Asparagus Interiors Inc.

This  year’s Renegade Craft Fair – Chicago – proved to show crafting has been taken to a new level.
Check out my favorites from the show and possible last minute holiday ideas.

• PLYtextiles - Modern design + salvaged materials.  Yard wrapped trees and felted pillows.
• Lilian Asterfield - Custom sewn scarves made of silk ties.
• Outside Oslo – Scandinavian Inspired Fabric
• Maker & Maker – Ceramics (note: Bison piggy bank)
• iamhome – Wood Art, Chalk Board Sculls, Tree Magnets
• Yellow Grey – Organic Designed Jewelery – unstructured / lovely
• Row Boat Press – flipp’n love this coffee poster – all their prints are just simple and fun
• Mok Duk, by Anne Benjamin – Illustrator / Poster & Printmaker

Twitter: @RenegadeCraft

Yesterday, I attended the REGREEN workshop – “Implementing Residential Remodeling” – on track to complete REGREEN training offered by USGBC and ASID.

An awesome opportunity to learn more about green / sustainable building and design practices as they apply to residential remodeling.  This real-time work session went into the nitty gritty of how we can apply green practices to the process of residential remodeling.  Starting with the building envelope and working thru to finishes.

Two excellent speakers and educators – instructing builders, architects, contractors and designers in green building practices:

• Annette Stelmack, USGBC LEED Faculty… among many other designations – a designer and excellent speaker on the topic of green interiors and green building practices (Inspirit-llc.com).
• Peter Yost – Director, Residential Services – BuildingGreen.com, great source of knowledge of green building practices, energy efficiency and construction methods.

Looking for a place to post your favorite keepsakes (Postcards, Kids Art, Photographs, Reminders).  I sourced materials from two local companies to create these custom magnet boards made out of recycled materials and raw steel.

FoundRe: Created the custom frames made out of found vintage materials.  Notice the pealing paint – it’s all about character.

Just got back from Design Harvest Festival in Chicago, (Today Oct 1 & 2nd).  Lots of modern / mid-century influenced furniture and well made custom pieces – as well as – design resources (fabric, wallpaper, and accessories).  Below are a few designers that caught my eye.  

• Mark Cwik – Fine Furniture Maker (Image 1)
• Vecco – Add art to the floor w/ Vecco stencils and finishes (Image 3)
• Ism Furniture - Furniture – designed and crafted with joinery in mind (Image 4)
• Garth Borovicka, Chicago Furniture Revival, (Image 5: Furniture Refinishing – also note: stacked pressed wood bookends w/ greenery atop.)
• Organic Looms – Natural Hand Crafted Rugs
• Anna Wolfson – Fiber Installations -  Interior Wall Decoration
• Jason Lewis Furniture – Handmade Modern Furniture
• Unison – Modern Design / Bedding, Baby, Accessories
• Urban Source – Design resources for designers and local city dwellers
• Grow Modular - Modular arranged pieces for landscaping

Last night I popped by the MG + BW event in the new Lincoln Park store / Chicago.

Featured artist, Tipper Gore, showcased some of her photographs arranged throughout the showroom.

Two levels of furniture arrangements, expressing their “Cozy Modern” feel with upholstered headboards, nailhead details and soft slightly shaggy rugs.  Linen shades adoren the showroom with modern porcelain lamps for quirk.  Nice furniture – will give your home a cozy and sophisticated look.

This year’s Renegade Craft Fair (Last weekend – Chicago), proved to be very fun — creativity whirling in the air.  I was focused on the artwork but the jewelry, bags, screen prints and home decor is always appealing!

Artists and crafters that caught my eye:

• Avec Mes Mains – Steel (Circle) Cuff / Felted Bags
• Twig. – Twig Terrariums
• Dolan Geiman – Contemporary Art w/ Southern Accent
• Ryan Kapp - Chicago Artist / Modern Simple
• Crosshair – Silkscreen printing and design (Amazing detail and hidden content)
• Ryan Berkley Illustration – Animal prints – should have one in every bathroom or office
• Raquel Masri – Porcelain Home Decor – Wish I had picked up the coasters at least! / Timeless pieces.
• Zerobird – City “L” Screenprints – awesome
• Early Jewlery - cool mixed media jewelry – simple and mixed
• Muskee – Handmade belt buckles and Jewelry from Skateboards
• Fail – Custom Handmade Jewelry
• Circle Street – Sewn Stationery
• Specks & Keepings – Knitted / wearable art with a delicate detail
• Meg Stevens – Chunky bead necklaces

Today, I found Asparagus Interiors is listed on the Online Interior Design Degree website, “Top 50 Blogs About Eco-Friendly Interior Design.”

Noted as, “A green design company in the Chicago area fills readers in on what’s hot and new in the world of green design. You can be hip and modern and have a beautiful green home at the same time.”

Thanks for the post, there’s some great blogs out there!

Today, my daughter and I visited a new store in Glen Ellyn, Gather & Collect.

Vintage finds, eclectic mix, great prices – I loved it!

Shop owners Jessica and Julie were fun and thrilled to have people visit their store and swap stories about design | vintage and the latest finds.  It’s worth a stop, note their hours are Thursdays, Friday’s & Saturdays.

My fav’s: Vintage clutches, pillows and frames… it’s all fun at Gather & Collect.

Intriguing… isn’t it. All the little nook, crannies, building and landscapes Chicago has to offer.

What’s Out There Weekend Chicago – June 11th, Hosted at Room and Board Chicago

The Chicago Cultural Landscape Foundation, is offering “a series of free guided tours, highlighting the City’s remarkable heritage of historic designed landscapes.”

There’s so  much to learn and see right out our back yard.  Take the kids, take a stroller, go for a walk, learn about a historic site and embrace an era and it’s preservation.

Not really looking for anything in particular, but looking for something fun?  Reusable Usables is the place for you.
This creative arts center and retail store is a treasure chest of inspiration and ideas.

Located in LeClaire, IA.  Yes, home of American Pickers and Antique Archaeology.

The basic premise is:  businesses and people donate items to Reusable Usables.  Open to the public, we purchase these items by the pound at a minimum of 10 pounds.  They also host creative sessions and make art out of the reusables. With my purchase I picked up 5 yards of Sunbrella fabric, 2 records (Sergio Mendes ’66 – yeah!), some construction supplies and fabric memos for 10 bucks.  9.5 lbs to be exact.  Cool resource, great place… check it out!