Decorating Decisions: To Run Or Not To Run

I've been searching for a runner for our 9' long kitchen island for quite some time with little luck.  I'm not sure if it's a matter of not having found the right one yet or if it's a matter of 'less is more'.  For practical reasons, I like having something soft underfoot while cooking while giving the floor some extra protection, but now I'm really wondering if my search should quietly end. I need your feedback as to whether or not you like the kitchen floor better with or without a runner.  Also, if you happen to come across a rug/runner that you think may work, PLEASE let me know.  Take a look at some of my attempts below and give me your honest opinion.

The challenge is finding the right colors and patterns to coexist with the current area rug in front of the refrigerator and pantry (the only one I truly love).   HELP!!

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Looking forward to your suggestions.

'Til Monday: 5 Weekend Favorites

1. Commune's Native Tile collection.

2.  This poncho coat!

3.  Unique lighting in unexpected places.

4.  Because I love pointy flats...

5. An energizing and interesting cocktail.

Before And After: Round Mirror

Our Mid-Century home is perfect for the way we live.  It seamlessly blends the indoors with the outdoors, combines many textures and has an effortless flow to it.  It's also in need of many updates.  Having just renovated our kitchen, other wish-list projects are temporarily on hold, but that hasn't stopped me from tweaking here and there.  Adding something as plain as a round mirror to the kids' bathroom has made quite thedifference.  It expands the space and speaks to the style of the home better than the frosted square one that  it replaced.  See the before and afters below:

One of the first things done to the bathroom was a bamboo mural painted by our neighbor, who is a very talented artist.  I love the ethereal quality it brings to the space.

Post cards around the mirror serve a double purpose.  They hide scratches and holes in the wall (from the previous mirror) while providing daily inspirational messages.

Because I needed a specifically sized, unframed mirror, I had a local glass company custom make one.  It turned out to be relatively inexpensive and very easy to install.  Eventually, the entire bath will be redone, but for now even the slightest of changes keeps my design cravings at bay.  At least for a while...

 If you've made small improvements to your place I'd love to know about them.

Scenes From A Weekend Wedding Celebration

Over the weekend we had the pleasure of hosting a wedding reception for a couple of dear friends from Cambridge, Ma.  Having already celebrated their marriage on the East Coast and in their respective home countries of Germany and Malaysia, this latest party was for their many West Coast friends.  We were happy to meet new people and to reunite with old friends.  The couple, true culinary enthusiasts, prepared the majority of the food, while the rest contributed some of their favorite dishes.  The meal was delicious and pretty, the company delightful, and the couple radiant!  

Bodo and Vik, we congratulate you and wish you many happy years together!

Interview With Jen (Pinner Of "In Stitches")

While pinning I most often select images that I are within my realm of comfort and familiarity. Creating boards that I can refer back to for personal inspiration or for client projects.  Sometimes there are images that may not relate to me personally or professionally, but that intrigue and challenge me visually.   For instance, this amazing embroidery art that I came across on my friend Jen's Pinboard "In Stitches".  I'm not at all handy with a needle and thread but I admire the patience to detail it requires to create such intricate work in a non-traditional way.  Since I've become mildly obsessed with today's take on an old art form, I decided to ask Jen to share with us why and when she began pinning embroidery images.

What prompted you to create the Pinboard "In Stitches"?  Do you do embroidery and if not, why are you pinning the images?

I can’t remember the exact genesis. I bought this pattern on Etsy, just because I like beets. (And it's just exactly my kind of humor.) So, at first I started pinning from a very practical place. I was looking for cross stitch patterns that I wanted to try, or images that I might try to interpret into my own patterns. I think you can see that it quickly evolved beyond cross stitch, though. (In Stitches is mostly embroidery, but there are also some weaving, crocheting, knitting, quilting and sewing pins.) Then I went down the rabbit hole. I started following the pinners who pinned things I liked and it started to snowball.

I’m a very visual person and I found myself drawn to, not just the beauty, but the craft and precision of the embroidery I was finding. There’s so much out there that breaks the mold of what you might expect when you think of embroidery. It’s not all “country kitchen.” A lot of the pieces I’m attracted to are an embodiment of the kind of patience I sometimes wish I had. Some of them are technique related. Most of them hit the perfect pitch on what I’m drawn to aesthetically.

I’m not embroidering at the moment. But I have a project in mind. Something more ambitious and more artistic than I’ve tried before.  The things I’m pinning, the embroidered photographs and Toile, are informing that idea. I know I’ll get around to it eventually.

How do you find images to pin?

It’s pretty rare (I won’t say never, but it’s pretty rare) that I go into Pinterest and use the search function to find something like: “embroidery” or “cross stitch.” Maybe I might search for a specific subject: fox embroidery. But that’s pretty infrequent too. I follow lots of embroidery boards, and I’m constantly adding to them, so I’m always getting interesting pins in my feed. If I find a pin I particularly like, beyond just pinning it, I scroll down and take a look at the “Also on these boards“ suggestions. Chances are, if someone pinned one pin that I like, they probably pinned others I will like as well. Below that are “Related Pins” and I like to peruse them too. Often, it’s like opening up a whole new vein of needlework gold. The next thing I know, ten minutes are gone.

Recently, I've also found things I like outside of Pinterest on sites like:  This Is Colossal, Talenthouse, tumblr.com and flickr.com.

You've pinned quite a few avant garde embroidery artists' works.  How do feel about the techniques being used on elements other than decorative shirts or monogrammed pillows?

Ok. So here’s where we get deep. After doing this in earnest for more than a year, I’ve had time to think about it more than I might have.

I love the idea of taking something so traditional and making it modern. These are beautiful things. Art. Embroidery floss as paint. No rules or patterns. Someone exploring the medium, beyond counting stitches and worrying about how messy the back is. And I just love it.

I’m no needlework scholar, but the history of embroidery is another facet to this that I find fascinating. I’ve pinned quite a bit of traditional embroidery from around the world, including clothing and pillows. It’s gorgeous and honors those cultures. But through all this pinning and exploration I’ve had time to consider embroidery as it relates to women and their role in society. If you’ve read Bronte or Austen, you know what I’m talking about. It was one of those things that was taught to young girls of privilege as a way of preparing them for society. They were assessed as potential wives by the qualities that things like needlework exhibited. Were you domestic, obedient? Did you know how to hold your tongue? Above all, were you chaste? Some of the things I’ve pinned really turn that on it’s head. These embroidered photos do. But I really do love the exploration that goes beyond that, like the work by Meghan Willis or Marloes Duyker. Women using embroidery to express themselves as individuals, rather than qualify themselves as ideal models. There’s something subversive about that that really entertains me. (Although, I should note that not all the artists I enjoy are women.)

How much time do you spend pinning a particular subject?

I should be embarrassed. Sometimes, a lot. Like. A. Lot. But there are times I’ll go days without. There’s no pattern, really. I’ve heard people say that Pinterest is bad for some people. That it taunts them with perfection that they can’t obtain. (You’ve seen those “Nailed It!” memes, I’m sure.) For me it’s not like that at all. I do use it as a visual organizer, for recipes, DIYs, dream bathroooms, etc., some of which I’ve followed through and done, others that I just like to dream about. But I also use it as a release and a way to stoke my own creativity. When I’m stressed at work, fighting insomnia or just feeling like I need to check out, I go and pin for five minutes (or more...). Whatever catches my fancy. Sometimes that’s 20 pins to In Stitches. Sometimes it’s writing inspiration, what I might make for dinner or tattoos.

Jen, thank you for sharing  your "In Stitches"  Pinboard and the history and inspiration behind it.  We look forward to seeing more of your pins!

Images:  1./2./3./4./5./6.