Design for a Designer

A remarkable collaboration between Croatian design studio Mireldy Design and Mateja Kovac, a Croatian illustrator and academic painter.

Mateja asked us to create a new visual identity and design for the promotional materials of her brand. We found inspiration for her new visual identity in her gestural strokes and the playful color palette which Mateja uses as a starting point in her creative work. With that we emphasize spontaneity and lightness, as well as refined taste in colors and shapes, by which the illustrator attracts us into her intimate world influenced by simple, day-to-day moments.

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One Does Like a Little Color

In these wintery, bleh days, one needs a jolt of color, no? In times like these, I like to explore the blog, Love Print Studio, who always seems to have gorgeous collages to tempt my palette (see what I did there?).

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That Elusive Cool Factor

This video does a pretty good job of describing how familiarity + surprise combine to create trends people want in on.

Although trends might seem completely random, there are well-documented patterns to what becomes popular. A 20th century industrial designer, who created some of America’s most iconic looks, developed a theory of coolness that has been backed up by various scientific studies. Derek Thompson, senior editor at The Atlantic, explains the science behind why we like what we like.

Playful Pottery

Just discovered these lovely, whimsical ceramics from Knotwork LA. Ignited by a “desire to create beautiful, useful things”, these pieces are made by hand & no two are alike.

Long Oval Catchall, $78

Tumblers, $48

Camo Pitcher Set, $255

 

Incense Holder, $24

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Pantone’s Color of the Year 2018: Ultra Violet

So there it is… Purple. Okay, fancy purple. Purple about which they penned:

Complex and contemplative, Ultra Violet suggests the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead, and the discoveries beyond where we are now. The vast and limitless night sky is symbolic of what is possible and continues to inspire the desire to pursue a world beyond our own.

So, there’s that. Except… I dunno. I think of purple as being for Unicorns and my 10-year old niece’s new bedding, and gypsies’ scarves, and grape popsicles. Do I really want a purple couch? If I think about it – do I really want purple  a n y t h i n g ?

So I’ve done a bit of soul searching. And while I’m still squarely in the skeptic box, I’m opening my mind a tad.

ABC Carpet – 8′ x 9’3″ Color Reform Spectrum Overdyed Rug, $3680

Anthropologie – Bowen Chair, $1100

May Day Studio – Letterpress Birthday Card, $5

A Cats Life Pottery – Macha Tea Cup, $24

Chanel – Nail Polish, $28

Compedium – Here & Now Composition Notebook, $7

Tom Dixon – Flask Oil Ball Pendant Light, $350

Ultimate Sheepskin – 11″ x 22″ Mongolian Lamb Pillow, $86

Anthropologie – Chained Prisma Mirror, $58

CB2 – dip milky purple double old-fashioned glass, $5.95

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Fresh Flowers

It’s cold in these parts. REALLY cold. The kinda cold where you imagine maybe staying safely tucked away in one’s home until April or so. And so what I need today is a little happy reminder of things to come, in the form of an assortment KT Smail’s delightful floral illustrations. Ahhhh, that’s better…

KT Smail was born under the purple skies of Scotland and graduated from Edinburgh College of Art with a First class (hons) degree in Illustration. She now lives in Brooklyn, New York where she works as an illustrator, painter and art director.

Spring Summer 2018 Color Trends – from Design Options

From Design Options, a fabulous CA-based color forecasting company: a preview of upcoming interiors color trends for the Spring Summer 2018 season.

Images courtesy of WeConnectFashion, an awesome company that helps fashion companies succeed through business networking, market research & fashion industry know-how.

 

Edgy Wood

Fans of live edge, rejoice! Rustic Trip is an Etsy shop that specializes in creating furniture pieces (like headboards, tables and the like) out of enormous slabs of live edge wood. Yes, they’re spendy – but sooooo gorgeous!

Oh So Pretty Palettes!

A breath of color & pattern from Pattern Curator…

Plug it in, Plug it in

I’ve been looking for a cool plug-in sconce and may just have stumbled upon exactly the right thing. From Nino Shea; a lighting and housewares Easy shop handcrafted by Molly Shea Ryan in Los Angeles, CA. (Click to shop!)