bookhou design

i'd love to be writing this post introducing bookhou designs as the newest family member at openhouse...but we're still on the waiting list. in the meantime, i just couldn't wait to show you some great items that you can buy online right here in the meantime.

i love the simplicity of their designs. it all has a wonderful worn feeling to it. delicate, yet substanital at the same time. fingers crossed they start taking new wholesale accounts soon and we can get these to richmond! enjoy and happy shopping! k&m

postcards for lindsay

if you're in richmond, head on over to corporate & museum frame tomorrow night during first fridays from 7-10. you can grab some inexpensive art and do a good thing at the same time. postcards for lindsay is anexhibition and sale to benefit Lindsay Aronson Ess, a recent VCU grad who suffered severe complications following surgery for Crohn's disease that resulted in quadruple amputations. her medical expenses have far exceeded insurance coverage and this sale will go toward making her recovery and therapy a little easier for everyone.

the idea is this: 4 x 6, 8.5 x 11 and 11 x 14 works of art have been donated by both famous and no-so-famous artists. each work is unframed and signed on the back. for $25, $35 and $50 (dependeding on size) you can purchase something that you love that may be a valuable piece for a small price that goes to help a local family in need. how cool is that?

the show goes on all month, so if you're like us and you won't be in town tomorrow night, head over to corporate & museum frame anytime between 10-5 during the week and grab some goodness.

k&m

spotlight on john robshaw

it occurred to me that we've never really posted much about our line of john robshaw bedding and pillows. we just got in 2 new pillows from the pichhwai collection (one of which was featured in the january issue of domino :o) pichhwai paintings are traditionally used to adorn temple walls behind gods and goddesses. these linen pillows are each hand painted and wonderfully delicate while at the same time practical.

we are also carrying the full line of sheets. printed on the finest cotton, pre-washed, and rewashed after printing to make them exceptionally soft and chemical-free, each sheet and pillowcase is hand embroidered by a patient seamstresses in India. 300 thread count cotton. i'm personally using the diggi sea glass in my master and looking to add the pondicherry sage to my guest room. they are just such a luxury! oh, and don't forget the seriously beautiful queen quilt we have in store as well. hand quilted on the finest indian voile and filled with natural cotton, the quilts are so cozy. and as delicate as they look, they are machine washable! too cool.

[clockwise from top left: samode pink, pondicherry sage, diggi sea glass, cinde coffee]

come in and check them out. happy shopping! k&m

guest lecture at VCU this afternoon

i meant to post this friday and it slipped my mind. a bit last minute, i know, but andrew wagner and jeanette abbink will be speaking at 4:30 this afternoon at the grace street theatre.

per estherknows.com:

Craft/Material Studies, Graphic Design, Interior Design, and the “the Terry Noack Fund for the Arts” present Andrew Wagner and Jeanette Abbink Monday January 28, at the Grace Street Theatre. Andrew Wagner and Jeanette Abbink, founding members of the architecture and design magazine Dwell, were charged with revamping the 66 year-old publication American Craft. Wagner and Abbink will describe their discoveries leading up to the re-launch of American Craft this past October. They will sum up their views of the craft world now and their search for the beautiful blurring the superficial boundaries that have been erected across disciplines in the past thirty years.

January 28th

Grace Street Theatre
930-934 West Grace Street
4:30 - 5:30 pm

see you there! k&m

delightful blogs

i'm so excited that openhouse has been chosen to be a part of delightful blogs, an edited directory of stylish blogs for women including shopping, fashion, design, travel, family and pop culture. i've already found a few new ones to add to my morning reading list. head on over and check out the site and be sure to stop in to the openhouse listing on the new blog page and rate our blog! thanks! k&m

martha, martha, martha

if you read this blog regularly, you know i have a love/hate relationship with martha stewart. but my feelings aside, the woman comes up with some seriously cool collaborations.

martha's collection of area rugs, in association with safavieh, has been on the market since last spring, but it just came on to my radar and i thought it was worthy of sharing. i love how these rugs look worn and comfortable and easily at home with a traditional decor as much as a modern one. oh how i LOVE the faux bois tibetan rug! it's destined for my dining room. anyway, if you're interested you can go on the safavieh website to find a retailer near you. if you're in richmond, the collection is available at rugs direct, 9862 west broad street, glen allen, va. 804.273.0844

i *heart* craft

from the richmond craft mafia:

the richmond craft mafia will be hosting "i *heart* craft" on sunday, february 10th from 4-6pm at the camel. the event is open to any and all crafty peeps. no need to RSVP but you can drop them a line or comment on their blog just to give them a heads up. the camel will be sporting a full menu and bar so you can purchase a bite and nosh with us for a bit. Members of the richmond etsy street team will be there as well...come out and meet some of the folks you know from online. and bring a friend!

what: i *heart* craft - a crafter's social
when: sunday february 10, 2008 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm
where: the camel, 1621 W. Broad Street

etsy love...

i'm a day late and about $35 short with this post. ashleyg, one of my fave etsy artists, listed a whole new group of her adorable bearded men (and if you know me, you know i'm a sucker for a guy with a beard, or at least one guy in particular ;o) and irreverent babies. she only printed small editions, so the pickins are slim 2 days later. check out her work here and see what you can scoop up before it's all gone.

this just in...

we posted a sneak peek 2 weeks ago of some new designers coming to openhouse and they have arrived! we'd like to officially welcome blabla kids, susyjack* and virginia johnson to our family.

blabla kids is a wonderful company run by two atlanta women who use the age-old traditions of Peruvian knitters to create their adorable line of children's dolls, rattles, mobiles and finger puppets. a fair-trade company, blabla helps promote strong international relationships, improve the conditions for women in developing nations and creates heirloom quality gifts that promote sustainability. we're so excited to be a part of it.

susyjack* was a great etsy find. i was lazily "strolling the aisles" one day looking for a calendar for the new year when i came upon this talented woman. she is so inspirational in that she has talent, knew what to do with it and went for it in her business. everything openhouse strives to be ;o) her cards and journals and fun little decorative clips and pencil cups are just the whimsical touch openhouse needed. we aren't carrying her '08 calenders, but i suggest you pick one up at her etsy shop while you still can.

and lastly, but CERTAINLY not least, we introduce you to virginia johnson. virginia's designs hold a special place in my heart. she was really the first designer we stumbled across that made us think, why is there not a great place in richmond to find handmade, well-made, beautiful, contemporary items for the home? her textiles stole my heart and although she isn't doing a home line again in the foreseeable future, we did manage to nab a few (and i mean just a few) of her fabulous resort-line totes. perfect for that mid-winter trip you have planned (for real, or in your head like me) to st. barths or costa rica. large enough to hold everything you'll need for a day at the beach, these totes will have everyone wondering where you got them. these ain't no l.l. bean bags ;o)

enjoy! and happy shopping. k&m

enfant terrible

happy mlk day. hoping you are all enjoying the long weekend. i'm off to tackle a number of design projects around the house, but before i go, i wanted to post a site i've become quite a fan of.

enfant terrible is an adorable online children's shop that is so beautifully curated. even if you aren't looking for children's items, the site itself is a treat. reminds me of amelia bedelia or eloise books.

anyway, the shop's philosophy is not unlike that of openhouse (if not more eloquently written ;o) quality over quantity, and sustainability. buying classic pieces that can be handed down and choosing great design over all of ticky tacky options out there.

enjoy! and happy shopping. k&m

ceramic love

i'm a sucker for ceramics. i'd love to have a shop full of just bowls, plates, cups, platters and pitchers. but that's why it's good to have a partner in business ;o) someone to bring balance to the space.

so in the spirit of my obsession with all things clay and porcelain, and the ability to live it out online, i bring you a fresh new designer found courtesy of bloesem. helen beard is not an openhouse family member (yet) but her work is too precious not to share. thanks to bloesem, via designersblock, for a great find.

oh, and two personal notes. happy birthday to sarah p. today and congrats to shannon and jon on the birth of beautiful madeleine!

fun finds for a winter day...

everyone seems to have these "what we're loving" lists and we thought we'd throw ours out there as well. just a few things catching our eye on the web this week:


bamboo tea bag box, $15.95

lotus flower chandelier, $329-$649


moroccan wedding cape, $395


milk-glass table lamps, $90


henry road upholstered chair


umbrella stand, $99


morrow chaise, $1400


campaign rolling cart, $329


de la tour chair, $160


wegner sawbuck chair, $2,550


cane baskets, $24-$49

etsy love...

here are some adorable prints from studio mela designer, shelli, on etsy. i think the utensil series [$20 a piece!] is too cute and you can't beat the sentiment on her "break the routine" print, below.

also, openhouse designer alyssa ettinger is the etsy featured seller. click here to read the interview and learn more about her process and inspiration.

sqft gallery

so, a very cool space in Nashville is closing it's doors at the end of the month. sqft gallery, curated by our favorite graphic designer and the creater of the openhouse "look", kathleen losche, has a wonderful last show that you just can't miss, regardless of where you live. thanks to Al Gore and his internet, you can check out the show and purchase any works of interest online.

the show, titled couplets, features two wonderful artists, Lisa Solomon and Aurora Robson.

lisa's pieces for this show focus on representing something frightening and ugly as something beautiful. she has taken the chemical structures of environmental toxins and rendered them using doilies. she delves into the idea that accessible and pretty packaging in our domestic environments can often conceal something harmful. aurora uses junk mail to form beautiful collages that change the viewers perception of an often pesky part of life. like lisa's work, it's about turning the ugly into the beautiful.

i know that i want one of each. sadly openhouse has me strapped ;o) so i'll just have to admire them from afar. enjoy!

20x200

i've been meaning to post about this site for ages. i'm a total addict and perhaps subconsciously i didn't want to share it with the world ;o) but in the interest of small business, i'll let go of my greed and let you in on my favorite new pastime: 20x200

jen beckman, a new york gallerist who i've had the pleasure of working with through artnet in the past, has launched a new venture making great art accessible to all. i first read about it back in october through design*sponge and have managed to accrue a number of great pieces since.

the concept is this: large editions + low prices x the internet = art for everyone.

they introduce two new works a week, one photo and one work on paper. each image is available in three sizes: small editions of 200 for $20, medium editions of 20 for $200 and large-sized editions of 2 that generally run $2000. it's really something for everyone at every price-point.

below are some of the works i've acquired (or been given, thanks Murph). a new edition is released every Tuesday and Wednesday at 2pm. have fun and happy shopping! k&m