better living through design: let’s chat!

if you love contemporary design as much as i do, you’ve got a list of places you visit regularly. perhaps you’re familiar with the finds that katie hagar and kris bernard show us on their fabulous website, better living through design. katie, a former product and interior designer (and current editor of the site), and kris, a kitchen and bath design instructor and information technology expert, tirelessly hunt for the most clever, functional and well made products and accessories for our homes. the spare design of their website is a blank canvas for the great breadth of selection featured; it consists of four sections including products, remodeling, books and travel. i appreciate the fact that their personal love affair with design and style grew into a tremendous one-stop resource that we all benefit from. let’s have a chat with katie and kris and find out more!

q: where do you live and where do you work?
a: katie: i live in houston, tx, and i work in my home office/studio.

kris: i live in los angeles, ca (silver lake) and I work in downtown la.

q: how did you meet, and how did bltd come into being?
a: katie: we met in dallas at some art show. i guess we had mutual friends, but it wasn’t until we started talking about architecture did we realize how we both liked the same sort of stuff - that turned into exchanging ideas about floor plans and home design and then kris actually came up with the idea of bltd - she thought it would be a good idea to create a site where we could keep track of all the great products available on the internet.

kris: ditto what katie said, but she left out that we were actually pen pals for a while, which is how we exchanged ideas about our floor plans. i thought that was important to add because it shows how truly nerdy we are about design. as far as how bltd started, i had actually purchased the domain about a year before we started the site. i really liked the feeling that the domain evoked, but i wasn’t sure what i was going to use it for. then somehow the idea struck me to start a website and i asked katie to join me. the funny thing is that we had only really talked in person that one time when i asked her to do it, but now three years and 2500 posts later i probably talk to her everyday.

q: what is your criteria for including pieces on your site?
a: katie: i think it’s fairly intuitive. most of the time the item has to stand out in some way - good design that meets at least one of the following criteria: affordable, useful, or spectacular.

kris: also, it needs to be available for sale online. very rarely do we post anything that’s not available online. we really wanted the site to be a comprehensive resource for anyone who’s looking for the perfect table or wallpaper, etc, so we try to include important design pieces as well as lesser known items that may meet a need for a space.

q: do you have a favorite category? if you do, why is it your favorite?
a: katie: i love home furnishings in general, but i’m quite fond of miscellaneous accessories - i guess because they’re more affordable (usually) and an easy way to make a small change in your surroundings.

kris: my favorite is our new “remodel” section which we launched a few months ago. it’s for people who are looking to make a major change in their space, such as surface treatments like changing flooring or wallpaper, or for remodeling their kitchen or bath. i used to teach kitchen and bath design at the college level, so i’m pretty excited we added that category. i really get giddy over fixtures.

q: can you name a few current design trends that you love?
a: katie: i like the new crop of products that have been designed with sustainability in mind, not just because it’s a trend, but because it’s interesting to see how designers are pushing the boundaries a little, and how manufacturers are more likely to take a chance considering the recent “green” movement.

kris: i’m kind of an urban nomad right now, so i really like the new “flatpack” trend, which is furniture or other items that are easily packable and movable. i also like the modernization of older styles; for example, the digitization of older baroque styles like the pixelated tables by salad industrial in spain.

q: what do you think is the biggest challenge in writing a design website?
a: katie: finding the words to express how i feel about something without reverting to “i love this”, “this is awesome”, “holy”, and “dude, you have to buy this” all the time.

kris: we try to keep it affordable but that’s not always easy. there’s a reason good design is expensive. a great sofa can last 50 years, not only in terms of construction, but also being relevant aesthetically. but not everyone has the budget for that so we try to find the less expensive items too. unfortunately they don’t last as long, and that has an environmental impact. so, i’d say that’s my biggest challenge: trying to meet the needs of all our readers’ budgets but at the same time trying to strike a balance between providing enough interesting content but making sure the pieces are relevant.

q: can you finish this sentence? the future of design…
a: katie: looks promising.

kris: looks exciting! i can’t wait to see what people come up with next.

like-minded design connoisseurs can hop on over to bltd and see lots more substantial picks. i don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

thank you katie and kris!

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sale at the branch shop

looking to spread good cheer and higher social conscience by giving beautiful and sustainably designed gifts this year? hop on over to branch and see their wonderful array of home and personal accessories they have available, and reward yourself by taking 20% off any purchase today (saturday) and tomorrow (sunday).

enter special code branchfriend when you check out to receive your discount, and support this shop and the responsible labor and production methods used for their inventory. discount does not apply to certain furniture items.

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annie michaud glass kitchen tools

i saw these glass tools and accessories on kim’s blog and had to share. they are handcrafted by canadian artist annie michaud for her company gogo glass, at her atelier in old montreal. to me, these look more like miniature sculptures than utilitarian items that sit in a drawer!

i love the lively color palette and how each piece has unique surface characteristics, a key benefit in handmade goods.

i think i like the lime green citrus reamer best (it looks like a stalk of asparagus to me), although i love her vases and paperweights too. hmmm…

for more info and products, see annie’s website.

via at home with kim vallee

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josh owen - not your mom’s cocktail jigger

this is one stunning measuring cup.

designed by josh owen for kikkerland, this aluminum jigger has different measuring pours on each side and was borne from the challenge of attempting to combine the six most common liquid measures used to mix alcoholic drinks into the smallest possible dispenser.

the form was inspired by traditional box-shaped, Japanese sake cups, from which sake is sipped from the corners.

josh studied at cornell and the rhode island school of design. one look at his playful, freshly original work and it’s no wonder that he’s is recognized as one of the best avant-garde industrial designers in america.

go see his website for more info, and be sure to check out his unbook and knock off lamp.

unica home is expecting these in the late summer, but for $20, get your advance order in now — they might not stay in stock!

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swell designs are for the birds

because our avian acquaintances enjoy well-designed accessories too, please enjoy:

this modern wooden bird feeder by german designers stadtnomaden has a convenient fly-through design. via designspotter

this simultaneously chic and cute stainless steel feeder by susanne augenstein for blomus design, is available at the contemporary home.

these substantial cedar bluebird houses, handcrafted by david and julie boone, meet the national audubon society’s specifications, and are mounted on tall copper poles. available at modern artisans.

i can picture a bunch of these organic ceramic egg houses all over the yard. available in eight luscious colors from j. schatz.

don’t forget the hummingbirds with a colorful blown glass feeder from nova 68.

how about a classic terrazzo bird bath from motif,

or a more sculptural copper one from gi designs?

your fine-feathered friends will thank you.

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