Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Fresh

Well, I've researched new talent. As I had expected, I found most of the great, young designers, artists, and so on through their blogs. I'm so glad I did this because it reminded me that my generation has a whole new exciting group of designers emerging. And many of them have the same great taste, style and class as the ones before them, but a fresh new approach.

To begin with, the best place to buy designs by students/emerging designers/emerging decorators/emerging artists is through some of the design school stores:

The fact that ShopSCAD features student work has nothing to do with the fact that I love this store. They have a great website, and I love the store in both Savannah and Atlanta. It just happens to be amazing student work. Here are some of my favorites:


As I've mentioned previously, I love quilts. But I'm so impressed to see a young quilter like Jennifer Jenkins. Quilts are such a great asset to rooms and too rarely used.


(Sidenote) This is a great example of a quilt in action. I think it is Sheila Bridges, but I cannot be sure because I got it from Domino.



This is the "Ultimate Table" by Christine Gentz. The tiles in the center actually would be incredibly useful. Flowers, plants... would appetizers be too much? Christine is getting her MFA in Furniture Design from SCAD. Rightfully so. I really do love the potential of this table.

RISD also has a good student shop, but they have more alumni than students featured. Click here to see it all.

While this is a bit abrasive once you realize it is a hand grenade, I still like the idea of this oil lamp. This is the work of Industrial Design grad Piet Houtenbous. It's also a real grenade, which is sort of a political statement/sarcastic joke/why do we have to over think everything it just looks cool.

I'm so impressed with all the student works I've seen lately, but I must admit I'm most impressed with the blogs I found. I love blogs because it shows where design stands and where it is moving, right now. As much as I'm in awe of new design and the future of design, I most love interiors that look back at the history of design and combine it with the new. One blogger who must know a lot about this is Abbey, who is in the Cooper-Hewitt Master’s Program in the History of Design. She shares her musings on Abbey Goes Design Scouting.


I like how she shows her inspirations, but adds her own, really great designs. This is her bedroom, and it looks great! Beautiful hardwood. I love knowing that someone else is being tormented by the Domino galleries! I spend more time drooling over the Domino galleries and the rest of the blog world than is healthy.


Abbey also does a good job locating well priced "finds." This is a great painting she found for $35. Wow.


Abbey apparently also does Paper and Vintage items on Etsy. All of her stuff is great, but love love love these retro matches. They would look great just displayed on a end table or coffee table.


Next young bloggers, or at least I think they are young, are Lauren and Emily who write the Material Girls blog. Admittedly, their blog says nothing about their age but they look pretty young and cute. (agreed? I hope they don't mind me borrowing this picture... hmm??) It seems one half is from Dallas and the other Houston. So I contractually have to love them!


I like how they add pictures of their own apartment. My friend just was asking me about well priced zebra rugs, and this is a great option (attention Mary).


According to her profile, Christie of Twenty Twenty-One is a student, but where and the rest of the information is a mystery. That's okay because she also has a great blog that features sleek, streamlined and Modern interiors. How cool is this room she found? Love those Saarinen stools.


My final find of this search is Haylie Bird Waring. She is a cute, artsy 23-year-old. She has more musings on her blog than interiors, but I think her posts are creative and inspiring. She does have serious design talent... this is her comfy room. And she just gets it... love her quote (per M.K. Rawlings), "I do not understand how anyone can live without one small place of enchantment to turn to."

I really enjoyed this project. When I first starting working in Interior Design, I was worried that there was no middle ground between the starched antique showrooms in decorative arts centers, and the stiff AutoCAD renderings of the new designers. But I am so wrong. It seems tons of young people have learned to combine the old and the new. And there are just tons of young people either waiting to be discovered, or already super popular and on the way to being the next Kelly Wearstler. But now I feel completely inept looking at all these talented people! Now I'll probably have to find a new "passion"... cheese?


1 comment:

Lauren said...

Thanks for calling us "young and cute," ha ha! We are both 25, so yes, we are young!

I love that you mention SCAD because I so enjoy perusing (sp?) their website!

Thanks again for the "shout out"

-Lauren
Material Girls Blog