Goodbye and Welcome

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Goodbye and Welcome

Okay, I'm doing this.  First off, this is not really good-bye at all, it's just the end of the first act. For the past 3 years I have been burning my fingers with hot glue, camera hanging around my neck, cobbling together what is now an archive of over 450 posts, many of which capture my children in sweet, well-lit moments, growing older before my eyes. Poppy Haus was the project I created to help stay engaged with the outside world while getting them through their early years at home, a period of time for me to consider my next professional step. What began as Make-Do, a little blogspot journal, quickly grew into the Poppy Haus before you today. It's become so much more than I imagined it could ever be, and I've become more of a blogger than I ever originally intended, going to conferences, leveraging social media, working with brands. In the end, it's the writing, photography and working on composition, color, styling that are the true joys of my day. I will continue to do them, but this little spot on the interwebs is moving forward.  

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Orla Kiely

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Orla Kiely

Perhaps I am needing a moment to procrastinate on all the packing and loan doc drama that takes place the week you close on a house. 

Perhaps I need a moment to channel my inner Peggy Olson right now, the Mad Men final season begins next week, and since I'm about to move to a 1968 split level ranch in "original" condition, I need to immerse myself in the time period. Whatever it is, I am taking a moment to daydream about what will happen when I tear down the stifling interior walls and make myself a new kitchen. My first point of design inspiration is coming from Orla Kiely.  I got her book "Home" last winter- it's full of case study houses and danish modern interiors, and features her own colorful, happy London home. I've always loved her now iconic scribble stem pattern. She has this groovy look to her textiles, an obvious nod to the bold patterns of the late 60's, but with a little restraint, and way better colors.  I don't think I'd ever go so far as to put up wallpaper in the kitchen(or would I?), but I do think I'll take her cue to add lots of pops of color with my existing white and walnut furnishings... 

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A Practical Experience

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A Practical Experience

As an interior design student, I got to play artist at my dream job for a few months, working as a visual display intern for Anthropologie.  It was an inspiring, rather humbling experience. I was mentored by a Senior Display Coordinator, Asaki, who's weekly undertaking put into perspective the small scale at which I design for this blog. In order to be successful in this position you need such a wide range of of skills, from fine arts to soft construction, you need to really understand the brand, and you need to be able to see the big picture, all from a cramped art room.  Here are my design takeaways from interning with Anthro...

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The January Home

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The January Home

It's January. I know this because the frozen air and my somber post- holiday mood is leaving me with the overwhelming desire to strip my house naked like a tree without leaves.  I love empty space.  I love simple, natural elements. I love air plants, and succulents, and leafy stems, and barnacle covered stones. I made a winter terrarium with them this week. I rinsed the barnacles with cold water and shook the moisture off, then put them on a wooden cheese pedestal with air plants- the moisture from the rocks keeps them hydrated- and covered them with a glass dome.  The air plants look like sea plants to me, and the whole thing looks decayed, and frozen.

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Designing Women

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Designing Women

Here's the reason I will be posting my feature on being an American Mum in England tomorrow rather than today as scheduled! That and the fact that I am having to type this on a laptop that is failing with each successive keystroke (my new Macbook Air gets here Friday!). It's funny to have final projects and big tests when you are an old lady like me. I can't wait to start designing real spaces...

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