Rebecca Atwood

Hi. my name is… Rebecca Atwood

My company is… Rebecca Atwood Designs

I’m the… Creative Director and Founder

I make/design/create… I design and make hand painted, printed, and dyed pillows as well as small paintings.

Something you need to know about me is… I grew up in a restaurant on Cape Cod - surrounded by the ocean, antiques, and great food!

Here’s how this company came to be… I have been designing home products for retailers for about 6 years and wanted a new challenge, and to create product that I believed in.  The idea to start my own collection began as a small idea and became something I couldn’t shake - so I decided to give it a try!  I’ve started small and I have plans to grow the business with each season.

My absolute favorite thing we sell right now is… That’s a hard one! Honestly everything in the collection is something I personally love and would have in my home.  That’s a rule!  A few favorites would be:

1 | 2 | 3

Here’s a sneak peek of something we’re working on now… I only made one of these over-sized (22”x32”) pillows, and decided to keep it for myself.  It’s so comfy and cozy, perfect for leaning into when reading.  This will definitely be something I carry in the next collection.

I’m most proud of… Taking the leap! It’s scary to take a big jump like this but I am so happy I did.

I really detest… I can’t say there is anything I really detest, but the financial aspects of running a business like bookkeeping are definitely not my favorite!

I could never have done it without this person… My husband Steve - He’s been so supportive and encouraging.

I consistently read these for inspiration… I am always reading blogs, and I never miss an issue of Lonny magazine.  My favorite printed magazine is probably Australian Vogue Living. I also think it’s really important to get offline, out of the magazines, and books and Pinterest.  I need to spend time making things in the studio, go to an exhibit, walk around the neighborhood – for me that is where most of the inspiration happens.

I would like to share the limelight with… There are many people I would like to work with.  I really love to collaborate with other creative women, which is what I did for my website.  I worked with Erika Brechtel of Small Shop Studio for the design, Zoe Rooney for the development, and Nicole Franzen for the photography.  I hope to collaborate with some key boutiques around the country next.

IMAGE CREDITS | All images provided by Rebecca Atwood, her site, blog & Instagram.

Provenance: Kasuri

The idea for this Provenance column has been in my mind for a couple of years, yet I've never quite had the wherewithal to make it happen in the substantive way in which I imagined it. For this reason, I am thrilled beyond words to have someone here now who is perfectly suited to pen this column because of her unique background  as a design historian and also because of our shared appreciation for a global sense of style that often times comes from  the use of age old techniques. Please welcome CLOTH & KIND's newest guest editor, Jacqueline Wein of the wonderful blog Tokyo Jinja. Jacqueline is an antiques dealer, design historian and “trailing spouse” living in Tokyo, Japan with her husband and two beautiful daughters. Tokyo Jinja (jinja means shrine in Japanese) tells the story of her travels throughout Asia and elsewhere looking at decorative and fine arts as well as chronicling her interior design projects. Always able to spot the proverbial needle in a haystack and sort the valuable from the junk, she combs Tokyo flea markets, better known as shrine sales, for treasures each week for clients around the world.  Porcelains, textiles, woodblock prints, baskets, vintage fishing floats, and katagami stencils are just some of the finds that come her way. And there is nothing she likes better than imagining and researching an object’s past and finding a modern day use for it. She cut her teeth at the 26th Street flea markets in New York and Les Puces in Paris, and honed her Asian expertise along Hollywood Road in Hong Kong. Jacqueline's incomparable background makes her the most natural guest editor to author this column, which offers a scholarly nod to the history of iconic styles in textile & design. KRISTA

prov-e-nance \ˈpräv-nən(t)s, ˈprä-və-ˌnän(t)s\ noun. the place of origin or earliest known history of something.

Guest edited by Jacqueline Wein.

These days, ikat has become a household word, extending well beyond those in the textile world. Kasuri, on the other hand, is not, although it is the Japanese form of ikat, in which the weft and/or the warp threads are tie and resist dyed before being woven. That simply means that very tight binding threads are wrapped around all the places that are not meant to take the colored dye. Traditionally, kasuri was made from hand spun durable cotton using natural indigo and patterns were white against the blue, created by those areas left uncolored by the binding threads. Like many other indigo cottons, these were everyday fabrics worn by the common people. Aptly so, as indigo is credited with having the ability to strengthen fabric, making it more durable, as well as being able to repel bugs and insects which makes it ideal for the clothes of those working in the fields. Even as late as the early 1970s, most rural workers in Japan were wearing kasuri garments and Amy Katoh, author and owner of the iconic Blue & White store in Tokyo remembers the gardeners around the Imperial Palace wearing it through the 1960s.

Over time, additional pigments and modern designs were added to the mix. Occasionally, I stumble across an unusual two-tone piece that is not blue, like this madder colored one, although these tend to be more recent examples. But most kasuri still has an indigo base, even the modern machine-produced ones.

The complexity of the kasuri technique lies in having to plan where the pattern will go, not just before weaving, but as the thread itself is dyed. The charm of the technique lies in the slight blurring at the edges of the patterns and images, giving the fabric a soft sense of movement. Most ikat is designed with patterns laid out on the warp – the stationary threads on the loom – which is much easier to produce. Kasuri tends to be weft ikat, which allows the weaver more control in varying the piece as they go, but is also harder to plan and create. The paler wispy white areas in these examples are woven that way. Solid white areas in kasuri are actually double ikat, meaning they have patterns placed across both the warp and the weft, which is very technically demanding. Interestingly, while there is a tradition of ikat in almost all world cultures, only three countries - Japan, India and Indonesia - produce double ikat. Kurume kasuri, as shown below, is a regional geometric form that highlights this double ikat very well.

The areas of single and double kasuri are also easily distinguished from each other in the traditional length of fabric sourced by designer Maja Lithander Smith and I in Kyoto, which she had made into this beautiful bolster pillow. And I love the textile play with the more common Uzbek-style ikat on the pillow behind and the Japanese classic asa-no-ho (hemp pattern) on the vintage geisha pillow on the side table shelf.

Much kasuri is comprised of small repetitive geometric shapes, but it is also possible to create images and scenes with the technique. Pictorial kasuri is referred to as e-gasuri and the variety of patterns is endless - from literal patterns like this butterfly, to allegorical ones like this thunderstorm dragon pattern. Debate rages about where from and when ikat techniques were introduced to Japan, and some even believe it was invented independently at the end of the 18th century, but either way, this distinctive e-gasuri is Japan's own.

Kasuri is width limited by the narrow loom size prevalent here, being approximately 12-14 inches wide. Weaving was and is devoted to making kimono and other garments, which are constructed of vertical strips of cloth sewn together.  A single tan, or bolt of cloth measures approximately 9-11 meters long as that is what is needed to construct a kimono. While it’s not unusual to visit antique markets and shrine sales in Japan with their racks of vintage kimono, it’s less common to come across great varieties of old kasuri ones, although I occasionally do. It’s eminently possible to take a kimono apart and re-use the fabric for other projects. Small vintage pieces perfect for modern day uses as pillows, table runners and accent fabrics are often found this way.

Larger items such as futon covers and furoshiki (wrapping cloths) were made by sewing strips of kasuri together. This early futon cover is made from hand-spun cotton and features both a realistic camelia and a stylized floral diamond called a hana bishi. It has aged and faded over time, adding to its charm and now displays beautifully as a throw over the back of a sofa.

Modern developments in weaving after WWII meant that yarn was no longer necessarily handspun and much of the dyeing process changed. Different kasuri stencil techniques emerged wherein the fabric was loosely woven first, stenciled with color and pattern, only to be tightly rewoven again. This sped up production and allowed for additional complexity in designs. Foreign influences and more varied coloration became common. Today, the word kasuri is often thrown around incorrectly referring to other kinds of Japanese textiles that use an ikat-like technique such as Meisen, Omeshi and Tsumugi silks, which were extremely popular from the art deco era through the post-war period.  Their designs were the height of modernity at the time, and still feel extremely fresh today.

Unlike the craze for colored ikat, kasuri hasn’t been commonly copied out in the mainstream textile market.  For larger upholstery projects Donghia makes a few kasuri inspired fabrics, including Yumihama, with its box well pattern and Kurume, a finely pebbled traditional pattern.

I am always hunting for vintage kasuri in good condition. If you are seeking Japanese textiles, including kasuri, shibori, katazome, tsutsugaki, silks, patchwork boro or anything else interesting please don't hesitate to reach out to me at jacquelinewein(at)yahoo(dot)com. And if you have any examples of kasuri in your home, please do share with us at info(at)clothandkind(dot)com.

Limelight: AphroChic

My company is… AphroChic

I’m the… Creative Director & Founder

I make/design/create…. Eco-friendly textiles and wallpaper.  At AphroChic we create pillows, placemats, table runners, organic shower curtains, and wallpaper all featuring culturally-inspired prints in a modern context.  Our company focuses on sustainability, with all items printed digitally including our wallpaper that’s printed with water-based inks.

IMAGE | AphroChic's Brooklyn Life Table Setting shot by Melanie Acevedo

Something you need to know about me is…. I’m a design junkie.  I write about it on our blog, instagram it, pin it, tweet about it, and it never feels like work - I just love finding new and incredible work that continues to inspire me.

Here’s how this company came to be… In 2007 AphroChic started as an after work hobby for me.  I wanted to fill a gap in the blogosphere, and write about culturally-inspired interior design, home decor products and art.  It was my outlet to write about the works of a diverse group of designers that I love.  Two years later my husband and I started a new adventure, designing our first collection of textiles that featured bright and bold designs including an over-sized ikat print, our silhouette pillows with Black women rocking afros, and our Reflection print with cool cameos.  The journey has continued since that time, as we’ve expanded our work to include wallpaper, and we’re now on the road to completing our first home decor book that will help readers bring their own cultural style home.

My absolute favorite thing we sell right now is… We just launched our spring wallpaper collection, and I am in love with our Juju Black & Gold print.  It’s so glamorous, and the light golden eco-canvas that it’s printed on has just the right amount of shine to make a room sparkle.

IMAGE | AphroChic's Juju wallpaper in Black & Gold. New for Spring 2013 at Graham & Brown.

What I'm working on now is… At night I stay up working on new prints.  There is one I’ve been playing with for some new designs we will release this summer.  Stay tuned for how we will apply it!

I’m most proud of… All that I have accomplished working with my husband.  Every day we get to wake up together and make our dreams come true.  It feels like a gift I’ve been given - to work with someone I love on what I love.  We keep each other motivated, and inspire one another to create beautiful design.

IMAGE | Smilebooth + Martha Stewart Weddings

I really detest… Emails!  There’s just so many of them.  It seems like no matter what time it is - first thing in the morning, or the middle of the night, I’m always swimming through my never-ending inbox. At the same time, I’m glad that it’s full of such interesting things.

I could never have done it without this person... My husband and business partner, Bryan Mason.

I consistently read these for inspiration… What inspires me most these days is Pinterest.  There is always so much beautiful content to explore.  I find that curated boards offer even more inspiration than what I see in magazines or on blogs these days.

I would like to share the limelight with… Malene Barnett of Malene B.  Her custom carpets are globally-inspired and absolutely incredible.  She thinks outside of the box when it comes to rug design, creating absolute works of art.  Her Wolof carpet leaves me in awe.

IMAGES | Top: Malene Barnett | Bottom: An assortment of Malene B's gorgeous carpets as seen in The Selby

#sharethelimelight

Anne-Marie Midy & Jorge Almada

Today's Show & Tell guests are Anne-Marie Midy & Jorge Almada of Casamidy. Their incredibly unique furniture company combines contemporary design with traditional artisan methods of manufacturing and the results are astonishingly beautiful. You may recall that Laura Aviva of L'Aviva Home mentioned Casamidy in her recent Limelight post here on the blog, and I've also been a long time Casamidy admirer so you'll find them listed in CLOTH & KIND's Little Black Book as well as an abundance of their pieces on my furniture board on Pinterest. I quite simply can not rave enough about the design and craftsmanship that is coming out of this beautiful company and so I'm thrilled to welcome Anne-Marie and Jorge to the blog today to tell us about a favorite textile that is in their home.

"We have a wonder fabric that we almost found by pure chance. In Mexico City there is an area that specializes in "lonas" (duck canvas). They no longer sell canvas, but plastic tarps. In a hidden shop and after much looking we found a waxed cotton fabric, which has proven to be an inspiration to many of our new designs.”

IMAGE | A fond memory from Jorge's childhood inspires his love for this fabric that he and Anne-Marie now use on many of their furniture pieces.

“The fabric is waxed and backed in vinyl. It is completely waterproof yet does not feel synthetic to the touch. We also love the grey-green hue, which is combines with everything whether it is set against iron, oak or bright colors. The fabric is very unique in that it is rigid without being thick. This makes it perfect for paneling over metal frames as the fabric doesn't give.”

IMAGES | Top: The fabric is used on the sofa in Anne-Marie & Jorge's living room at their home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Bottom: Their dog, Toka, resting on the virtually indestructible fabric.

“Because it is so perfect for weekend, summer or kids it enables us to design furniture that is really intended to be used in a rough manner.”

L'aviva Home

My company is…. L'aviva Home

I’m the… Founder/Owner

We make/design/create… We work with artisan groups around the globe 'cultivating' collections of luxe home wares (and we're starting to dabble in accessories, as well).

Here’s how this company came to be… L’aviva Home was originally meant to be a two-week long online trunk show, featuring favorite finds from my travels - many encountered during the time in which I worked as a creative director at Travel + Leisure magazine. And now, unbelievably, it's almost 5 years later. What we are doing and how we do it has evolved, but we're still working under the same basic premise - we're drawn to beautiful things, rooted in tradition, with great stories behind them.

My absolute favorite thing we sell right now is… I love, love, love our newest collection, our alpaca 'frazada' pillows. We've been sourcing the vintage frazadas from Bolivia for years. On my last trip there (the main mission of which was to spend time with the ladies who make our incredible hammocks in a tiny village just outside of the Amazon), we planted the seeds for this new collaboration with a group of weavers in the highlands. The pillows draw on tradition in a way that really exemplifies how we most like to work. The process of bringing this collection to be has been incredibly gratifying, and the pillows are striking + luxurious + make me really happy.

Bolivian Alpaca Frazada Pillows

Here’s a sneak peek of something we’re working on now…. This spring, we'll launch our Chiapas deck chairs. It's a true North American collaboration - a joint venture between us, the group of weavers we work with in Chiapas, and a small company in Canada which makes incredible wooden frames. And we're also playing around with ideas for a collection of indigo-dyed scarves made from fabric done by the artisan we work with in Burkina Faso.

NEW FOR SPRING 2013 | Chiapas Deck Chair | Indigo-Dyed Scarf

I’m most proud of…. In a global sense, it's the process of forming these artisan partnerships and effectively bridging cultures that I love most. I derive immense satisfaction from that part of it all. More specifically, I'd say it's the project we have going in Kyrgyzstan, working with groups of artisans there on the creation of our shyrdak felt rug collection. It's been a long journey (metaphorically, and literally) to get to where we are now with this collection, and we've built a really strong team during the course of it. I’m proud of the relationships we have forged and of how we are working together to keep the tradition vital and move it forward via the creation of really beautiful pieces.

Shyrdak Felt Rug + Pillow Collection | Available in Custom Color Combinations

I consistently read these for inspiration…. Essentially the first thing I read every morning, no matter where I am in the world, is Remodelista's daily newsletter. I love what Julie + her team have been doing there since the very beginning. I go through a ton of shelter mags, too. My favorites being the Frenchies (Cote Sud, Marie Claire Maison), The World of Interiors, and Australia's Vogue Living + Travel. And design books a-many - the latest to arrive here in the studio is Roman & William's new book, which I'm flipping through right now. And I'm just delving into Instagram - my attention span for social media can be super short, but Instagram really speaks to me. I love the idea of inspiration via eye candy snippets.

I would like to share the limelight with… I have a long-standing love affair with Casamidy. Jorge + Anne-Marie have phenomenal style, all around, as evidenced in the pieces they design for Casamidy, in their homes, and beyond. I admire hugely what they have built with their company - their ethos, their design sensibility... and they keep it evolving, it always feels dynamic. They really are, to my mind, inimitable. Many try, some quite shamelessly, but none come close to succeeding.

#sharethelimelight

Provenance: Kuba Cloth

prov-e-nance \ˈpräv-nən(t)s, ˈprä-və-ˌnän(t)s\noun. the place of origin or earliest known history of something.

ABOVE | Fabric Detail

Kuba Cloth is a rather magical kind of textile to me - it's organic and earthy, made in a primitive sort of a way, yet reads as quite modern when used just right in interior design. I've been drawn to it for a long time and have been collecting lovely vintage pieces that really strike my fancy whenever I stumble across them. Some I've used in my own home, like the one below, and others I'm saving for clients or to sell in CLOTH & KIND's online atelier which will be launching later this year (oh, if you'd like to be notified when the shop launches, please do sign up here).

ABOVE | My own vintage Kuba Cloth, mounted on nubby burlap and framed in a simple acrylic box, makes a total statement at the top of the stairs in my home.

Part of what makes ethnic textiles like Kuba Cloth so incredibly beautiful, at least to me, is knowing their history and understanding the time, technique, cultural significance and love that went into creating them. Is the same true for you? I hope so! It's because of this that I've created this new column. On a monthly basis Provenance will offer a scholarly nod to the history of iconic styles in textile & interior design. Since this is the first, please don't be shy about letting me know what you think and if you have any suggestions for styles you'd like to see covered in future Provenance posts.

ABOVE | Fabric Detail | Bedroom

ABOUT KUBA CLOTH Using the leaf of the raffia tree, the Kuba people of the Congo first hand cut, and then weave the strips of leaf to make pieces of fabric, often called raffia cloth. There are several different sub groups of the Kuba people and each group has different and unique ways to make the fabric - contributing to the wide variety of styles you'll find of this fabric. Some make it thicker, longer, shorter, or with different patches and/or colors. Each patch is symbolic and many times a piece has multiple meanings. When Kuba cloth originated it is thought that there were probably no patches used, but because the cloth is brittle it and tears easily, it's likely that the patches were used to repair the frequent tears. Later each patch developed a meaning and different patterns were uniquely arranged to tell a story. I love this... how the function ultimately became the form.

The process of making Kuba cloth is extremely time-consuming and may take several days to complete a simple piece. Both men and women contribute in equally important ways to the production of this fabric. First, the men first gather the leaves of the raffia tree and dye it using mud, indigo, or substances from the camwood tree. They then rub the raffia fibers in their hands to soften it and make it easier for weaving. After they've completed the base cloth the women set about embroidering it. They do this by pulling a few threads of the raffia fibers, inserting them into a needle running the needle through the cloth until the fibers show up on the opposite end. They use a knife and cut off the tops of the fibers, leaving only a little bit showing. Doing this hundreds and hundreds of times leads to the formation of a design. Kuba Cloth designs are seldom planned out ahead of time, and most of the embroidery is done by memory. In my opinion, this is part of what makes each imperfect piece so lovely and, clearly, so unique.

ABOVE | Bedroom | Chair

INCORPORATING KUBA CLOTH IN YOUR HOME Enchanted yet? There are so many ways that Kuba Cloth can be incorporated into interior spaces, and because of its dramatic design a single piece can make a major statement. Be sure to check out the shopping & inspiration resources below.

In addition to my own, I also wanted to share another Kuba Cloth wall hanging because I really, really love this as a way to showcase a long piece of this pretty fabric.

ABOVE | The Kuba Cloth above hangs in a long hallway of a gorgeous Streeterville condo in Chicago that belongs to a dear friend and former Condé Nast colleague of mine, Pam Dolby. It was placed by her talented designer Cindy Ilagan-Hengge, at the Kiran Design Group.

Admittedly, finding that one perfectly beautiful piece of vintage Kuba Cloth can be like searching for a needle in a haystack and the most stunning pieces are, not surprisingly, expensive. An alternative to finding an original piece of this fabric and transforming it for your space is to simply add a pillow or two. I've scoured the sources to share a few of my faves, some authentic Kuba Cloth and one awesome interpretation of it, complete with fun, shiny sequins, by Serena & Lily...

ABOVE | One | Two | Three | Four | Five

Kuba Cloth and the heritage of this type of fabric is so beloved by tastemakers that a few talented textile designers have created thoughtful interpretations. I simply love these three...

ABOVE | Mally Skok | Mark Alexander | Serena & Lily

Want to know more about Kuba Cloth and/or are you ready to shop? Check these out...

SOURCES | My Sources + More Information Africa Imports Kuba Textiles: An Introduction Wikipedia

SEE MORE | Kuba Cloth Pinterest Boards Inspired | Kuba ClothKuba ClothKuba Art Cloth

SHOP | Kuba Cloth Sources Africa and BeyondD. Bryant ArchieHaba Na Haba Hamill Tribal Textiles Kathleen TaylorL'Aviva Home Michael Donaldson AntiquesThe African Fabric ShopThe Loaded Trunk

Do you have a photo or story to share of how you've used Kuba Cloth in an interior space? Comment below and/or email it to info(at)clothandkind(dot)com and I'll post my favorites to my Kuba Cloth board on Pinterest, which will continue to grow and be an evolving resource for all things Kuba Cloth.

Glass Vase Bureau

This lovely dresser from Anthropologie incorporates fabric behind glass on the drawer fronts. Pretty, pretty detail.

Pulp Design Studios + Home

Our companies are….Pulp Design Studios & Pulp Home

We’re the… BETH: Co-Owner & Principal Interior Designer of Pulp Design Studios, Co-Owner & Creative Director of Pulp Home, founder & blogger of Hello, Splendor

CAROLINA: Co-Owner & Principal Interior Designer of Pulp Design Studios, Co-Owner & Design Director of Pulp Home, blogger at Hello, Splendor

This is what we do… Pulp Design Studios is an award-winning national interior design firm specializing in residential, hospitality, and commercial interior design. We turned love for custom product design and individual style into an upcoming line of home goods, called Pulp Home. The newly launched Pulp Home is a boutique online shop that will bring you original Pulp products, provide access to custom made-to-order pieces designed by Pulp Design Studios, and allow shoppers to experience curated products that have been used in Pulp Design Studios’ coveted spaces.

Pssst... Beth & Carolina have graciously offered a 20% discount on everything at Pulp Home exclusively to CLOTH & KIND readers! Enter CANDK20 at checkout (valid through 01.31.13). Happy shopping! There’s something you need to know about me… BETH: I’m obsessed with television. My very favorite hobby is to get sucked into a good show or marathon. Anything from The Walking Dead, Homeland, and my guilty pleasure Bravo’s Real Housewives.

CAROLINA: I’m a painfully honest person. You either love it or hate it, but you always know what you’re going to get. In fact, if I were a Real Housewife that would be my intro!

Here’s the scoop on how Pulp came to be… We both lived in Dallas and worked together in commercial and hospitality design. As Registered Interior Designers, we both knew how we wanted to do things as designers, and weren’t getting the satisfaction under someone else’s helm. We took a leap and started our company together with the hopes of creating a lifestyle for our clients and customers. We went from taking side jobs on the nights and weekends to now having a full-blown firm, with two locations across the country in Dallas and Seattle, focusing on residential and hospitality projects, and an exciting line of home goods in the works.

My absolute favorite thing we sell right now is… BETH: The Piper lidded box CAROLINA: The Baroque lamp Here’s a peek at what we’re working on right now… The very first Pulp Home original item available to the public is our Starburst Pull. They’ve been requested more than anything we’ve ever designed. You can really update any piece of furniture and make it something extraordinary with these pulls. They’re actually available for pre-order now! Use your CLOTH & KIND exclusive discount code to order them for yourself (CANDK20, valid through 01.31.13).

We’re most proud of… We are really proud to be able to bring great design to all walks of life. We pride ourselves on being able to work within a variety of budgets and have a high/low aesthetic. We have luxury apartments in New York, mansions in Dallas, and also humble brick Tudors in Seattle, along with small residences in Chicago. We’re bringing our home goods design to the market with a high/low approach. And, for those who simply can’t afford good design or even a roof over their head, we give back to many organizations like Dwell with Dignity and Habitat for Humanity.

We really detest… The worst part of our job is it’s unpredictability. But, it’s also the best. As a business owner, it’s a constant struggle to straddle the line of enjoying the unexpected... the client calls, the new opportunities, the fun of doing interviews that you just can’t pass up, and still being able to plan your time. It’s a double-edged sword!

We could never have done it without… Each other. This is truly a team effort. We’re very similar in many ways, but we also balance each other perfectly. Each of us comes to the plate when the other is not as strong and we allow each other to shine in the areas that we’re each good at. We consistently read these for inspiration… BETH: While I love to read, I’m a more visual person... Hands down, Instagram & Pinterest are what I pour over daily for inspiration.

CAROLINA: I have an unhealthy obsession with magazines! Elle Decor, Interiors Magazine, Harpers Bazaar, W Magazine, & House Beautiful are my top mags.

We would like to share the Limelight with… Jeanine of Aphrochic. We just love her aesthetic. We love her drive. And, the best part is that she is so truly genuine! #sharethelimelight

Jenny

Living Room | Chandelier

How impressive are the details of Oly Studio's beachy Jenny chandelier? I've had a long time love affair with this light fixture, which has only intensified since I had it installed in our master bedroom. It.is.gorgeous.

Wanting to know more about its beauty, I checked in with Oly and found out that the shells are all natural Capiz from the shores of Indonesia. Each piece of shell has 10-12 tiny hand-drilled holes which were strung together by hand to create perfect rows of glimmery iridescence that make up the majority of this fixture.

The effect of the light bouncing off of the shells when it's illuminated is simply stunning, not to mention the fantastic shadows that it casts on the ceiling. Jenny proves, once again, it's all about the details.

Chairloom

Our companies are… Chairloom, Co-Lab. & Super Rural

I'm the… MOLLY: Founder & Partner at Chairloom, Partner at Co-Lab. TRACY: Partner at both Chairloom and Co-Lab., Founder of Super Rural.

We make/design/create… Chairloom is an antique & vintage furniture reupholstery business offering (very special) fabric consultation to our clients. Co-Lab. is a collaboration between Chairloom & Super Rural. Co-Lab. is also developing a line of custom furniture pieces – benches, ottomans, and headboards. Super Rural offers Tracy’s infamous 'For Like Ever' prints.

Something you need to know about me is… MOLLY: Thanks to Chairloom, I’ve become obsessed with taking pictures. For this I am grateful. (Note from Krista: you definitely want to follow Chairloom on Instagram) TRACY: I am obsessed with design! And I have an amazing kiddo who has taught me to see so many things, among them to be grateful every day and to see the world differently.

Here’s how this company came to be… MOLLY: I’ve always been drawn to unique home furnishings and clothing, mostly due to textile appreciation. Chairloom is a marriage of unique textiles and unique furniture. When I was at the stage in life of needing to own furniture, I gained great satisfaction from choosing textiles & pieces that were “different” and my friends/peers pointed out to me that I had a unique “eye". TRACY: Molly Andrews is how Chairloom came to be. We met in 2010 while working together and our shared interests and experiences got us to talking. Gradually, ever so gradually, we just naturally started to collaborate. This led to Co-Lab., a collaboration between Chairloom & Super Rural and eventually to a partnership in Chairloom.

My absolute favorite thing we sell right now is… MOLLY: Co-Lab.’s benches. The century bench in Ryan Parker’s fabric and the X-benches like this recent one done for a client in Sister Parish’s Albert fabric.

TRACY: We have three amazing Milo Baughmann chairs for sale. They will all be incredible when re-done and I am anxiously awaiting someone to choose one and select an amazing textile. Space permitting, I'd redo this one for myself in a heartbeat. I also really love our custom pieces. There are endless options and opportunities for something perfect and special for your home in here.

I’m most proud of… MOLLY: Our philosophy of second chances. TRACY: I have to agree with Molly on our overall theme of sustainability through renewal and second chances - both literally and metaphorically.

I really detest… MOLLY: I wish we had a 20,000 square foot storage facility. TRACY: There is not enough time (social media could take up all my waking hours) or space - we are constantly bursting at the seams in our storage spaces.

I could never have done it without this person… MOLLY: A small business owner I know and friend named Kate Olson. She is currently taking a hiatus from the public design world. Not only does she have the best taste of anyone I know, but she escorted me to the Brooklyn Flea on opening day. I credit that event to Chairloom’s real start. TRACY: Molly Andrews! And my daughter without whom I might well be working regular 16-hour days in an agency somewhere...

I consistently follow these for inspiration... MOLLY: Lonny magazine, Rue magazine, Remodelista, Hable Construction, Walter G’s blog, John Robshaw, John Derian, Andy Spade on Instagram, Pinterest, Instagram, Anthology magazine. TRACY: New York magazine, The New Yorker magazine, Lonny magazine, Hable Construction’s various social media forms, Eye magazine, CLOTH & KIND, Pinterest, Elle Décor (mainly via social media), Monocle (my husband is obsessed with this mag – the design and content is impressive), T magazine, Vanity Fair magazine (guilty pleasure!)

I would like to share the limelight with… MOLLY: Proud Mary. TRACY:  Esther Ramirez who makes the most simple, sweet and gorgeous graphically bold prints and cut paper pieces.

Pass it on. #sharethelimelight