We’ve recently discovered (and are thoroughly obsessing over) CommonRoom - do y’all know this company yet?! Founded in 2014 by Kate Hawkins, CommonRoom is a designer wallpaper studio and shop brimming with inspiration from the vast world of art and interiors. In addition to their contemporary collection of commissioned designs, CommonRoom creates an annual archival line, giving nod to the great designs of the past. Since its start, CommonRoom has grown to house a great collection of wallpaper, cushions, and art—all boasting a rich complexity of history, symbolism, and creativity.
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.
Palette No. 71: 4th of July Inspired
This July 4th, in particular, we’re thinking a whole heck of a lot about what matters most in life. To us, that means freedom and true equality for every person - regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation, good health, kindness, and the extraordinary gift that is creativity.
And creativity most definitely struck as we were pulling these festive red, white and blue textile and wallcovering palettes together! One of our all-time favorite parts of the interior design process is working with gorgeous textiles to add infinite layers, texture and personality to our clients’ homes. We hope you enjoy the visual feast!
Audrey Lorde: Self-Care Is Political Warfare
This quote is one that we have always kept close to our hearts, but fear that it is often oversimplified. It’s beneficial to understand the history and context behind Audre Lorde’s words before diving into our own interpretations. The first step in building a foundation of understanding for this quote is conceptualizing ‘radical self-care,’ an act that calls for the attentiveness to one’s individual mind and body. Speaking within social norms, women are socialized to care for others. By caring for oneself, a woman can confront the stereotype that she solely exists to give her time and energy to her surrounding environment. Self-care builds sustainable revolutions and social movements—ones that are upheld by individuals built to last. Self-care is ‘revolutionary,’ because it works against oppression and forms of discrimination that attempt to undermine particular identities.
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.
Provenance: Ormolu
There is something absolutely magical about the discovery of an antique piece with an elaborate history. The story of Ormolu, a method of gilding that dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries, helps uncover the rich narrative of beloved furnishings and objects of art. Derived from “or”, french for “gold”, and “molu”, french for “ground”, the Ormolu technique is also sometimes referred to by the French as Bronze Doré.
Desk Diaries: Creating Meaning
None of us would have wished for the mandatory global shutdown of our lives as we formerly knew them, and yet so much good has already come from it. A slower pace. Renewed focus on what really matters after all of the BS and busywork is stripped away. Creativity bubbling up in surprising ways. Connecting with old friends (#virtualcocktailhour, anyone?) But perhaps most importantly, a redefined sense of the significance of home, and an ever-growing, fierce love for the people we’re now spending more time with than ever before within these walls. One thing has never been truer - our homes are our havens.
Amy Mills of PAPER MILLS
What is your idea of perfect design happiness?
COLOR BLOCK MINIMALISM & SLATE SWIMMING POOLS.
What is your greatest fear in design?
OBJECTS / FURNITURE DEPICTING HUMAN BODY PARTS.
Which historical design figure do you most identify with?
HAVING STUDIED (AND CONTINUE TO STUDY) FINE ART, I NEED TO CHOOSE FROM THIS FIELD. JOHN COHEN IS A PHOTOGRAPHER, FILMMAKER, MUSICIAN, AND ARTIST WHO I WAS PRIVILEGED TO STUDY UNDER AT ART SCHOOL. I STILL HEAR HIS VOICE IN MY HEAD WHEN I’M ENDEAVORING TO WORK.
Which living designer do you most admire?
What profession other than design would you like to attempt?
RETIREMENT.
What is your greatest design extravagance?
WE RECENTLY PURCHASED OUR DREAM HOME.
When and where were you happiest with your design?
THE SERENBE TEXTILE LOFTS PROJECT WITH CLOTH & KIND.
THIS COLLABORATION HAD EVERYTHING AND ALLOWED ME GREAT FREEDOM TO JUST DRAW AND CARVE AND PRINT. IT WAS A TRUE SHOWCASE OF MY PERSONAL SKILL SETS AS DIRECTED BY KRISTA & TAMI.
What do you consider your greatest achievement in design?
HAVING THE GUTS TO START THIS COMPANY AND TO STICK WITH IT
THROUGH THICK AND THIN.
If you died and came back as another designer or design object,
who or what do you think it would be?
I’D LOVE THE ANSWER TO BE A FERRARI OR RAY BANS OR SOMETHING,
BUT HONESTLY IF I WER REINCARNATED I’D PROBABLY COME BACK AS
A METAL FOLDING CHAIR.
What specific design related talent are you lacking that you would you most like to have?
MARKETING AND ANY KIND OF OUTREACH THAT REQUIRES
ME TO LEAVE MY STUDIO.
What is your most treasured design related possession?
MY HANDS THAT MAKE THINGS.
What do you regard as the lowest depths of misery in design?
STEALING FROM OTHERS.
What curse word do you most frequently use?
WHAT THE FUCK.
What is your favorite design-related word?
BOLD GRAPHIC PATTERN.
What is your least favorite design-related word?
‘CAN WE HAVE THIS IN TYPE II VINYL?’
What turns you on in design?
SIMPLICITY. BEAUTIFUL COLORS. THINGS THAT ARE HAND MADE.
What turns you off in design?
BEIGE STRIPES.
What is your motto in design?
WORK HARD. BE HONEST. TRUST YOUR GUT.
WHERE TO PURCHASE // Paper Mills is represented in CLOTH & KIND’s to-the-trade showroom. If you are an interior designer, please contact us to learn more about this extraordinary artisanal line.
ABOUT PROUST ON DESIGN // Answered by our design icons, these must-ask questions come from a 19th century parlor game made popular by Marcel Proust, the French novelist, essayist & critic. Proust believed the direct questions and honest responses that they elicited revealed the true nature of the individual. For this column, we have put a design related spin on the traditional questions. While this method has been used by many journalists throughout the years, we were primarily inspired by The Proust Questionnaire, which appears monthly on the back page of one of our all time favorite magazines, Vanity Fair (also Krista’s alma mater). Read all of the previous Proust on Design questionnaires here.
Wallpaper: Ferrick Mason
INTERIOR DESIGN FOR YOUR DESKTOP
Enjoy our latest collection of free downloadable desktop, tablet & smartphone wallpapers, courtesy of textile designer, Ferrick Mason. Check out the entire collection and if you love 'em as much as we do, get the real deal to swath your home and make it look as good as your tech.
PS // CLOTH & KIND is so honored to represent Ferrick Mason in our Ann Arbor Showroom, which is open to the trade and the public.
Stop by or drop us a line if you want to see more!
Click to Download // Espalier in Blue Hydrangea
Click to Download // Espalier Reverse in Hedge
Click to Download // Good Fortune in Thistle
Click to Download // Dogwood in Lexington
Click to Download // Woodford in Autumn
DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS // Click on the links to the patterns you love above. Once on the large image of the pattern, simply right click to download and save the image to your desktop. Here at CLOTH & KIND, we save all of our favorite Wallpaper downloads to a folder and set our Desktop & Screen Saver preferences to pull from that folder and rotate the images frequently for maximum gorgeousness while we're working.
IMPORTANT COPYRIGHT STUFF // Y'all know this, but it's worth saying that all images in our Wallpaper column are the exclusive property of the textile and wallpaper designers that have so graciously shared their proprietary designs with us so that our tech can look all kinds of cool. Under no circumstances may any part of their work be copied, duplicated, manipulated or used in anyway without their express written permission.
Wallpaper: Kate Loudoun Shand
INTERIOR DESIGN FOR YOUR DESKTOP
Enjoy our latest collection of free downloadable desktop, tablet & smartphone wallpapers, courtesy of textile designer, Kate Loudoun Shand. Check out the entire collection and if you love 'em as much as we do, get the real deal to swath your home and make it look as good as your tech.
PS // CLOTH & KIND is so honored to represent Kate Loudoun Shand in our Ann Arbor Showroom, which is open to the trade and the public.
Stop by or drop us a line if you want to see more!
Click to Download // Heligan in Pink & Gold
Click to Download // The Curl in Softened Blue
Click to Download // Cheetah in Coal & Mauve
Click to Download // POW! in Black
Click to Download // Jaggery in Oyster Pink & Rust
Click to Download // Jangalee in Black
Click to Download // The Dash in Ochre
Click to Download // Salcombe in Eve Blue
Click to Download // l'Oursin in Black & Grey
Click to Download // The Dash in Yarn Dyed Dobby-Weave
Click to Download // Common Stripe in Pink
DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS // Click on the links to the patterns you love above. Once on the large image of the pattern, simply right click to download and save the image to your desktop. Here at CLOTH & KIND, we save all of our favorite Wallpaper downloads to a folder and set our Desktop & Screen Saver preferences to pull from that folder and rotate the images frequently for maximum gorgeousness while we're working.
IMPORTANT COPYRIGHT STUFF // Y'all know this, but it's worth saying that all images in our Wallpaper column are the exclusive property of the textile and wallpaper designers that have so graciously shared their proprietary designs with us so that our tech can look all kinds of cool. Under no circumstances may any part of their work be copied, duplicated, manipulated or used in anyway without their express written permission.