Books, Bookshelves, and Collecting

Someday, I hope to have a giant library in my home, not only because I love vintage bookends, but also because I will be able to fully indulge my book and magazine collecting habits (read: mild hoarding). I’ve always loved having books close by, which is probably a genetic trait passed down to me by grandfather, who has the most voracious literary appetite I know of. I even took a Book Arts class in college, which only deepened my love for old books (and I got to take the class with Robin, which made it extra fun!)

With the Summer Flea Market season upon us, and Etsy filled with great unique options, there is no time like the present to read a great book by the pool, and to add some personality to your bookshelf. I love browsing the book collections offered on One Kings Lane, since many of their books are discounted; but I also like looking through used book stores (like this one in SF), and in the stacks at flea markets and estate sales. If you prefer to use your e-reader, however, and don’t want to give up a beautiful bookshelf or break the bank, I love searching through Etsy for “Vintage Book Sets” to fill out shelves with some color and history.

This summer, I’m hoping I can add a couple more volumes to my collection of painting books, both from flea markets and from some art exhibits I hope to visit here in the city. Do you have a type of book you like to collect?

New Traditional //The French Dog book , Once Upon a Time book, Burlwood box, Agate bookends, Vintage Globe bookends

Classic Prep // Camelot book, Camelot book, Iris Paper box, Pineapple bookends, Poodle bookends,

Creative Modern // Martha’s Vineyard, Contemporary Living book, Avedon: Murals and Portraits book, Orange Lacquer box, Concrete bookends, Hand bookends

Summertime Host Gifts

art book / journal / bottle opener / napkins / apron / cook book / mug / writing book / towels / soap

With summer officially in full swing, it’s nice to have a couple hostess gifts on hand for any impromptu barbecues or seafood boils you might be invited to. Luckily, Anthropologie has a bunch of great items in their Summer Tag Sale right now, sure to be perfect for any of the friends you might be visiting this season.

I like getting a couple of small things to make a themed gift, like:

• some fresh towels, soap, and seed packets for a friend with a green thumb.
• loose-leaf tea, adorable mug, and illustrated writing reference book for a budding author.
• homemade simple syrup and handwritten Rosemary Gin Fizz Recipe, with cocktail napkins and bottle opener for your favorite mixologist.

Have fun dreaming up your own gift combinations, and remember– when in doubt, chocolate is almost always appreciated!

Shop Spotlight: Teil Duncan

After seeing Society Social‘s new Magalog this morning, I fell in love with Teil Duncan‘s paintings. Her generous and creative use of color, and simplified brushstrokes create lovely impressionistic compositions that could be at home in most any art collection. I’m loving her new pieces about beaches and pools, but her nudes are fantastic as well– looks like they are almost all sold out though! I also like that she posts all her new work to Tumblr, so you can see the works that she adds every week. I, for one, will definitely be keeping a close eye on her work from now on!

All paintings/images from Teil Duncan’s web shop.

Summer Scents

1 – Illume / 2 – Kobo / 3 – diptyque / 4 – Voluspa / 5 – Jo Malone / 6 – Tocca / 7 – Fresh

One of my favorite things to do when I get home from a long day of work is sitting in bed in pajamas, reading a magazine, and lighting a candle.   Something about the flickering flame and the subtle scent is so relaxing.  I definitely indulge in high quality, luxury candles and it’s somewhat of a guilty pleasure.  I like to change the scents with the season, so here’s a list of summery candles that I’d love to have in my apartment.

I especially love the idea behind the Kobo candle packaging, which is biodegradable and plantable.  The panels in the box have seeds that will grow into the candle’s scent!  How neat is that?  With some care, No. 2’s packaging will grow into lovely red poppies.  This would be a great hostess gift as well – something to plant and look forward to in her new garden.

Shop Spotlight: Proud Mary

image via.

After spending most of the weekend under the weather and napping on the couch, I was reminded that I desperately need to replace my throw pillow covers in my Living Room. Enter Proud Mary, a company I first read about in January of this year in Matchbook Magazine. The line of “ethnic-modern” accessories is designed in South Carolina, and is sustainably made in partnership by fairly paid artisan groups around the world.

Inspiration For Your Walls

In my art hunt for my apartment, I found these prints by Sarah Tolzmann (blogger behind Note to Self, and creator of the Note to Self Print Shop) very refreshing and inspiring. What could be better than hanging one of her quote designs above your bedside table, over your desk, or in your entryway for a daily dose of motivation? Below are a couple of my favorite quotes, all available for purchase from her shop. I also love her bobby pins and sailor tee prints. Which one is your favorite?

both images via the Note to Self Print Shop

Embroidered Tea Towels

 

When I saw that Ikea sells tea towels for less than a dollar each, I immediately grabbed a big stack.  I knew that I wanted to spruce up a few by embroidering designs that match my kitchen’s color scheme.  I embroidered California with a star for San Francisco and my roommate embroidered the apple and lemons.

Embroidery is super simple and easy to learn.  Sublime Stitching has a great tutorial for beginners.  Once you learn a basic stitch, you can start embroidering tea towels, pillows, clothing, anything!

My California towel took less than 30 minutes to complete and now it hangs nicely with my vintage and handmade aprons.

 

 

Domaine Home

I was so excited to see that the WhoWhatWear team has launched Domaine, a shoppable online magazine dedicated to interiors. The site looks amazing, featuring everything from furniture makeovers by Kelly Wearstler, to advice on hiding your tv (with great example photos), to short one-room tours inside interior designer and celebrity homes. My favorite feature so far is the inside peek at Sara Ruffin Costello’s living room in New Orleans. Now all I want in my living room are turquoise walls, a huge palm leaf chandelier, a black and white striped lamp, and some gilt framed oil portraits to top it all off.

Additionally, I loved seeing all her favorite shops, especially the peek inside of Malachite. The shop’s interior looks like an incredible mix of furniture, pillows, and accessories, and is just another reason I need to visit the Big Easy soon!

All three photos via.

Shop Spotlight: Dog Eared Books

A couple weekends ago, while perusing the shops on Valencia in the Mission, we stopped in at Dog Eared Books.  Neither of us had ever been inside, and we had clearly been missing out.

They have an amazing selection of new, used, and rare books, and at great prices.  Naturally, we gravitated toward the fashion, art, and design books.  We were able to pick up some high quality, new and used coffee table books at a fraction of their cover prices.  Here’s how we styled the books in our respective apartments.

Allure by Diana Vreeland
Botanicals – Assouline
Henri Matisse: A Retrospective – MoMA

Robin: My bedroom has dark furniture with white walls and light, neutral bedding.  So to break up some of the monotony, I used my Dog Eared Books finds to add pops of color to my bedside table.  With the support of books, I was able to lean my framed antique postcard of the Flood Building I purchased at Stuff.   To add different shapes to the mix, I topped the books with my Voluspa Crisp Champagne candle and added in a terrarium.  These simple additions instantly made my bedroom feel fresh and lively.

Unseen Warhol by John O’Connor and Benjamin Liu
Baroque Architecture by by Lemerle Frederique and Yves Pauwels
Picasso: La Joie De Vivre, 1945-1948 by Palazzo Grassi

 Grace:  My living room is mostly neutral, with the exception of my bookshelf and art. To add some personality to my dark, industrial go-cart table from CB2 I stacked my books and used them as a platform to draw attention to some of my favorite objects. This includes a little blue and white pot I picked up in a Healdsburg antique shop, a childhood photo, an antique Berber necklace I bought in Morocco, and brass candlesticks and an acrylic painting from the Alameda Antique Fair. I love how the books give the lighter objects some weight and creates a small vignette of beloved memories.

All photos taken by Dressed in Orange.

Gem and Stone Print Shop

images via

Reading the Design*Sponge article this morning on gem scarves by Jen Altman reminded me of seeing her lovely print store, Gem and Stone, a while back. Her beautiful close up photos of minerals are showstopping, and provide a perfect mix of modern abstraction and organic warmth. As an apartment-dweller I’m always cautious about what I buy for my home, considering a piece’s usability if I were to move to a new location. Art is one thing I can always convince myself to buy: not only is it light enough to easily move from place to place, it can also be hung, leaned and layered in almost any room. I can easily envision my favorite, the Amethyst print, hanging above my sofa now, and in 10 years hanging it in my office, master bath, or guest room. As long as you truly love the piece, you will always be able to find a space to make it work!

Grace