Featured Designer: Tord Boontje

Happy Friday! I'm so excited for the weekend, first of all it's a three day weekend for me which means more time for projects. Lately I have been fascinated by unique light fixtures, particularly pendant lights. As I was browsing Houzz (one of my absolute favorite resources for local designers, inspiration, products, and more!) and I came across this gorgeous brass garland pendant by Tord Boontje (don't ask me how to pronounce THAT one!). Take a look:

It was love at first sight, and I got even more excited when I discovered that you actually form it yourself so each one is unique. I will definitely be investing in one of these puppies as soon as my wallet allows. The best part is, they aren't that expensive! I found the one pictured above on Amazon for only $72 with free shipping!

Tord is a designer from the Netherlands who has worked with a range of international companies such as Shiseido, Yamaha, Hewlett Packard, Bisazza, Target, Philips, Kvadrat, Alexander McQueen, Perrier-Jouët, Nanimarquina, Artecnica, Authentics, Meta and has continued his work with Swarovski, Moroso, and Habitat. In addition to his beautiful lighting designs, he also has an array of tableware, jewelry, fashion, accessories, stationary, and books. Check out his online store here. 

All of his work is very whimsical and enchanting. Here are a few of my other favorite things by him:

Lake platter in ocean:

Transglass, made from recycled bottles:

Table Stories: a collection of porcelain and glass tableware filled with drawings of flowers, deer, squirrel, birds, bear, butterflies, horses, bunnies and a peacock:

Have a fantastic weekend, until next time!!

xo

Design Dish with Michaela Warner

Happy hump day my friends! Today I will be sharing my interview with the beautiful and talented interior designer Michaela Warner of Michaela Noelle Designs. As I develop as a designer, I find that learning from others is imperative--whether they are decades ahead of me in their career or just a few years, there is always something to learn and I get to have fun in the process!

images source

Like me, Michaela was born and raised in the beautiful San Francisco bay area. How lucky we are to live in a place that is so diverse and inspiring! After discovering her blog and falling in love with her aesthetic and approach, I reached out to see if she would be willing to answer a few questions for my blog and she very kindly accepted! Yay! Since she is now living in Michigan, she agreed to a virtual interview. Take a peek:

When did your passion for interiors begin?

 I've always loved decorating, being creative, and crafting things for my room or house (or my parent's house!) It wasn't until freshman year of high school when I realized I could ACTUALLY do this for a living and go to school to become a designer. The passion for interiors and homes has always been there, though. I used to draw floor plans on scratch paper and then come home and build the floor plans out of block all across my bedroom floor!

follow the jump to read more!

Etsy Stores Worth Visiting

Etsy is one of my favorite sites to scour for treasures. It is jam-packed with talented DIY-ers selling their products. It can be so exciting to find something you love for your home as well as support independent business owners. You are also more likely to get unique pieces that few others will have, which is always a plus in my book! Here are some of my latest discoveries from this amazing online marketplace...

DendroCo

If you are a fan of reclaimed wood and wrought iron hairpin legs (which I LOVE), then this is the store for you. Based out of Chicago, Il, they make everything from reclaimed wood dining tables, to benches, bar stools, coffee tables, wine racks, media stands, chairs, kitchen counters, and much more! And their prices aren't bad either, the console table pictured below is only $180.

Sukan

I'm crazy into tribal patterns/kilim rugs right now and this store has some incredible throw pillows I've been drooling over... With over 70 pages of inventory, you are bound to find something you'll love!

mahzerandvee

"Home accessories in Color" is how this husband and wife team describSes their store. They are obsessed with 

color and you can tell by looking at their pieces! Usually you see busts in white or grey, natural stone tones. 

But mahzerandvee takes it to a whole new level...take a look:

Antique Collection India

You may recall that I'm a big fan of textiles from India from this post. Kantha quilts are so beautiful and are made from old sari scraps so each one is unique. They are fantastic to fold up at the end of your bed to add a punch of color, or to throw on the couch for a cozy evening in. I selected this Etsy shop in particular due to their amazingly low prices!

Panselinos

This shop based out of Thessaloniki, Greece boasts beautiful geometric light fixtures and organically shaped paper mache bowls in beautiful pastels and metallic shades:

Next week I will be interviewing a special guest, so stay tuned!!!!

Bohemian Birthday Party

Hello friends!

Its been way too long since my last post, things have been crazy! This weekend I had the opportunity to host my sister's 25th birthday party. We decided on a bohemian backyard theme, and of course I ran with it. She and I scoured our grandparents and parents garage for supplies--including everything from rugs to chandeliers and everything in between. I even ended up creating a DIY pvc pipe cabana which my little niece decided was her 'castle'. It was a beautiful and intimate gathering, take a look....

Green Design is Good Design, Good Design is Green Design

Happy Earth Day!!!

This is the motto inhabitat.com, a weblog that is committed to driving design in a more green and sustainable direction. In honor of Earth day, I decided it would be a perfect topic to discuss. You may be thinking, 'my house is several years old, what can I do to support the sustainable movement?'. Well, if you are a renter and can't make structural changes, there are plenty of other things you can do! Inhabitat.com is an excellent resource for finding attractive furniture and accessories that are made of recycled goods. Here are some of my favorites:

The Eames Shell Chair, now available in recycled fiberglass. These little gems can be found at the Herman Miller Store in a variety of colors.

My New Website!

Hello friends!

It's definitely been too long since my last post, so my apologies, I have been so busy lately. I just finalized my commitment to go to Peru this summer for two weeks to work with orphan children and I am SO excited to be a part of this trip. I adore kids and I have never been to South America so it should be an incredible experience. I've also been working hard at putting together a website so my potential clients have an easy way to contact me and schedule a free consultation, take a look:

http://www.kyrawilliamsdesigns.com/

It's not much yet, but once I get some professional photos done I will be able to include a portfolio which I think will make it a much more interesting website, don't you?!

Stay tuned, my next project is going to be tackling a gallery wall for my bedroom. I'm gathering some pieces I want to include and going over several arrangement options so get excited!!!

Until next time,

Kyra

Tempaper to the Rescue

Do you live in a rented space? Wish you could paint your walls a fabulous tangerine or perhaps a peacock blue but your landlord isn't on the same creative level as you? If so, your life is about to change. (Ok, that may be a little dramatic, but it's pretty exciting). Ever heard of temporary wallpaper? Well you are in luck because this month's giveaway will be your very own 20" x 48" self adhesive vinyl temporary wallpaper from Etsy!

Now the hard part, how to choose one?! The best part about this interior accessory is that it is non-committal...you can take it down and put up a new pattern whenever you want! No steaming off old wallpaper anymore. And what's great is it doesn't damage your walls so if you are in a temporary living situation or a renter this is one way to really spice up your space. If bold patterns on the wall seem too intimidating, give it a try on just one wall or in a smaller space like your bathroom.

Here are some of my top picks:

Etsy store: Betapet