eye candy (corn)

happy halloween! openhouse, with the exception of a set of brown printed sheets from John Robshaw and orange (persimmon) pillows and a throw from Looolo, was caught this year without holiday appropriate items. so, in honor of all hallows eve and our pledge (and hopefully yours) to buy handmade, and our lack of in-store items, we thought we'd bring you a nice selection of pumpkin/orange/halloween/fall-inspired goodies from etsy to get you through.


[pumpkin notes; mini frame pouch; fresh style card file in pumpkin]


[grungy white pumpkin; linocut print, pumpkin patch; white pumpkins 8 x 10 archival print]


[handblown glass pumpkin; ellie lucite and natural brass pumkin earrings; the butler pumpkin]

take the pledge this holiday season

and buy handmade. whether it be from the delightful selection at openhouse or from any of the fine designers in your town or on the web. etsy is an excellent place to browse some of the best in handmade design online. (but why not save on shipping and carbon emissions and just head over to The Shops at 5807? :o)

local to Richmond is the bizarre market, coming up again in december, as well as the 43rd annual Visual Arts Center craft and design show at the Science Museum, november 16-18.

wondering why you should buy handmade?

i couldn't have said it any better than the peeps at buyhandmade.org:

Buying handmade is better for people, better for the environment, and better for giving truly special and well-crafted gifts. The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us all dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. The connection between producer and consumer has been lost. Buying handmade helps them reconnect.

pledge to buy handmade this season and ask that others do the same for you.

we did it all of the glory of...

Peter Cetera anyone? we're so excited! but who wouldn't be?! openhouse is featured in the current issue of RHome, a bi-monthly shelter publication from the folks at Richmond Magazine. titled "Independents' Day", the article is wonderfully written and truly expresses the philosophy behind openhouse.

thanks to editor Carrie Neiman Culpepper for "finding" us and Shannon O'Neill for her colorful depiction of the shop. if you're not a subscriber, you can find issues on newsstands in Kroger, Ukrop's, Barnes and Noble, among various other locations. the whole of the issue has a young, fresh feel to it with great finds from a number of cool Richmond spots as well as a peek into the chic home of Ruthe & Ollie (personal fave) owner, Kat Liebschwager.

let them eat cake...and pie

we wanted to take a minute and post a thank you to our FABULOUS graphic designer, Kathleen Losche, for her efforts on our logo and image. she was a joy to work with and we highly recommend you give her a shout if you need such services. you can read more about her design business at kathleen losche design as well as catch her on her blog over at cake & pie. as if that wasn't enough, you can visit her nicely curated space, SQFT Gallery. check it out if you're in Nashville, or online. obvious talent aside, she's so professional and patient and quick. thanks Kathleen for your hard work. you've managed to capture the essence of openhouse and truly bring our concept to life!

eye candy

it's rainy (not complaining) and gray (complaining a bit) here in richmond today and i thought i'd inject a little sunshine. it's not about the shop, but in the spirit of it. i found these works on paper by self-taught artist Domenico Zindato on artnet and i just had to share. i love the textural quality of them. almost like a collage of quilts and fuzzy yarn. they look like they have been pieced together. and the colors are just beautiful. alas, they are in NYC (at Phyllis Kind Gallery) so for now the web must do. you can read the review of the show in artnet magazine here. enjoy! k

martha and openhouse, great minds think alike...

like her or not, you have to admit, the woman has got it goin' on. it seems impossible to be original because she's already said it, done it, imagined or discovered it. but alas, she (and by she I mean her staff) has great taste and the validation of seeing some of our designers featured in her glossy mags definitely lifts the spirits :o) the newest issue of Blueprint hit the stands and there is a wonderful little page full of great wintry things. Alyssa Ettinger's knitware vases [small, $120; large $150] in snow white porcelain are so cozy looking you might mistake them for leg warmers. a great way to add texture and warmth to your house during the chilly months. we have them both in the shop.

so you can't wrap yourself in Alyssa's vases, but you can cozy up with our hand-knit Popcorn throw [$250] from Twinkle Living. so soft and fluffy and goes perfectly with a roaring fire, a glass of wine and a good book.

and if you're wondering, the answer is yes. we too love Linda Bloomfield's teaset (pictured above with matching cozy) and think her work is a perfect fit for openhouse. she's on our list of designers to add as we grow! happy shopping! k&m

[images courtesy of Blueprint Magazine]

trendy tots

megan and I have transitioned seamlessly from the wedding circuit to the baby circuit. everyone we know is decorating a nursery or upgrading from baby room to big kid room. seems like just yesterday we were shopping wedding registries for wine glasses and now it's baby registries for bottles. to be honest, we've been disappointed in our options. so when buying for openhouse, I believe we have inadvertently stocked a wonderful selection of baby and kid decor. we know there have to be moms and friends of moms out there who are looking for a more sophisticated way to decorate. something that can go from small to medium to large. a throw that works in baby's room as well as in the guest bedroom and pillows that can be fun and quirky at the same time as hip and stylish.

our mobiles from Frazier and Wing [5.5" x 28", $85] are a great alternative to the plastic variety. full of great colors, these decorative and whimsical mobiles are constructed using carefully selected imagery from recycled magazine pages. each mobile is a handmade labor of love taking up to eight hours to construct.

erich ginder's Ghost Antlers [$225] are just the right touch to any decor. e.e cummings said that "the most wasted of all days is one without laughter". i agree. and because of that i like to add a dash of humor to every room. what a great conversation piece if you had a few of these lined up in your entry way to take your guest's coats? or even better, have one of these hanging in a kids room for hats and little jackets. an excellent way to bring the great outdoors in. no deer were harmed in the making of this product...

apparently we love the children's plaid blankets [$250] above so much, we're mentioning them twice in a week. truly an heirloom addition to a baby or child's room. a nice gift alternative to a silver rattle :o)

[images above courtesy of frazier and wing, erich ginder and ratzer]

our selection of pillows are so much fun. all you need is one on a couch or kids bed to make a statement. our pillows [18 x 18, $78] from designer Jenny Sauer at three sheets 2 the wind remind me of drawings I did as a kid of stuff I found in nature. made from 100% linen and hand printed, one each on a set of twin beds would be too cute. her design philosophy embodies Wabi Sabi-- a Japanese aesthetic stressing unpretentiousness, earthiness and satisfaction with imperfection. if that doesn't describe a child-like mentality I don't know what does. Oh, why must we grow up?

and our K Studio pillows are just as cool. beautifully constructed, hand-made, and each one designed individually, they seem to capture the sense of daydream and wonder that only a kid can have. Prices range from $89-$170.

[images above courtesy of three sheets 2 the wind and k studio]

and lastly, some playful ceramics from j. mendicino would bring some sunshine to any baby's room. add a couple of Gerber daisies or twigs and you have instant art. add to that a set of twin sheets in pink or blue Samode, hand block printed and hand embroidered and you have a very sweet room for your very sweet little one. happy shopping! k&m

[images above courtesy of j.mendicino, prices ranging from $35-$55 for various sizes; john robshaw textiles, twin flat and fitted sheets each $120.]

mud plates and paper clouds

3 new pieces came in today from mud australia...a large pebble serving bowl/platter in ocean [$110], a medium pebble bowl in white [$55] and a beautiful large flared bowl in sand [$100]. i've been staring at the large pebble bowl all day repeating over and over "you can not keep it for yourself" ;o) and talk about serendipity! i was unpacking the newest arrivals as i tuned in to today's episode of Everyday Italian and the always lovely Giada. wouldn't you know i watched her as she plated a nice Cinnamon-Pancetta Carbonara on a mud australia pebble bowl! i don't know what looked better, the food or the platter. if only having the same dishes as Giada would make me a better cook...

[image above courtesy of mud australia]

[images above courtesy of Paper Cloud]

turning now to textiles for a moment, i had to share a great ebay find. for months i've been looking for just the right lamp bases for my dining room to go with our great Paper Cloud lampshades. i've been all over from Target to Shades of Light and struggled with Goldilocks syndrome: too small, too big, too expensive, too decorated...but now i've found them and they are just right. thanks to whoever invented ebay. enjoy the weekend and we'll be back monday with a sneak peak at some holiday items. happy shopping! k

openhouse designers in Blueprint and on TV

so by now I know you have all scoured the pages of the latest Blueprint issue and maybe even seen the segment on the Today Show last tuesday, but I thought I'd bring it home and remind you that you don't have to travel far and wide to find great home decor! come in to openhouse and see for yourself what Martha, Meredith, Matt, Ann and Al were raving about ;o) we've got the Ratzer children's blankets in the yellow and white checked pattern above. beautifully handwoven in 100% Australian, biodynamic, merino wool. we're also carrying the large, grown-up throws in 2 snazzy plaids. perfect for curling up by the fire this winter (if it ever gets cold!). if that weren't enough, we're also carrying a good selection from Looolo (blue blanket above under the Ratzer pillow) we have a number of their pillows in luscious fall colors along with a few of their hand woven, organic blankets. each one is made with environmentally friendly materials and fully biodegradeable (they can composted, and within one year, return to the earth!!). but all of the good for the earth, good for you stuff aside, they're irresistable and will look stunning draped over the end of any bed.

[image above courtesy Blueprint Magazine]

don't forget to check out the back of the mag on page 124 for a great look at Lotta Jansdotter's Brooklyn pad and studio. it's no wonder she's so inspired! what a great place. if you haven't seen her designs, the photo above gives you an idea. we're currently carrying her placemats, napkins, aprons and bags (some even on sale!) check back soon as we'll be getting some new things in as well.

onesies and gift cards, new from Sharon Spain

another fun box on our doorstep this afternoon, this time from Sharon Spain! we have loved her pillows and purses (as have you!) and now we get a chance to see something different from her. i know we're a home store, but these hand screen-printed onesies on organic cotton fabric were too cute to pass up. and best of all, your baby can match your pillows and your purse :o) at $22 each, you might as well get one in every color. sizes 3-6 months and 6-12 months in orange, green, blue and chocolate. we also nabbed a few of her beautifully screen-printed cards. each one is handmade (of course) and stitched onto craft paper with matching envelopes. buy a few to give as a gift or just one to send a note to a friend. we promise a smile on anyone who opens one of these little works of art. one card with envelope, $5. keep checking back in over the next week. we have a few more goodies on the way, including some new candle scents for the holidays, some coasters and sachets from Charlottesville artist Inleaf Designs, and some great features popping up in a richmond publication. happy shopping! k&m

new kitchen textiles in from Lu Prints

new items just arrived from the fabulous Lu Prints...tea towels, hot hands, coasters, napkins and table runners in yummy cool weather colors. we're especially fond of the Heartbird napkins in crimson. as always, they are sewn with 55% Linen / 45% Cotton fabric and each is lovingly hand screenprinted. we could hardly keep the summer line in stock, so get over to The Shops at 5807 soon and get yours before they're gone!

[images courtesy of Lu Prints. top: Heartbird and Wildflower napkins, $30/set of 4. bottom: Heartbird and Wildflower tea towels, $15 each.]

welcome to openhouse!

openhouse is a new shop in richmond, va. we're located in the shops at 5807, on patterson, just past libbie avenue. we're a modern home accessories boutique with an emphasis on emerging, independent design and handmade items. we carry bedding, dinnerware, serveware, decorative ceramics, kitchen textiles and various handmade gifts for the home. we've gathered our wonderful collection of designers by researching magazines like blueprint, domino, house and garden and readymade. we searched all over the web from bloggers like design sponge, decor8, bloesom and others to find out who is causing a buzz. we're excited to be the first in richmond to bring you many of these designers and we hope that you will appreciate our fresh take on everyday objects. thanks for checking in with us and come back often to view new designer's work, find out about events and sales at openhouse and the shops at 5807, check out our favorite places to shop (other than openhouse, of course), megan's music pics, katie's ramblings and great things going on in richmond. we promise you won't be disappointed!!