When’s the last time you sat down and wrote a letter that wasn’t a to-do list on a post-it note? These days it seems like the credit card signature is the only handwritten word that gets any attention. Interestingly, designers have been toying with handwritten treatments and scanned-in type for a while now, trying to contrast minimalist trends and appear more approachable for the recession-minded masses. The above notebook from The Home Port Collection is an interesting product example that carries the nostalgia of yesteryear, reminding us of simpler times when learning to read and write was the toughest part of the day. Paralleling this mix-media approach, this Parisian painting from the home magazine, Cote Maison reflects a similar objective, proving cursive is beautiful, adaptable and a playful solution to any adult room.

Today we’re featuring a walking tour of Le Marais in Paris by yours truly. I was recently asked to give creative recommendations and I realized it was time to share my thoughts on Pattern Pulp. Le Marais is filled with inspiration- from concept stores to stenciled graffiti to restaurant tile work, nearly every square foot is filled with eye candy. Every trend tracker, designer and food aficionado I know weaves through this neighborhood with fury, armed with a camera, a note pad and acute taste buds. Follow along, take the tour and let us know what you think!

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1. 1. A patterned makeup bag at the homegoods concept store, Autour du Monde.
2. 2. Stenciled street art along Rue des Rosiers.
3. 3. Shoes Up poster at the sneaker store across from Muji in Le [...]

Over the past year, I’ve felt the urge to write about tigers on numerous occasions. Oddly though, it just didn’t feel right. Well, today’s the day this story finally gets threaded together, as a few trips to Barneys, the back streets of Paris and the Lower East Side have proven that tigers continue to play muse when it comes to graphic application- be it current or a throwback to the 80′s. The above murals are an inverse of each other, and an interesting parallel of color palettes. The composition to the left is a painting by Colleen Rochette and is on display at Barney’s Department store on Madison Avenue. The mural to the right is opposite L’as Du Falafel, a popular Falafel joint in the Marais in Paris.

This Diane Von Furstenburg dress puts the stripes and [...]

A few weeks ago we went to Paris on a trending trip for one of our clients. Along the way, we shot imagery, left and right, as everything caught our eye! Few places are more inspirational during holiday season and we wanted to share a few of our favorite and most relevant window shots with you.

Creative Sleighs

The idea of the sleigh will never go away and Printemps has reinvented the idea this season with a few clever solutions. Lucky cats double as carousels, blending eastern and western themes with the use of color and costume. Contrasting the slick porcelain sleigh, needle point horse and chariots sit a few windows away, giving the concept of decoupage new meaning.

Pretty in Pink

Be it evil chucky babies or over sized matryoshka dolls, Parisians are pulling at [...]

Rather than eat Thanksgiving leftovers or reminisce at high school reunions, we plowed through Paris this past week, documenting everything from street fashion to high-end homegoods. One reoccurring theme we found throughout every neighborhood was graphic-heavy tights. Regardless of age, district or outfit, women were sporting asymmetrical looks, transforming their legs into fierce accessories.

Applying this textured technique to Susan Woo’s Spring 2010 catalog, Geordie Wood‘s hand painted photos reveals the perfect balance between mixed media and fashion photography. Proving equally playful, these leopard print leggings for kids remind us why even the youngest Parisians are so chic. In predictably beautiful fashion, Garance Dore’s portrait of Tennessee Thomas, the drummer and vocalist for The Like, is sporting a gorgeous pair of Emilio Cavallini stockings. It wont be long [...]

Apparently, diamonds don’t have to sparkle in order to shine. Diamond contours are surfacing everywhere. We first noticed interesting uses of the infamous pyramid on the streets of Paris back in November and have continued to spot creative variations across the Atlantic.  From Mike Perry’s vector repeat to this Parisian jewelery display to this remarkable 3D installation by Kirsten Hassenfeld, all of these interpretations glorify the geometric intricacies of the world’s most famous carbon.

While shopping in the trendy Palermo Hollywood district of Buenos Aires (yes, it’s named after Hollywood, California), we sensed this trend emerging on the tails of ArteBA. The graffiti-culture shop, Sixfeet, is covered in diamonds, most notably on the back wall, which is strategically complimented by several colorful diamond hoodies for sale on the floor.  Back in [...]

Zippers, the commonplace closure, have been striped of their hidden functionality and thrust into the spotlight, proving they can double as innovative solutions as well as decorative patterns.  The results are striking, and slightly quirky.  Part of the zipper’s appeal, perhaps, when compared to its closure counterparts such as buttons, hooks, and snaps, is the fluidity of movement.  This is evident in Ji Woong’s Zip Up Tangles, a creative solution to the wiry mess we all experience when reaching for our ear buds.  Stepping it up a few notches, Van Cleef & Arpels has recently dove into it’s archival library to revive it’s 1950′s Zip Necklace.  While today’s version may be toned down, it’s no less elegant, and a primary example of how innovation can have timeless appeal.

In a French design studio not far [...]

When times are tough, retail environments pull out all the stops, forcing their design teams to get crafty in lieu of spending big bucks.  Sometimes these ad hock compilations are miserable collages and other times, wondrously creative ideas emerge.  Anthropologie’s artistic displays typically fall into the later of the two categories.  Inspired by Parisian wallpaper styles, the back wall of the retailer’s Fifth Avenue location pairs kitchen wares with floral chalk panels.  Using a $10 can of blackboard paint and a steady hand, Anthro’s budget illustrations are incredibly chic and can easily be translated to any wall in your home.

Inspiration: Floral Striping

When designing floral striping, all inspirational elements must be considered.  Here is a mood board that combines paralleling themes through the use of nature, Parisian craftsmanship and modern techinique.