Twitter Influencer: Rilla Alexander

Rilla Alexander’s work as an illustrator, designer and storyteller resonates with charm and warmth. She is drawn to the simple things in life- a warm hug, a hearty meal and a satisfying sleep influenced by vintage children books and mythical stories. Her cast of creatures dance across Madrid’s Museo del Prado’s ceramics and stationery products, populate Swiss Credit Cards for Cornér Bank and rest on the walls of Hotel Fox in Copenhagen where she whimsically replaced the bed with a tent.

As a member of the collaborative Australian design and art group Rinzen, she’s published several books exploring the creative process and her lovely picture book Her Idea was released last December with an exhibition at Colette in Paris. Follow her on twitter to stay abreast of her latest projects and share in the adventures of a person as delightful as the characters she creates.

September 15, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Book Review: Design*Sponge at Home

The much anticipated Design*Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney is finally out and we couldn’t be more thrilled! The large and luscious book is a testament to all of the things that have made the blog the institution that it has become since it’s 2004 launch. Bursting at the seams, the book contains fifty exciting do-it-yourself projects; home tours of 70 interiors featuring artists and designers; step-by-step tutorials on home improvement skills; fifty before-and-after makeover submitted by readers; essential tips on flower arranging; and, not least, 700 photographs to boggle your design hungry mind.

We love the content and spirit of the site and its namesake book for making home design exciting, interesting and most of all accessible to all, which is, in our opinion, just as it should be. It’s not every day that a blog translates into a book as well as Design*Sponge at Home, so watch the trailer, pick one up to get inspired offline today. For more images, click here.

September 15, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Transcendent Bookshelves

Remember the amazing work of Deborah Bowness? Her bookshelf wallpaper made the rounds near and far a few years ago. Fast forward and we have literary dilemma on own hands. Hard cover books are quickly becoming romanticized objects as digital platforms such as the Kindle and iPad become preferred methods for consumption.

As a result, artist are reacting. Zero Maria Cornejo‘s current Fall collection incorporates a bookshelf as a print in her Fall collection. Using hardcover spines to create sculpture, Miler Lagos‘ latest exhibition, Home, reveals an igloo comprised of a defunct US Navy library. The foreign language dictionaries, medical reference series, geographical studies and psychology volumes create the igloo, which, to the Eskimos, symbolizes a place where knowledge is transferred from generation to generation.

September 14, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Confining Soft Geometrics

Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I’m very passionate about technology in the print, pattern and color departments. As much as I love documenting the internet’s future unfold from a visual point of view, I also love finding organic solutions to daily design dilemmas.

This leads me to today’s feature on soft geometrics. Rough-cut collages have been popping up all over ffffound and Pinterest filling mood boards and music posters for over a year now- it was but a matter of time before artists and designers started applying a commercial hand, reinterpreting their voice through this jagged aesthetic.

Cynthia Rowley’s current Fall collection reminds me of a God’s eye craft project, it also looks like a texturized version of my old portfolio site, Pixel Rumor. Ana Montiel‘s most recent collaboration with Nina Ricci reveals a stunning work in progress of diamond-cut shards, texturized into the shape of a heart. Proving the iPad can serve as a canvas, paintbrush and scissors, Nathalie Chikhi has created a series of digital designs. All beautiful, inspiring and infused with a feminine hand.

September 13, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

NY Fashion Week SS12: Morgan Carper

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It’s been a pleasure watching Morgan Carper evolve as an artist, designer, and friend. For the past few seasons I’ve been awed by her seamless ability to merge elegance with wearable style, keeping true to her Nebraska roots and vision for her brand. Her pieces are aspirational, yet highly flattering for women of all ages.

This season’s no different, in fact, Morgan’s upped her game by a lot. Presenting a tremendous collection that incorporates fluidity with sequins, fringe and leather textures, the overall mood is French in sophistication and desert-like in spirit. The printed patterns merge soft coral and nude hombres with navajo themes. The larger graphic styles combine ikat and chevron styles. Take a look and enjoy the slideshow!

September 12, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Typographic Ink Drawings at Ikea

For those of you who don’t know about Laurie Rosenwald, you’re missing out on a whole world of wit and creativity. I was first introduced to her at the PSFK conference several years ago and she blew the audience away with stories from her workshop, How to Make Mistakes on Purpose.

Ikea’s latest collection showcases the work of Laurie’s Beckman students. The above design reveals freeform typographic bedding– a playful approach that snubs perfectionism. Everyone who takes the class seems equally inspired, this is my favorite review: “Laurie’s workshop was great fun, fast, funky, backwards and rewarding! Cool lady!”