This delicate and feminine glimpse from Knack Studio is seducing me with soft whispers of playful colors (click here for more on Knack Studio). The combination of newsprint and coral furniture is a match to covet.

I borrowed this bit from Barb Blair’s ravishing portfolio. Here are three (almost) effortless ways to realize a similar look inside your walls.

1. Newspaper taxidermy is a whimsical way to sculpt a newsprint pattern into an animalistic mount. Scroll through this Design*Sponge tutorial by Mollie Greene (creator of the handsome moose above).

2. Order this Recycled Glass Balloon Vase from VivaTerra to top your favorite horizontal surface. Sink any stems with large graphic blooms into this vase to balance the bulbous base.

3. Barb was gracious enough to share her finish selection – the elegant wall color is Forde Abbey by Ralph Lauren (you can always match the color in an environmentally friendly paint). Indulge in this guide if you need paint finish tips.

You can always visit the Knack Studio store for an original furniture design. Or enjoy Barb’s Before & After Basics column to whip up your own creation.

Visit all of EcoSalon’s “Get the Look” ideas for more inspiration.

The post Elegant and Effortless: 3 Ways to Recreate This Look appeared first on EcoSalon.

Meet Barb Blair. She is a goddess of sandpaper and paintbrushes, not to mention vivid color and stunning hardware. Oh, and she can rock a pair of cowboy boots. Jealous much? Me, too. Welcome to Knack Studio, where Barb strips away old paint and unremarkable features from found furniture and adds a brand new coat of charisma.

Here’s a delicious little sample from Knack Studio that will make you swoon. “Totally unpredictable. Perfectly imperfect. Completely Knack.” Ms. Blair’s sphere of perfection lies in “elevating found pieces of furniture from forgotten to unforgettable.”

Barb is one of those rare personable professionals who is generous enough to share her genius with the world – she writes a column, Before and After Basics, for Design*Sponge. I am completely obsessed with and addicted to her infatuating and informative tips on how to turn a forgotten piece into an unforgettable beauty. It’s kind of a dream of mine to spend a week (or a month?) in her studio soaking up her brilliance. From stripping furniture to flirting with paint, tape, stencils, and wax – click over and admire Barb’s creativity (maybe even get inspired to get a little paint under your own fingernails).

If you are more of a shopper than a (furniture) stripper (no judgment), peruse the Knack shop and purchase yourself a wooden prize of color and whimsy (Aziel really wants to come live in my bedroom). Don’t miss the blog either.

The post A Knack for Stripping appeared first on EcoSalon.

This gorgeous interior has transcended the appeal of season; it’s an invitation to curl up by the fireplace with a steaming cup of blueberry herbal tea to soak up the warmth of logs and cinders. The same space is a vision of fresh summer breezes wafting through the air while juicy watermelon is sliced in the vibrant kitchen. This home is begging to be relished year round.

The wildly talented Jessica Helgerson created the casual and whimsical interior design, captured perfectly by Lincoln Barbour’s photography.

The confection of contrast between deep ebony floors and woodwork and pristine white is a mastery of graphic shapes and negative space – all embellished by innate texture of material. Reupholstered and refinished vintage finds create a delight of mid-century lines and charisma. The coffee table gleaming among the flood of natural light is constructed from locally salvaged wood by architect Yianni Doulis.

The expansive white space of the open and alluring great room is balanced by the elegant earthy silhouettes of two antique Portuguese eel traps dangling over the fireplace. The soft color palette is accented by handfuls of muted translucent glass demijohn bottles and sprinkled with vivid veins of life – leafy branches.

This charming space was found lingering unassumingly on Design*Sponge (click over for more pictures!).

(Check out Jessica Helgerson Interior Design for a basic lesson on sustainable design and materials.)

The post Mid-Century Muse appeared first on EcoSalon.

Say it with me, “Oh, la la.” This is the Buenos Aires studio and office of Lula Aldunate, founder of Lulaland. Last week’s vision of salt soaked pine still has me (literally) pining for a studio; somewhere to create, imagine, escape, and hang a manifesto. Yes, a manifesto – like the gorgeous and glamorous gold-framed wonder above (if I ever take those Spanish classes, I promise to translate this magical string of words for you). Mr. Webster defines a manifesto as, “a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer.” It seems fitting that any art studio should boast a manifesto lingering vertically on a wall.

The walls of this warehouse can barely contain the color and character brimming inside. The personality of this space draws from the creativity of its designer and the charisma of vintage pieces.

This charming interior bursting of found objects and antiques was discovered among the treasures at Harmoni og Kontrast (another lovely find by Laila Kaldestad). For more blissful images, click through the original article (nestled in the archives of Design*Sponge).

You can bring home a little piece of Lula Aldunate with one of her lovely pillows – embellished with a handmade appliqué and infused with a touch of manifesto.

The post The Essential Manifesto appeared first on EcoSalon.

This week, we continue our Sheltered Life interview series with Grace Bonney, founder and editor of Design*Sponge.

Grace Bonney’s professional experience reads like a huge stack of your favorite mags; prior to starting Design*Sponge, Grace was a contributor for Domino, CRAFT, House and Garden, New York Home, Food and Wine, In Style, Better Homes and Gardens, New York Magazine, CITY Magazine, Time Out New York Kids, Archinect, The New York Post, Everyday with Rachael Ray and more. (There’s more?!)

Her down-to-earth tone combined with her compelling sense of shabby-chic style makes Design*Sponge the approachable and entertaining source it is today. From DIYs, to before and afters, to showcases on student design work, Design*Sponge is a blog bursting with inspiration.

A note to readers: Grace types in all lower-case, which I think is totally cute and wanted to preserve for this post.

It’s safe to say that your blog helped catapult the modern day DIY movement. We love the idea of taking something old and making it new again. Any tips on easy ways to incorporate DIY elements into our homes?

thanks! it’s been such an honor to be a part of this vibrant scene of crafters and DIY-ers. for me, the easiest way to incorporate DIY elements into your home is to upgrade existing pieces of furniture. that way you’re not buying a lot of new pieces and you’re working with something that’s already your style. i always suggest people consider paint – two ways. first, consider stripping the paint OFF a piece of furniture, sometimes the natural wood (which you can finish with a nice stain or coat of clear gloss) can be way more beautiful than the paint. but, if your furniture is made of veneer or something you don’t mind covering, a decorative paint job can definitely bring a boring piece of furniture back to life.

What was the most surprising thing you learned about sustainable design while compiling features for Design*Sponge?

at design*sponge we don’t focus on sustainability in a single, focused way, but rather by embracing the idea of re-using and salvaging as much as possible. i’ve cut back on the number of “new things” posts i do, and have tried to focus on providing content that will teach and inspire people to work with what they already have. i think the most important thing i’ve learned is that it’s never too late to teach someone to act more sustainably. i get the most wonderful emails from grandmothers and older readers across the country who’ve been inspired to pick up found furniture and turn it into something beautiful.

In your opinion, what’s the most important room of the house? And the most over-looked?

i think that really depends on each person. for me it’s the living room, because i spend 90 percent of my time there. but if i had a bigger kitchen, it would probably be the kitchen. but every family is different- some people always eat out, so maybe the bedroom is their sanctuary – or maybe you have a small bathroom where you decided to be bold and experiment with a bright color or pattern and that room brings you the most happiness. i think the most important room can be every room if you decorate based on the colors and patterns you really love.

What is your personal favorite flea-market find?

vintage boxes – i’ve turned them into rolling storage units, benches, shelves – you name it – i’ve turned a box into it.

What does “home” mean to you?

the place where my husband and cats are – that could be a hotel room, a vacation spot, or our small brooklyn apartment. if they’re there, i’m home.

What’s the simplest tweak you can make to a room that has the biggest impact (other than a can of paint)?

paint is king, but fabric is the queen. a simple staple-gun-upholstery change to chairs can make a huge difference in a room.

What are your 5 favorite eco resources?

inhabitat.com (blog)
branchome.com (shopping)
ecofabulous.com (blog)
treehugger.com (blog)
dannyseo.com (blog/ideas)

The post A Sheltered Life Interview with Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge appeared first on EcoSalon.