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Monthly Archives: January 2020

Our Hopes For The Future of Design – Design*Sponge

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Sample previously mentioned by Deanne Cheuk (obtain here)

This is the closing 7 days of Style*Sponge. I’ve been afraid to publish that sentence all summer time, but the time is right here, and I want to make these last number of posts go past items or traits. For me, the coronary heart of structure has often been about the people today driving the items we enjoy — what can make them tick, what will make them feel influenced, and what we can all do to support the innovative group we appreciate. So as we close this chapter and search to the upcoming, I preferred to share our hopes, wishes, and dreams for this community we have developed to know and really like so very well. But right before I jump in, I’d love to know: what are your hopes for the long term of structure? What do you hope design appears, sounds, feels, and operates like in the upcoming? What do you hope for from the long run of style and design media? I’d enjoy to know how you really feel and what we can ideally depart in this article for long run bloggers, makers, and community leaders to acquire with them as they commence new chapters.

  1. Inclusivity, across the board. The greatest blunder I produced in my time at Style*Sponge was not generating a room that was welcoming to all people in the neighborhood. I know improved now, and I am even now learning, but it is the issue I nevertheless hope to see substantially far more of in our local community. From blogs and organizations to conferences and investment decision — our group deserves to see a increased variety of voices, backgrounds, factors of look at, and needs supported. Here’s what I hope that will glance like as items go ahead:
    1. I’d love to see far more structure media shops (print, radio, Television set and on the web) operate by (but also like the tales of) writers and creatives from underrepresented communities. I want to see additional stories explained to from the factors of look at of folks of colour, disabled individuals, people today residing with long-term sickness, individuals who have immigrated or appear to this county from other sites, LGBTQ+ persons, individuals in excess of 50, persons living in rural spots, folks living on reduced or set incomes, and people with points of perspective or encounters that we just really do not see plenty of of. Design does not go ahead, evolve, or grow to be as distinctive and special as it can be if we only listen to tales that seem like our personal.
    2. I’d adore to see conferences involve all of the people today talked about previously mentioned in notable (compensated) positions at activities. Celebs are high-quality, I know they push ticket income, but we all benefit and learn much more when there are a lot more numerous details of view supported and highlighted.
    3. I’d enjoy to see extra inclusive using the services of across the board. From the mastheads of print journals to weblog staffs, podcast teams, and at govt concentrations of trade fairs and trade businesses. We really don’t get to see industry adjust if a lot more diverse details of perspective aren’t provided in positions of energy.
    4. The similar goes for style publishing: I’d love to see a lot more publications, magazines, and newspaper columns heading to people today who can understand the design and style environment from a unique stage of perspective and background.
    5. What does that mean for all of us? It means I hope we can all proceed to discuss up and take motion to make sure everyone in our community is welcome, represented, supported, and compensated similarly in our community. It could possibly be awkward at moments, but it is do the job I hope we all preserve seeking to do every probability we get. (Right here are some methods to do that).
  2. A Far better Comprehending of Residing Wages (and Selling prices). One of the things I struggle with as I end this chapter, is feeling like I wasn’t able to go the needle as a great deal as I needed when it comes to the concept of comprehending why indie/handmade style costs far more and why, even if we cannot find the money for it, we can discover to regard people costs. I recognize why we all want additional inexpensive structure, but a person of my most important goals was to make certain every person who study right here comprehended why smaller sized layout makes and makers necessary to charge better costs. I do not know if we were equipped to do that, but I hope as time goes on, men and women will be able to maintain both of those truths (that handmade get the job done charges far more and it won’t be in everyone’s spending budget) with out judgement or shaming. I’d love to see that principle extend to all styles of style: including box store. If we want to obtain much less pricey new furnishings, I hope our local community will keep digging into how these price ranges are lessen and if they’re tied to unethical generation or pressured labor. And if they are, I hope we’ll band collectively to desire an finish to unethical manufacturing procedures and unfair labor techniques.
  3. Environmental Sustainability. This is an issue that I have often seemed to our running a blog colleagues at Inhabitat for management in. So a lot of of my early running a blog colleagues led with eco-structure and sustainability concerns and it is an challenge I want I’d spent extra time on. So a great deal of my curiosity in that concern was connected to Do it yourself and reuse, fairly than new technologies, but I am hopeful that as structure moves ahead, we’ll embrace and look into methods to make new style far more environmentally sustainable and operate collectively to transfer away from layout that places our world in hazard.
  4. Considerably less Judgement, A lot more Enthusiasm for What’s Distinct. Like all design-based communities, style has generally been about what’s new, awesome, on-development, and common. But as we increase and evolve, I hope our community will constantly make room for voices and designs and patterns that are distinctive, not concerned with tendencies, or are standing out for doing a thing towards “the regulations.” Our world has a whole lot of guidelines and limits presently. I hope as our local community goes forward we embrace all of the unique means there are to establish, decorate, and live in a house and shift away from telling folks that nearly anything is “wrong” or a “mistake” or a “no no,” when it will come to expressing your personal model.
  5. A lot more Enjoyable. More than nearly anything, I miss a little bit of the enjoyable I applied to sense all-around structure when I initial began out. And actually, I consider a large amount of that is because any time you make what you adore your career, it tends to lose a tiny little bit of the shine. And that is okay — which is component of the system of setting up a business. But I utilized to feel like things were a little grittier, messier, much less best, and significantly less polished. I loved that Diy power. I imagine social media has created it so that we count on model new products and tasks to be best and expertly branded from the 2nd they’re released. And that does not normally leave space for scrappiness — a high-quality I appreciate in layout. So I hope that potentially as new social media channels improve and get there, we’ll find place for style and design (goods, jobs, media, situations) to be a very little bit rougher all-around the edges when it starts out. That raw point out is the place some definitely unique factors occur.
  6. Recognizing Our Sources of Inspiration: The web moves so rapid, and these days I see websites like Pinterest and Instagram stated as sources for images and concepts. But knowing where by issues appear from — especially culturally — is important. Cultural Appropriation is a sophisticated and nuanced concern, but it is 1 that our style community would benefit from talking about far more and definitely finding into. I want to see so a lot of of the communities that have produced well-known kinds (i.e: Otomi patterns, Mud Fabric, Shibori etc.) be studied, prepared about, credited, and appreciated as a lot as the persons who are deciphering them in contemporary instances. It expands our minds, worlds, and means to be impressed when we glance at and understand from cultures, backgrounds, and traditions that are various from our individual. So as we move ahead, I hope we’ll hold citing these resources of inspiration, celebrating them, and introducing all those sources as part of any undertaking or solution that works by using them as a issue of inspiration or reference.
  7. Style and design to Give Back: Our local community is rich with methods. From strategies and expertise to abilities, instruction, practical experience, and monetary backing — the style globe is full of men and women and enterprises that are in a situation to assistance people in will need. My biggest hope is that our community keeps carrying out more of what it is presently carrying out so perfectly in so numerous spaces — offering back again. Design has the electric power to connect people today and not just convey to stories, but to convey to tales that greater explain complications and suffering details in our earth, and how we can operate collectively to resolve them. I want to see us all band with each other and share whatever assets we have to aid individuals in need to have in our group. It does not take a large amount of time or effort and hard work to plug in, but every time you can, you should do. Regardless of whether that is volunteering regionally with Habitat for Humanity or a regional loved ones shelter or donating your time, cash, or skills to a neighborhood in have to have in close proximity to you, or commencing a product or service line or total company that donates to a result in that’s critical to you— really do not overlook that at our main, we are a neighborhood of proficient and resourceful trouble solvers. Style and design is at its most attractive when it is making confident that all people feels risk-free and supported at house.

What do you hope to see as the style community grows and evolves into the foreseeable future? xo, Grace

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An 1880s-Era Church Turned Vacation Home in Ontario – Design*Sponge

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An 1880s-era Church Turned Vacation Home in Ontario, Design*Sponge


Back in early 2018, art teacher Colin and his partner Matt, a banker, were nesting. They had finished renovating their Toronto loft and were thrilled to be sitting back, enjoying the fruits of their hard work. The second the pair laid eyes on this converted church in Ontario’s Warkworth area, however, everything changed: “When we saw the pictures we fell in love immediately and put in an offer the day we visited the property.”

The converted church hit the market following the previous owner’s death and, as Colin and Matt soon learned, had an interesting history. It was built in 1887 in the Gothic Revival style, complete with a collection of stained glass windows that would cast a rainbow of light onto its Anglican parishioners. For nearly 60 years it welcomed believers, until it was closed in the late 1950s. It then sat vacant for almost 15 years before being converted into a private residence.

Before they could truly begin adding their own chapter to the structure’s story, Colin and Matt had to update the basics and make the vacation house better fit their needs. For six months the couple went back and forth between their main home and Warkworth overseeing the installation of new plumbing, a new roof and the addition of a bedroom and bathroom. The additions were particularly important: only by expanding the overall footprint of the house could the pair host all of their friends when the weather was nice.

Once construction was complete, Colin and Matt then decorated using three key elements they knew would instantly modernize the 130-year-old building: bold wallpaper, a millennial pink front door and a matching pink bathroom. “Our goal in decorating was to keep all the magic and charm that the house had on our first visit but update it with our own touches,” the two explain. The aforementioned wallpaper can be found in two of the home’s bedrooms. In the lofted suite, a moody tree line further amplifies the sense of being above it all. While in the guest room, an astrological narrative plays out across the walls.

It’s been a year and a half since Colin and Matt took over the property, and still, barely a weekend goes by that the two aren’t driving the hour and a half to Warkworth. Nowadays, though, it’s not to meet with the contractor or review plans. It’s to relax. As the church’s pink front doors come into sight, their cares (and those of whichever lucky friends have tagged along) seem to melt away. —Garrett

Photography by Laurel Munro

Image above: “We wanted to keep the warm space/spirit of the previous owner and decided to keep everything we found in the church for the time being. (The gilded accents) are a little over the top – even for us – but we couldn’t bear to part with them and now this room is designed around them!” Colin and Matt tell us.


An 1880s-Era Church Turned Vacation Home in Ontario, Design*Sponge


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The Anglican church was completed in 1887 and operated as such until 1957 when it was closed. It then sat empty for the next 13 years until it was purchased and converted to a residential space. Colin and Matt are the building’s third owners.



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Matt wasn’t totally on board with the pink front door at first, but he’s fallen in love with it over time. Proof that being unafraid to make bold design choices can pay off.

 

The fact that the building was never intended to be lived in means that we are free from any rules when it comes to design choices.



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“This is the smallest room in the house and probably [underwent] the biggest transformation. It was a dark and dusty closet off the living room. We replaced the old doors, painted the brick and refinished the floors so it is now a light-and-bright entryway.” – Colin and Matt



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Matt (left) and Colin (right) previously renovated their loft in Toronto, so they “understood the stress and decision making that comes with a large project.”



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Colin and Matt had the staircase moved to give the home a better flow. They then wrapped it in wainscoting that was original to the living room so it would blend into the space.



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The piano was left by the previous owner. Neither of the men play, but they “like the idea of having one” so they’ve kept it and dotted it with accessories.



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“What we love most about our home [is]… being able to share it with friends and family.’ – Colin and Matt



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The stained glass windows block out a lot of natural light during certain times of day. Without these large chandeliers, the kitchen wouldn’t be totally functional until early afternoon.



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The two purchased the vacation home a year and a half ago. “Since then we have guests almost every weekend and we hope to create new memories for years to come,” the couple tells us.



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To help the structure’s newest addition – which includes this  guest room – match the form of the rest of the home, Colin and Matt attached beadboard to the ceiling.



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“The bedroom addition needed something special to make it as exciting as the rest of the house, [so] we picked this wallpaper: ‘Cosmos’ by House of Hackney.” – Colin and Matt



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A closeup of the House of Hackney wallpaper.

 

Don’t be afraid to make bold choices around the house.



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In the guest bathroom, new tile, fresh paint and fixtures intermingle with a tub salvaged from another part of the house.



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Benjamin Moore “Paris Romance” covers the guest bathroom walls.



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This guest room is lofted, and its Cole & Son wallpaper further amplifies its treetop vibe.



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Situated at the top of the old church, the room overlooks the sitting room below.



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Colin and Matt both love the look of painted wood ceilings, but they could only bring themselves to paint one ceiling: their bedroom’s.



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Further enlivening the room is a collection of artworks both old and new. “The large map (hanging above the bed) belonged to one of Matt’s ancestor(s): a Dutch explorer who used it on his expedition around the world in the 1800s.”



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Some of the church’s original windows peek out from behind the couple’s bedroom curtains. This room overlooks the kitchen.



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Colin and Matt tell us the process of decorating their home taught them that they make a pretty good team. In order to keep their various projects on track, the pair divvied up assignments: Colin spearheaded design decisions while Matt focused on “the gardens and more technical parts of the house.”



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The couple had these shelves built to cover up the fireplace’s duct work. Then they had to fill them. Luckily, they came across this set of vintage National Geographic magazines at a local community sale.



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The entrance to the enclosed porch.



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The porch recently got a fresh coat of paint and is now the couple’s favorite place to hang.



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The porch’s furniture all came with the home.



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SOURCE LIST

Contractor
Kawartha Lakes Construction

Exterior and Outdoor Spaces
Pink front door – 1925 Workbench

Entryway
Gold chair – cb2

Kitchen
Island – Smash Salvage
Paint – Benjamin Moore “Black Satin”

Dining Room
Abstract art – Andrea Bolley

Guest Bedoom
Wallpaper – House of Hackney “Cosmos”

Colin and Matt’s Bedroom
Paint – Benjamin Moore “Chrome Green”

Lofted Bedroom
Wallpaper – Cole & Son “Forest”

Guest Bathroom
Paint – Benjamin Moore “Paris Romance”



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Looking Back On Lessons Learned – Design*Sponge

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It feels like a life time back when I was sitting down in the newsroom at my previous occupation on my lunch crack, scrolling by way of Design*Sponge, relishing in the inspiration laid in advance of me via attractive home excursions, Diy tasks, and the like. Two factors constantly struck me about D*S — even from the really starting of my time looking at faithfully, about 11 a long time back — was the perception of belonging I felt, and the community connected to the web-site. These two strategies could, at a speedy look, be lumped jointly as the very same thing, but I assure you they’re not.

The neighborhood of makers, creatives, layout-lovers, Do it yourself aficionados (or 1st-timers), upcoming company homeowners — the list goes on and on — is this solid recent that has often held D*S up above the years. It is all of us who keep coming again, whether or not it is just about every day or as soon as a 7 days or at the time a thirty day period, to learn a thing new or tour a intriguing house or seek out inspiration. The sense of belonging I felt — which I have considering that figured out more than time right after speaking with so numerous of you and all of my teammates is a shared experience — is this acceptance to be ourselves wholly in our like of all issues imaginative, and to appear listed here to sense safe and sound in our self-expression and curiosity.

Given that signing up for the crew, that feeling of belonging only intensified, and I could fill a e book with the lessons I have acquired in those people just about 6 decades of getting on the other aspect. My biggest takeaway from this time expended functioning below is that the planet all over you is always so a great deal larger sized, additional dynamic, and extra diverse than the 1 you expertise each day. Opening our eyes, hearts, and minds to someone else to hear their story — or see what “home” usually means to them — will generally carry forth increased understanding and link. Existence is about relationship. The rest of it is just stuff.

In the hundreds (of course, countless numbers) of posts I have edited in my time right here, it’s quite really hard to pick out a favored just one that I have go through. But one particular that normally stands out to me in my head and is still quite timeless is Grace’s essay, “There Are No Policies: What We Think About Layout.” As much as posts I have written, my complete most loved is “Eulogizing A Property: How to Say Goodbye to A Spot With Reminiscences.” The explanation this just one is paramount for me is twofold: It gave me a area to comprehend and launch the emotions I experienced affiliated with my grief, and it also (continue to to this day) offers me a local community that feels the exact way as I do. This publish has generated so a lot of feedback from other folks heading by the exact same matter, or sharing their stories of grief with me, and I have been unbelievably grateful for their openness and sincerity. It is that feeling of belonging and local community at operate at the time again: that sensation of not currently being by itself.

I asked my pricey teammates to share with me their largest takeaways in doing work for D*S, and their favourite posts they’ve read and/or composed. I hope you get pleasure from getting a closer seem at what we learned and loved from this location exactly where we have all felt so blessed to do the job. —Kelli

Graphic previously mentioned by Penelope Dullaghan

CAITLIN

Greatest Takeaway: “I uncovered to say what you imply, signify what you say but do not say it necessarily mean. Period of time.”

Favourite Submit You’ve Study: “My favourite post, while it is so challenging to pick out, is the a single Grace wrote “What We Believe: The Layout*Sponge Mission Statement,” mainly because for me it marked a turning position the place expressed our values and burst the bubble of ‘perfect’ in a apparent and highly effective way. I required that individually at that time as properly. It allowed me to articulate my personal record of what I believe that that I update every single 12 months, or as needed!”

Favourite Publish You Wrote: “My possess penned put up is my ‘That A person Piece: The Sea Eco-friendly Desk at the Conclude of the Rainbow‘ simply because it’s so warm and nostalgic as I return to the cafe company in my compact town post Design and style*Sponge. It is all coming full circle and I cannot hold out to acquire my D*S mojo to my new posture as Kitchen Manager at City Operate Faucet Residence & Community Pub.






Illustration above by by Viola Guerrero

GRACE

Most significant Takeaway: “My most significant takeaway is that you get out of a community what you put in. I’ve realized from moderating (and leaving my individual) comments in excess of all these decades that if you pay attention initial, inquire queries, and remain open to being familiar with someone else’s stage of view, you (and your community as a whole) are improved off for it. And this neighborhood is what has kept me likely for so numerous decades — and I’m so grateful for everyone right here.”

Favorite Article You Wrote: “A person of my favorite posts I have had the likelihood to publish was about making an attempt to equilibrium economic and finances requirements individually and as a community. I tried out to crack down our support for, and challenges with, both box store structure and indie style. It was tough and generated a good deal of potent responses, but that sort of dialogue is so essential and what I’ve generally strived to inspire at D*S.”

GARRETT

Most important Takeaway: “I’ve figured out to look for out the voices that are not being read and give them a platform.”

Favourite Article You Wrote: “When I seem back on my time with Structure*Sponge, I’m most proud of our function with all those who are disabled. So it goes without stating that my favored publish I have composed was the a single that kickstarted the initiative: ‘Decorating for your Otherwise-Abled Child’.”

Beloved Write-up You have Study: “My favorite put up we have completed was our ‘Living In: Wonderful Mr. Fox‘ attribute, mainly because it was the pretty 1st submit I ever read on Style*Sponge. Who realized that four years just after reading through it I’d be doing the job for D*S?!”






Graphic higher than by by Rachel Fox Kipphut

SOFIA

Largest Takeaway: “Thanks to everyone who trustworthy me to share their households and tales, I’m walking absent from this expertise with my coronary heart so substantially fuller than when I commenced. I’m also so proud to have experienced the option to be aspect of some thing very good. As a substitute of telling people today what mistakes to prevent, what traits to adhere to or overlook, the underlying motto has been to celebrate all individuals and all residences, just as they are. That’s what tends to make D*S so particular. From a personalized viewpoint, I have uncovered that I can do a large amount extra than I ever believed I could.”

Favored Article You Wrote: “Sarah Andrews and Captains Relaxation, her cottage in Tasmania, is a distinctive a single for me. I’m likely to go forward and just say it — I seriously like the composing! As somebody who under no circumstances dreamt of currently being a author of any variety, I can proudly pat myself on the again and say that I did a excellent position. Useless to say, Sarah’s awesome tale, expertise, and creative eye are the real factors why that submit turned out so excellent.”

Beloved Publish You have Examine: “I beloved Kelli’s ‘Anatomy of a Residence Tour,’ the place we went driving the scenes to display readers how our house excursions basically appear about. It’s true and sincere, qualities we’ve focused on highlighting in all our posts and stories.”






Picture over by Sarah Andrews

ERIN

Greatest Takeaway: “What I have acquired from Style*Sponge, as a reader and then as a writer, is that we are all looking for very similar things. We sense related by the heat of properties and are drawn to the operate of style. We share similar backgrounds and pursuits. So for the 13 several years that I’ve been connected to Design and style*Sponge, it’s authorized me to often know I’m not by itself. As an introvert, recognizing you aren’t alone is an vital detail and every single time there was a new publish, it brought the viewers a little little bit nearer. Bonding in the comments and then with social media, discovering one particular a further to follow there, also. It has launched me to some of my ideal good friends. It is also taught me to in no way shy away from coloration in your property. Some of the most lovely homes are complete of color and styles.

Preferred Submit You Wrote: “One of my favorite posts that I wrote was ‘The Art of Gathering.’”






Impression over by Ann Wooden

KRISTINA

Greatest Takeaway: “How deeply folks can connect with an on the net existence and how meaningful that presence can turn into in a person’s lifestyle. Grace IS Structure*Sponge, but the site as a full, in and of by itself, also crammed an crucial section in a lot of of our readers’ life.”

Favourite Article You’ve Go through: “Each put up on Design and style*Sponge was putting in a diverse way. But I feel I like the house tour ‘How My Mom’s Aesthetic Impressed My Appreciate of Style and design,’ composed by Erin about her Mom, mainly because the hundreds (thousands?) of guides on shelves that flexed beneath their bodyweight, wedged into the residence, seemed to match properly the story of her vocation and what she lived for. Every thing was just… best, and expressed a perception of gratification with her achievements. It seemed to match seamlessly and like a glove to her lifestyle. The very same of the property showcased in ‘In New Jersey, an 1890s-Era Dwelling Honoring Black Heritage‘ due to the fact the house owners, Kiyanna Stewart and Jannah Useful, appeared to have uncovered the ideal harmony of background and consistent adjust in the items they’ve picked which mirror their lives and pursuits seamlessly, blended with other items. I loved it.”

Favorite Submit You Wrote: “Even even though the styling was not the very best, the publish with the late Jonathan Gold’s preferred recipe, Spaghetti alla Gricia. It was constantly exhilarating when I designed ‘cold calls’ to perfectly-recognized food stuff people today to request their favored recipe and they answered. He was good, supportive, and healthy each and every constructive issue persons said of him. I am happy we were capable to incorporate him in the column.”






Image above by Kiyanna Stewart & Laquan Brinson-St.Pierre

LAUREN

Largest Takeaway: “I’ve uncovered a good deal about self-expression for the duration of my time at Design*Sponge. I have usually been timid about sharing my stage of perspective — no matter whether linked to layout or speaking up about social issues. Grace and my D*S teammates, no matter whether they realized it or not, have specified me tools to use my voice and stand guiding it. I have rooms with environmentally friendly cupboards, rooms with pink walls and the capability to have vulnerable conversations with out folks-satisfying-absent my point of view.”

Most loved Publish You Study/Wrote: “I believe my most loved posts to study and to generate were the essays.”



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Creating A Forever Home in Kent, England – Design*Sponge

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Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge

We moved into our condo in December of last year, and I immediately knew the space was perfect for us. It wasn’t until this past July, however, that I truly fell in love with its lakefront location. By then summer had finally rolled in, and I was hitting the nearby beach a lot. One weekend I even went three separate times. The trips only lasted about an hour or two, but each time I walked the four minutes back to our house I felt unwound, refreshed, and was reminded of how extremely lucky we were to live there. We had found the best of two worlds: a slick, city home and a beachy retreat.

Print designer Catherine Nice, founder of Kitty McCall, and her husband Gary can also pinpoint when they realized their home in Kent, England was right for their family: “When we walked through the door on our first viewing with the kids (Ruby and Jude), they instantly loved the house and ran off to explore all the rooms and little nooks it had. It was at that moment [we] knew that this house would be our home,” they explain.

Since that initial walk-through a year and a half ago, Catherine and Gary have been slowly making changes to polish what they hope will be their “forever home.” They’ve torn up the carpet, painted walls and given nearly every room a touch of zippy wallpaper. Head to the kitchen, though, and you’ll encounter the most-impressive of the home’s renovations. Once awash in brown built-ins and “tired” tile, the room is now bright and cheerful thanks to a coat of blue paint, new flooring and a restored countertop.

The kitchen revamp took over six months to complete, but the couple says lengthy timelines such as that don’t worry them in the slightest. In fact, they’re in no hurry to finish any of their planned tweaks: “[The home] is definitely a long-term project that will be inspired by our growing children, their needs and ours,” Catherine and Gary say. If all goes as planned, the couple hopes the changes they make will, in the long run, result in a home their children will associate with their happiest memories. —Garrett

Photography by Fiona Murray

Image above: Guests are always drawn to the brilliant, inviting sunlight that streams into and bounces about the living room. Catherine absolutely loves being in there, too. Oftentimes she can be found “sitting in the bay window with a cup of tea, watching the world go by.”


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Catherine and Gary’s home features an array of colors, but one hue pops up several times: blue. From the front door to the living room and bathrooms beyond, the color ties each room together and gives their house a cohesive narrative.



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The side table in the couple’s entryway houses a “collection of pots and vases,” but also opens up to become a card table.



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“We think of this house as our forever home; the one our children will associate with their childhood. It is definitely a long-term project that will be inspired by our growing children, their needs and ours.” – Catherine and Gary Nice



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The new velvet upholstery on the family’s “original G-Plan 1962 swivel chairs” makes them perfect for cozying into on family movie night.



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


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Catherine looks back fondly on the time she spent around her parents’ fireplace as a child. She’s particularly happy this home gives her children the same opportunity.



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


6/20

Catherine painted the dining room blue so it would stand in striking contrast to the light and airy living area nearby. A picture ledge tops the room like a crown: “The picture ledge was already part of the room,” she begins, “so we decided to keep it and display all the different things we’ve collected over the years.”



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


7/20

This may be the dining room, but Catherine tells us this table plays host to far more than just family dinners: “Our children can often be found here building [with] Lego(s), creating art or doing homework.”



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


8/20

Before: The kitchen renovation took about six months to complete.



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


9/20

After: Catherine’s own fabric design “Midnight Garden” enlivens a set of vintage dining chairs in the newly-remodeled kitchen.



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


10/20

“Our favourite thing about our home is the way it feels light & bright even on the grey days.” – Catherine and Gary Nice



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


11/20

“I love the Frida Kahlo picture in Ruby’s room. We’ve been reading Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World by Kate Pankhurst, [and] one of the women in the book is Frida Kahlo,” Catherine tells us. She says reading the book with Ruby and their subsequent conversations about historic female figures has been a priceless experience.



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


12/20

This side of Ruby’s room is decked out in wallpaper Catherine designed for Milton & King. She says, “When I hung the paper [Ruby] said, ‘It’s the best paper in the world,’ and when I asked her why, she replied, ‘Because you made it, and I love you!’”



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


13/20



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


14/20

The “painter’s palette” chair in the guest room was one of Catherine’s first designs: “I created [it] as a designer for design studio Whiston and Wright, which was sold to Anthropologie,” she explains.



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


15/20

Catherine and Gary purchased this neutral bed frame eight years ago in hopes that its adaptable design would continually complement their ever-evolving tastes. Sure enough, they’ve been able to restyle it in multiple ways without it feeling forced.



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


16/20

A piece by Paul Gauguin hangs above the couple’s bed.

I fill our home with the colors, materials, textures, and shapes that make us feel happy and inspire our creativity as a family.



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


17/20

Most evenings you’ll find Catherine and Gary sitting in their bedroom, each one catching the other up on the ins and outs of their day.



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


18/20

Jude chose this to be his bedroom because it overlooks the home’s back garden: “He can look out and see all the wildlife that come and go which have included rabbits, foxes and all kinds of birds,” Catherine explains.



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


19/20

Catherine used a collection of Jude’s drawings to create the upholstery for the pouf he’s sitting on above: “This is something I hope he’ll keep and [that will] one day have a place in his [own] home,” Catherine says.



Crafting a Forever Home in Kent, England, Design*Sponge


20/20


SOURCE LIST

Entryway
Front door paint – Mylands London “FTT-018”
Chest of drawers – antique
Artwork above chest – Kitty McCall
Aerial beach scene – William Stafford

Living Room
Sofa – John Lewis
G-Plan swivel chairs – eBay
Cushions – Kitty McCall, Fanny Shorter
Orange pouf – Sofa.com
Lighting – Buster + Punch
Blue lampshade – Kitty McCall
Rug – West Elm

Dining Room
Paint – Mylands London “Bond Street”
Bench – eBay
Stools – Kitty McCall
Lights – Buster and Punch
Large artwork – Bonnie + Clyde
Cream chairs – Ercol
Rug – IKEA

Kitchen
Paint – Mylands London “Bond Street”
Dining table, chairs – eBay
Chair upholstery – Kitty McCall

Ruby’s Room
Headboard – vintage
Green chest – Oliver Bonas
Frida picture – Rozslin J. Velez
Wallpaper – Kitty McCall for Milton & King

Bathroom
Paint – Mylands London “Bond Street”
Wallpaper – Kitty McCall for Milton & King

Catherine & Gary’s Room
Bed – Sofa.com
Pink chairs, wall lights – John Lewis
Throw – Anthropolgie
Lampshade, dressing table chair, artwork – Kitty McCall
Cushions – Josef Frank, Kitty McCall
Bedside tables – West Elm

Jude’s room
Curtains – Kitty McCall “Queen Palm”
Pouf – Kitty McCall



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Where to Find Us Next + Some Reading Suggestions For the Future – Design*Sponge

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One of the biggest requests I’ve gotten since announcing our closing was: can you suggest some places to read now that you’re leaving? So I reached out to our team to gather some recommendations, as well as share details about where you can find them now that we’re closing. Design*Sponge was special because of this amazing team of writers, so I hope you’ll follow them all at the links below (in addition to their suggestions of who else to follow) and continue to support them and their work as they move forward, too. We have one more very big and very special post coming up today, so stay tuned for that at 12. But until then, here are some wonderful sites and people that we all love and follow and hope you will, too. Because we hope this post will be a resource for anyone else out there looking for inspiring and meaningful design content to follow, please feel free to leave your suggestions in the comment section, too! xo, Grace

Photo above from Cotton & Flax, by Laure Joliet, taken in Jessica Comingore‘s workspace






Grace Bonney is the founder of Design*Sponge

Grace’s Recommendations: These days I get most of my inspiration from feeds related to travel, nature, and up-and-coming photographers in different parts of the world. I share them on a regular basis on our Instagram feed, so be sure to follow us there (link below) for a weekly dose of recommendations (because I can’t fit all of my recommendations here). Some of my favorites right now are:

  1. CRWN Mag: Such an expertly curated feed of talented Black artists, makers, designers, and creatives around the world.
  2. Woodlucker: I think Ann’s work is stunning — and she is a lovely person to boot.
  3. Chandan Mahimkar: I love Chandan’s inspiring lettering.
  4. Jamie Okuma: Jamie is a talented artist and designer and her feed, along with many others, have introduced me to a slew of incredible indigenous artisans around the world.
  5. Morgan Harper Nichols: Inspiration + motivation galore.
  6. Kate Blairstone: I love Kate’s pattern and illustration work. It always makes me smile.
  7. Justina Blakeney: She is my guiding light in the design world. I feel like the community is always in good hands if Justina is nearby.
  8. Rebekah Taussig: I love Rebekah and all the beauty and honesty she shares online. She is a voice to follow and support in and out of the design community.
  9. Shavonda Gardner: For all things inspiration and design and home and FUN. Shavonda is a must-follow for anyone looking for home content with heart behind it.
  10. Podcasts! Here some of my favorites: All My Relations, 99% Invisible, In the Thick, Code Switch, On Being, Tell Them I am, Where Should We Begin.
  11. Magazines! Here are some of my favorites: New Philosopher, Uppercase, Bitch, CRWN, Tom Tom, Frankie, Kazoo, World of Interiors

Where to Find Grace: I’ll still be sharing things on social media at our old Design*Sponge feeds, so you can find me at @designsponge on Instagram (where I am most often), Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. But hopefully you’ll see me out in the world doing something away from a screen for a while. And I’ll still be on email at designsponge [at] gmail [dot] com.

 






Caitlin Kelch is Design*Sponge’s Relationship and Brand Director

Caitlin’s Recommendations: I recommend that all of our readers visit people and places in real life in their community. Or if a nearby town or neighborhood needs some help, go there. Take some time to get offline and in person. Read books, volunteer, visit the elderly and your neighbors. The internet will always be there but sadly some people and places will not. Share some of you with them.

Where You Can Find Caitlin: I’ll be slinging burgers and nourishing my town and beyond and the Town Run Tap House and Community Pub in beautiful Shepherdstown, WV.






Kristina Gill is Design*Sponge’s Food and Drink Editor

Kristina’s Recommendations:

I try to keep as broad a survey of food industry as possible. In addition to the “mainstream” food sites, I follow these to learn about other people who may not be traditionally captured in those sites. I regularly hit these (and any related sites they have) up:

  1. Shannon Mustipher ( @shannonmustipher on IG). On the forefront of cocktails. Super smart, super knowledgeable.
  2. Black Food Folks ( @blackfoodfolks on IG) to learn about who, where, and what among Black food industry people.
  3. Heidi Swanson (www.101cookbooks.com) not just her recipes, but her monthly list of what she’s reading, recipes she has liked, etc.
  4. Kara Rosenlund ( www.kararosenlund.com) Australian photographer — her nature images are spectacular; love her blog.
  5. Hetty McKinnon ( @hettymckinnon on Instagram ) — her food and feed bring happiness each time I see it!
  6. Bryant Terry ( @bryantterry on Instagram ) — My fave vegan; his message and activism go much deeper than food. His commitment to being thoroughly informed of the issues he discusses makes him also a reliable source of information!
  7. Equity At The Table (EATT) database and related newsletter ( https://equityatthetable.com/ ) to which women/gender non-conforming individuals are doing in the food space (primarily from the POC and the LGBTQ community) and find out about job opportunities, events, etc. to share with others.
  8. Santilla Chingaipe ( www.santillachingaipe.com ) — Award-winning Australia-based journalist and filmmaker (Zambian immigrant to Australia) who produces a quarterly newsletter. The newsletter chronicles events, exhibitions, books she has seen/read, as well as her own projects. It is smart, insightful and thought-provoking.
  9. Matt Armendariz ( @mattarmendariz on IG )–  IG stories for a behind-the-scenes look at photography shoots, to have your questions answered about any aspect of food photography, to learn about gardening, and for fantastic hijinks and unrivaled cuttin’ up.
  10. Nicole Taylor ( @foodculturist on IG ) — Her stories give a glimpse into the way she eats and her networking in New York. Keep at eye out on her IG feed to experience her in “3D” and after the new year, check in to Thrillist and see what she’s been up to.
  11. Yossy Arefi ( @yossyarefi on IG ) — for golden crust.
  12. Helen Goh ( @helen_goh_bakes on IG), pastry chef — love to see the baking trials she’s up to mixed with the comfort food she is eating.
  13. Sami Tamimi (@sami_tamimi on IG) — lots of home cooking from his native Palestine.
  14. Nigel Slater ( @nigelslater on IG ) — dreamy food, dreamy travels, dreamy garden. I don’t usually dream via IG except about owning all the dogs, but Nigel Slater’s is a dream account.

Where You Can Find Kristina: You can find me at @kristinagillfood and I will announce my next steps there — including my newsletter, portfolio updates, etc.!






Kelli Kehler is Design*Sponge’s Executive Editor

Kelli’s Recommendations: I echo completely what Caitlin said about getting out in your community and making face-to-face connections, and as far as online resources go, I am currently enjoying following @badguild, @peopleofcraftsmanship and @david_a_land on Instagram — they’re all championing the fantastic work of creatives of color. See who they follow, and travel down an IG rabbit hole to get out of your usual cycle of the same types of people dominating places like Instagram. And READ! Actual books! Every month (or let’s be real, every three months, because I’m a working mom with two kids) I try to read a book written by someone with a different perspective and background than my own. The degree to which this opens my mind exponentially with each new book I finish is immeasurable and profound.

Where You Can Find Kelli: Online, you can find me at @kellikehler on Instagram, and in real life, hopping around Orange County, CA. Find me on LinkedIn, too, to collaborate or chat about projects.






Garrett Fleming is Design*Sponge’s Head Interiors Writer

Garrett’s Recommendations: When we head out, Coming Soon will keep you up to date on up-and-coming designers and interior products. Coffeeklatch will satisfy your urge to get inside the minds of interesting creative folks and see their spaces. Check in on This Little Miggy now and then for content around designing for those with disabilities. And Vicki T. and Maegan Blau will also inspire with their focus on wheelchair-accessible spaces.

Where You Can Find Garrett: People can follow me on Instagram @insta__gare






Sofia Tuovinen is a Senior Writer at Design*Sponge

Sofia’s Recommendations: 

  1. The Bleu / www.the-bleu.com
    James Kicinski-McCoy is the first blogger I ever followed. She recently launched her latest concept, a media platform called The Bleu. The site focuses on women, young, old, and everything in between — what we have in common, what we can learn from each other. From the inspiring interviews to the latest in fashion and beauty, it’s definitely worth a peek!
  2. @bobbyberk / https://bobbyberk.com/
    Bobby Berk from Queer Eye shares some gorgeous design inspiration on his Instagram and has some great tips for decorating on his website as well — and who doesn’t want to take a closer look at the homes he designs for the show?!
  3. The Maryn / www.themaryn.com
    Michelle Adams, the former editor in chief of Domino and cofounder of Lonny, created this website as a destination for timeless interiors, modern design, wonderful food, and carefully sourced goods. It’s a celebration of modern makers and classic aesthetics — I always give a little sigh when I click through the beautiful content!

Where You Can Find Sofia: You can find Sofia on Instagram @sofia.tuovinen






Lauren Chorpening is a home tour writer at Design*Sponge

Lauren’s Recommendations: 
Follow the people your people follow. This is how I approached finding new home tours. Instead of searching aimlessly for new blogs and Instagram accounts that would lead me to unique homes and stories, I went to accounts I loved and looked at the accounts they follow. Finding out who inspires people who inspire me is always a great way to uncover incredibly talented people that would have never come up in a basic search. I don’t think there’s another site that will fill in the beautiful space that Grace has created with Design*Sponge, but maybe by giving away my secret to unearthing incredible artists, homes and products, you can keep D*S alive in your own way.

People who I’ll be following:

1. Freddie Harrel — she’s my style icon forever and ever. https://www.instagram.com/freddieharrel/

2. Sarah Gibson — her renovations blow me away. www.roomfortuesday.com

3. Kate Arends — her podcast has been so helpful to me lately. https://witanddelight.com/podcast

4. Julia Miller — she’s making the coolest house in the Midwest. https://www.instagram.com/jmiller_mpls/

5. Alice Gao — her photos inspire my freelance work so much. http://alicegao.com/overview

Where to Find Lauren:  You can find me at https://www.instagram.com/thedayshift_/ and www.dayshiftblog.com. It’s my personal blog where I document our home renovations and freelance work. My husband and I are going to keep working on this old, beautiful home and I’m looking at starting a DIY & design consulting side hustle with this extra time.






Erin Austen Abbott is a home tour writer at Design*Sponge

Erin’s Recommendations: The resources I would suggest to follow are places that are working hard to make an inclusive place for all their readers. I’m really proud of the work we’ve done at Design*Sponge to [do the same]. Challenge the sites you love to be more inclusive and create your own place for other voices if you can’t find it. Don’t be afraid to speak up for those that we don’t always see. A few outlets I think are sharing this space well are Omkari Williams, The Jungalow, and Mother Mag. Don’t put design in a box. There are so many great design blogs and accounts to follow… find your new favorite by finding one that doesn’t stick to just one style of interiors.

Where to Follow Erin: You can find me at @erinaustenabbott on Instagram and at ameliapresents.com 



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Farewell and Thank You – Design*Sponge

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Our 2019 Style*Sponge team: Sofia Tuovinen, Garret Fleming, Kristina Gill, Caitlin Kelch, Grace Bonney, Kelli Kehler, Lauren Working day and Erin Austen Abbott. 

It is been explained that if you enjoy something, you have to enable it go. And, pricey mates, it is time for us to let Style and design*Sponge go. It is time for us to near this wild and wonderful chapter and head out into the terrific unfamiliar. Whilst we are sad to say goodbye to the pals, colleagues, and local community that we’ve located in this article, we know that we are stepping into this up coming chapter loaded with the adore, assistance, and care you have so graciously shared with us about the past 15 several years.

Style and design*Sponge began as 1 woman powering a screen, and has grown into a stunning, diverse, and ever-growing community of friends, collaborators, confidants, and aid methods. You’ve taught us all how to be improved listeners, superior sharers, improved members of our neighborhood and, most importantly, you have taught us that what can make a community special are the people today in it.

I know I speak for all of us at Style and design*Sponge when I say we are leaving below right now with absolutely nothing but gratitude for what we have all knowledgeable below. You have authorized us to share hundreds of tales, homes, personal times, and lessons that have not just expanded our minds, but our hearts and our understanding of the planet as nicely. Your support has presented us the bravery to desire large, just take dangers, and thrust ourselves more difficult and even further than we realized we could.

From working day one particular, all of you have been so a great deal much more than readers of a website. You have turn into our friends, our co-workers, our help systems, and our relatives. We’ve traveled across the planet these previous 15 many years and have experienced the honor and pleasure of obtaining to know so a lot of of you in individual. Thank you for not only studying Style and design*Sponge on the net, but for allowing us get to know you in actual lifestyle, as well. You’ve shared reminiscences and tales of your greatest highs and most affordable lows and we’ve been ready to aid just about every other in all those moments in real and significant means.

Like any neighborhood, I know we have not usually achieved the expectations we’ve established out to, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for offering us the grace and knowledge to do superior when we essential to and to select ourselves back up when we have fallen. Your perseverance, help, and honesty have allowed this web page to turn out to be anything different and some thing much more than a collection of beautiful pictures — you’ve turned it into a real household. A home that has quite, shiny components, but also worn-in, cherished-on pieces that are acquainted and make us feel welcome.

I am so grateful to have experienced the privilege to steer this tiny but mighty ship. It has been the greatest honor of my daily life so far to get the job done amongst a crew of persons who are so unendingly dedicated to discovering, escalating, and sharing stories that remind us that design is about considerably more than the items we set in our houses — it’s about the persons, the problems, and the defining times that switch individuals residences into houses.

To my staff, thank you. You have proven me excellent patience, believe in, and guidance. I hope I have completed my most effective to show you how much I appreciate and worth that generous reward. Whilst our function jointly right here is completed, I know we will carry on to link and overlap in just about every other’s next chapters. And I hope you all know that I will constantly be right here for each individual and every just one of you, often. You have all been this sort of committed and caring writers, but extra importantly, you’ve been exceptional human beings. And it’s an honor to know every of you and contact you my close friend. Thank you for generating Design*Sponge what it is and will always be: a area for buddies to satisfy, link, and find out from just about every other.

To our community, thank you. Your creative imagination, exuberance, diversity, power, and talent have been our driving drive given that working day one. What you all do is past text. You are artists, designers, makers, innovators, dreamers, and doers. And I am for good grateful that you all exist in our earth. You have impressed me to do greater, operate tougher, and increase at just about every phase of the journey and Structure*Sponge would not exist devoid of the beauty and honesty you convey into the earth just about every day. Thank you. Not just for inspiring Design*Sponge from day one particular, but for continuing to remind us that structure is so much a lot more than matters, it’s about persons and connections and making a thing significant.

https://www.youtube.com/check out?v=e843YGhm-UI

Before this month we collected exterior of Philadelphia to rejoice 15 many years of Design*Sponge with our friends at Terrain. They have so kindly supported us considering the fact that the early times and they generously presented to toss us a farewell social gathering to mark this bittersweet situation. It was an night complete of really like, hugs, tears, and reminiscing that I am for good grateful for. I am also grateful to Ian Fursa who filmed our farewell get together and developed a limited 5-minute movie reflecting on the record of Style*Sponge and what it has meant to all of us to get the job done on this challenge jointly. The last final result is a appreciate letter to this web-site, our local community, our group, and the recollections we have shared collectively. I hope you will enjoy and be a part of us in one previous moment of reflection, appreciate, and gratitude.

Thank you for letting us reside out so numerous of our dreams below these earlier fifteen several years. There will hardly ever be sufficient words and phrases to express the depth and sincerity of my gratitude for all that you have offered us and all the really like you have shown us. I promise that as we all go ahead, we will honor that like you’ve proven us by continuing to spend it ahead in all that we do.

Permanently grateful and generally here—

Really like,
Grace

Some important housekeeping notes:  Style*Sponge will continue to be on the internet as an archive via September of 2020, thanks to generous guidance from Adam J. Kurtz and Tuesday Bassen. We are so grateful for their enjoy and motivation to preserving the website on-line by means of next drop, when something extremely exclusive will happen…

We’re thrilled to announce that our total archives will be obtainable on line (and fully searchable) via the Library of Congress, starting off in September of 2020. We will supply an current link to these archives once they are open up to the community. We are so honored that they believed that a record of our work collectively right here, and the neighborhood represented in these posts, ought to be preserved on line forever.

Also, I will continue to remain active on our Instagram account and out in the entire world. So quit by and say hello! Really do not overlook you can stick to our entire workforce and get much more ideas for inspiring individuals to connect with on the web in this article.

 

Photographs by Erin Austen Abbott and Sofia Tuovinen






Scenes from our closing team retreat in Brooklyn











The wonderful farewell get together that Terrain threw for our community. 



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