Happy Easter!

Designer, Thomas Ryan Barkman

Since 2001, Thomas Ryan Barkman has been designing and building cabinetry and furniture. Lucky for us he has expanded to create sculpture and accessories. Here are just a few of his fine pieces.

Italian Twosome

Design Week in Milan recently concluded and two standouts were Dedar fabrics and B&B Italia sculptural furniture.

Cubbies

Birthday Decor Idea

This photo collage arranged in a giant "50" makes a terrific focal point for a 50th birthday party. Sticking with all black and white images surrounded with pops of colors in the balloons makes a lot of little items look organized and focused for maximum impact. Party on!

The Power of Plants

Spring has sprung and I'm noticing what a difference plants can make. Here are some dramatic examples that demonstrate the impact of plants.

Cheese Please

For those who take their cheese seriously (or just like beautiful knives), Alessi has two distinct La Via Lattea Knife Sets, one for hard cheeses and one for soft. Each set includes a trio of knives housed in a heavy cotton roll-up wallet with leather tabs; the knives feature artisan blades made by Berti cutlers in Scarperia, Florence, which has long been a center of hand-made knives. Why not enjoy that cheese on Plancha's wooden plates and Hanablomst's large maple platter.

Photographer Michael Schlegel

A few images from Michael Schlegel's Iceland portfolio.

Recycled Envelopes

Sweet find: Nouveau Nancy's ribboned bundle of 12 minature envelopes, punched from pages of vintage music, maps, books, dictionaries, childrens books, and old french novels. The envelopes measure 1.5" wide x 1.75" tall -- Each bundle is only $3.00.

Selected Drawings Available on eBay

Currently $24.99

Currently $7.99

Currently $0.99

Currently $25.00

Currently $10.00

The Best Photo and Video Apps for Your iPhone

There are so many apps out there to contribute to the joy and creativity that you have with both the photos and the videos you snap with your iPhone. Steve Casamiro has a helpful summary of them all. Here is just one called the 8mm Vintage Camera for $1.99

The retro effects popularized by Hipstamatic are beginning to come into videos, too, and 8mm Vintage Camera is the best of the early bunch. It’s the most stable and offers the most control, whether you’re applying 1970s warmth or 1920s black and white, providing four film types and five lenses. There’s no limit on how long your clips are — but there is on resolution. Processing demands have restricted your output video to 480×260 pixels. And you can’t apply the retro effects to videos you’ve already shot.

Novotny Cabin, Decatur Island, Washington

The principal architects of Miller/Hull are native Northwesterners, and their designs echo regional cues. “They view the region’s modest utilitarian structures – the lumber mills, fishnet-drying sheds and forest-fire watchtowers – with a modernist’s love of structural clarity, taut skins and industrial materials,” says Sheri Olson, an architect who also writes for the Seattle Times. The Novotny Cabin was built two decades ago and from some angles can seem a very 1990s version of a cabin, while from others it appears perfectly timeless. From the water its distinctive, peaked roof looks decidedly Salem, Mass., circa 1600, and as a result locals have nicknamed the house, “The Witch’s Hat.”

The 840-square-foot structure is located in the San Juan Islands on Decatur Island, and is shared by two couples who alternate their visits there. Decatur Northwest, the development where the house is located, is a collection of several dozen architectural gems, with no house exactly alike. The entire 600-acre community is also owned in common; you buy in as a member, and share all of the land, which has been preserved in its wild state. Landscaping is strictly verboten, save in a tiny perimeter around each home. As is the case with much of the San Juans there’s good hiking, fantastic kayaking, fishing, and even singletrack on Decatur, although to visit the part of the island where the architecture is as compelling as the nature you’ll need an invitation, as Decatur Northwest is strictly private. Via STEVE CASIMIRO, Adventure Journal