Helpful Little Friends

 Scattered throughout our yard are 

lots of buckets and containers for flowers and shrubs

 This cutie hangs on the front porch

 

 I have been seeing these guys hanging around lately...hum?!

Karin Blake: design retrospective

 Many months ago I did a little post about a designer that has influenced me probably more that an other...and just the other day I received yet

another comment about her 

and how wonderful her work is

 Her name is Karin Blake and her designs are timeless, 

 striking and very personal 

 Perhaps the most important aspect of her work lies in her love of 

American Folk Art

 She is a true minimalist and shows us that less
is indeed more

 Karin's work is so true and consistent
that you immediately recognize it as hers 

 Many of her bedrooms feature a black bed
and almost always a four poster

 She began mixing industrial and utilitarian objects with folk art 

long before it was common

 She often has collections of firkins...
I was so taken with these that I started collecting them too...
almost 20 years ago 

 Old bikes and trikes find their way into her rooms as well

 Every house seems to include a bit of something red

This is Karin at the front door of her own house 

on the east coast

 Many of the homes she has designed are blessed with
spectacular settings and architecture

 Somehow this room seems very cozy despite the size
 and the soaring volume of this space

 Even in many of the larger homes
she manages to find that cozy niche
that she knows will most likely be a favorite of the homeowner

 Karin's kitchens are often  similar and always
open and uncluttered and minimalistic

 The warmth of the wood...from the floors, to the built in details
 is so beautiful

 Many of the furnishing are antique but she also uses furniture
that is new and modern and blends the two 

beautifully

 Both of these rooms are especially beautiful
in their simplicity and use of Folk Art and color

 Amish quilts, often very geometric
are a signature  component...
I have often wondered what her trick is
to hang these without damaging the textile

Another spectacular kitchen above....and how amazing is the stenciled floor!

 This is really one of my favorite bedrooms 

 Or maybe it's this bedroom.....?

 Or this one!

 This bathroom was an inspiration for my own

 These and many more photographs can be found on the 

Architectural Digest web site

here

Thanks you Ms Blake for the many years of inspiration!

Have a simple and happy weekend!

kelley
; 0 )

Doug Strickland: Artist

I'm not actually sure how I stumbled onto this amazing artist

but his work is simply wonderful.  I have a framed print of the work above and it is stunning...even as a print!

 His name is Doug Strickland 

and he lives in North Carolina.  

He is a portrait, landscape and still life painter 

who is deeply in touch with rural America

 He paints primarily the every day comings and goings 

of small communities...which are probably not far from where he lives.

 There is a really magical touch to his work 

and he draws you into the location 

 When I look at these, I get a true sense of the moment in time 

that the painting is capturing.

You can almost hear those little chickens clucking....

 The simplicity of the subject matter is what I really love 

 He does commissions of family members and pets as well!

 You can view his web site and more of his work here

Hope you have enjoyed a little sample of Doug's work.

Have a wonderful and simple weekend!

&

Thanks for stopping in....

kelley