HOBNOB design

WYNWOOD WALLS - MIAMI

2014-03-16T16:16:00.000-04:00

Wynwood Walls was conceived by Tony Goldman in 2009 as a way to transform a warehouse district in Miami. He believed graffiti and street art were historically under appreciated genres and the large warehouse walls made perfect canvases.

The street art has expanded from walls to doors and there is a lot to see even outside of the original compound. They also maintain a fabulous restaurant within the district, Wynwood Kitchen and Bar, one of our best meals.

As a real estate investor, the late Tony Goldman was also integral to the transition of the 13th Street neighborhood in Philadelphia. Goldman Properties is still very active in Center City Philadelphia.

The Raleigh Hotel in South Beach was the perfect escape from the winter slush. The deco-decor and comfortable room was only surpassed by the spectacular pool and warm beach.

LUSTROUS TABLE TOP

2013-10-11T15:49:00.004-04:00

I am in love with pom-pom napkins - they add so much fun and texture to the table.

It brings such joy to the table when colors and patterns are mixed and matched - a perfect contrast to the approaching bleakness of winter.

Pomegranate makes fun, vivid table runners and napkins for every occasion.

MAISON ARTIGA

2013-05-24T10:31:00.003-04:00

Quitterie Delfour shows you around her small company in southern France where they design and manufacture superb textiles in the Basque tradition - click here Maison Artiga Studios

We are proud to carry a large selection of products from this studio including Espadrilles, aprons, table runners, hats and handbags - stop by the shop for the latest selection.

ESPADRILLE

2013-04-22T15:22:00.000-04:00

What says summer more than an easy Espadrille? These formerly "peasant" shoes originated in the Pyrenees and are popular the world over.

We were fortunate to secure a selection of Espadrilles from Artiga. Using their exciting fabric color-ways, they design and manufacture these great styles in the Basque region of France.

Stop by the shop, slip on a pair and be transported.

IRON FURNITURE

2013-04-04T13:05:00.000-04:00

Although most commonly called 'wrought iron', this furniture is typically made of 'mild steel', which was cheaper and easier to mass produce. It is the style and finish that draws me to this vintage furniture collection.

We've stripped many pieces of outdoor furniture to reveal the blue/gray, soft finish of the steel. A quick spray of clear coat acrylic matte finish will protect if from rust.

You can find both ornate and simple garden designs in tables, chairs and chaise lounges, some from notable mid-century designers.

RIFLE PAPER

2013-02-07T16:19:00.000-05:00

This paper company is a boutique stationery brand and design studio based in Florida. Products feature Anna Bond's whimsical designs which often include hand-painted illustrations and lettering to compose a style that feels both nostalgic and timeless.

They take great care in choosing all of their stock and printing methods to ensure designs come to life in a way that's elegant, durable, and beautiful.

All of the product is currently printed locally in the U.S. using environmentally friendly papers & printing, then assembled by hand by the in-house production team.

Rifle strongly believes life's personal stories and moments are best told through the gift of a hand-written card or note - me too.

Visit their blog here

CANDELABRAS

2013-01-30T16:34:00.000-05:00

Elegant
Turned
American Maple
Candelabras

These heirloom pieces are produced by the creative team of Stacy Kunstel and Michael Partenio - also known by their company name Dunes and Duchess

Inspiration comes from the New England coast and their island get-away. They take pride in American craftsmanship. Their lacquered finishes and available colors are spectacular. This line includes wall sconces, chandeliers, table and floor lamps - soon available at HOBNOB design.

VINTAGE SCARVES

2012-12-21T10:53:00.000-05:00

Vintage silk scarves are perfect with wool winter coats and cashmere sweaters. They brighten the cold, bleak winter with their exciting colors and bold patterns.

Vera Neumann began designing scarves in her home in the early 1900's with a silk screen printing press on her dining room table. Her scarves are classic, bright and a fantastic add to any wardrobe.

I've been collecting Vera scarves for years, with her ladybug signature. HOBNOB design shop has a full collection to choose from.

HOLIDAY TABLE TOP

2012-11-26T16:31:00.000-05:00

A bright cheerful table at the holidays sets the mood for festive entertainment with family and friends. Here are 5 tips for creating a vibrant table top for a fabulous party.

1. Keep it simple, fewer decorations will have a higher impact and really stand out. You can easily achieve this result by bringing nature inside with pine cones, camellias, holly or boxwood.

2. Be sure to include something vertical on your table - but don't block the view. This added height will make the table dynamic and more dimensional.

3. A lighter table top will bring warmth and energy to your party. If your table is dark, make sure to use bright settings and vibrant colors. Toss out the traditional holiday color schemes and go with variations - pink, lime, silver and black.

4. Guests love gifts and a little something at a place setting can be used to designate seating or help break the ice. Surprise balls, a tree ornament or wrapped trinkets are perfect.

5. Space is essential. Provide your guests with room to move and spread out. Don't pack them in or crowd the dining space with too many decorations. A few simple pieces and separate area for appetizers or the bar and punch bowl will encourage mingling and lighten the mood.

SHOP small SHOPS

2012-11-20T14:43:00.002-05:00

Something to think about

as you shop this holiday season

Spend $100 at a chain store and impact the local economy by only $33

Spend $100 at locally owned business and impact the local economy by $58

Going Local: Quantifying the Economic Impacts of Buying from Locally Owned Businesses in Portland, Maine — by Garrett Martin and Amar Patel, Maine Center for Economic Policy, December 2011

See below for the top 10 reasons we should all shop

Small & Local

from sustainable connections and Think Local First

Buy Local -- Support yourself: Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms -- continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community.
Support community groups: Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.
Keep our community unique: Where we shop, where we eat and have fun -- all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of this place. Our tourism businesses also benefit. “When people go on vacation they generally seek out destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace, not just anyplace.” ~ Richard Moe, President, National Historic Preservation Trust
Reduce environmental impact: Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally set up shop in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.
Create more good jobs: Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in our community, provide the most jobs to residents.
Get better service: Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers.
Invest in community: Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.
Put your taxes to good use: Local businesses in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community.
Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy: A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.
Encourage local prosperity: A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.

GREENMARKET PURVEYING

2012-11-09T13:01:00.000-05:00

I love scents that transport me to another place, evoking memories, feelings and good times. This company feels the same way - infusing their products with the amazing ability to transport.

Here's how they describe some of their scents:

Hearth, Rosy-cheeked folks gathered around a crackling log fire, in a lodge, on a mountain, far far away from everything.

Vintage, Well-worn leather bound first edition, dog eared and much loved, pressed with leaves, hinting of pipe smoke and candle-lit wee hours...

This local company based in Langhorne creates their hand poured candles in small batches with essential oils and natural fragrances.

I can certainly relate to their description of who they are: People who love the idea of finding things in corner stores, farm markets and roadside stands, that are made and grown and created by hand in the United States. People who prefer things with a sense of time and place and history, who read books not devices, shop in stores not on sites, and who eat from a market basket not a tin can.

ARTIGA

2012-11-02T13:53:00.000-04:00

ARTIGA Basque linens derive their rich, radiant color from the sun, sea and mountains of deep South-West France. Four generations of weavers have remained loyal to the Basque spirit, re-imagining the traditional seven Basque stripes, one for each province, in new and vibrant ways.

Quitterie Delfour currently leads this company and when I met her I was impressed by her passion and pride in the quality of her company’s product. Her team designs, dyes and weaves the textiles based on traditions deeply rooted in the life of South-West France. Quitterie hopes that “in our creations find authenticity, flavors and colors of the Atlantic Ocean, the Pyrenees and the South-West of France”.

The HOBNOB design shop is currently carrying a wide selection of table runners and kitchen towels in vibrant color-ways that will brighten your kitchen and table for the holiday season.

A Basque Chicken dish is perfect on a cold, damp November day. Just click the image for the recipe. FYI: The seven Basque regions are Lapurdi, Zuberoa and Nafarroa Beherea in France and Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia, Araba, Nafarroa in Spain.

VEDGE

2012-10-06T13:59:00.000-04:00

Frank Furness is known for designing some of the most elaborate buildings of America's Gilded Age. Transforming a residential mansion from the late 19th Century into a bright, inviting restaurant was a challenge. Using a bright color palette and subtle print pastel wallpaper from Galbraith and Paul, the interior space came alive.

This "spoondalier" light fixture and the "green house" lighting over the bar added a touch of whimsy.

BLUEBERRIES

2012-07-13T16:54:00.000-04:00

Summertime and the blueberries are easy....Pies, Jam, Tarts (lime curd with blueberries), what can't you do with this super fruit? Tom and I stopped to pick our own on the way to LBI - Wells Fruit Farm, 3 miles off of Route 70, sorry no website but plenty of hand-made signs to guide you. They expect to be picking well into August.

JOHN ROBSHAW

2012-06-22T14:29:00.000-04:00

I love the cool palette of blues and browns from John Robshaw's hand-block printed linen collection. He travels the world blending the work of artisans, embracing their traditional techniques. Read about John's work providing economic opportunities to craftspeople in developing nations through Aid to Artisans here.

ROLLER RABBIT

2012-06-02T15:43:00.002-04:00

Simple, comfortable, stylish - no wonder this design has been popular for centuries. Call it a tunic or kurta, it's a summer essential. Roberta Freyman has fanstastic prints this season.

POTIONS

2012-03-22T12:39:00.001-04:00

Chemist David Mayron built The Lab in Hatfield, PA after he retired from Smith Kline. The Jao line was launched and according to Gale this is how it happened:

I had had this idea of keeping my hands clean while on the job and in 1995 I asked dad one day while on the back porch, "How can I wash my hands while on the go?" "Gelled Alcohol" was his reply. Well, that wasn't as interesting as I would have liked, so I got to thinking, did a little research...anyway here we are 13 years later, on the market since 1997. Jao Hand Refresher is the best Hand Sanitizer you will ever use, bar none...Know why? Cause we didn't try and copy those other cheap brands...we were developing this before they hit the consumer market so we've never used 'em. Jao Hand Refresher is totally original, natural and delightful. You will love it...

Visit their blog for more here

WOODLAND TERRARIUM

2012-03-16T12:17:00.000-04:00

Vibrant yellow daffodils and radiant red tulips light up a room. But spring woodland flora in a terrarium brings cool, fresh intrigue.

In London in 1827 Dr. Nathaniel Ward accidentally discovered the "fern" case when attempting to watch a chrysalis evolve in a glass jar. Seedlings began to sprout in the jar and Dr. Ward concluded that healthy ferns could be grown in London, if protected from the polluted air.

The Wardian case or terrarium became fashionable in the U.S. in the early 1860's and graced most Victorian homes.

Dr. Ward's book, On the Growth of Plants in Closely Glazed Cases is still available here.

INTERIORS

2012-02-29T16:00:00.000-05:00

I love designing interiors - the opportunity to enhance and the promise of transformation. When color, light, and decoration perfectly meld to create ambiance - it is most satisfying. Philadelphia Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan recently mentioned some of my work in his review of the fabulous restaurant Vedge.

"The stylish "spoondelier" lighting is warm. The banquettes, radiating their own discreetly lit aurora, are minimalist but comfy". Read more here

PUSSY WILLOWS

2012-02-21T09:50:00.000-05:00

The story goes that Tom's grandmother, Beulah Huber journeyed from her home in the river hills of southern Lancaster County (Conestoga, PA) to the Philadelphia Flower Show in the 1930's. She purchased a few whips of what were called "French" pussy willows - the largest, softest and most beautiful she had ever seen. She promptly rooted the stems and planted them in the rear lawn. The tree grew immense and was loved for it's large silky February catkins - and scorned by Clyde Huber for it's exuberant growth. In the early 1980's Tom and his sister would rise early before school, cut the pussy willow stalks and sell them to a vendor at the Lancaster Central Farmer's Market. Thankfully my mother-in-law had the foresight to root and plant a tree in her garden - and today we continue to enjoy these fabulous harbingers of spring.

ROYAL APOTHIC

2011-11-30T20:36:00.001-05:00

It's a lot of fun to find uncommon items, especially to give as gifts. I'm carrying this fabulous Eau de Parfum that was actually created from an 18th century book of concoctions discovered in an antique shop in London. The formulas were created for many of the monarchies in Europe. Blending tangerine, pepper and teak is just one example of how unique and refreshing these scents truly are.

VEDGE

2011-11-22T20:56:00.001-05:00

Completed design work at Vedge, a fantastic new restaurant on Locust Street. Rich and Kate are truly talented and the fare is amazing - check out the vegtable bar too.

CHESTNUT HILL DESIGN SHOW HOUSE

2011-09-16T11:59:00.001-04:00

Chestnut Hill Design House - Family Drawing Room awash in color. A retreat from the rest of the house, relax and curl up with a good book. Perfect for pre-dinner cocktails or a post-feast port. Ample room for conversation around the fireplace or a hand of cards with the kids.
For details on visiting the house click here

NEW/OLD FURNITURE

2011-05-06T16:51:00.000-04:00

I love the architecture of old furniture, strong boned and elegantly designed.

I've updated these pieces in current colors, re-upholstering them in fantastic textiles from Galbraith and Paul and my vintage collection.

These single pieces will bring life to any room.

GUEST TOWELS

2011-03-31T19:02:00.000-04:00

So maybe they are 'old school', but I love guest towels. The colors, attention to detail and embroidery makes each one special. Like vintage table cloths and linens, you can't reproduce the quality from a bygone era.