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.

In last Sunday’s Boston Globe, Dushko Petrovich explored how Boston could find itself as the home of a new art revolution. In his essay, Dushko cites all that Boston has going for it: “several great museums, a superabundance of universities, many galleries, a highly educated and increasingly sophisticated audience, and a density that allows for the most important element in cultural life: interaction between creative people.” Dushko makes a pretty convincing job that this revolution is right around the corner, and he’s right. Kind of.

Kind of, because it’s not an art revolution that’s coming, but a design one. It’s been brewing for a while.

In 2006, the public was just starting to educate itself on design. ApartmentTherapy, DesignSponge, sfgirlbybay and others were showcasing creations coming out of New York and San Francisco. Boston had a large, energetic design scene, but people outside of the city thought it was a quaint, stodgy old town, not giving it the attention it deserved. I started DesignBoston to help get that conversation going. Three and a half years later — whether its architecture, interior-, product-, graphic deisgn or more — if you’re offering unique, thoughtful, innovative creations, we want to share it.

A year later, the Design Industry Group of Massachusetts (DIGMA) was formed as “an initiative of the statewide design industries to organize and promote the Massachusetts design cluster as integral to the state’s economy. ” DIGMA unites the various design industries and promotes them to business, government, and the public. In the most recent Boston Home Magazine, DIGMA director Beate Becker shared an interesting fact:

Our impressive numbers may surprise people who think the city is strictly a science and technology powerhouse; in fact, more than 45,000 people work in design-related jobs in Massachusetts, from architecture and advertising to product design for New Balance and Reebok. Boston-area companies actually support the second-largest industrial-design population in the country, behind San Francisco.

The same year, the pinkcomma gallery opened. The introduction on pinkcomma’s website says it all:

This gallery aims to foster and recognize a more creative and experimental scene that has grown out of one of the world’s most significant capitals of architectural education. For all the city’s stodginess, Boston’s six architecture schools and their instructors have unleashed some of the most provocative figures on the world scene.

Through exhibits like “Rethinking City Hall” and “Heroic“, directors Chris Grimley and Mark Pasnik ask us to reconsider our built spaces. The upcoming Design Biennial Boston will “showcase emerging design voices through an exhibition and publication of innovative professional design works.”

This year, Design Museum Boston was formed to “educate the public on the role of design in their lives and the contributions of design within the creative economy.” It’s planned network of physical — galleries, storefronts and malls — and online exhibits will expose audiences “to the design process from a social, economic, and environmental point of view.”

Whether you’re a creative professional or not, design shapes your world. Look around, and you’ll see a world full of buildings, graphics, products and experiences that were all originally visualized by designers. The clothes you wear, the car you drive, the building you work in, even your favorite website; all are the products of designers’ efforts. Each is more usable and inspiring because of designers’ involvement.

DIGMA, Design Museum Boston, pinkcomma gallery, and DesignBoston are trying to achieve the same thing, but from different angles: DIGMA from an institutional level; DesignMuseumBoston in our places of commerce; pinkcomma gallery from the (literally and figuratively) underground, and DesignBoston from a grassroots level.

These are of course just four examples of the connectors bringing attention to the design industry around Boston, and throughout Massachusetts. As more connections are made, as newer, evermore innovative work gets produced, and as more people — in Boston and beyond — recognize the contributions of Boston’s design industry, Boston will truly be a hub of design.

Talk about fashionable pillows.

Carlos Santiago was born and raised in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He studied fashion design at Savannah College of Art & Design, then moved to New York to intern and work at such marquee brands as Anna Sui, Marc Jacobs, LaROK and Isaac Mizrahi Couture. Now in Boston, Carlos brings this knowledge of fashion design to PARK, the line of decorative pillows he makes by hand.

The fabrics in my living room are all solids, so I add texture through the accent pillows and the like. I particularly like the Satellite Dot pillow (top) for its mod funkiness, and the Abstract Love pillow (above) for being floral without being floral.

Aside from handmade pillows, Carlos is developing a line of home accessories, and has his own line of women’s eveningwear. That’s one busy, fashion-minded man!

You have great personal style. Your fashion sense is not directed by the whims of seasons and designers, but by a knowledge and confidence about what looks — and feels — best on you. How do you take that and translate it to your home? Grange, the French furniture maker, is going to help you with that.

On Monday, March 22, from 2pm to 5pm, come to Grange in the Boston Design Center for Runway to Room, a look at the intersection of fashion and design. Enjoy light French fare while exploring the spring line from local boutique Sooki.

Interested in attending? Be sure to RSVP by March 17.

Grange
One Design Center Place, #130
Boston, MA 02210

What a difference a week makes! Things have really picked up from last week.

Drinkwater’s Cambridge – 20%-50% off all winter merchandise through 2/13.

Magpie – 25% off all jewelry and valentine’s cards on Saturday 2/13 – and free cupcakes!

Good – Winter sale – up to 50% off throughout the store through 2/14.

DWR – The Bedroom and Bath Sale – 15% off mattresses, bedding, accessories, lamps, bath items, rugs and bedroom furniture through 2/20.

Infusion Furniture – 50% off selected inventory: Side tables, coffee tables, console tables, etc. Contact for more details.

Is your store having a sale? Be sure to tell us so we can list it!

…but it’s for a good reason!

When I should have been writing about the great designers I’m coming across, I’ve been working with Joyce — not just a blogger but also a freelance photographer and graphic designer — on designing and programming a new DesignBoston.org.

The basic layout is all set, but there’s still much to be done. We’re hoping to be finished in the next few days. When that happens, the site will be unavailable for a short time while we make the switchover.

In the meantime, I’ll be sure to post as often as I can.

Thanks for your patience!

(Yes, I was dared to put this old school .gif up. )

Another interesting duo that I met at SHIFTboston are Derek Cascio and Sam Aquillano. They are creating the Design Museum Boston, where they will share all types of design – architecture, furniture, product design, graphic design and more.

The approach Derak and Sam are taking for Design Museum Boston isn’t the normal route of raising millions of dollars in funds, finding a building and curating exhibits. Instead, they will open DMB in vacant store fronts, flash store-style, in various neighborhoods. This way, they’ll be able to share design with people that may not otherwise take the opportunity to experience it.

I had a chance to talk with them briefly at SHIFTboston. They’re just starting out, and I’m hopeful that Design

Merry Christmas!

Earlier today, I was in Harvard Square with Christopher and DesignKid. Christopher says, “Let’s go to Design Research.” I object, noting that D/R closed over 30 years ago. “Hm, you’ll see,” comments Christopher. We walk down to 48 Brattle St — lo and behold, there’s Design Research, in all its Mid-Century Modernist glory.

Until this year it was a Crate and Barrel — the first C&B in Massachusetts, in fact. But before that, from 1969 – 1978, was the headquarters for Design Research.

Founded in 1953 by architect Ben Thompson, Design Research (or D/R, as its sign read) was the first “lifestyle” store, selling a collection of international modernist home decor, clothing, and accessories. D/R was the first U.S. store to carry such iconic European brands as Iittala, Artek and Marimekko. Thompson’s store has become the archetype for nearly all lifestyle stores and those who start them, including Jonathan Adler, Crate and Barrel’s Gordon Segal, and Franklin Getchell of Moss.

“Design Research: A Retrospective” is to celebrate 40 years since Design Research moved into three floors at 48 Grove, a striking modernist building designed by Thompson. The effort was spearheaded by Thompson’s widow, Jane, and executed by the Rhode Island School of Design, and is filled with a wide assortment of period pieces. Marimekko has contributed a selection of pieces from it’s collection ranging from the 50′s to the 70′s. There are even some pieces that were originally sold at Design Research!

The display is absolutely beautiful, a display of what Mid-Century Modernism was like before it was vintage. The layout shows an honesty to the pieces that’s missing from a display of the same pieces at a modern store.

Understandably, Design Research can only be appreciated from the sidewalk, and is only temporary. “Design Research: A Retrospective” runs through April 2010.

Also of note: According to this NY Times blog post, Jane Thompson, along with Alexandra Lange, have written a history of Design Research, “D/R: The Store That Brought Modern Living to American Homes” set to be published in 2010 by Chronicle Books.

Check out DesignBoston on Flickr to see the entire set of photos from “Design Research: A Retrospective”.

I was bouncing around online last night, looking for some sort of design inspiration, when I came across this video that I’m sure mod*mom would love.

More a long form Cadillac commercial than Objectified, The American Look is a look at all the forms of modern design from a half-century ago.

In appreciation of the stylists of America, who work in lines, forms and textures and colors to give us beauty, charm, and elegance in the conveniences, comforts, and necessities of our daily living, as a tribute to men and women, who design.

The video showcases great examples of mid-century modern design for the house, office, and even the farm. Throughout the video, I was playing a subconscious game of recognize-the-icons. Watch the video, I’m sure you will, too.