Rebekah Gough (who has shared some great projects with us before) ripped out her current rental home’s “ugly 90′s-era built in desk” and replaced it with a beautiful blue hutch. While it sounds simple, she and her husband did all of the manual labor themselves and chronicled the process on her blog, here. We’ve all dealt with those generic wooden cabinets that most rentals have (mine are a blonde color and I loathe them) so it’s great to see how these can be updated for something that feels colorful and fun, but neat and streamlined at the same time. I think the combination of this corner makeover with the changing of the dining room chairs makes such a big impact on the overall kitchen. A big virtual high five to Rebekah and her husband for this great redo. xo, grace

More images of the makeover continue after the jump…

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Okay— what I’m about to say might alienate some aunts, uncles, mothers, fathers, and grandparents out there—but y’all need to cool it with the overly sentimental greeting cards. I know you mean well. I also know that picking out a card from the myriad available at a typical drugstore is the last thing you want to do. But honestly, it’s hard to get excited about a card that has “Dear son/daughter/nephew/niece” on it followed by a Hallmark-penned poem extolling (in fanciful scripty fonts, of course) the supposed virtues of its recipient. I don’t know if my years in New York have turned me into a hardened, emotionless cynic, but I prefer my greeting cards to be like the crazy neighbor that accosts me for walking my dogs too closely to him: blunt, to the point, and devoid of unnecessary pretense. This is why, while perusing the aisles of this week’s National Stationery Show in Manhattan, I was thrilled to see that there were numerous designers this year making exactly this type of greeting card. From newcomer Emily McDowell’s fabulously straightforward (and totally adorable) words of encouragement to Great Lakes Goods’ cards that would make any jaded Brooklynite smile, this year’s offerings were not only cute, but refreshingly real. The following 15 cards prove that sincerity isn’t about sentimentality—it’s about saying exactly what you think. (Just a note: some of the following items, for the aforementioned reasons, might be considered NSFW. If profanity isn’t your cup of tea, please pass this one over. Also, due to the nature of the Stationery Show, some of the following items aren’t available to purchase yet, but they should be in the near future! Enjoy!) —Max

Above image: I’m totally, totally obsessed with Emily McDowell’s lovely, unfiltered greeting cards. This congratulatory wedding card seems particularly apt to me, because this is exactly the reaction I have when one of my friends announces their engagement.

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Image above: Tiny pendant lights (also in sconce and tabletop form) from Nervous System

The pattern of these silver globe lights from Tom Dixon was so beautiful- especially in shimmery silver.

These pendants from 100xbtr were made of Corian, but were deceptively light. They also remind me of Pac- Man ghosts. Score!

I loved this simple little strand of lights of Grain Design.

More pendant lighting from ICFF 2013 continues after the jump…

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Image above: Tanya Aguiniga‘s incredible installation for Kasthall.

Beautiful textiles by Grain. I love the texture and pattern in the all-white pillows.

Woven pillow designs by Denise Diane that were inspired by the Golden Orb spider.

Wayward Projects‘ splatter-style pillow line.

More new textile design continue after the jump…

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Image above: I’d love to see this pink mirror on a dark gray wall.

Image above: The lines of this pink stool make it pretty fantastic.

Image above: A fantastic find: pink dining room chairs!

More pink from Brimfield after the jump!

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Last week, we made our annual trek to the Brimfield Antique show. Part of the fun walking around antique fairs is imagining the possibilities of transforming our finds into something cool. We found architectural balustrades that could be turned into table lights, industrial mixer blades that could become pendant lamps, and wooden crates that can become anything from plant stands, to a dog feeder to shelves. Do you have a favorite vintage transformation?  -Amy Azzarito

Image above: A vintage book cover becomes the perfect travel case for electronics. See the full instructions here.

Image above: Vintage Western belts become leather frames. See the full instructions here.

Image above: A shelf that turns vintage thermos finds into a hanging vase. See the full instructions here.

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Over the last few weeks, we’ve taken added a special twist to our usual line-up of “Sneak Peeks.” In addition to featuring behind-the-scenes looks at unique interiors, we’ve decided to showcase the inner workings of some of our favorite artists’ sketchbooks. So far, we’ve taken you through the hand-bound books of Anna Emilia and the eclectic, multimedia work of Courtney Wotherspoon. Today, we’re absolutely delighted to bring you a peek into the work of an artist who is no stranger to any reader of Design*Sponge: Lisa Congdon. One of our all-time favorite artists (and people), Lisa is pretty much the poster-child for prolific creativity—her work as an illustrator, hand-letterer, painter, textile designer, and collecting maven has earned her wide acclaim, numerous product partnerships, and more than a few mentions on our own site (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Her work is at once intricate and playful, a combination of warmth, humor, and what seems to be a genuine, passionate love for the external world. Lisa’s sketchbooks, as more personal extensions of her artistic oeuvre,  reflect this same joyful spirit. After the jump, Lisa shares some of her favorite sketchbook pages along with her thoughts about the art of sketchbook keeping. —Max

Image above: My favorite copper lighting of the show, Iacoli & McAllister‘s copper chandelier. These guys really had the strongest work at the show for my money. Chic, modern and on-trend without being trendy.

Image above: Blu Dot‘s beautiful smokey glass-topped (another ICFF 2013 trend!) copper tables.

Image above: Delightfull design’s rotating copper light (rotated photo after the jump)

Image above: Panoramica‘s copper baskets

More new copper designs from ICFF continue after the jump…

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Image above: Chandelier by Charles de Lisle at The Future Perfect

Image above: A series of beautiful brass lighting by Tom Dixon

Images above: I loved this hanging light by Josef Hoffman, designed in 1907. The brass elements are handmade. Currently produced by Woka Vienna.

More new brass & gold designs from ICFF 2013 after the jump…

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More Brimfield storage ideas continue after the jump…

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Even though I’m well past my elementary school days, the advent of summer’s long, humid days always signals a time of boundless freedom and endless possibility. The calendar squares representing the summer months become less a demarcation of time and more a symbolic call to adventure—they almost necessitate creek walks, firefly catching, secret midnight meetings with friends, and sleepless nights spent cycling down dim, tree-lined streets. The creators of Now And Then, a coming-of-age tale set during the summer of 1970, seem to be fully aware of this seasonal phenomenon. With a star-studded cast including Demi Moore, Rosie O’Donnell, Christina Ricci, and Thora Birch, this film is guilty-pleasure nostalgia-candy at its best: there is mystery, adventure, neighborhood rivalry, suburban angst, and the uncomfortable stirrings of adolescent summertime romance. Not to mention one of the best things about any period piece: killer interiors. As I watched this sugar-sweet summertime romp recently, I found myself experiencing a familiar sense of restlessness that often accompanies warm weather months. The perfect way to get ready for summer, Now And Then will have you planning bike ride excursions, cemetery seances, and girls versus guys battles of red rover. Bring on the heat! —Max

1. Paisley Jumpsuit | 2. Schwinn Cruiser | 3. Portable Radio | 4. Gaslight | 5. Mexican Cokes | 6. Keds Sneakers | 7. Rider-Waite Tarot Deck | 8. Jell-O Vanilla Pudding | 9. The Best of The Jackson 5 | 10. Cedar Rope Swing

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Today’s Biz Ladies Profile comes to us from consummate jackie-of-all-trades, Tina Roth Eisenberg of Swiss Miss. Beyond her wildly successful blog, Tina has gone on to launch several successful business, including, CreativeMornings, Tattly, and Studiomates. With a persistent approach and constant curiosity, Tina has paved the way for other creative entrepreneurs and today, she share he inspiring career journey with us. Thank you Tina for offering this glimpse into your business path! –Stephanie

Read the full interview after the jump…

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Today’s Biz Ladies post comes to us from Andreea Ayers of LaunchGrowJoy.com, the online destination for educating yourself effective business practices. First starting off in the retail industry, Andreea eventually segued her career into the business education realm, offering other eager entrepreneurs some helpful tips and tricks she learned along her own career path. Today she is sharing a few of those tips with us on how to get affiliates interested in your product launch.  Thanks Andreea for this insightful post! –Stephanie

Read the full post after the jump…

This post is brought to you by MailChimp, an app created to help you design, send, and share email newsletters. Discover their tools for bloggers here.

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Today’s Best of City Guides is all about the West.  From the Rockies to the Pacific and all the way out to the islands of Hawaii, we’ve been lucky enough to have so many wonderful guides from the west shared with us over the years.

Today, I’ve rounded up several of those guides to share with you.  And as I mentioned in our Best of the East Coast roundup, we are always looking for more wonderful guide to add to the collection, so please feel free to reach out with any recommendations on new or updated guides.  Here’s to the wild wild west! –Stephanie

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This year marks the fifth year that the D*S team has traveled to western Massachusetts to attend, and revel in, the madness that is the Brimfield Antique Show. Launched in the 1950s, Brimfield is the largest and best-known outdoor antiques show in the US. It is basically the biggest, craziest and most incredible antique show we’ve ever seen. It’s the only place I’ve ever seen celebrities brush elbows with Red Hat Society ladies from Florida, clam chowder sellers from the Cape, hipsters from Tokyo and New York buyers from JCrew, Martha Stewart, Ralph Lauren and Rag & Bone. This year, Max, Amy, Hope and I rented a mini van and headed north to see what we could find to help us style photography for our next book. Surprise!- we’re doing a second book! Details coming soon…

Today I wanted to stick to our tradition of showcasing the old, wonderful and sometimes whacky things we brought home with us. Last year it was all about one-of-a-kind pieces, in 2011 it was all about glass & metal and 2010 was dedicated to jewelry and textiles. But this year we focused primarily on finding beautiful objects we could use to decorate style in photographs for our second book, which will be all about making things by hand. From marbles and bouncing balls to vintage silverware and spools, we tried to gather as many interesting craft-related objects and brought them home to hopefully find new homes in DIY project photos. Stay tuned for more of the cool objects we saw at the show! xo, grace

Image above: 1. We found a booth filled with old tins and got all of them for $11 | 2. A wooden bowl with a great patina for $15 | 3. We purchased a bag of beautiful vintage marbles for $20 | 4. This fantastic pie tin was $5 | 5. Amy got obsessed with the bouncy ball colors and picked out her favorites in design*sponge color palette | 6. A great expandable ruler | 7. We were on the hunt for anything with a great patina and this tray certainly made the cut. | 8. Vintage pens in great colors | 9. Silverware was high on the needs list | 10. Dog head-shaped candy/chocolate mold | 11. An old paintbrush with a great colored handle.

Image above: A closer look at the patina of the pie tin and the beautiful bouncy balls. (Amy got suckered into a painted rock scheme.)

See all of our Brimfield finds after the jump!

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If you missed yesterday’s ICFF trends they’re right here: Green and Great Tables.

Image above: Tiles by Keiou Design Lab

Images above: Sofa by O & G Design. I fell in love with that zig zag upholstery.

Image above: A triangle-print wooden credenza from MatterMade.

More geometric designs from ICFF 2013 continue after the jump…

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Image above: Simon and our almost 2-year-old son like to fly glider planes together. Claude goes in a backpack and they head off to stare at the sky most mornings. I find the planes handsome around the home. We have all been collecting feathers for this lamp. The shadows the feathers cast at night are very pleasing.

Image above: I grew that pumpkin!

See more of Anna-Wili and Simon’s Australian home after the jump…

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All photographs by Carolyn Piotroski

Image above: When asked to describe myself, I’m often tempted to sing (to the tune of Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana”) my hair is kinda red and I like to read in bed. A velvet-upholstered headboard and cotton sheets make this pastime sinfully luxurious. The bed, walnut nightstand and rug are all from Room & Board (the rug was a sample sale bargain). The lamp is IKEA. Our water glasses are old jam jars – a cliché, I know. The postcard (purchased at Watson Kennedy in Seattle) reads, “Where’s your mountain, and are you climbing it?” I purchased my slippers at a street market in the Turkish countryside. The woman who made them had a beautiful smile.

The floors are polished concrete with in-slab copper tube radiant heating. After bead blasting (a process that roughs up the surface), the floors were coated with a hand-troweled cementitious overlay and then polished. The look is clean and seamless; best of all, the floors stay warm in the winter and delightfully cool in the summer. The wall color is Winter White by Benjamin Moore.

Image above: Our south-west facing living room is 26 feet long by 19 feet wide, the ceiling is just shy of ten feet tall and two walls (those on the right and left of the image) are composed of floor-to-ceiling glass – to say this space feels light and airy is a bit of an understatement. I love our restored redwood ceiling and the way it makes the entire space feel warm and inviting. I purchased the vintage walnut desk at a nearby estate sale for fifty bucks. All it needed was some tender loving care and a little elbow grease (a good cleaning followed by a rub down with Howard Feed-N-Wax wood conditioner). The wall color is Decorator’s White by Benjamin Moore.

See more of Carolyn’s mid-century home after the jump!
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Image above: The emerald and citrine tones in the painting above pop against a dramatic sapphire wall in the home of Kate Schintzius.

Image above: Paige Morses‘s unexpected pairing of framed art layered on top of this wedding blanket creates a striking focal point in her Texas home.

Image above: Ruby red and illustrated wall decals sets a playful tone in the bedroom of Carolyn Gavin‘s daughter.

More jewel tone inspiration after the jump…

This post is brought to you by Sherwin-Williams.  Turn your inspiration into reality with Sherwin-Williams Color Selection Tools.

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Image above: Green chair by Dirk Vander Kooij (More details after the jump)

Image above: Sconce by Rosie Li for Roll & Hill (My favorite piece from the show, hands down. I wish I had $3k to bring this home).

Image above: Green chair by Dirk Vander Kooij

More gorgeous green designs after the jump…

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HUMAN – Sun dresses and sandals are one of my favorite wardrobe combinations.  I would love to pair these vibrant strappy sandals with a light floral frock while snapping some pictures on this shockingly yellow wide-angle camera. What a great imaginary day that would be!

HOUSE – I’m all about a pop of color in a room with an unexpected piece of decor.  This bar cart would cause a stir (not shaken…ha…a little cocktail humor for you) in my rather neutral living room and this watering can might just be enough water and sunshine for my plants to thrive.

HARVEY – I’m a bit partial to yellow when it comes to the canine realm (my pup is a blondie after all). So this ceramic bowl and  floral bandana caught my eye immediately.