CLOTH & KIND has moved!

CLOTH & KIND has a pretty new home! Please visit http://www.clothandkind.com/blog.
See you there!
Krista

a day of 3 firsts

1. Profile of Zak Profera's new company, 

ZAK+FOX, and the launch of his first textile collection (amazing).

2. The first cloth & kind Proust interview, featuring Zak Profera. Proust is a brand spanking new column in which I interview the most sought after textile and interior designers using a popular 19th century parlor game (such fun). 

3. The first ever cloth & kind giveaway (from the debut ZAK+FOX collection)!

.........................................................................................................

*For full info on the origins of cloth & kind's new Proust column, see the p.s. at the bottom of this post.

What is your idea of perfect {design} happiness?
Being surrounded by the things I love.

What is your greatest fear {in design}?
Nothing – everything can always be changed or fixed.

Which historical {design} figure do you most identify with?
Maybe a caveman – I kind of love the wheel.

Caveman's wheel

Which living {designer} do you most admire?
I’m too much of a Libra to commit to just one.  Every great designer brings something unique to the world. 

What is your greatest {design} extravagance?
My design based on the exquisite 17^th century Matahari cloth owned by Karun Thakar.  It’s quite minimal and super courageous while still being totally usable.

17th century Matahari cloth

When and where were you happiest {with your design}?
When I saw a strike-off of my Takigawa design for the first time, I knew I was on the right track.

Takigawa

What do you consider your greatest achievement {in design}?
Launching my own business — it’s far more work than I’d ever imagined (and totally worth it).


If you died and came back as another {designer} or design object what do you think it would be?
A Noguchi light sculpture.

Noguchi light sculpture

What specific {design related} talent are you lacking that you would you most like to have?
I wish I were brave enough to handle electrical wiring.


What is your most treasured {design-related} possession?
I have a gold-painted concrete statue head that I found, face-down on the street in front of an old seminary during one of the worst storms that had ever hit Manhattan.  It’s not that large, but it has to weigh over 100 lbs…so naturally, I had to have it.  It lives peacefully on my terrace now.

Zak's concrete statue head

What do you regard as the lowest depths of misery {in design}?
Fashion in lieu of comfort…except sometimes.  There are always exceptions. 


What is your motto {in design}?
Everything in your home should have a story behind it – or you should just find it to be extremely beautiful (see previous answer re: exceptions).


What is your favorite {design-related} word?
“Moment.”


What is your least favorite {design-related} word?
“Moment.”


What turns you on {in design}?
When things are designed with and collected with the heart, not with the intention to impress.


What turns you off {in design}?
Egos.


What is your favorite curse word?
I’ve been known to freely fling F-bombs.


What profession other than {design} would you like to attempt?
Secret agent.  Travel, adventure, and a bit of mystery.  What’s not to like?

 

     .........................................................................................................

The absolutely gorgeous textiles from Zak's collection are simultaneously old world and totally modern.

above: postage in ink, volubilis in umber, takigawa in ink

above: matsu in rust, karun in rust, plus in rust/umber

One of the many things I adore about this collection is that Zak takes the time to explain the story behind each design motif. “An object becomes so much more interesting when a little bit of history is revealed”, says Zak. I whole-heartedly agree, and urge you to spend some time on ZAK+FOX's site learning more about the inspiration for each textile. I felt as if I was wandering through a museum, reading about the provenance of each lovely piece and taking in the history of it all. This collection evokes the best kinds of emotions.

.........................................................................................................

And now, the part you've all been waiting for... the giveaway! It's Zak's first and my first, and I can think of no better person to share this first with. We are thrilled to be giving away this beautiful 22" Katagami pillow in Snow. It's down-filled and backed with solid, unprinted linen. 

Here's how it works. Leave a comment on cloth & kind telling us which fabric from Zak's new line is your favorite, then visit zakandfox.com to join Zak's mailing list (he promises not to barrage you with emails) by entering your email address in the field in the upper right corner of the home page. That's it! Entries will be taken from Monday, 2/27 - Friday, 3/2 at 5 pm EST. 1 entry per person, please. We'll announce the winner next Monday!

          *p.s. Here is the back story on my new Proust (pronounced Proost) column... 

Marcel Proust

Before cloth & kind, my all-time favorite job was working at Vanity Fair magazine. Each month, they profile celebrities on the back page in their infamous Proust questionnaire. The probing set of questions originated as a 19th-century parlor game that was made popular by Marcel Proust, the French essayist and novelist, and his peers. He thought that an individual’s answers were the way to reveal their true nature. The questionnaire concept as a means to interview people was first used by French television personality Bernard Pivot and many other journalists have used the questions in interviews as well. I’m putting a new spin on the questionnaire and will be asking the most talented textile & interior designers to answer the questions with design in mind. If you are inclined to take your own Proust questionnaire, you can do so here. Vanity Fair will even will tell you which celebrities you are most similar to based on your answers. 

p.p.s. I think that Zak's Shiba Inu, Shinji, and my two Shiba girls (below) just might be new best buds if they ever met.

letterpress love

My new business cards are here and I couldn't be more thrilled with how they turned out!  There's just a wee touch of gold foil and the rest of the text is cool grey.  

What do you think?

I worked with Spark Letterpress on the cards and can't recommend them highly enough!

In these shots, the cards are sitting upon swatches of pretty fabric (but, of course). Tabitha and Chevron, both in the colorway Neutral, are from Madeline Weinrib.

Next up... the debut of my new blog design. It should be live within the next couple of weeks. Please note that when that transition happens, my new blog address will be www.clothandkind.com. 

However, I will be posting a few special things before then. Check back on this coming Monday for my first ever giveaway - it's a good one!

i'm a planner

Anyone who knows me well knows that I'm a planner at heart.

 Now that I've taken BlogShop and have the power of Photoshop at my fingertips {quite literally} it's opened a whole new world for me. So please pardon my absence on the blog  while I plan and design the days away for the next few weeks. When I'm back, cloth & kind will be all the better for it, I promise. {hint, hint...I'm working on my first ever schedule for daily columns plus a new design aesthetic}.

In the meantime, I'll still be very active on Pinterest, Facebook & Twitter. 

See you soon!

inspired {nautical}

This is the first post that I designed in Photoshop (self pat on back!) I took BlogShop this past weekend in Austin and literally can not recommend it highly enough! Bri {of Design Love Fest} and Angela {of Angela + Ithyle} are amazing teachers, and pretty much just all around fantastic people. I learned so much and have a newfound sense of inspiration for my blog because now I know how to actually make things look as pretty as I envision them in my head.

Anyway, we're planning a trip to Florida for next month so I've had beach on the brain, big time. I've always been inspired by watery blues and beachy imagery in interior design, but in low doses please. Just choose one or two things to avoid the "themed" look to your interior space. Here's a few suggestions that would look as amazing in a beach house as they would in an urban living room.

1. blue octopus from lord bodner london georgian era 1826 original copperplate engraving from natural curiosities

2. from the deep dinnerware from anthropology

3. spiny lobster by united thread from etsy

4. antique seashell graphics from the graphics fairy

5. large seashell collection from south of market

There's a bunch more nautical design goodies, including fabrics, rugs and wallpapers, in my new inspired {nautical} folder on Pinterest - check it out!

blogshop fun

Look what I'm learning to do in Photoshop at BlogShop! Such fun. 

{Top Left: Aquarius in Saphire by Eskayel, Top Middle: Edo Linen in Teal by Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa, Bottom: watery blue paper texture provided by BlogShop}

{Facebook button animated with Freeform Arrows in Navy by Domesticate from Spoonflower}

More design goodness to come.

right here, right now {a quiet entrance}

Right here, right now

 I'm thinking that this quiet entrance space by designer Betsy Burnham is pretty perfect.

{via Fabulous Designer Foyers, House Beautiful}

the textile files {blues & greens}

Here's a peek at a palette of soft blue & green fabrics {with hints of gold} that I'm working on for one of my clients. 

Clockwise: Sahana Ikat in Indigo from Schumacher, Dakar Baby Alpaca Blanket by D. Bryant Archie {via Eskayel}, Sea Urchin in Teal/Dove by Kelly Wearstler {via Lee Jofa Groundworks}, Saree Stripe in Opal from Schumacher.

I'll share photos of the room with you once it's been installed. In the meantime to get your own fill of textile based inspiration, check out all of my favorite fabric selections on Pinterest in The Textile Files.  The files are sorted by color which makes browsing easy.

Which color palette do you love best? Mine changes by the day/my mood. So many amazing fabrics in an endless array of colors & possibilities to choose from!

inspired {metallics}

Happy 2012 to everyone! How was your New Years Eve? Tell me all about your fun filled night, whether it was a mellow evening at home with family and friends, like mine, or a rowdy night out on the town. What was the highlight of your last night in 2011?

I must still have all of the glitter and glamour of NYE on my mind because I can't stop thinking about the lovely metallics I've been seeing everywhere.

Clockwise: Painted Border Pillow in Gold from Nest Interiors, Upgrade Glass Collection from Slovakian designer Tomas Kral {via dezeen}, Willow Pillow by Josey Miller {via BurkeDecor.com}, Zig Zag Tray by upintheairsomewhere {via Etsy}.

Clockwise: Plated Tumblers {source unknown}, Chambord French Press from Bodum, Rondo Gold Cutlery from Cutipol {via Horne}, Gilded Porcelain Bowl from Wendy Haworth {via One Kings Lane}.

 Speaking of metallics in the kitchen, it's so refreshing to see brass and gold starting to appear in well-appointed kitchens again. At last, a break from the monotony of all stainless steel and chrome. I personally love the look of mixed metals. Much more lived in looking... Not too perfect. 

Left to Right: Hood & Range from La Cornue, as seen on Amber Interiors Blog.

What do you think? Would you ever put brass or gold accents in your kitchen?

If you have not yet gotten your fill of metallics, visit my new folder on Pinterest called inspired {metallics} to find all of these images plus a whole lot more metallic goodness.

Have a great Monday!

Happy New Year

Goodbye 2011. Hello 2012. 

May it be a year filled with love, laughter, creativity and all good things for each of you.

{Cheers! Coasters from Sugar Paper, $26}

Happiest of Holidays

Luli Sanchez, Stripes

Joy, Light & Peace

For everyone celebrating the first night this evening, I wish you a Hanukkah filled with joy, light and peace.

John Robshaw Spring 2012

John Robshaw's Spring 2012 collection is available now. As always, it's filled with gorgeous pops of color and lots of fresh new designs. The love affair continues.

If you missed my post last year at this time, check it out now to get a glimpse inside the beautiful John Robshaw studio in New York. For the full Spring 2012 catalog, click here.

Tangerine Tango

I adore orange (our living room is drenched in varying shades of it), so I was thrilled to hear that Pantone's 2012 color of the year is Tangerine Tango. It's such an invigorating color! Here's a few of my favorite textiles in this vibrant hue.

For specifics on each fabric, click through to The Textile Files {Orange} on Pinterest.

So which one sends you into a tango?

A Colorful Morning

Good Monday morning! How was your weekend? Mine was especially amazing because I'm in Seattle visiting my sister and brother-in-law, Elise & Richie, their two adorable newborn twin boys, Ben & Luke, and my first and most awesome nephew (now officially "the big brother"), Taj. It's blissful to spend days lounging with the newborns whose needs are so simple - just to be fed and loved and changed. Their coos are incredibly sweet. It almost makes me want to have another baby. 

(Michael - if you're reading this, don't worry. I said almost).

Before I head back to rocking and loving those babies, I am taking a few minutes to play around with one of my favorite iPad apps. It's the House Beautiful HB Color app. 

Do you have it too? What's your favorite part? Right now I'm using it to look for the perfect hue of peacock blue/green for a project I'm working on. If you're not yet familiar with it, take a little video tour with House Beautiful's editor in chief, Newell Turner.

Once you have it, you must share what your Color Personality is and if you think it's accurate! It's like color based astrology and is way too much fun to play around with. Mine is...

INDIGO

A brilliant old soul who is intuitive, sensitive, impulsive, curious, and ambitious, with a great lust for life.

Other than brilliant, I would say it's quite accurate.