue from my sideboard project.  And coupled with the mint?  I'm going to have make this happen once I find my new home.

 

So with that I leave you guys.  Like I said, short and sweet.

Design Files

On this episode of Design Files, I want to talk about a room that highlights one of my favorite things: kilims.

 

Luckily for me, this season kilims seem to be everyone's favorite thing so I have a plethora of drool-worthy photos to swoon over.  But let's start with this one.

 



http://decor8blog.com/2013/04/17/the-socialite-family/



 

So first of all, as a renter, I was drawn to the fact that this room, though bursting with color, has renter's white walls.  The white sofa, well I'm less into that.  But only because everything I eat manages to hit fabric surfaces before entering my mouth, but perhaps one day I will master the art of eating and can buy white upholstery.

But back to the kilim.  As many of you know, I have a penchant for traditional textiles.  From a $400 shipping bill in Tanzania and a very laborious and overstuffed flight home from Mexico, I am that idiot who buys way too much and then thinks about how they are going to get it back to the other side of the earth.   

Well, let me let you in on a little secret; so yeah, that painful plane trip or DHL bill blows at the time, but for the rest of your life, those textiles are going to make you really really happy.  So buy the damn [kilim, weaving, tapestry, blanket, sweater, khanga, etc ad nauseam] (except I could never throw up over fabrics).  By the way, the most hilarious story I have involves a hand-punched tin picture frame which I wore around my neck entering a Delta flight to avoid the snarky stewardesses and their excessive baggage fees.  Swear to god, that happened.  Like I said, I'm that guy.

OK now seriously, back to the kilim.  I imagine this is from Turkey, though I have been wrong before.  The colors here are beautiful; I am really into hot pink in living rooms right now.  I am holding back because I have design ADD and hot pink is a tough one to come back from when you get tired of it.

  Regardless, here the colors in the rug pick up on the coffee table books and the beautiful framed art on the back right.  Speaking of which, I am very impressed with their pseudo-gallery wall here.  I have decided that the many many pieces I have to be hung are going to wait around another month until I switch apartments.  But I am struggling with how to make divergent pieces with non-matching frames look this put-together.  I will prevail in this difficult situation, but it will take some work.  I have a month to work it out.

Two understated heroes in this room are that kickass floor lamp and the cool, industrial coffee table.  I'm going to do some hunting on that lamp and I'll let you know what I come up with (maybe it's just photo equipment (Jayme?)).  But I'll get back to you on that.  And I know this sounds horrible, but those coffee tables have been a thing for a few years now and you can definitely go and pick one up at your local flea market pretty easily.  Well maybe not your local flea market, but head to Brimfield in July or September and you'll definitely find at least 100.  Doesn't make it any less awesome, I'm just sayin'.

So not my most articulate post, but to sum up: kilims rule, white walls can work, good design makes me (and you) happy.

To be continued...

Phew, this has been a crazy week!  (Hence the lack of updates here, sorry!)  I have some really exciting (possible) opportunities coming up and I have some great friends back in NYC so this one will be a short one for now.  Hopefully next week will be a little less cryptic and filled with many more posts!