I saw a tweet from someone yesterday that said, “By the time you turn 30, you should have at least one piece of original art in your home.” I don’t know if that’s a hard and fast rule, but at some point, you’ll want to start using art — original or otherwise — to enhance your personal space.

If you’re just starting to collect art, or are thinking of collecting, or have been collecting art but need a bit of a refresher, you’re in luck. This Saturday, from 10:00 to 11:00, West Elm and 20×200, the online gallery of affordable art, are teaming up to teach the fine art (get it?) of art collecting.

Learn how to build a collection, ways to display art, and “tips for integrating art into your everyday life”. I’m not quite sure what’s meant by that last part — maybe it’s about having art in your car, or in your cube at the office? Either way, you’re sure to learn something new.

These West Elm/20×200 are happening at both West Elms in Massachusetts, in Boston and Burlington.

Saturday morning, Boston welcomed back one of our own, Decor8‘s Holly Becker!

Holly came to Boston from her home with her husband in Germany in support the launch of her first book, Decorate: 1,000 Design Ideas for Every Room in Your Home. The event  started with Holly giving a how-to all about mood boards. I missed this part but was told that the second floor of Anthropologie was PACKED — an impressive fact, given that the Back Bay is more a place for brunch on a Saturday morning than a place for design discussion.

Following the mood board event, Holly signed books. The book signing was scheduled to end at 12:30, but the line just wasn’t having it. I picked up my copy of Decorate and got in line around 11:45, and ended up in front of Holly about an hour later. As I got to the head of the line, Holly greeted me with a, “Gradon?”

Yep, six years after first becoming blogging friends — starting in the same city — we finally got to meet each other!

She stood up, walked around the table, and gave me a hug. We had a quick chat (as quick as you can have with a pack of ravenous fans waiting in line) about the book, about loved ones in other countries, and about starting families — at least Holly and her husband starting a family. That’s the plan for the Beckers shortly after Holly gets back from tour (so exciting!)

I had to run off to spend the day with my family, and now Holly’s on her way to Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and finally, New York… before going back to Germany and her husband.

It was a shorter visit than I would have liked, but it was great to finally meet one of my first friends from the blogging world.

I love Reside. Walking around the Huron Ave/Concord Ave/Fresh Pond triangle, Reside is a standout in an already outstanding area. Which is why my initial reaction to the news of their new location on Washington St in the South End was a mix of excitement and apprehension.

How would the cutest, nicest store with the most fantastic furniture in the prettiest part of Cambridge do in a new neighborhood, let alone the South End?

Not that I have anything against the South End. It’s one of the most vibrant design neighborhoods in the city, and I often spend time there. But it’s a bit… fancy compared to Fresh Pond. How will Reside hold up?

I headed out to Washington St to find out.

All in all, Reside holds up well in well in the South End. The space on Washington St feels like a perfect fit for all of the twentieth century modern furniture and accessories.

Yes, I said “twentieth century” and not “mid-century.” The range of options at the new store expands beyond the mid-century focus of the Cambridge store. The space is packed with furniture, yet not so much that you can’t browse. I think this is one of owner Pamela Watt’s special abilities — filling a space without overfilling it — and it’s something that not every vintage retailer grasps.

Aside from the furniture, Reside South End seemed like it has more accessories than the original store. There were vases, a bunch of glasses on a shelf unit when I visited, as well as a case of jewelry handmade by Pamela’s daughter Nicole.

Every time I walk into Reside Cambridge, I fall in love with a different piece of furniture, and this was no different in the new space. This time, it was this Scandinavian teak dining table. Utterly gorgeous, and it would look great in our new dining room (more on that later.)

All in all, Reside holds up well in the South End. It’s different than the space on Concord Ave, as it should be. Now the only problem is deciding which one I want to visit more.

Reside South End
1409 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02118
857-350-3594

Jill Rosenwald is Boston’s favorite potter — or at least DesignBoston’s favorite! Since I first met Jill (I think it was at an event at Vessel), I’ve loved Jill’s sense of style and craftsmanship, and her ability to mix Yankee preppiness with the clean lines of modern design.

Jill recently launched a new website. Along with the bio, catalog, and contact information, Jill’s now offering e-commerce, meaning you can order her lamps, bowls, vases, and more with just a click.

But what if you’ve already bought a piece by Jill? Well, there’s something for you, too. Between now and October 31, take a photo of your Jill piece and send it to her for your chance to win a custom monogrammed mug!

We spend three weeks sculpting, painting and caring-for each item so, when we box up the finished piece it is a bittersweet goodbye. What comforts us is knowing it arrives at a stylish pad. Show us just how stylish! Whether you fill it with sunflowers, stir cookie dough in it, or simply place it on the mantle for all your guests to gawk at… let’s see your Jill in its new home!

For all the details, check out the giveaway page on Jill’s site. And, while you’re at it, Like Jill on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

I went to Porter Exchange in Cambridge with my friend Jeff this afternoon for lunch — some of the best, least expensive sushi around the city is served there. On the way out, Jeff noticed a sale sign in the window of Kitty Haas’s jewelry shop. Knowing that Kitty isn’t known to need to put her unique jewelry on sale before , he insisted we step in.

It turns out after 63 years in and around Cambridge, 87-year old Kitty has decided to retire. Kitty is known for her unusual jewelry from around the world. In the few minutes we were there, we saw pieces from Poland and Afghanistan. There are pieces in white gold, yellow gold, and sterling silver. The woman there said that, unlike a lot of mass-produced silver pieces, their pieces were made from pure silver, and were therefore more malleable.

To clear out the last of her inventory — her last day is this coming Sunday — Kitty has dramatically reduced prices. Jeff picked up a beautiful piece for his girlfriend (no details so I won’t give away the surprise) and paid about 35% less than the retail cost.

ICFF 2010 has come and gone and it was quite a show.  Gradon and I went down on Saturday and managed to do the show and five parties in under ten hours.  We saw the good and not so good.  I think it’s important to highlight the contrasts between this year’s show and the last.  Gone were the dour faces and downtrodden spirits of 2009.  This year was all about optimism.  Last year, the idea was survival.   It was about weathering the storm by getting back to basics in silhouette, functionality, and safe color choices.  Not the case this year.

This year, there was an abundance of color.  Highly saturated and bright pieces littered the Javits Center like pieces of candy.  Some subtle and some not so subtle but refreshing nonetheless.

In addition to punches of color, there was a huge emphasis on natural materials such as wood and stone.

This year saw the return of decoration.  There were a great number of pieces that relied on exaggerated ornamentation and less on form and functionality.  At times, it felt as though designers were overcompensating for the paired-down approach of last year by adding decoration to their designs.  Not all decoration is bad, but it is important to practice restraint.

Remember, less can still be more.

Just like last year, ICFF fell on the same weekend as the SoWa Art Walk. Lucky for me, VenuView’s Crystal J. Silva went and offered her thoughts on the happenings in the South End. Thanks Crystal!

It couldn’t have been a better day for the opening of the 2010 season of SoWa Open Market and the SoWA Art Walk! The occasional gusts of wind were no match for the excitement in the air from both vendors and attendees alike.

The nearby galleries were inviting and unintimidating making it a relaxed atmosphere and great for first-timers. This event was definitely the time to take advantage of the special discounts offered if you had your eyes on something for a while or just wanted to indulge in a spontaneous purchase that wouldn’t make you feel guilty! The local bands and music played were entertaining and provided a great way to pass the time when needing to take a break from walking in the sun. Parking was easy, free and close by which was a pleasant surprise to all.

The Open Market had some certain stand-outs representing — like Catalina Delatorre, Hijacked Ceramics, F Rock Bags, and Margo Petitti — although many of the booths offered mom & pop-like crafts or artisans that were mediocre at best. After speaking to others attending the event, it was evident that they would like to see the event management draw more fine or “high craft” items and vendors than what was presented, to bring about a more balanced offering to the public and to be in keeping with their surrounding neighbors.

My NICHE Award nominee would go to the lovely young lady Sarah Anne Dinardo. She shared with us that her interesting designs came about while sitting in art class. Instead of doodling in her notebook, she started to roll the nearby masking tape. Sara’s three dimensional rolled tape sculptures were both unique and eye catching. I look forward to seeing her new designs in upcoming events.

The SoWa Open Market and the SoWA Art Walk was a lovely way to spend part of your day and well worth the leisurely stroll!

Crystal J. Silva
VENU, LLC.
www.venuview.com

Did you make it to the SoWa Art Walk this past weekend? What’d you think?

You can do ICFF in a day, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Christopher and I took an early bus down to New York on Saturday for the first day of ICFF 2010, and came back that night, getting back to Boston around 3:00AM. In between those two four-hour bus rides, there was much design to be had.

The general feel of the day — in and out of the Javits Center — was very optimistic. The recession has passed, and we’re on to bigger and brighter things. This was best represented by Kikkerland‘s bright red display:

Hästens had what was probably the most interactive display. They had one of their beds at the front of the display, exploded on one side to show what all of the layers of materials looks like. They also sent two master bed makers from Sweden to show attendees what “hand made” really means. I took a turn doing side stitching, and I can verify, it’s not easy work:

This optimistic vibe was felt in the products around ICFF, too: brighter colors, more ornamentation, and lots and lots of lighting, like these examples from Roll & Hill, Tom Dixon, J Good Design, and WOKA Lamps Vienna:

There’s also a continuing trend of wood in all of its varieties, like these pieces from Iannone Design and Miles & May:

Even though it was smaller than years before — no Kartell or Knoll? — I wouldn’t advise trying to cover it all in one day! Keep an eye for more posts in the coming days about our finds at ICFF 2010!

Week 6 – update
Light therapy didn’t really happen for us this week! Aside from not having time and money to find solutions to our lighting problem, the hanging lamp from ikea we purchased didn’t seem to work out either! So I think this will just need to take more time. However, the bathrooms are spotless and reorganized! We added a mirror and some artwork in our downstairs bathroom and now it feels much more finished. Also I managed to wash, sort, and find homes for all our baby shower gifts. That took about 3 days, now wonder I didn’t find lighting!

Week 6
Deep Treatment
- Clean bathrooms and related closets.
- Declutter cabinets and closets.
- Arrange your bathroom efficiently.
- Upgrade your razor and shaving supplies.
- Purchase bath salts and a nice soap.
- Place a candle in the bathroom.
- Consider scents for your home.
- Plan the week ahead on Sunday.
- Wake early and take a bath before work.

One-Room Remedy
- Finalize your lighting arrangement.
- Get painting. N/A

Week 7 – Bedroom
Luckily this week is the bedroom week and we are in good shape on this one already! I would like to just infuse a bit of color in this space as it all at the moment is white and brown. So this calls for alot of shopping around this week for a few colorful accents like pillows, a throw, maybe a vase? The hardest part is picking a color and then finding what you want, especially when your on a budget. And of course we also need to tidy up the space. We managed to clean up our storage space a little this week too so that will help with some clutter we have in the bedroom.

Week 7
Deep Treatment
- Clean the bedroom and related storage.
- Buy an air filter for your bedroom.
- Buy new sheets, pad, or mattress as needed.
- Declutter the bedroom.
- Arrange the bed against the best wall.
- Make sure your bedroom inspires you.
- Look into ways to improve your sleep.

One-Room Remedy
- Clean all workspaces.
- Arrange furniture and lighting.
- Arrange all electrical cords.
- Hang all art.

To follow my progress and see more photos, visit my Flickr site.