What Does Your Coffee Mug Say About You?

What does your coffee mug say about you?

 

Office Space from here                                          Coffee Mug from here 

A graphic designer, you live in a pretty apartment that you keep neat and clean. You love simple and straight lines, with just a touch of femininity. Pink? Of course! As long as it paired with black, grey, or brown.  You drink your soy latte by the computer while clicking away on your mac with browser tabs open to Pinterest, Instagram and all of Adobe Suite. 

 

Bedroom from here                                   Mug from here

You're getting your Masters in Philosophy, tending to write your papers from the comfort of your bed. To you, design is just another way to make your nest a cozier place. After all, you love snuggling. You prefer hot chocolate, even more when you add a marshmallow. You love your laptop, but also the sound and smell of pencils on paper.

 

Room from here                                        Wood mug from here

A writer specializing in historical novels and avid collector, while traveling to European capitals to visit archives searching for new materials, you'll always look out for little antique shops on the small streets. You drink your Espresso with a small glass of Soda, while in front of you four large crumbling books lay open, two of which were given to you by a questionable  British acquaintance.

 

Living room from here                                    Mug from here

A busy lawyer, your home is the one place you can relax. Your crazy and stressful schedule makes you look for blissful harmony between your four walls. You drink your tea with your eyes closed, taking time to breathe and listen to the voices from the quiet street below your house between sips. A bird chirps, rain drizzles on the roof, wind blows, a child laughs, a car drives by. Silence.

And maybe, like me, you're a little of each?

Thanks for visiting me here,

Until next time - 

Elisheva

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Balancing Act

I'm finally back after a couple of weeks vacation, I hope you all are doing well:)
I told you all in previous post about the Jewish New Year we celebrated a short while back. I actually made some resolutions for the new year:
1. Go to sleep three times a week before midnight
2. Start working out (I wish I could say get back to working out, but that would be a lie:)
3. Eat three meals a day
Yes, this year it's all about balance.

I wonder how long it took to style this photo? From the Crate and Barrel website

Balance is a tricky thing.

It's not about letting go of clutter, but rather about spreading it out wisely. Knowing how much white space to leave, how much to push elements close together, the proportions, the relationships between the two, if you can get it just right, you experience a truly balanced moment, quiet and simple.

I would buy everything here. Photo by Lisa Cohen for Country Road Homewares via The Design Files

Take interior decorating, for example. When I go into a room that has the a light and airy feeling,  where everything is in it's place, and there isn't that cluttered feeling - I feel a sense of calmness that helps me think straight. That's why I don't own to much stuff. Everything I own is chosen carefully, and what I don't use I get rid of. 

Lovely styling, from Jenni Juurinen. The key is balance.

And just like in these lovely photos, balance normally does not come naturally. It is something that is achieved with planning, trial and error, and a lot of heart. You don't always know how to get to that special point, but once you're there - you'll know it.

You may want to learn how to make yogurt from Kinfolk , I just loved the styling

So yes, I will probably continue to be the compulsive planner that i am, but this time I'm reminding myself to plan a bit of peace and quiet into the regular crazy mix.

And to finnish off this post, I'll leave you with one of my favourite photos from the Photoshoot I had with Efrat Lozanov. This photograph has that special peaceful quality, but with a bit of sparkle.

Foldable Felt Bin purchase here

So how do you reach that kind of balance? In the next couple of weeks I'll be showing you some cool tips and tricks  - will you join me?

Have a wonderful week,

Elisheva

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Pop of Color

I've always been a very visual person. Memories are stored as movies in my head, my thoughts are like a photo album, and I have a knack for remembering faces - I'll often recognize someone on the street who once rode the bus with me.
A lot of my memories are associated with color. I remember what I wore on a certain occasion, what color the room was, the dishes, the food.... This might sound funny, but when my niece asks my brother to tell her stories about his childhood, he send her to me - telling her the stories will be more accurate if I tell her his childhood memories.
Colors remind me of emotions, experiences, people and objects.
I decided to photograph some of my designs by color stories, and see what memories they spark. It was a pretty cool experiment,  and I am really happy with the outcome.

 

In this photo: Linen Napkin, Candlestick Stack, Butter Board, Graphic Coasters. See more here

Pink Remind Me Of....

A summer dress twirling in the wind, my mothers dishes on a rack, a walk in the park, the wallpaper on my childhood bedrooms walls, summer fruit, a babies blanket.

 

In this photo: Linen Napkin, Candlestick Stack, Butter Board, Graphic Coasters. See more here

Blue Remind Me Of....

My sisters room, the beach and the pool, summer camp shirts, winter rain, excitement before a long flight, the flight that never ends, first earrings, ponytail holders (the chunky kind) 

 

In this photo: Linen Napkin, Candlestick Stack, Butter Board, Graphic Coasters. See more here

Black and White Reminds Me Of....

Holiday dinner, old movies, fancy dishes, newspapers by the door after the weekend, dripping ice cream, chocolate cheesecake.

And once you combine the colors together, all of the emotions and feelings mix- you don't even know why you feel something specific - and why it was triggered. And you keep trying to perfect the amounts and the relations between the color until something clicks. 

Here. Just like that.

 

In this photo: Linen Napkin, Candlestick Stack, Butter Board, Graphic Coasters. See more here

And because it's summer vacation here in Israel, my eldest (5 years old) is currently interning at Hook n' Loop design. When he saw what I was doing he wanted in on it - this is what he collected in his room. I helped him organize it.

 

In this photo: A ton of toy cars, Cookie Monster, Grover, and some random elephant puppets.

How about you? Do you remember by color? Or is it something else?

Let me know in the comments below.

All of what you see here can be purchase at www.hooknloopdesign.com or on my Etsy store - www.etsy.com/shop/hooknloopdesign. 

Have a wonderful week and meet me again here next week,

Elisheva

New Prints!

Lately I've been moving stuff around. Again. I get tired pretty easily with the way our Caravan looks, and I'm always looking for ways to change it up. My husband asked me a couple of years ago when I'll be finished decorating our house. I thought that was the funniest thing ever.
The good thing about constantly redecorating, is that it gives me loads of new ideas for the studio. Every time I feel like I'm missing something around the house, I start thinking about how I'll design it myself.

 

The way I look at design is fairly simple.  I always keep the backbones neutral, then play it a bit less safe on the accessories. This works for every form of design - interior, product design, fashion design - even for setting-the-table design.
For example, the pieces I know I won't be changing very often - the sofa, a rug, shelving - are all in neutral tones i.e. gray, white, and more gray. Then with the pillows, storage units, pictures, that's where I'll get creative. What's amazing is that these accessories are what gives the room it's personality. (Silver sequin pillow, anyone?)

 

The same thing goes for table settings. My dish set is white, and so are most of my serving pieces. But I will have some serving pieces in less conservative colors, and mix it up with a printed tablecloth, or some cute trivets. You'd be amazed how changing up the accents help shift the entire mood.
But if you think about it, it's sort of like wearing jeans and a white T. With shoes, jewelery, and hairstyle -  you can play it up or down - the accessories set the tone for the entire look.

 So I found myself looking to spruce up our walls a little, and seeing as we might not be living here that much longer, painting seemed overdoing it. I decided to change some of the artwork. I knew I'd be using some of my own sketches, a print by my amazingly talented friend Keren Asaf,  and a couple of prints I was planning on designing on my own. Of course that turned into a mini collection of prints, now available on my Etsy shop, and soon up on my site.

 

What can you expect to find there? Geometric patterns with a 3D effect, crisp ornament-like patterns,  and a little bit of love, all in the subtle and clean style I use with all of my designs. Color wise, I kept it in shades of black/gray/white, and some pops of fuchsia, teal, and blue, with the occasional pastel shade - simple and modern.  I love the way they are lively and calm at the same time.

Right now they come in A4 size (that's 8.375" x 11.750"), but soon they'll be up in US standard letter paper size as well, and larger prints or postcards will be available, too. The paper is slightly textured, that adds some depth.

You can check out the entire collection here.

Which one is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!

Until next week,

Elisheva

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House Visit

So where did you say your from????
This is what people normally ask when I tell them I'm from Shekef.
The next question is always - What?!
The truth is, I never know what to answer when people ask me where I'm from. In Israel, is my usual answer. But going into detail is always a bit more difficult. You see, I live in a teeny tiny village (it's not even that much of a village) with only 80 families in Southern Israel. The closest city is called Kiryat Gat, and it's about a 15 minute drive on a winding road filled with cows and vineyards.  So windy, in fact, that every time my mother comes to visit from Jerusalem she calls from the road to say she thinks she got lost. No Mother, you're not lost. Keep going. A bit more. In the end you'll make it.

 

How did we end up living here? Well about 7 years ago my husband and I moved here from Jerusalem to join a small community of super nice people named Eliav. We are supposed to build our house here, and are living along with all of our neighbors in small trailer in a community named Shekef in the meantime. Hopefully we will start building our home in August on a nearby hilltop.

 

This area is beautiful all year round. But it is especially lovely during February, when the Anemones start to bloom. Red carpets suddenly spread out along the hills and valleys, and the road that is usually completely empty is suddenly filled with traffic. OK maybe not traffic, but they're are definitely a lot more people.

So please join me for an inspiring hike down the road leading to my little house. You can bring anyone you want - my kids will join us too. And because a hike is always connected to food (well, in my mind everything connects to food:), I'll give you a little culinary local secret - Deweys (pronounced Doo-ee) Hummus.

 

Dewey is a well kept secret in our area. He lives in Shekef (where I do) and almost every day he ties his little house shaped trailer to his pickup truck and drives it about 10 minutes closer to the main road. In a little clearing in the woods there are a couple of plastic chairs, some tables, and the best Hummus I've ever had. And I'm from Jerusalem - I know my Hummus!

 

He makes his own olives,  Olive Oil, and Hummus of course. You can also order a Shakshuka (an Israeli dish made of eggs and tomato sauce - it's amazing) or Sabih (a sandwich made with a hard boiled egg, eggplant, and a potato in a pita) and sit under the trees enjoying the cool breeze. On any normal day you can find a handful of farmers, some truck drivers and a bike rider or two, but during February there are a lot more tourists coming to see the flowers bloom. 

 

Working from home is often a lonely thing. Sitting in front of my computer for hours on edge, I sometimes forget to enjoy where I live. It's important for me to remember to seek inspiration outside of the computer. That way I can give my designs a more local touch. A lot of the inspiration for my collection comes from hiking around our house with my family.

 

So if you have a couple of hours off, I highly recommend stopping by. And next week, I will be showing you all of my new designs, right in time for Spring!

See you soon,

Elisheva

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The Truth About Inspiration - and why you don't have to pack and move to Holland

I had so much planned for this week - and then we had a crazy storm. Everyone kept telling me to cuddle up with a hot cup of Cocoa and lay low in my house for a while. But looking around my house all I could think of was how much I wanted to change. I turned to Pinterest for some inspiration - and was blown away by the amount of crazy beautiful images I found.

 

From the right clockwise: 1. image from here 2. image from here  3. image from here 4. image from here

Drowning in a sea of inspiration, I felt lost.... So many amazing interiors, so many styling ideas, so many Scandinavian women with impeccable taste (is it in their water or something?!) So what can one do to make sure all of this inspiration doesn't get lost on ones Pinterest account? That you're acutually inspired to DO something, not just pretend to? 

In this post, I will share what I do with all of my "inspiration" to make sure I actually use it. This is my guide to finish a night of blog loving feeling - "Let's do this!" and not, let's just move to Holland.... They seem to know their sh*t.

 

image from here

So here's how this goes. You found an image you love. After you've finished swooning, you have to ask - why does this work?

For example, the image above - why does it work?

Even though the colors are contrasting, there is a soft and comforting feeling. And although there aren't a lot of colors being used, there is a feeling of depth.

Conclusion: Using a lot of textures helps to create depth. And grey is such a beautiful color.

 image from here

What works in this picture (above)?

The use of neon in the details, on a warm and neutral backdrop is anything but overbearing.  And this is what we would translate into a living room design, for example. Think - a subtle grey colored sofa, wooden chairs, grey and pastel colored pillows, and maybe some neon piping on a couple of the pillows. 

Conclusion: If you're looking to infuse some neon tones into your decor (and you know you are) use a hint of them in the details, together with neutral tones. And here's another image from my new favorite blog:

 

image from here

To sum it all up, here are three "rules" to makeover a room using these photos as inspiration:

1. Pick a neutral color - grey/brown - for the room you're decorating - ie for the walls, sofa, rug etc. Make sure to use plenty of textures - smooth, soft, rough, matte, shiny....

2. Add some pastels for accent pieces - a chair, lamp, frames and pillows

3. Use a dab of neon on some piping on the pillows, handles, prints, etc.

Now for the fun part! Use these rules when you go shopping, this way you won't get overwhelmed when you go to the stores.... (I know, I've been there)

Here is what I got for my new pillowcases (for the sofa).

And yes, those are silver sequins.

Now I just have to get to the sewing part.... 

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Till next time - 

Elisheva

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A new design

As some of you may know, In my studio I design products, mostly Tabletop, mostly for entertaining. I thought it may be interesting for you if I show you some of the process that goes into designing Homeware. At the end of the post I will also share a new design, so stay with me! Designing a new product often begins with the searching for inspiration. Some of finding inspiration goes with a more generic name - market research. The new design I want to share with you is for Candlesticks.

Left Image : brooks barrow ; Right Image: www.markmontanoblog.com

Left Image:from here  ; Right Image: from here

image from here: www.marthastewart.com

What I took from all of these (and many more images) were how low all of the candle holders were. When I have people over the last thing I want is for them to have to look around the centerpieces to talk to each other:)
On the other hand, sometimes you do want a more dramatic setting. Or maybe you want to put them on a mantle - in which case height could actually be a good thing:)
Thus, the Candlestick Stack was born:

       

I wanted it to be versatile and fit all kinds of different occasions, and esthetically modern yet classic - something that is very important to me. The more time I put into the design, I felt it becoming my favorite for this collection (sorry, rest of my designs:) The model in the picture is actually 3d printing done in plaster (I hope to tell you about this amazing process in another post - it is the COOLEST) It will be done (fingers crossed) in ceramics, in different colors.

What's cool and different about these Candlesticks is the fact that they are stackable. So you could use them together built up high, or break them down  - depending on the situation, each time forming a different design.
If you'd like to see the rest of the designs I'm working on, be sure to sign up below or on your right to get my newsletter straight into your inbox. 
Until next time,
Elisheva 

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