Posts with tag housewares

Sale! CB2.com has some gorgeous dinnerware on sale, such as the green chrysanthemum plates you see at right. $2.95-$4.95 apiece, people!

CB2 has a lot of chic, reasonably-priced stuff. Some of it's just on the cool edge of crazy. Look at this vase. Who would think that CB2 is actually Crate and Barrel?

I'm a big fan of all of the amazing independent designers out there. In an effort to get inside the mind of the indie designer and find out just what makes all of these creative types tick, I present to you an ongoing segment I call Indie Designer Interviews.

Today's interview is with Brooke Fuller who runs an online boutique stocked full of great original handmade goods from other independent designers.

Tell me a little about yourself and your shop. I am a busy woman! I run a shop at The Pear Project that focuses on artisan goods in everyday life along with a blog at thepearproject.blogspot.com under the same theme. At The Pear Project I carry handpicked goods from a variety of artists focusing on modern handmade items that can enhance everyday life. I have a love of sales, advertising and marketing that fits in well with running this shop.

I also am a trained photographer. I have a commercial portfolio, but most of my practical experience has been with portraits. I love Polaroids and spend a lot of time thinking of how I can transform my photography into more than prints on the wall. I have a popular series of sx-70 manipulations I did when that type of film was available along with a series of resin necklaces. I have also used my photography for inspiration in other mediums as well.

Felting is another passion of mine. I am currently working on a series of 4x4 wall pieces with theme of simplicity inspired by nature & a line of brightly colored felted bracelets that will include the actual bracelets along with a kit for those who would rather do it themselves. I enjoy dry needle felting and use it as a sculpting medium. The texture draws me in and I am always amazed at the finished product.

I also work with enamel, resin, paper & a few other mediums. Variety is the spice of life, and I don't think I will ever be able to specialize in just 1 thing!

Who are your favorite designers? This is an easy question because I carry many of my favorite designers in The Pear Project shop. To name a few off hand ... I adore the paper products from Papered Together. I can't even count the number of times I have given out the coasters we carry in the shop as an affordable, unique gift. They are just perfect! I also love to give salt shakers by Gamiworks too.

What are your top fashion & beauty must-haves? I love mineral make-up! It gives a great natural look while evening out my skin tone. I also have a bag and purse habit.

One of the things I delighted in when I moved into my very first apartment was the process of picking out a set of dishes. Of course, my budget was considerably lower than I would have liked, so I ended up settling for a modern table setting from Target. At the time, I thought the plates and bowls were well-designed and unique. The well-designed part remained true, but I later found out that half of my girlfriends had selected the very same set. Unique, they were not.

But for truly unique dishes, you should shop at Little Flower Designs. The online retailer sells teapots, tea cups, sushi sets, vases and bowls that feature hand-painted pictures of nature. I love the simple, almost childish way these dishes are decorated. The pieces kind of remind me of the pottery I used to make when I was a kid, except with much better executed. Ranging in price from $20-$40, these would make great housewarming gifts.