Style

Spring awakening

 

Celebrate the season with new colors, bold designs, fun furniture, getting organized and a few guilty pleasures.

2011AprMay_Homeward_Makelike

 

Into the woods

The first love affair of Portland design studio Makelike was with cactus, and now they’re on a forest kick. We all know that wallpaper is back, and lucky for us they are translating their love of the botanical world into hand-printed, brightly colored designs perfect for an entryway or library wall. E.H. $200/roll; shop.makelike.com

 

Modern Canvas

The steel frame and black square cushions looked space age when they debuted in 1928. Le Corbusier two-seat petit modele gets an update in cotton canvas of bright green, yellow and orange. V.M. $3,750; Design Within Reach, dwr.com

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2011AprMay_Homeward_BlossomPillows

 

Bed of Roses

It’s the time spent on a rose that makes it important. Blossom Pillows invite lingering of the most profound sort. The lustrous flower-shaped pillows turn a ho-hum napping spot into a bed of roses. They lend a fluttery burst of color to a contemporary couch. Mother/daughter team Hiam Hadeed and Violet Hadeed-Baird continue to cultivate flower-shaped products for their Portland-based business which already includes silk pillows and throws, fleece hats and scarves, and custom bridal gowns dense with creamy, white rosettes. Start a pillow fight. V.M. $85-$185; blossompillows.com

 

 


 

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Conjuring Beauty

Magicians pull it out of thin air. Ceramicists form it from thick earth. Kris Paul conjures beautiful ceramic works in her Lake Grove studio. She’s among 150 artists displaying wares at the 29th annual Ceramics Showcase, April 29-May 1 at the Oregon Convention Center. V.M. Free admission; oregonpotters.org

Brew-haha

The clean lines of the Clive Stand guarantee that you can finally enjoy your morning coffee from something worthy of being displayed on your counter. Eames would have been proud. Plus, they’re handmade in Portland out of salvaged Oregon black walnut wood. E.H. $195; clivecoffee.com

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Walk this way

It’s like a smile for your floor. The pure wool weave and poppy red pattern rug by Ligne Pure of Belgium makes for happy feet. Varying sizes from approximately 2 by 3 up to 8 by 11 feet. V.M. $425 starting; Hip Furniture in Portland, ubhip.com

PDX Arrival

San Francisco’s cult favorite Paxton Gate has finally opened up a location in Portland. The natural sciences-influenced shop is more curio store than gardening store, featuring everything from botanical prints to taxidermied animals wearing little costumes, carnivorous plants, beautiful books and herbal soaps. E.H. 4204 N. Mississippi Ave., Portland; paxtongate.com

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Shine a light

The space race was on and the future looked bright. The Astron pendant shines a light on mid-century modern style in six era-true color choices including Aurora Green and Neptune Blue. V.M. $115;  Rejuvenation; rejuvenation.com

Sitting pretty on a classic

The Wien by Calligaris is based on a classic Vienna café chair, streamlined for stacking, and updated in translucent colors of red, amber, aquamarine and smoky gray. Also in glossy opaque finish. Sometimes a chair is just a chair. Other times, it’s brilliant. V.M. $337-$386; Hip Furniture in Portland, ubhip.com

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2011AprMay_Homeward_QuirkyDryingRack

Drip drying away

This spring, you deserve a picnic. If you can’t get outdoors, bring a little bit of grass inside with this quirky drying rack from Boon Inc. Grass provides the perfect place to dry all your baby accessories, on flexible blades that resemble a lush yard. The BpA-, Phthalate- and PVC-free gizmo brings fresh design into an oft-overlooked corner of your kitchen for the right price. E.H. $19.99; booninc.com

Print shop

Babies, birds, kittens and lumberjacks all get the cute treatment from Ashley G and Drew, Portland-based illustrators whose colorful designs are sure to jazz up any kid’s room. E.H. $20-82; etsy.com/shop/ashleyg

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Quilty pleasures

Super crafty Susan Beal of Portland penned Modern Log Cabin Quilting after falling in love with that traditional technique. It’s packed with instructions for 25 hip home projects ranked from easy — patch pocket aprons — to complex full-size quilts. Threaded through the book are tidbits of quilting history sure to enthrall new beat crafters. V.M. $22.99; Powell’s Books in Portland

Cool cubes

The modular cubes from ViaBoxes make organization a snap. A welcome change from disposable kids’ furniture, the cubes grow with your child — going from toy box to nightstand to bookshelf and more. Made from sustainably grown and harvested birch, the Portland-produced cubes come in a range of colors and geometric shapes to fit any design scheme — and budget. E.H. $12-$14; viaboxes.com

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