SENSE: SMELL II

No doubt, summer in the city can assault the senses–all of them. Sometimes, a good scent can put you right. Aromatherapy uses plant oils to enhance both physical and psychological well-being. Lots of people use lavender, for example, to hasten and encourage relaxation. Think of the scent as an offering in a crowded subway, as [...]

SENSE: SMELL

When it comes to the fine form/function balance, candles should receive high marks in both categories. Our favorite candles are gorgeous to look at and to inhale. Nothing puts me in the mood for writing, romance, or cleaning like a good candle. Aside from the olfactory pleasure, lighting a candle to mark the beginning of [...]

TAXIDERMY

Taxidermy seems all right, in the eyes of many young artists and even vegetarians who wouldn’t be caught dead in fur coats.

Two sisters were featured prominently in the New York Times about their aesthetic largely based on dead animals and other stuff Edward Gorey would love.

We’ve seen taxidermy photographers.

But the most arresting taxidermy I’ve seen [...]

Behold, the Library Ladder

Little needs to be said about the beauty of the library ladder, but here are some new photos to drool over. Though most people think they need oodles of space to justify such a purchase, DesignSponge featured a small-scale use of built-in bookshelves with a ladder, today. As the photos attest, library ladders are not [...]

SUMMER GREEN

It’s hard to say what makes a plant a “summer plant,” aside from the season in which it thrives. These plants can be grown all year long, but still read to us as summer plants, reminding us that all is verdant. A few favorites include: angel vine, baby tears, air plants, maidenhair ferns, and oxalis. [...]

PENMANSHIP: CURSIVE

Despite occasional rumors of bans on cursive in elementary schools, cursive is still thriving as a design staple. I have lost the source information for this beautiful script, which is the handiwork of a high-end design firm. Anyone recognize this beauty?

Remember these beautiful worksheets?

SMALL, COOL SPACES

Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, of Apartment Therapy, has a new book out: Apartment Therapy’s Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces. Looks great, based on a few web-previews!

WINDOWS

In another life, I’d like to be a window designer. I think many people may share this daydream when walking past the Anthropologie windows. Recently, they did a number of windows with bent books and paper.

As it turns out, applications to be a window designer at Anthropologie are quite rigorous. Roxy Marj auditioned last March. [...]

LOGOS

Once upon a time, before these logos were ubiquitous, a man or woman sat alone in his/her room, hunched over a computer or drafting board, moving colors and shapes around. Ever wondered who was behind these famed logos?
Click here to read about the designers and their inspiration.

FONT: LABELS

The power of the label: When you’re young, your teacher shows you how to identify and label things. Kindergarten classrooms are filled with cheerful bins that are labeled: rectangular blocks and round blocks; felt; bottle tops; keys. I loved these labels then and I still love them now. Each summer we went to camp, we [...]