Pipe Dreams

Some people are so damn creative. This wall unit and desk made from industrial plumbing fixtures featured on Remodelista today is the epitome of clever creation. And it's a beauty too. It is the product of the creative hands at Houston-based design firm Analog/Dialog. If you are as ambitious, step-by-step instructions for something similar can be found on The Brick House. I love the $200 total investment, but the head-ache sounds like it has a higher price. I was curious to see what else the tinkerers out there were making with plumbing fixtures, and here's what I dug up:


The shelving in the lobby of the iconic Ace Hotel in Palm Springs that inspired The Brick House DIY project.


A much less rigid, sculptural approach from Akke Functional Art.


A desk found on Apartment Therapy by and for Oat's graphic design studios.


Found on Curbly, these light fixtures were conceived by MESH Architects. Adapt the lessons from this DIY Plumbing Fixture Lamp tutorial from Man Made to throw together your own, or find pre-made versions on MESH Architecture's Etsy shop.


Also on Etsy, Stella Blue Designs Etsy Shop has an array of wall-mounting shelving and other storage solutions made from industrial plumbing supplies, including this smart corner shelf.

Deck the Walls

Two of my current clients are looking to create memorabilia and photo-filled collage walls, so I've been scouring the internet for inspiration while they lovingly collect family portraits, theatre tickets and their children's first scribbles. It seems that are no rules for the perfect grouping, other than DO NOT RUSH. The collection is the most important, which must be gathered and edited with great care. Then the chosen pieces and one's decor will dictate framing style, quantity and layout. It's a totally organic process with infinitely possible results. Here are a few of my favorite inspiration walls:


A wall in designer Scott Newkirk's home, found on Remodelista.


In this image, found on Traditional Home, designer Tobi Fairly proves that framed objects need not be 2-dimensional (like this collection of found seashells) and that the frames can steal the show.


Unified frames hung in a neat grid allow endless possibilities for color and photographic content.


Classic black and white photos in black frames on a white wall is always a fool-proof choice for a cohesive look.


But black frames also have the power to unify the most eclectic groupings on lively striped walls as well.


From Creative Index, ledges like those in this image are an ingenious solution for anyone who wants to continually rotate memorabilia and photographs.


Check out the helpful how-to on Boston's Apartment Therapy behind this AT reader's collage wall.

Take me to Ryantown!!

Wow, two art-related posts in a row. That's a first for me here on Baby Green. But my joy is uncontainable! With no mountain top to run to and shout from, this blog will have to do. I opened my daily Remodelista email this morning to learn that one of my all-time favorite artists Rob Ryan has opened a shop in London called Ryantown. Forget the mountain top, I need airfare to the U.K. immediately. And an art buying budget of a few grand. Not too much to ask for, right?



I have been coveting My Home (in Blue) since I first saw it years ago at Rob Ryan exhibit at the Earnest Cut & Sewn store in Manhattan's Meatpacking District:



Apparently Ryan has branched out into housewares including pillows, ceramic tiles and even tape, enough to fill a Columbia Road storefront in London, at least. I especially love this Everything Is Going To Be OK Ceramic Tile:



This book is the only Ryan piece I've been able to afford to date (although I have a good feeling someone is going to step forward with the airfare and art allowance, now that I've put it out there!). I've given it to a few dear friends and I have a copy of my own, as well. Even when I purged 100's of books in my move toward minimalism, this one remained a standout in my small remaining collection:



Ryan's adorable plywood growth chart, available through SCP:



And as if all that wasn't enough to make me say "screw the airfare, I'm going to just start swimming!!" Ryan has collaborated with London-based Mini Modern on this adorable Our Adventure wallpaper, available in 3 color ways:

Studio Gorm's Peg Garden

There are smart designs and there are super-genius-wow!-I-want-to-give-these-people-a-hug designs. The Peg Garden by Oregon-based Studio Gorm falls into the latter category. Thanks to a post about the collection on Remodelista, I am reminded once again that in the sea of mass production and the same old same old, there are still creative types striving for a perfect balance of form and function, using design for what it's meant to do: solve problems. This set would be perfect for my back yard, which is really just a 9'x9' concrete patio where sometimes I crave a table and chair and sometimes I'd like to nap in the sun. There's definitely not space for a chaise lounge, chair and side table and where would I store all of it out of harm's way in the winter? Bingo! The Peg Garden....for the sun-loving, space-deprived, neat freak like me!!

Hide & Sleep

Remodelista's recent post on alcove beds was inspiring; depicting innovative space usage, emphasizing the modern trend toward comfort, and making me feel an afternoon nap coming on. Here are some of my favorites from the post, with a few of my own window seat and sleeping nook finds added in:


A modern bed at the Hotel Aire de Bardenas in Spain (from Remodelista).


A built-in reading niche by Piet Boon (from Remodelista).


A built-in bed in Minneapolis, via Dwell (from Remodelista).


A window seat hideaway found in Ideal Home UK, via Dwellers without Decorators.


The perfect place to hide from the world.


As seen on The Green Door.


Guest room alcove beds from Posh Posh.




The two photos above feature a living room I designed in Atlantic Beach, NY and a close-up of the window seat lounge.


A cozy spot for reading and afternoon tea that I designed for a Manhattan client.

My Dream Kitchen

There it was, my dream kitchen, tucked away at the bottom of the Remodelista Daily email I opened this morning. I stared, I salivated, I called Ryder over to share in my awe. Much to my amazement, he reveled with me "Mom, that's an awesome kitchen." I may have lost him, however, when I started in on the perfect proportions, the ingenious mix of 'old' and 'new,' and the beauty of the polished concrete floors and reclaimed wood island.

Feast your eyes on Bay Area architect Ken Linsteadt's execution of kitchen perfect (in my opinion at least). I'm guess if I'm really dreaming here......I'd also like the Marin County home to go with it.....thank you very much.









(All photos above by John Merkl.)

Under Foot

The new rug collection that I spotted on Remodelista today is a true expression of "less is more." Gypsy/Maturin is a collection of rugs loomed from all natural materials like hemp, mohair and vintage Turkish Kilim with thoughtful, minimalist details in a pure, earthy palette. Somehow they are as modern as they are old-worldly, as delicate as they are raw. And just all-around beautiful.