Duffy is debuting its Runner Table this month at London Design week.

With the novel concept of using ‘runners’ as its structure, the table blends thin steel legs with a substantial walnut table top. The design achieves an illusion of weightlessness, with the runners running the length of the table, and falling off the edge to become the legs.

And bring your inner child to dinner with Duffy’s Swing Table.

According to the company, “This four poster table uses its structure to suspend a central GEO lampshade and eight hanging chairs that sway playfully.”

Talk about a memorable dining experience! My friends would line up for the chance to sway and munch.

And I adore the other benefit — easy sweeping and mopping!! (via Notcot.)
 

What do you think of Duffy’s creative tables?

Today our Nursery and Kids Room Design Expert and Contributor, Sherri Blum introduces us to one of her peers. A pioneer specialist for children’s-room interior design, Sherri designs for celebrities, and for the baby next door.

—

As a children’s interior designer and product designer, I have the opportunity to meet some smart, creative, witty and all around FANTASTIC women in the children’s industry.

Not only do I exhibit my own products at the same trade shows (sometimes even sharing a booth), but I also source their products when decorating my clients’ nurseries. So I thought that it might be nice to give you an inside peek into the creative minds and lives of some of my favorite and most inspirational colleagues.

My first interview is with Katy Mimari of Caden Lane. I first met Katy at the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas three years ago.

Not only was this woman drop-dead gorgeous with her bouncy auburn hair, but she flashed a big, warm grin and greeted me with genuine southern hospitality. How refreshing!

We talked for a while, discussing ways in which we could work together. I had always loved her unique and beautiful bedding (top-notch quality, too!), but now I knew that the person behind the designs was someone that I would enjoy working with through the years.

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to my friend, Katy….

Sherri Blum (SB): What city do you call home?
Katy Mimari (KM): San Antonio, Texas… y’all.

SB: When did you first realize you wanted to be a designer and how did you prepare yourself for this career?

KM: Hmmmm… I think I’ve always been creative? I was the best color-er in kindergarten, middle school has never seen so much talent, and I designed our senior T-shirts in high school – I mean, if that isn’t a designer in training, I don’t know what is. (Ha-ha – I’m kidding.)

Seriously though, I graduated from The University of Texas – hook em horns – with a degree in Advertising. I started my first business in college, as a photographer…and always dreamed of creating a product that could be used around the world. I don’t have any formal training in design, but I think that’s part of the creativity that’s necessary to have a business like this. If you do things the way you are told, well then, that truly isn’t creative – right?

SB: How did you get into this business/start the company?

KM: As a children’s photographer, I was witness to the quilted & themed diaper bags that were sadly the only bags available to modern moms…I did not yet have kids of my own, but I knew that once I did have children, I would need something MUCH more fashionable to carry dirty diapers in.

Conveniently, I did become pregnant during the first year of starting Caden Lane, which lead to our bedding & accessory collection. I was NOT going to do choo-choo trains or Winnie the Pooh. Turns out a pregnant diaper bag & baby bedding designer is a fabulous marketing technique!

SB: What do you adore about your job?

KM: I adore working with pregnant women. I love those precious few months that are filled with so much dreaming and hope – and knowing what awaits them the first time they meet their baby. No one can describe that kind of love. Plus, designing nurseries & children’s room has to be the best creative outlet ever – where else can you glue rhinestones to the walls and hang swings in the corner!

SB: What do you like the least?

KM: Not having more hours in the day to get everything done. In fact, I’ve been meaning to ask you… do you have some I can borrow?

SB: When you need inspiration for your designs, where do you most often turn?

KM: What do they say… Genius is 99% perspiration, and 1% inspiration. I look for inspiration when I need it, I don’t wait for it to hit me, or lead me in the right direction. I always go with my gut, and design what I would want in my OWN child’s room at that specific moment in time.

SB: How might your clients describe your “signature look?”

KM: Hmmm… well it depends on where you are from! In the south – we are considered modern (compared to the smocking & pastels that used to be so popular). I think we are a fresh take on a NEW modern design for nursery & baby accessories. I love color and design – and never want to be cornered into a theme. I want all of our collections to be versatile enough to be considered delicate and daring.

SB: Famous clients? Tell us a little about working with each.

KM: They have all been fabulous. Samantha Harris was my favorite. Ashlee Simpson’s house was incredible; and Tori is JUST as she seems in her show. They were all wonderful!

SB: What’s the most exciting thing on the horizon for you?

KM: Actually – we are working with another celebrity nursery right now! She’s not due until the end of the year, but her taste is impeccable! It will be very exciting to see what designs develop.

SB: What do you know now that you wish someone had told you when you were first starting out?

KM: Always look forward, never look back – take chances, and trust your gut. Oh, and save up for the crash of 2008 – present.

SB: You’ve learned your design studio will self-destruct in 60 seconds, what three things will you grab?

KM: Two bottles of wine, and a glass.

Sherri Blum loves putting her talents to use designing beautiful rooms for her tiny clients. Sherri’s designs are popular among celebrities and have been featured in numerous TV shows and publications.

Sherri operates her design firm Jack and Jill Interiors and she creates her signature line of children’s wall art, clocks and hand-hooked, wool rugs — Sherri Blum Designs. Sherri writes the Jack and Jill blog, and resides with her family in rural Pennsylvania.
 
 

Design Junkies, what’s the most exciting thing on your horizon?

An unexpected element can make a room. Like a corrugated-steel barn door in a
dining room.

“I love them because they are textural and sculptural and unexpected…perhaps three important design concepts I incorporate in all my projects,” said New York designer Gail Shields-Miller, on her design for a Fire Island dining room and kitchen.

“It was a costly choice but undoubtedly the right decision. They are beautiful opened or closed and I adore the fact that they are not swing doors. For the most part they are left open and allow the eye to get a small glimpse of the hall to the master bedroom.”

And the unexpected doesn’t stop with the doors. Shields-Miller loves to play up contrasts: old with new, sleek against rustic. The blue Venetian plaster is a rustic finish straight from the source.

“The work was actually done by a man from Venice Italy…a real artisan of the old school variety who worked lovingly on the wall for two weeks,” she said.

“The space needed a burst of color and Venetian Plaster was a very classy and refined way to achieve that goal. I adore it; and it is one if the features that guests and visitors comment on with ‘oohs and aahs’ over and over again.”

Shields-Miller custom-designed the dining table for the space.

“The table is a 3-inch slice of an African bubinga tree with the bark and cutting marks from the lumberyard still intact; it rests on a contemporary bronze interpretation of a picnic table,” she said.

She surrounded the table with modern Brazilian chairs and topped it off with a simple, wrought-iron candelabra fixture. Contemporary art and an antique Korean blanket chest layer in more color and interest.

“I love to juxtapose unexpected pieces, and prove how good design needs to be original and not cookie cutter, if it is to be interesting and successful.”

View more of Shields-Miller’s work at her Web site.
 

Where have you used the power of the unexpected?

Here’s makeover motivation for the weekend, from my new Canadian friend, Interior Designer Lia Fagan. (I seem to make lots of Canadian friends—must be the hockey gusto.)

Lia can spy neglected furniture cowering in the corner of any second-hand store; and she has the beauty kit to give it new life – literally. Enjoy this guest post from Lia, where she introduces us to the formerly forlorn, but now high-society, ‘Stella.’

I found Stella at a used furniture store on Ottawa St., which is a lively street in a neighbouring city that is home to numerous antique stores, fabric & decor shops.

“What’s a pretty girl like you doing in a state like this?”

Time had not been kind to Stella.

She was scratched, dented and buried behind other unwanted furnishings near the back of the shop. Someone had tried at some point in time to line her drawers, but did so poorly. They used vinyl kitchen shelf liner and didn’t even take the time to cut it to size or press it into the corners .

I saw so much potential though, in her sturdy frame and unusual shape. Stella was a great candidate for makeover because she was well constructed of solid wood, and the original finish was already well worn, meaning it would be fairly easy for me to remove.

I found it almost amazing that this one piece of furniture with a door and 4 drawers once housed someone’s entire wardrobe. It seems crazy given the giant walk-in closets we’re used to today.

“What I could do for you with a little color and sparkle.”

I thought that this antique would make a great addition to a contemporary home, adding the character and charm of days past to a modern bedroom.

Stella sanded and primed.

I really wanted to modernize Stella without losing her vintage flavour. In order to really make her shine, I chose to use this bold, Kelly green for her exterior and crisp white for her interior.

The original interior was so dark and drab. I couldn’t imagine hanging a fabulous new dress in such a dreary space.

I always line the drawers of my pieces. I figure the inside deserves the same treatment as the outside. Plus, it’s such a simple treat to open a drawer and get a tiny thrill from the beauty that lies inside.

To top off the transformation, new hardware was in order. I chose to use these classic, floral, clear glass knobs.

“Beauty isn’t always easy, sugar.”

The challenges? While dismantling Stella, removing her hardware and preparing her for paint, I realized that the screws that held the door on were old and completely stripped. I tried everything to get them out…I did not succeed.

Normally I would prefer to remove the door to paint it separately. I also usually prefer to install new hinges/screws or at least clean up the existing ones. In this case, that was not an option. Given that the existing hinges and door were operational, I opted to leave it alone and continue on with painting.

I am not a fan of painted hinges, but sometimes, there is no alternative. If you have to do it, I recommend opening and closing the door several times while the paint is drying to make sure that the hinges continue to operate smoothly.

Burlington, Ontario Interior Designer, Lia Fagan’s background in design, and her eye for detail, enable her to breathe new life into otherwise unwanted furnishings. Her distinctively styled, colourful and quirky “characters” can find a way into your home through her Etsy shop, Mod Pieces.

Lia loves all things beautiful and mixing the old with new, into uniquely personal spaces. She writes about style and design at her blog, Mod Nest.

What furniture is hiding in your basement or garage, that you could transform?

It’s that time again parents; and here’s some great advice to set your kids up for success, from Contributor GraceAnn Simoni. An Interior Redesign and Staging Specialist and Instructor from the Chicagoland area, GraceAnn shares with us budget tips and advice for decorating with your existing furniture and accessories.

—

The kids are going back in school and the homework is starting. Have you designated a place for them to do that homework?

Studies have shown that a quiet place away from all the activity is best. In a busy family, where might that be? I remember my kids hated to be upstairs in their rooms doing homework in case they had a question or needed help. What’s the solution?

I think the solution is right there on the first floor….

Many homes have both a living room and family room. How much activity does that living room really get? Why not designate a small space perfect for homework?

In the photo above, you can see where we have placed the sofa on an angle near the window, allowing for the sofa table that had been used in the hall to serve as a desk.

This space has great light coming in the window, a lamp for additional task lighting, plenty of quiet, not far from the kitchen, and close to the snacks or to ask Mom for help. There is even a sofa where Mom can sit and read while overseeing the homework. The living room will still have the adult space we all like for entertaining and it will not go unused.

If it’s in your budget, some furniture companies even offer convertible sofa table/desks like this one from Fairmont’s Caprice collection.

The front panel flips open for a larger desk surface, and the top folds back, revealing a shelf and supply-storage drawers.
 
 

Now, what about those backpacks and shoes, that seem to collect in the hallway?

Why not take an old coffee table and get baskets or bins to fit underneath? Perfect place to sit and take off shoes and the bins serve as a gathering place for all the miscellaneous items. You could designate one for each child, or family member.

GraceAnn Simoni of Yours Redesigned Naperville, IL, is a Redesign and Staging Specialist and Instructor, and a member of Interior Redesign Industry Specialists (I.R.I.S.).

If you need help getting the The Home You Want With the House You Have™ visit www.yoursredesigned.com.

 
 
How do you accomplish homework—with fewer headaches—in your household?

Designers often turn to history for inspiration. But rather than looking to reproduce past works, what if instead we interpret, using technologies that are completely current? Extraordinary design can result.

Case in point? This staircase that design firm, workshop/apd created for its contemporary update of a modern Tribeca loft.

The work pays homage to this Baroque staircase attributed to 17th century English master Edmund Pearce (on exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.)

According to the firm, “Where Pearce incorporated oak leaves and pine cones, we digitized interlaced tree branches to create an element of modern-day beauty and craft in water-jet cut steel, bringing fancifulness and ornamentation back to architecture.

“Like its predecessor, the dramatic scroll – now in perforated steel – weaves the two floors together in a unique way.”

See more views and details at workshop/apd’s Web site.

by Mari Robeson

Design Junkies, we are in for a treat! Today, designer Mari Robeson joins us as Interior Design expert and Contributor. I am thrilled with the colorful and creative stories Mari has planned for us, about what we’ll learn from her, and how inspired we’ll be. Learn more about Mari at her Web site.

Have you ever planned a room and figured out all the elements you would need? Then, all you had to do to complete your design, was find that perfect piece of fabric to pull it all together, but, alas, it was nowhere to be found? Being an Interior Designer, that scenario happened to me more times than I can count even with full access to multiple fabric companies.

I started to think, that in this wonderful age of technology, there must be a way that I could create my own fabric. I did a little digging around on the internet and found just what I was looking for. There are some great companies out there, where you can upload your design, have it printed digitally onto fabric, and in your mail box within 2 – 3 weeks.

Of course it helps if you have a background in graphic design and are familiar with programs like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, but there are many graphic designers that would be able to help you with your design. (Even some of the companies that print your design will offer those services.) If that sounds too intimidating there are other companies like RoomsByYou.com that make it even easier. They have hundreds of designs to pick from. You just drag and drop the design onto the product you want and you’re done!

To give you a visual of how the process is done from start to finish, I decided to give my Mudroom a makeover with my one of my fabric designs.

My Tulip design starts with a drawing in my sketchbook which I then scan into my computer. I select my colors from the Pantone color wheel, in this case, bright green and purple.

Then I have to create a repeat. This is one of the more challenging parts in my opinion because the repeat has to be exact. Where it cuts off on the Left Side it has to pick up exactly on the Right side. This is true from Top to Bottom. I found tutorials online that explained this process in detail. With a little practice, it starts to make sense.

You will have to save your file in a format that is compatible with the service who prints your fabrics. They will give you their exact specifications. If you use a service like Spoonflower, they have a very simple process that explains how to upload your designs and in what size.

Then…tap tap tap fingers tapping…you patiently wait until your fabric arrives. When it does, you’re ready to start sewing!

In my Mudroom I wanted to add a cushion to our cubby bench and curtains to my upper cabinets.

This is the first and last room my family sees when coming and going, so I wanted to make the room bright and cheery.

For those of you who sew, making a cushion like this is a piece of cake, but if you’re like me, you may need to solicit the help of a seamstress. In my case I asked my talented friend Nina Taylor, www.TheSewingAtelier.com to help me for this intermediate sewing project.

You’ll need:

• Foam sheet (also called ‘slab foam’) for your cushion
• Fabric for the front, back, sides and piping
• ¼” Cord for piping or pre-made piping.
• Zipper half as long as the length of the cushion
• Sewing Machine
• Thread
• Scissors
• Pins
• A Long Measuring Tape
• A Cutting Board
• A Marking Pencil

Step-by-step:

1. Measure how wide and deep you want the cushion to be and cut your foam accordingly.

2. Lay out your fabric, measure, and cut out the front, back, and sides, adding a ½” seam allowance.

3. Next, cut on the bias strips (2″ wide for ¼” piping) for two times the length of the perimeter of the cushion. (You will create two strips of piping – one for around the top edge, and one for around the bottom edge of your cushion.)

4. Piece together your bias strips and then fold the cord into the bias strips to create your piping.

5. You may want to sew along side the piping to secure it. (You can also purchase pre-made piping and skip this step.)

6. Sew one piece of piping onto the your cushion top piece. Then separately sew the second piece of piping onto the cushion bottom piece.

7. Snip the piping fabric so that it bends nicely around the corners. (See photo above.)

8. The side seams are meant to be at the corners. Join the sides together and then attach it to the top.

9. Now you’re ready to attach it to the bottom leaving a space in the center for your zipper.

10. With your cushion inside out, sew the zipper into the crease between the piping and the side fabric to keep the zipper hidden.

11. Turn right side out and insert your foam!
 

You can see I did a few more things to personalize the space.

I made the chalkboard with simple molding and ¼” plywood that I painted with chalkboard paint. It’s a great place for my busy family to write important notes to one another or inspirational quotes.

Above the cubby bench, I gave each one of my family members their own personalized hook (see top photo). I found these a while ago at Anthropologie and I just love them.

Digital textile printing has brought an entirely new way to customize and personalize your space. No longer do you have to be frustrated by not being able to find the perfect fabric. With a little creativity, you can create your own unique and distinctive room. Happy Designing!

Color & Inspiration,
Mari~

Mari Robeson — an Interior and Product Designer, and a published Illustrator — strives to bring beauty into the world whenever she can. Mari shares with us her Interior Design tips and advice, and makes learning design concepts fun. With her fresh, creative projects, Mari spreads her love of color and beautiful textiles.

Most days you can find Mari working up her latest designs or teaching Interior Design Workshops in her colorful studio nestled in the countryside.

 
Have you tried designing your own fabric? Tell us about it….

I just met an artist who has it all. Creative vision, practical knowhow, business-sense,
and moxie.

And Bronx native Craig Anczelowitz’s resume is like a how-to for the successful, self-sufficient artist/designer:

1. M.F.A.: Check.
2. Work your way up in a specialty New York boutique: Check.
3. Traverse the globe, buying and designing for retail tastemakers: Check. Check.
4. Leave it all. Move to a faraway land; design and produce multiple product lines:
   That too.

Back in 1991, Masters in Printmaking/Papermaking in hand, Craig embarked on his
artistic journey.

“I started with mixed media artwork created from papers mixed with a wide range of materials mostly salvaged from NYC dumpsters,” said Craig. “Joseph Cornell was and remains my biggest creative influence – his dreamlike yet scholarly assemblages always appealed to both sides of my personality.”

Craig began to learn the business of art. “I had worked at Kate’s Paperie for 5 yeas, eventually becoming their paper buyer and NYC’s first unofficial ‘paper guru’,” he said.

It seemed this art thing might actually pay his bills.

“When the owners of Kate’s Paperie had asked me to develop branded collections of stationery, papers and notebooks with a number of overseas and domestic manufacturers, I thought that this was what I wanted to do full-time and felt that it may be the first step to a more creative livelihood.”

Victorian Mod Vases

Then his career coup: He scored senior design and buying gigs for ABC Carpet & Home and Urban Outfitters.

“Through these jobs, I was able to travel the world and work with artisans to design and develop a wide range of products such as Murano Glass, Florentine Leather, Thai ceramics, Indian brass work and Japanese stationery,” said Craig.

Some of Craig’s mango wood stools.

Nowadays, Craig is the rare artist that can create top-notch work in multiple mediums:

• Ceramics,
• Wood,
• Paper,
• and Textiles

“I enjoy the diversity and challenges of working in many materials and have been fortunate that my prior jobs afforded me the opportunity to work in so many different and interesting mediums,” he said.

“Although I currently am having a lot of fun creating my patchworked textile ‘Nook-Nook’ toys, I would say that deep down my true love is for paper…..and in particular for Japanese paper or ‘washi.’”

Craig’s adopted home provides ample inspiration for his creative projects.

“I am lucky to live in such an amazing place as Thailand,” he said.

“With its abundant natural resources and extremely rich visual culture, I can be inspired every day by simply walking out my door.

“Travel is also a great source of inspiration and since I am working on many diverse projects, I need to be a sponge and soak up inspiration everywhere.

“Ideas and designs evolve from all over the place: From broken shells on a beach to the patchworked pleats of Hilltribal women’s skirts…or from the flea markets of Paris to the tropical gardens of Thailand.”

Then it’s a matter of focus. “Channeling that wealth of inspiration and stimuli into creative design is the challenge,” Craig said.

How does he know when he’s got a terrific design going?

“When I sense that I may be onto a great idea or am excited about a particular piece, I often visualize in my mind’s eye or dream a huge jigsaw puzzle that sort of just completes itself with all the pieces calmly floating into place,” Craig said.

Craig is a prolific designer, and needs a team to bring much of his work to fruition.

“I design the pieces myself but since my plate has become quite full, I most definitely need the assistance of another designer to help realize the work – and to meet deadlines,” he exclaimed.

“I currently work with 6 different factories in Thailand and Japan who manufacture my work and about seventy-five percent is then incorporated into their product lines.”

 
Yup. Craig Anczelowitz has it all.

Did I mention he looks like a rock star?
 

Want to see more of Craig’s work? He maintains a great photo record on his Flickr photostream.

It’s best to track him down through Flickr.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Do you design and create in multiple mediums? Do you favor one?

You can still see it in your mind’s eye. Or maybe you are surrounded by it right now. Perhaps it was for you, or designers — for a client. But you could feel it in your gut.

You nailed that color choice.

Tell us the story of your best color ever. Share with us by Leaving a Comment, OR–even better–if you have a photo, share with us in the Challenge Entry Form here.

We Design Junkies want details, so if you remember, tell us the paint brand, the color name or number, and the finish. But mostly describe for us what made you weak in the knees for the color, and why it ended up being a great choice.

 
To ensure we get a rainbow of replies, a random entrant will win a copy of the new and idea-packed bookazine, “House Beautiful’s 500+ Favorite Paint Colors.”

Read a great review of it here by my friend, special event co-conspirator and color maven-blogger, Sonu Mathew. Sonu was nice enough to send us an
extra copy.

• You’ll get one entry in the drawing for telling us your story in the Comments section.
• You’ll get three entries, when you “show and tell” by uploading your photo with your story in the Challenge Entry Form.

 
Can’t wait!

So when I found these new cover designs for classic F. Scott Fitzgerald books, from Senior Designer Coralie Bickford-Smith at Penguin Books, I just had to share.

Penguin plans to release the books on November 4th.

Now that’s marketing I can get behind. (via Notcot.)
 

Fess up: Do you judge a book by its cover?