Being able to create from home and spend time with her two children, Evelyn and William, is the perfect life for Jes Zange, a fiber artist based in Milwaukee, WI. After pursuing an undergraduate degree in fine arts, Jes explored a number of creative endeavors—painting, event planning, and even designing installations for Anthropologie. It was not until her first child was born in 2016 that she discovered her love for fiber art. Bothered by the idea that she was exposing her newborn to toxic paints, Jes asked the question, “what if I could paint with yarn?” Out of this curiosity, her original textile art was born, consisting of various techniques, vibrant colors, and a depth of textures.
The Lovely and Talented Brett Beldock
“We have to keep learning through everything,” says furniture and wallpaper designer Brett Beldock, describing herself as a student, with a deep love for research and the discovery of new things. “I just bought myself a Japanese Marbling Kit and I will be learning marbling all afternoon,” she shares with a joyful expression. We are zooming from her home office in Southampton and I can spot her beautiful New Anemones wallpaper in the background.
Desk Diaries: Katie Leede
Today we have the privilege of sharing the workspace of our fabulous friend and textile designer extraordinaire, Katie Leede of Katie Leede & Company who has agreed to guest edit the column! Sidebar - if you’re an interior designer, we also represent Katie’s line in our boutique to-the-trade showroom which you should totally check out.
Springtime Floral Tips
Warmer temps are just around the corner, and we’re totally enamored with all things floral in prep for Spring. To get us ready, we enlisted the help our favorite Ann Arbor florist, University Flower Shop, to fill our vases and vessels with springtime bounty and share their top tips for what’s hot in the world of flora and fauna.
Hue: Papillon
Fabric: Dessin Fournir's Papillon Hand Painted Silk Panels in Turquoise & Pink // Chandelier // Cups // Rug // Pillow // Photo // Angie Hranowsky Interior
Here at CLOTH & KIND, we're all presently obsessing over this stunning handmade silk fabric from Dessin Fournir called Papillon. Since you need designer credentials to enter their site and not everyone reading this may be able to do so, we wanted to share a bit more about it... Jean Papillon I, woodblock engraver and master domino maker, was the founder of the Paris Papillon workshop and brainchild behind this 18th Century movement. Papillon combines pencil drawing with watercolor painting and silk screen printing. It is available in four colorways. Isn't it a stunner?!
Happy Mother's Day
It's nearly over, but we still wanted to share our warmest well wishes for a wonderful Mother's Day with each of you. Hoping your day was as relaxing and love-filled as each of ours was.
PHOTO CREDIT | CLOTH & KIND, taken in Milan, Italy during BlogTourMilan
Fab Five: Golden Floral
Spring IV
Lady spring is soon to close her shades, and with that will bring to an end a particular, but short lived, soft clear light and warm bask. The bounty of lush flora that truly defines spring will give way to long, hot summer days and, at least in my neck of the woods, leave fauna wilting on the vine from the weight of the heat and humidity. As a gardener, the best part of spring is sharing the wealth of that lush bounty with other gardeners. The antique english roses and peonies above, snipped from the garden of friend, coupled with a trailing vine of wild honeysuckle, pretty much say everything you need to know about spring.
So, as we find ourselves on the heels of the summer solstice, let's soak up these last few days and bask in the soft clear light and warm sun of spring. Another season awaits.
IMAGE CREDITS | Floral arrangement & photography by Tami Ramsay of CLOTH & KIND
Weathered & Raw
Wild Allium | Feathers & Scissors | Tracks | Mock Orange | Rock & Shell | Sleep
While textiles serve as ongoing inspiration for our projects, the natural world beckons with its siren song and greatly informs our design aesthetic. The fine and exquisite certainly have a place in our interiors but are false idols until softened with the weathered and raw. The balance of high and low coupled with an eclectic patina, one that tells a story, is always what we are after and in the end truly defines our interiors. How do you tell your story?
Spring III
It's a rainy day in New York City and while we are so happy to be here shopping & scouting, we're dreaming of sunny days & freshly cut flowers.
It's hard to ever go wrong with nodding blooms and glossy greens gathered in a vase, but we are gobsmacked over the beautiful pairing of this antique yellow English rose snipped from a friend's garden gate paired with the delicate yet bold and deeply veined fatsia japaonica leaf. As in life, sometimes simple is the most sophisticated. This is definitely the case here where flora and fauna gather to float in a pool of water, all nestled in a footed venetian glass vase.
So while we trudge through the rain in the Big Apple, here's to brightening your Monday morning where ever you are.
IMAGE CREDITS | Floral arrangement & photography by Tami Ramsay of CLOTH & KIND