Happy Easter!

Nelson Mandela had STYLE.

For me, watching the many news stories reviewing the life of the late Nelson Mandela conjured up many thoughts, but the thought that kept bubbling up for me was: "That man had STYLE."  In more ways than one. So in addition to the many things he will long be known for, I would like to celebrate his fashion sense, his choosing to have a signature look.

To read more in depth about the philosophy behind his style choices, here is a great article in GQ about The Madiba Shirt.

Cathy Hunt Designs Available at OfficeMax

I am doing a little dance in my office right now. On the shelf at OfficeMax you can find file folders with Cathy Hunt designs printed on them—twelve designs, to be exact. This is a bit of a milestone for me. One of my goals this year was to be "on the shelf" so I am pretty excited to be in a national retailer like OfficeMax. Now I need to get some filing done...

View more of my work at cathyhuntstudio.net

from the Garden Gate Collection

from the Wellington Court Collection

Flirting with Black & White

I love color! But that doesn't mean I can't be inspired to play with some black and white patterns. I recently did some backyard research using over 50 designs ranging from classy to sassy in various different palettes. Every design that was in a black and white "color" scheme got high marks. I know this trend has been around a while, but it is not going away.
I tried to design patterns that were more for the Free People customer but would also appeal to White House | Black Market shoppers.

the path to inspiration is lined with leaves

Walking on this beautiful fall day I was stopped short by the "found patterns" in these leaves. I immediately started imagining a textile design with hand-painted elements. I am seeing it in a palette of yellow-green leaves on a gray background, or maybe turquoise-blue. If I get to this project soon, I will post pieces/parts as they come to life...

Refreshing, irreverent & playful Jonathan Adler

Me having fun

close up of shower curtains

 

 

One of the high points of my family visit to NYC was stumbling upon the Jonathan Adler store in SOHO. While the rest of the gang loitered out on the street, I wandered through the den of original design, chic decor, and pure playfulness that is Jonathan Adler. This guy does not take it all too seriously, which is what attracts me to his design. Even the sales help has a little fun. Chas let me set up a photo shoot on his wrapping table. And he even surprised me by gift wrapping one of the mugs I purchased even though he knew it was "from me to me". 

Always loved Jonathan's design, and after getting the full treatment of his brand ID, love him even more. It isn't brain surgery, so why not have some fun? My favorite line is "your 24-hour pot dealer".

Window Shopping: Trina Turk

Banana Republic's window really caught my eye, featuring the Trina Turk Collection. Lovely, luscious color and free-spirited patterns.  

Irresistible Research

Some people call it retail therapy, I call it consumer research. I am working on a project and I needed to do some target audience research at Anthropologie. I swear, I cannot go into that store without leaving with something for myself. This time it was these charming cups which have kept me inspired and happy for days. They even make pea soup look good.

Thanks for the inspiration Eileen Kathryn Boyd & Duralee Fabrics!

I keep seeing this ad. I loved it the first time and it keeps stopping me, so I finally clipped it and pinned it up on my wall. The color combinations and the design of the textiles are gorgeous. Thanks for the inspiration Eileen Kathryn Boyd and Duralee!
http://eileenkathrynboyd.blogspot.com

http://www.duralee.com

Tile I love, by a designer I love. Ann Sacks.

Aren't these gorgeous? I was searching for some basic neutral bathroom tile for a middle-american master bath, took a detour, and stumbled across these and was blown away! 24" x 24" Aura glass tile, by Ann Sacks.
www.annsacks.com

I want to go back to school!

Back to school used to mean fresh, new notebooks and binders with color-coded dividers, pink erasers and spiral notebooks. Today, in late July the back-to-school store flyers cater to the college student, and feature ipods, Tide and bedding sets.

I want to be a college kid again, for many (many, many) reasons, one of which is playful choices like this Peace Sign Comforter! I would definitely get some shag carpet remnants to go with it.

Comforter from Garnet Hill.

Shelf Liners. They're not just for Grandma anymore.

I am in love with this surface design. It is a woven, bamboo-burlap pattern, printed on a cushiony plastic that comes in rolls, to be used as a shelf liner.
It has been sitting on my desk for the last two weeks, a product sample for some TV concepts I am working on. I have to say, although I love the pattern, I did not think I would love lining my shelves with it. But every day another drawer gets a mini-makeover, and I get a little lift. ( I like to clean out and reorganize, go figure).
The cool thing about this particular shelf liner is that it has a grip bottom (non-adhesive) and a smooth top that makes it easy to clean. AND you can even throw it in the washing machine.
OK, I stole a few lines from the TV script, but seriously, this product offers a fresh approach in an old category.
Check out the Smooth Top Easy Liner from Duck.

Transmoflection. Vancouver 2010 Graphic Identity.

Transmoflection. Transformation, fusion, motion, reflection, connection....these are the words used to describe the essence of the Vancouver 2010 Graphic Identity. I have been enjoying the backdrops at the events, the green, blue shapes, swirls and textures that are the core graphics and a visual part of each event. The process they used to get there seems intuitive, yet smart. I love the end result. Very unified. Strong identity, which of course is the point, but not something that has stood out to me in past Olympics.
Watch the design team talk about how they got there.

My studio feels white, fresh and ready for what's next.

I like to be surrounded by things I love. Every wall in my studio gets covered with bits and pieces of inspiration that I collect along the way. It becomes a collage of color, type, quotes, messages, trends and things I feel I need to capture, before they slip away. In fact, it was the inspiration for this blog. To share the things draw me in, move me forward, or just make me happy. But, every once in a while, it's time to clean house. So today, I took down my wall. My studio feels white, fresh and ready for what's next.

Some of the things that showed up recently...

loose, hand-drawn patterns...

pinks...

deep plums and dark grays...

artwork featuring words...

organic shapes...

neutral color palettes...

birds...

I have a huge sketchbook I keep, a sort of visual log, into which some of these trends will get taped and saved for future reference.