this week :: happenings

It is hard to think that another week has flown by yet again. So often I am reminded of how fleeting life is and how quickly it moves.This week was full of challenges and blessings, which is what all good weeks should be full of....right?There was coffee with dear friends....twice....at Methodical coffee and The Village Grind.There was the Makers Summit, which filled me to the brim with happiness for the creative community that I am so blessed to be a part of.There was brunch with a new friend (pictured above, Rachel Faucett) and then an after hours visit to my shop with that same friend where we talked more about how much we love our kids than what was in my shop....and that is a treasure for sure. Most people think I want to talk about the shop most of the time....but even though I am proud of that and love it.... I really want you to know me for who I am outside the shop.There were moments of greatness at the shop where I sent in proposals for new opportunities, met with artists about collaborations, ordered new product, and sent off all of the content for the new Knack website! (yippee!)Now it is late Friday afternoon....I am home.....and there is a pork tenderloin in the oven for dinner tonight which I will make bread, salad and roasted asparagus to go with. I will sit around the dinner table and catch up with my sweet family as we have all had a busy, and full week. Then it will be pajama time.....and maybe a movie.....or two...or maybe some reading....Happy weekending...and much love to you all!( UPDATE: if you would like to buy a t shirt like the one I am wearing, here is the link: www.lovethyhaters.co )xo,Barb 

knack life :: slow & steady

 1// a peek in the windows at our newest display 2// gold leafing the latest FrogTape project 3// a teaser of a styled shoot 4// The Fussells came for a visit, and to shoot a special project of theirs 5// 11 Lois Ave :)How strange it is when one year turns into another.  A years end is loud, bright, fast - the holidays, the gatherings, one day melting into another until you can't even remember what day it is.  And then, stillness.  A new year brings with it a sense of calm, a slowing.  It's no different for us here at Knack.2014 ended in a flurry.  We are so grateful for a year so full of projects, joy, change, and challenges.  What a year it was.  In 2015, we will build on the bricks of last year, creating and hustling and stepping back to enjoy the fruits of our labor along the way.  We are so excited for the things to come in this new year. 

Knack Stories :: The Sullivans

Every now and then, we will meet someone through the shop who just gets us; someone who seems to understand what Knack is about; someone who knows how to live with what they love.  Dee Sullivan is just such a person.  Our latest Knack story comes from her family of seven (!!!) and their beautiful, nearly hundred-year-old home in North Carolina that they have been renovating one room at a time:

We eat, homeschool, work on art and other projects, do budgets, pray together, play games, entertain guests and have long family discussions in this room.  We thought it would be a great room to overhaul first.

 

Dee and her husband, Don, decided to turn their formerly dark, moody dining room to the lighter side, with the aid of some inspiration.

I had been blogging to keep all of my Canadian family and friends updated on our lives and to show off the paintings, collages and ceramics I was selling on Etsy.  In doing so, I ended up meeting some wonderful people.  Two of my very favorite artists/bloggers were and are Annie Koelle and Barb Blair.  They are two very talented ladies!!  So when I first saw the furniture pieces they worked on together I was smitten, especially with one certain piece, a gorgeous hutch named Kalymenia whose buttery cream paint perfectly applied by Barb along with the soft ocean and mountain scene reminded me of Vancouver, BC. (The place I moved from 8 years ago to come to the South.)  …. My love knew I wanted this piece ever so much, so after a visit or two to Knack, he surprised me with buying Kalymenia as a gift.  I was ecstatic!!

Dee and Don also brought a locally made cedar table home from Knack, which Don has stained a driftwood/aged cedar grey, adding even more warmth to their fresh white dining room.

The pieces from Barb’s studio now both carry the feeling of Vancouver and make me feel cheery and at home here in the South.  Even better to me is knowing that the creative spirits of local artists and artisans I admire massively are poured into these pieces.  We now have the cheeriest dining room ever and even though we are not quite finished (Who is really ever finished with their home?), these pieces give our most lived in room a nod to our love of the Northwest, a tribute to the local artists and artisans we admire and love, and they make a unique and creative space to gather, work and eat in.

Dee and Don and their big, happy family embody the very heart of home that we champion here at Knack.  We are so elated that two Knack pieces have found a forever home with the Sullivans.

knack life

 

1. shooting new product photos for the online shop
2. testing out our new brass money clips
3. making god's eye ornaments for the holiday season
4. floral jeans on a studio work day
5. our new engraved stainless steel flasks, all in a row

book news || a few secrets revealed and the title

Well, as you all know....I have been working away on my second book for the last year. In one way it seems like the year has taken forever, and yet in another way it seems like a very fast and vivid dream.To say that I am excited about this project would be the worst understatement of the year.....I am STOKED! I am thrilled that with every passing day, we are closer and closer to the release of ........wait for it..... FURNITURE MAKES THE ROOM!! You see what I did there? So, we go from my first book which is called Furniture Makeovers, to my second book which will be called Furniture Makes the Room. There will be many new and exciting aspects to Furniture Makes the Room....for instance....we shot in actual peoples homes....we styled furniture multiple ways in order to show the versatility of color, we amped up the technique and really created some out of this world designs, and I do a lot of heart to heart sharing about the concept of home and what that looks like to me.I am super proud of this body of work and cannot wait to share it with you all! Thank you for your friendship and support throughout this entire journey. I am truly thankful for your words of encouragement.Things are looking really really good and I am in the world of editing and copy editing at the moment. This is the hardest phase for me since writing takes much effort for my feeble little mind, but I am thankful to again be working with the super thorough and talented team at Chronicle Books!It wont be too long now....and I promise to keep you posted along the way!xo,Barb(gorgeous photos by Paige French)

a little kindness

 My mom always told me "if you wanna be interesting, be interested."  I try to remember this with each person I encounter; I try to remember to show genuine interest in their lives. When we take a closer look at the folks around us, there is so much to learn.  Plus, a little kindness can go a long way.

things that are eye catching lately

wild wallpaper by designer sarah watson || ceramics by gretel home || copper light fixture by tom dixon || modern family farmhouse via design sponge

yes....just yes

image found here

I am three days away from the final deadline for Knack book two, and even though the tiredness and stress are present......the excitement is even greater!

So thankful for this wonderful opportunity, and I do not take it lightly. I appreciate each and every one of you so very much.

Make it a "heck yes" day today!

xo,

Barb