Category Archives: Design

tiny modern retreat in north georgia

08.20.16
Design, News & Events, Vintage Style

Ellijay_facade

Jennifer Sams is a hunter by trade—an antiques hunter. It makes perfect sense that the owner of City Issue, one of Atlanta’s best sources of pristine midcentury furnishings, should wind down with her partner in a modern weekend cabin outfitted with Danish sconces, tulip chairs, and abstract paintings. Andrea and I spent a couple of days last October photographing, styling, and interviewing at the 500-square-foot cabin in the blue hills of Ellijay, Ga., and the article is finally out in Atlanta magazine’s HOME fall issue. Here’s a peek at the photography, including a couple of outtakes.

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graham keegan dyes with foraged plants

07.05.16
Design, Inspiring People

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On assignment for Cloth Paper Scissors magazine in December, I spent a day with LA textile designer Graham Keegan. He uses plants such as bougainvillea and sumac from the streets of his Silver Lake neighborhood to dye accessories and bulk yardage. I got to help him pick Peruvian pepper on Sunset Boulevard, brew the leaves into a dye bath, and block-print a scarf in two shades of olive.

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Was I in an artist’s studio or a witch’s lair? It was a little hard to tell at times.

I took all the photos for the article, too, which was a first for me. My story is in the July/August issue, but you can catch a sneak peek below.

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lustrons featured in fallout 4 game

11.09.15
Design, Vintage Style

fallout2

I’m no gamer, yet this morning I found myself watching the trailers for Fallout 4 on a loop and snapping screen shots. Why the sudden interest in virtual combat, you ask? I noticed on TV commercials that the latest creation by Bethesda Game Studios, launching Nov. 11, prominently features Lustrons and Lustron-inspired homes in its landscape. Since players’ mission is to shape the fate of a world destroyed by nuclear war, it snaps into place that the designers were inspired by prefabricated homes like mine, manufactured just after World War II.

fallout1fallout3The boxy, steel homes and their midcentury advertisements ooze optimism, normalcy, and domestic peace. So it makes sense that Lustrons are powerful symbols in an animated wasteland. You can watch the Fallout 4 trailers here and catch up on posts about my own Lustron here.

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poster celebrates 50 atlanta creative women

09.17.15
Design, Inspiring People, Inspiring Products

creative_classLocal illustrator Sarah Neuburger’s latest print, titled “Atlanta’s Creative Class,” pays tribute to 50 women who write, photograph, stamp, style, and otherwise boost the arts and crafts scene in our fair Southern city. Yours truly is portrayed in the bottom row, third from the left. I’m honored to share this 12×16-inch stage with some of my closest friends, like Shannon Mulkey from the Indie Craft Experience, as well as talented ladies I’ve been admiring from afar for years. Read more about the project below!

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charlotte smith’s modern cup collaboration

06.05.15
Design, Inspiring Products

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Modern Atlanta is collaborating with three local artisans on limited-edition products as part of its annual Design Is Human celebration. One chosen maker, emerging ceramist Charlotte Smith, has married delicate porcelain and sturdy steel in a sculptural two-piece cup. After the jump, I’ll tell you about her step-by-step process and the DIY family tradition that fertilized her craft.

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