I only have one thing to say...

Paper Cutting Artiste

I’m sure this has been all over the blogosphere by now, but I just saw it for the first time.These beauties are hand cut pieces of paper done by artist, Hina Aoyama. Unfortunately, I don’t know too much about Hina except that she lives in Paris and is a paper cutting artiste. Her work is truly magical!!

If you’d like to see more, click here or here.

Thanks Brocade for posting about Hina’s work.

Dive Deeper

Every few months I take down my inspiration board that hangs over my computer and gather new food for thought. My board usually contains imagery, quotes from other people, drawings on napkins, and mantras that have been running around in my head. Sometimes I take these mantras and visually make them come to life, like the above card I did this morning.

The “Dive Deeper” mantra has been on my mind a lot. For me, it tells me to push further with my work, even when I think I might be done. Yeah I know, it’s a simple idea but very profound.

So I say this to you, whatever it is that you do, wherever it is that you go, or how you spend your moments…remember to dive a little deeper, you never know what you are going to find.

If you would like to make your own mantra using these types of letters, check out Spell with flickr, by clicking here.

Creative Process

The image above was done by Carin Goldberg.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about the infamous creative process, specifically what it feels like once I’m in it.

For me, the interest in the creative process stems from the mystery and magic it creates. It feels as if a part of my mind goes on a journey where things come together…fall apart… want to be ignored…then need to be cared for as if it were my last breath…to come to a solution that I like…then to hate it a week later…dive back in…get dirty…live with the new idea for a while (like a placeholder)…then dive even deeper…to come up with the “it”.

Needless to say I love the whole process, even the moments that are hard. I am extremely grateful that I have the ability to go through the process and pleased when something tangible comes out.

When I was in my 20’s I was so focused on trying to figure out who I was and wanting to create artwork that was deep and spiritual. Now, I’m much more clear on who I am but intrigued by the feeling of what else I can make. I’m sure this feeling stems from wanting to be inside the creative process.

And being that I have been thinking a lot about this, I found a great book that gives examples of other people talking about the same topic. The book is by the infamous Debbie Millman “How To Think Like a Great Graphic Designer”. And, no this book is NOT a how to of design. It is a collection of interviews from the some of the best designers talking about their life, influences, experiences, and passions. I enjoyed the whole book, but this particular quote from “Carin Goldberg” really spoke to me about the why we design.

“There is something very gratifying when you’re involved in your work – once you’ve hit that point of focus and you’re really in it. That’s what we all look for. We all wait for that moment when we’re in it, and we love the making of the piece”.

I then checked out Carin’s website and found all of her amazing work, I have included a few of my favorites here. If you’d like to see more of Carin's work, click here. Or if you would like to check out Debbie Millman’s blog full of fabulous articles, interviews, and podcasts, click here.

Snippet of Our Belize Trip

I was hoping to do a little summary of our Belize trip a week ago, but between waiting on photos and looking for a job...our little Belize tale got put on the shelf. So I will quickly summarize here our trip (I say quickly because dinner has to be made and I need a break from the computer).

Anyway, Belize was amazing! We flew into Belize city, where I took one look at our pocket size plane and immediately told Kevin that I needed a stiff drink. Luckily, I wasn't alone with this emotion and quickly found ourselves in this delightful airport bar chatting with the locals and drinking their rum punch.The pocket size plane turned out to be fun and while on it we got to see the beautiful green landscape sprawling across the country of Belize. We flew into Placencia where we met our friends and got our boat the Hakuna Matata.We then spent the next 7 days sailing from island to island, anchoring, snorkeling, diving, fishing, eating and relaxing. Here is what the ocean looked like every day, this is an image of some rays that were swimming by our boat.

This is what the sunset looked like every day...I'm not kidding.And this is for fun, this is an actual work out gym on one of the islands we visited.

Each island was more beautiful than the next. Some only had one person living there, while others had a single restaurant and bar. We met people from all over the world, some were kayaking from island to island, some were on chartered boats, and others decided to move there after not wanting to end their vacation. The Belize natives were very warm and friendly, their cuisine was delicious, the water was fresh and safe, and everyone spoke English.

I know I'm not going into great detail about this trip, but I will say it truly was one of the best vacations I've ever had. I would go back in a heartbeat!

Seeking Graphic Design Position

Dear Friends,

I hope you all are doing well. We got back from Belize late last night after an amazing trip. I will post pictures and details later. In the meantime, I wanted to share with you my new graphic design site...which is up and running (Yeah). My new site is http://www.calieanderson.com/.

I am looking for a full-time Graphic Design position in an agency or client environment in the Bay Area. Please feel free to pass my portfolio on to anyone of interest or contact me directly about a position at calieanderson@gmail.com.

Thanks for your help. I'll be back to normal posting very soon.

Mahalo,
Calie

Were Going to Belize

We are going to Belize in a few weeks and chartering a 47 foot catamaran with a few other friends for 7 days. Here is a picture of our boat; it has 4 bedrooms, 5 baths, a kitchen, and a living room.Our voyage begins in Placencia where we will grab the necessities (food, drinks, water). We will then sail from town to town taking in the sights and sounds. The goal of our trip will be to scuba dive, snorkel, have fun, relax, and soak up the sun as much as possible. It should be a great trip, everyone knows how to sail and most people are certified to dive. Now, what to pack? I think I'll have to check with dear friend Emily on this one :-)Have you been to Belize? Feel free to shoot me an email or leave me a comment if you have great ideas of things for us to see, do, or check out!

Signage as Art

I know its not a new concept, but old signage grouped on a wall is very lovely in my eyes. And being that I am fully embracing this graphic design path, I thought it would be fun to post about some pieces of signage that are affordable and very cool. The pieces above can be found at the Blue Bell Bazaar, which is an etsy shop owned by Gosia I. Korsakowski. Her bazaar has some really beautiful finds ranging from artwork to all things decor.

Signage has definitely changed over time, but what I love about old signage is that it was simple and straight to the point. Today signage can get very complicated with heavy handed graphics, big usage of colors, and a feeling of confusion when viewing. Not to say I don't appreciate this type of signage, it's just nice to enjoy some of the older, more simpler styles.

If you'd like to purchase any of these pieces, here are the direct links:
Store Sign
Rooms for Rent
Office for Rent
Sheet Metal Workers
Letter Y
Letter U

Happy Monday.
~Calie

Cha Cha Changes...

OK, this was too fun to do without sharing it with you. I'm in the process of creating a visual version of my life story as a creative person. As I was thinking about this project, I kept thinking about paper dolls (not sure as to why). I then started sketching out these images, see below.As I was sketching, consistent themes came to mind. Such as...where I started my life, where I had been, what I was wearing on my feet, what I was doing at each moment, and what I was listening too. Once I narrowed those questions down, I started searching for imagery to visualize these ideas.
From these images things were broken down as follows. My early years were spent in Hawaii, where I danced, painted, and enjoyed the ocean.
My college years were spent in Miami, where I went to art school and spent many a nights dancing at rave parties. What I call my "sponge years" were spent in New York city where I worked for Ogilvy&Mather, did brand strategy, learned a lot, got exposed to a lot, and lived in black converse sneakers.My "exploratory years" began in San Francisco, where I did more brand strategy at Landor Associates, realized I was on the wrong side of the creative table, went back to working as a graphic designer, did post grad studies in interior design, and opened Nohea Interiors .And that brings us to today. Today, things have changed yet again. And mostly it has changed because I am finally clear about how I like to spend my days. I like to spend my days doing design work, and I mean 6 - 8 hours a day of really making things with my hands (OK, mouse). So yes, here is my big secret and I am sharing it with you. As much as I love interior design, as I started getting clients, I found myself spending the majority of my day doing un-design things like shopping for furnishings, managing vendors, finance, etc. And, the whole time that I was doing those things I was REALLY missing graphic design. I love graphic design as much as I love interior design, but graphic design is an easier business for me to manage, participate in, and at the end of the day it gives me that 6-8 hours of making things with my mouse. That said, I will be closing Nohea Interiors and going back to graphic design. I'll share the new link to my graphic site next week. In the meantime, below is how I see myself today, a girl who has finally figured out where she is supposed to be and what she is supposed to be doing. A graphic designer, living in San Francisco... still listening to music.Oh yeah, Nohea Lookbook will be staying. It's going to have a new look and posts will be written about everything designy that interests me. So yes, interiors will still be discussed but so will art, photography, typography, creative process, etc. I'm excited to see what this next chapter will bring and hope will you join me for the ride.

Aloha,
Calie

Easy Method for Color Schemes

Happy Easter weekend everyone! I have been missing my daily interaction with many of you and as you can see my posting has been less as of late. It’s not that I don’t want to be blogging, its that my schedule has become very demanding and often there isn’t enough time in the day. I am also going through some big changes and will hopefully share them with you in the weeks to come.

In the meantime, I wanted to give you an easy method to putting a color scheme together. First, do some research on interiors spaces that contain colors that you like. Second, break down each color used in the room according to the amount (from biggest to smallest). I went ahead and did this as an example on these rooms from Room and Board. As you can see from these images, the colors from left to right descend in size just like they appear in the rooms.

You can use this method for anything really; it doesn’t have to be a room. It could be an outfit, a painting, an identity system, jewelry design, or something you are knitting. The key to this type of color scheme is to avoid using equal amounts of color. The variety in color amounts is what keeps these schemes interesting.

Art for Everyone

A Melody of Chairs 1953 by Herbert Matter

I can’t tell you how many times I have passed over an advertisement for artwork from the Conde Naste store. I finally sat down and went on their website last week and was pleasantly surprised to see the collection of semi-arffodable photographs, classic magazine covers, and magazine illustrations.

Abacus by Herbert Matter I know there is a big trend to search for art on Etsy and I fully support that endeavor, however, a piece or two from Conde Naste would complete any art collection. I especially loved their old magazine covers. I could see buying a bunch of these and grouping them in different style frames as a focal point on a wall. As always I have included some of my favorite pieces. If you go to their site, be prepared to spend some time (there is a lot to see and it is quite addictive). Here is the link:

April 1, 1918 by George Wolfe Plank

Vanity Fair September 1918 by Warren Davis
Bird-of-Paradise by George Wolfe Plank
Taking a Stroll by Santé Forlano

Eclectic Spaces

I do interiors in all styles, but as you know I love working on spaces that are of the eclectic nature (rooms that contain pieces that are old and new). This is why I am so excited to be working with my new client who lives in the Marina. My client is a fine art photographer, so she has a great eye and wonderful taste. Her flat is full of antiques carried down from her family as well as a few modern elements. Her challenge is that there are too many antiques and not enough modern pieces, resulting in a space that feels tired. Our solution to the space will be to redo the floors, bring in some modern elements (via furniture and accessories), and hang up her exquisite art and photo collection.Prior to seeing her space, I asked her what design magazines she likes to read and she laughed and said Dwell and Architectural Digest – both being an extreme in style to each other. The thing is those extremes are often where one can find their personal aesthetic. To better illustrate this eclectic style, I have included a few photos of rooms done by other interior designers that do this well.

Unfortunately, I don’t know the details for who designed all of these spaces as I found them on the Home Magazine website, to see the originals, please visit pointclickhome.

Pac Heights Living Room

Here are pictures from my latest project. You can see from the before pictures above, that my client had some great pieces, but didn’t know how to showcase or tie everything together. My client loves Shabby Chic and soft colors, so I used that as my starting point. We agreed upon the colors (robins egg blue, soft pink, aqua, violet, white, and sand), then we took an inventory of which colors she was missing, shopped for accessories in those hues, and then revamped the entire space. Its amazing how taking away items and bringing a few new pieces in can really complete a space.

Fun with Decor

Regence Style Chest

I am a strong believer that furnishings in a room shouldn’t all match. Furnishings, accessories, and fabrics from different eras create greater visual interest. I also believe that for a room to feel enjoyable it must contain a sense of humor. The best way to bring some humor in to your space is by adding an element that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Like a chandelier made out of milk jugs, a piece of art that is downright silly like a Kartoffel Diva, where a naked lady is holding a bowl of potatoes, cigarette & knife, or by simply adding a striped chest or purple piece of furniture into a room.

Before I go and on about what you could do, the main theme you should take away from this is that don’t take your interior environments too seriously. Have fun with decorating and if you are looking for some inspiration, check out these pieces from French Heritage. Happy Friday!

Alexandra Chest
Barbara Chest
Donatella Chest

Regence Style Chest
Commode Laquée Empire

A Girl Can Dream...

We constantly go back and fourth about where we want to live in the bay area. Should we stay in the city and live in a big airy loft, grab another Victorian and restore it, or move to the peninsula and get a house with a yard to hang out in. Ugh…so hard, I often feel like I am either a city dweller or a rustic / tropical outside of everything person. Such is why I was drawn to this house owned by Kathy Ireland.I saw this house in House Beautiful this month and although it is not my personal aesthetic it evokes a feeling of wanting to live in worn out jeans, lounge in the sun, eat fresh guacamole, and listen to the sounds of a wind chime. Aside from the emotional aspect of this space; I love the architectural elements, use of rustic materials, and vibrant pops of color. So today, as I venture out to a million appointments, I will be day dreaming about living in a place like this.

Planet Profil

I had lunch a few weeks ago with my friend Kit Leeger from Island Architects and mentioned that I’d love to find a digital printer to do a wallpaper or fabric line and she says “have you checked out Planet Profil”? I say, who, what? By that evening I’ve already scheduled an appointment to go there.

So yesterday, I finish up a perfect lunch at Axis Café with my friend Christine and hike up Rhode Island Street to the Planet Profil Showroom-Atelier. The showroom is an ex-Church from the 1870’s turned into a unique setting where half of the space is used as a studio and the other for living.
As I enter the showroom I am greeted by the lead head of Planet Profil, Christine Cayol. Here are a few pictures of their showroom.Planet Profil specializes in custom wall and ceiling coverings. They offer a revolutionary way to turn large surfaces into personal masterpieces and reproduce original artwork at wall or ceiling size. They use eco-friendly materials, digital printing technology, and innovative tension systems to offer totally new artistic possibilities. Their products range from wide canvas fabric, lacquered membrane, drop paper, and smoke and drop textiles.

Planet Profil works with designers, architects, homeowners, retail clients, etc. But For those of us that are designers, they offer a really easy way to take our designs in Illustrator or Photoshop and blow them up for a wall or ceiling covering. If you aren’t a designer, no worries they have in house graphic designers that can create something custom for you.

The best part about their products is that they are placed on top of the wall and can be easily taken off when you need to move. So if you are looking for a great piece of art for a focal point in your space, this could be the best solution. Depending on the item you get, the prices range from $12 - $45 per square foot, which is fairly affordable for custom wall or ceiling art. I can’t wait to use their products with one of my clients! Click here to learn more about them.

Here are pictures of their Wide Canvas fabrics:
Here are pictures of their Lacquered Membrane products:

Semi-Affordable Accessories

It’s been a very busy week for me. I’ve been coming and going and haven’t had enough time to blog – which is truly one of my guilty pleasures. Anyway, I figured since I have a little bit of time this morning, I’d blog about a place to get semi-affordable accessories.The place I’m talking about is Bo Concepts, a Denmark furnishings company that seems to be popping up all over the world. Most of you already know it, but since we are always inundated with places to shop for décor, we can forget about some of our favorites.I like Bo Concepts furniture, but the reason I wanted to talk about accessories is because I feel like I meet a lot of clients that have great furnishings but are missing a few fun accessories. Often accessories are where the much needed pop of color can come from, so a little bright pillow, a fun rug, a unique ceramic piece…is all one needs to liven up a space. Here are a few of my favorites:

Cups
Turquoise cushion
Lilac with gold print cushion
Black boas rug
Black parana rug

Surf Art Exhibit

No matter how far I am away from Hawaii, I will always feel connected to ocean sports…especially surfing and its culture. Surfing has got to be one of the most beautiful sports to watch. Just a board, a glassy wave, and a carving surfer…swoon. Unfortunately, I am terrible at surfing – I’m more of a lay in the sun type of girl. Luckily, I can still bring my admiration for the sport into interior spaces. Be it an actual board or a photo of a wave rider, surfing can act as art and décor for the home or office. That said, I was happy to learn about an upcoming surf art exhibit from my friend, Kaycie Roberts.

If you are in the Bay Area and love photography and surfing, you may want to check out the Photography and Surf Art exhibit of Brown W Cannon III.

Here is a little description about the exhibit:

“The ocean, travel, and photography have long been passions for Brown Cannon and are the central focus of his exhibition. The project is driven by a desire to share experiences and images of the ocean that will inspire people to protect these environments and ocean life.”This surf art exhibit will support the Surfrider Foundation, The Baum Foundation and the Marine Mammal Center. The opening reception is Thursday February 21, 6pm - 11pm at the Terra Gallery in San Francisco. Click here for more details on the event and the images shown in this post.

Ladies Who Launch

On occasion I write posts about the process I have been going through with my business. As many of you know, I left the corporate world last year to do Nohea Interiors full-time. That transition from corporate cubicle to entrepreneur has been exciting, challenging, busy, rewarding, scary, but most of all…right.

I have learned a lot, more than I thought I ever would and as much as I have tried to do everything on my own, I found I needed the connection of other people doing similar things. This is really no big surprise; many business owners join groups and associations for networking or for guidance. However, finding the right group or association to join is HARD. I have been to a lot of different type of networking events and some I like, some make my skin crawl, and some I love.

Today, I want to talk about the one that I love…and no this isn’t a blatant ad for this organization. I am writing about it because I truly believe in what this organization does and hope that for those of you who are taking the plunge into entrepreneurship, that you consider them. The organization I am referring to is called Ladies Who Launch.

Ladies Who Launch is a female powered organization that provides female entrepreneurs resources, opportunities and connections to move their dreams and businesses forward. The whole process begins with a four week Incubator, which is a savvy forum that marries ingenuity with creativity and collaboration. Designed to connect members both on-line and in-person, the Incubator brings together entrepreneurs, writers, artists, independent contractors, film producers, founders of non-profits and anyone interested in launching or expanding a business to share knowledge and inspiration. If you need a push to get that business started or to take the next step in an existing business, the Incubator is the place for you.

Ok, so why did I do it? I needed to take my business to the next level and focus on advertising and marketing. But what I didn’t realize was that by doing this four week Incubator, I found out things about my business and myself that I didn’t think were possible. It’s amazing how our fears or lack of confidence paralyze our ability to move forward. Once, I lifted those fears with the help of the women in my incubator, I felt like I could finally see. That gift of sight has allowed for me to get really clear on who I am, who my business is…thus giving me power to communicate the voice of my brand.

Many wonderful things came from this experience, but here’s an example. I am still offering Interior Decorating for residential properties, but I am now offering Interior Décor and Interior Branding to small businesses and retail spaces (see my new flyer above). If you are a reader of my blog, you know that when I left graphic design and branding I felt a sense of loss. I was torn because I wanted to do both interior design and graphic design and didn’t know how that was going to work. So this new offering gives me the ability to enjoy both, plus it gives my business clients an all encompassing design experience.

Anyway, Ladies Who Launch is more than an Incubator; it’s also a worldwide supportive organization that has monthly events to take part in. Definitely check out their website and blog, it may be the best investment you make for your business this year.

Question for you?

I've been particularly unhappy with my ID software and need something to visually convey my ideas to clients. I created this room in Photoshop, for a living room interior. I'm still messing around with the perspective and shadowing. But if you were a client, and you saw something like this would it better help you understand how your space was going to look? The reason I like using Photoshop is that I can use any piece of furniture, accessory, etc. that I want. A lot of the ID programs on the market, give you a library of furnishings, but they aren't exactly the items you plan to purchase or use. So what do you think, is this helpful?

Rosy Inspiration

In an effort to celebrate the day of love, I thought I’d do a rosy inspired post showcasing images from the iconic designer, Jamie Drake. If you don’t know who Jamie Drake is, he is a New York based Interior Designer who has also branched out into furnishings, fabrics, and accessories. He is known for amazing use of vibrant color and elegant elements.
I pulled this from Jamie’s bio and thought it was inspiring:

"I love what I do. I love style in every form. There is nothing more exciting than incorporating bold, vibrant colors with a striking mix of genres and periods to create lively, magical spaces that inhabit memories and enrich lives".If you’d like to learn more about any of these rosy pieces and Jamie, click hereHappy Valentines Day!

Sparkle Swoon!

Spa Crystal Mirror
Apologies for the above picture quality, I had to scan it in.

Did you ever think that American Sycamore wood, Swarovski crystals insets, and a mirror could look so amazing together? The Spa Crystal Mirror above caught my eye last night, and I have been day dreaming about buying it for my home. Apologies for the picture quality, I had to scan it in. I’m really feeling this piece because of the use of natural wood, the large scale of the mirror, and let’s be honest girls…the crystals! I love sparkly things, I got diamond earrings for Christmas and (dork that I am) purposely pull my hair back so my earrings can catch the light for extra sparkle. This mirror and the ones below are all from A.P.F. Master Framemakers.

A.P.F. Master Framemakers was formed over 50 years ago as a craft shop to fabricate unique and distinctive picture frames and mirror frames. Many of their frames are reproductions of the finest antiques in museum collections. Their customers include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, The Smithsonian Institute, The White House Collection and many other fine public and private collections.

A.P.F. Master Framemakers also does custom work, so if you need frames for mirrors or fine art from the 15th Century to current trends, they can make it happen. Their craftsmen can recreate a Gothic Tabernacle, a Louis XV masterpiece, a Stanford White design, or a 6 inch wide, corner resolved, contemporary lacquered frame; all to your specifications.

Gonzaga Floral Mirror
Loos Mirror