kiki van eijk interview

kristina at three layer cake traveled to venice to visit designer kiki van eijk (i have a major girl crush on kiki- she's the coolest). the result of their meeting is a fantastic interview you can check out right here. great work, kristina!

kelly wearstler q+a

a while ago i asked you guys for some questions to ask designer kelly wearstler. well, everything finally came together and i've posted her full q+a (using your questions) interview right here! it was fun to see which top design contestant she'd let design her house (hint: it wasn't the designer who won), which decade she finds the most influential and what she has to say about her fashion choices for top design. click here to check out the full piece. thanks to everyone who contributed questions!

15 questions with: todd oldham

i really enjoyed opening up the jay jeffers podcast to reader questions so i've decided to expand on that notion with a series called "15 questions with...". i'll be inviting some of our favorite designers to take place and answers questions that you ask. once a designer is introduced the comment section will be open for you to leave questions. next week i'll be featuring designer todd oldham. todd hardly needs an introduction so instead i'll open the floor for questions you might have for him. he's done just about everything when it comes to design (product design, interiors, graphic design, photography, etc.) so feel free to ask away. i'll choose my favorite 15 questions and hand them to todd tomorrow with answers running next week. have fun!

tips from the color guru

jonathan adler was kind enough to answer a few quick questions for me (including his favorite color combos) on injecting color and personality into your home. you can read the full piece right here- as always he's full of great quips and a few thoughts on sanjaya's ponyhawk.

ashley g podcast

the lovely susan of art esprit just posted a great podcast with artist ashley g. she's got a lot of fans over here so i thought some of you might be interested. you can check out some more of ashley's work right here at susan's gallery. i love the piece above, it's a nice departure from her more recognizable pieces.

shakadoo

kristen at shakadoo was kind enough to include me in their interview series on shakinstyle. if you're interested in reading it you can find the full piece right here. [thanks, kristen]

kelly wearstler

i'm working on questions for the kelly wearstler interview but i thought i'd open it up to you guys. do you have any questions you'd like to ask kelly? if so just drop em below and i'll see if they get approved for the interview...[photos above and below from the hard rock hotel high roller suite, designed by kwid. i love the shape of the chains.]

top design interview: margaret russell

yesterday i picked up the phone and had a short chat with top design judge and editor in chief of elle decor, margaret russell. i've been intrigued by margaret's blog for a while now (it's much more candid than the editing makes her appear on camera) and was excited to get to ask her some questions i've been dying to ask for a while now. why so many team challenges? why can't they meet their clients? did the judges regret any of their decisions later? you can hear margaret's answer to all of these and more (and find out who inspired her to see space differently) by clicking play below. thank you again to margaret and bravo for their time (all photos are from bravotv.com).

[stay tuned for photos, another interview and hopefully some insider gossip tomorrow after the meet up tonight...]

[NOTE: all scholarship applicants- please tune in tomorrow for the finalists. there were some techinical glitches with a number of applications so i needed another day to process everything]

new podcast: john pomp glass

last week i hopped a subway up to williamsburg to speak with one of the city's most celebrated glass artists, john pomp. i've been a fan of john's work for some time now- the way he works with color and form always brings to mind a certain sensuality that is often missing from glass these days. john has devoted his time not just to creating beautiful glass, but to creating a place where people can explore and produce their own glass. behind the pomp storefront is 160 glass, a studio that is open to anyone in the area that would like to take classes and learn more about the art of glass blowing. and this february, john is offering a special valentine's day glass blowing class where couples can come and do something different together. so, to hear more about 160 glass' classes and hear john's podcast simply click "play" below. you can hear all that john has to say about glass, the tempermental nature of contemporary design and of course, some words of wisdom (not to be missed) for design students and those looking to start their own design-based companies. enjoy!

[if you would like download the file and listen later just click here. you can also subscribe to the d*s podcast feed by signing up at itunes. just search for "design*sponge"]

[photo above from the nytimes.com and photos below from johnpomp.com]

craftcast podcast

alison of craftcast was kind enough to include me in her podcast series this week. the other week we spoke on the phone and now the podcast is up on her site- i'm honored to follow project runway's daniel vosovic in the series. click here to listen to my podcast and scroll down for mr. vosovic. [thanks, alison!]

garth roberts

kristina's mini-interviews are in full effect at the guest blog. aside from falling all over myself about the bouroullec piece (they're so cute) i'm loving this interview with canadian designer garth roberts. click here to read the full piece.

new podcast: area home!

today i'm speaking with anki spets, the designer behind the beautiful linens at area home. inspired by scandinavian traditions and influenced by her modern new york surroundings, anki creates beautiful bedding from her studio on varick street. it was fantastic to see all of her color boards and inspirational clippings laid out- i'm a big fan of area home's use of bold color. they always find a way to take saturated colors and make them seem so subtle and refined. thanks again to anki and yuko for taking the time to set up the podcast. [click here] to listen and here for more information on area home.

jen corace podcast *

last thursday i took a bus from downtown providence to jen corace's studio. she was kind enough to let me interview her about her work, her childhood in the suburbs of new jersey and even her favorite meal (she has self-described "burrito problem"). i was so nervous to meet her (she's like a rock star to me) but she was incredibly friendly and was kind enough to give me all sorts of insight into her work and how she goes about creating the collections that have made her famous. from brooding problems to her dream collections (think: jen corace for the home) jen had so many interesting things to say- i hope you'll enjoy her podcast. [click here to listen] or right click to save as an mp3. enjoy! [thanks again to jen for taking the time to meet with me]

[photos from okok gallery, music by jets to brazil]

thomas paul podcast*

it's thursday and time for a fresh podcast! last week i sat down with thomas paul at the lovely keena showroom in brooklyn. amid colorful pillows and roost accessories galore we chatted about design, fashion, trends and porkchops. yes, porkchops. [click here] to listen to the podcast and you'll see where the porkchops come in. in 20 short minutes you can learn about thomas' design philosophy, which fashion designer he admires and get all the details about his exciting new project launching this fall. i hope you enjoy it [thanks to thomas for his time and to keena for the comfy podcast setting]

[*stay tuned for a fun thomas paul-themed contest this afternoon!]

new podcast: angela adams!

whenever i think of angela adams i'm transported to a place far north, deep in the woods of maine. a world where trees, flowers and animals frolic together to inspire the richly colored and hugely soulful designs of ms. adams. well-known for her beautiful work with textiles, rugs, tiles and accessories, angela adams grew up on an island off the coast of maine where she was (and continues to be) inspired by the bounty of nature around her. i was thrilled to speak with her and even more excited to hear the stories behind her luxurious rugs and tapestries, how she met her husband (designer sherwood hamill) and what her dream project would be if she could design and create without any limitations. so, click here to listen to the first podcast of fall: angela adams. thanks so much to angela and nanette for their time and thoughts.

[don't forget to sign up for the d*s newsletter to receive an exclusive 10 minute extended interview with angela adams. the newsletter goes out on friday. and don't forget lena's guest blog- she's been posting up a storm today and it looks fantastic!]

lena + rena podcast!

this past tuesday i was lucky enough to sit down with both lena corwin and rena tom for special dual d*s podcast. lena was gracious enough to invite us to her (beautiful) home in fort greene to conduct the interview (thanks, lena!). it was extremely exciting for me to get two of my favorite brooklyn artists into one room to talk about their work, the design industry and their dream projects. want to know what lena and rena have in their homes, what lena's new project is and why rena decided to start a shop for independent designers? CLICK HERE to find out and listen to the dual lena and rena podcast! and don't forget to sign up for the d*s newsletter (going out this weekend) for an exclusive 10 minute extended interview with rena and lena. enjoy! [thanks to rena and lena for their time!]

fred flare podcast!

tuesday was all about brooklyn designs so i wanted to move our monday podcast to tuesday so it didn't get lost. this week i was thrilled to speak with chris and keith of fred flare. i don't think i've done a podcast that was this fun in a long time (or an interview of any type). i stopped by fred flare headquarters in williamsburg, brooklyn and sat down with chris and keith to chat about design, starting your own store and sing the praises of reality tv. did you know that chris almost made the cast of survivor? did you know that keith went to FIT and dreamed of being a fashion designer? no? well, [click here] to listen! the theme music is "sparkle pop", an original pop song written by chris and keith. [thanks guys, i had so much fun!]

karin eriksson podcast!

it's friday and time for another podcast. today i'm thrilled to be speaking with swedish design star, karin eriksson. karin is one of my personal favorites and is a huge, huge inspiration to a number of independent designers i know. her work is always simple, clean and innovative. so [click here] to hear karin's interview and more about her dream project that involves renovating a barn in sweden. and you can click here to see a slideshow of new photos of karin's work and click here to find links to the stores karin mentions in her interview. don't forget to sign up for the d*s newsletter if you want to hear karin's extended interview (the next issue goes out monday). [i'm out today covering brooklyn designs, so i'll be back soon with extensive coverage of the show! click here for some more d*s finds in the meantime]

niche modern podcast

it's monday and time for a new podcast! today i'm speaking with jeremy pyles of brooklyn based design studio, niche modern. niche is known for their beautiful modern lighting that favors simple forms and subtle colors that let the natural beauty of glass shine through. jeremy was kind enough to let me pop over to the niche headquarters in dumbo where we were joined by mary and their beautiful daughter jacqueline. so, [click here] to listen to the niche modern podcast and here to see a slideshow of niche modern products. be sure to check out niche at icff this year- booth 1234. thanks jeremy, mary and jacqueline! [don't forget to sign up for the newsletter (out now!) if you'd like extended interviews with our podcast subjects!]

[ps: stay tuned for an exciting new project to launch tomorrow!]

the future perfect podcast

i've been interested in interviewing dave alhadeff of the future perfect for some time now. dave's a huge driving force in the brooklyn design scene (and has become a design celebrity in his own right) so i was dying to pick his brain about some of the great designers in the area and trends on the horizon. dave has created a store that is now nationally and internationally recognized for its innovative selection and knack for showcasing great undiscovered designers. so [click here] to hear dave's take on brooklyn design, who's the next big designer on the horizon and his take on the "form vs. function" debate.

also, my apologies for the weird audio, there was a horrible buzzing on the track i didn't hear at the shop so i had to cut it out and it sounded a little watery afterwards (sorry, i'm still learning). also, don't forget to sign up for the newsletter if you'd like exclusive extended interviews (the letter went out monday, so send an email if you signed up pre-monday and didn't receive it!). thanks again to dave for taking the time for this podcast and be sure to check out the future perfect, a&g merch and the altoids living spaces show if you're in brooklyn this summer. also, [click here] for a photo tour of both of dave's shops discussed in he podcast. enjoy! [music by brooklyn's ratatat]