Greenhaus

Typography for the Landlocked

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:31:11 -0400

You can buy these amazing screen printed letters at http://www.yeahnoyeah.co.uk/. I’m in love with these and when I have an extra 160 pounds they are mine.

via-design*sponge

YourHaus with Suzanne Webster

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:17:00 -0400

Suzanne and Steven have been married for nearly 19 years. They have 3 kids – aged 16, 12 and 11. They are born & raised New Englanders — he, Massachusetts; her, Connecticut. They met at flight school!! They have lived in many places from Maine to L.A. Once highly active in the local bicycling community, they now have retired to more casual rides. Suzanne went back to work 2 years ago and teaches Kindergarten at Highland Presbyterian Weekday School. Steven works IT for a company out of Seattle, traveling back and forth.

1. Suzanne, we know that you have or have had multiple Rolodexes (or is it Roledices?). What is that draws you to them? And, we know that you do have an odd/special story about the one you got at Greenhaus? Can you tell us that story?

Rolodexes sounds about right, but I feel like Rolodie could work too! But yes, I am definitely drawn to old school office supplies. This attraction probably dates back to when my sister & I would visit my dads office. He worked in NYC and trips into the city were always fun, but the highlight was often getting to go into the office supply room to pick out a snazzy pad of notepaper, some pens, pencils and envelopes. I still love office supply stores and have got a thing for freshly sharpened pencils. Don’t even get me started on my search for an old-school typewriter.

So, when a friend took me to Greenhaus a while back, one of the first things I noticed;after swooning over the air plants, wall of wine & shelves of beer — was the groovy desk in the corner with an old school office vibe, and among other things on the desk was a big, groovy Rolodex with a flip top cover. It immediately reminded me of an address book that my grandmother kept next to her phone on the kitchen counter. Hers had a lid and along the side were the letters of the alphabet with a slidy pointer thingy. When you moved the lever down & pointed it to the letter you wanted, the lid would flip up & voila - you were at the page you needed. So as I was flipping through the Rolodex to make sure there were blank cards and that all the letters were there, the woman in the shop said “There’s just one entry in there”. And sure enough, I got around to it: Rita 937-0658. Rita was my grandmothers name. Needless to say, that Rolodex was mine.

2. How has your style grown or evolved along with the growth of your family? Is the decor in the house selected democratically? How much interest do your children show in the home?

Now that the kids are bigger, we feel like we can make some upgrades and not have to worry about anyone coloring on the couch. (The daughter that once did most of the couch & floor coloring now applies her talents to canvas & we proudly display them on our mantle and on the walls!)

Generally speaking though, as far as house is decorated & arranged; Steven is really good with the big picture, and I’m good with the details. While he leans more toward the modern and I lean towards the classic, we both totally share the same vision for the overall look and vibe of our home. Having a home that is warm and welcoming and truly lived in and loved is really important to us.

3. With both parents working full time, and three kids, what about your house works for you and how have you adapted it to work best for your family?

This is an old house with absolutely zero storage space - both inside and out. Through lots of trial and error and rearranging, we’ve figured out how to make things work. We’re big fans of dressers, armoires, baskets & open shelving to hold all our stuff!

Our front hall is set up to make getting out the door on time for school and work as efficient as possible. Everything has a spot & it’s all to (theoretically & ideally!) ensure that we’re all not running around looking for something.

4. Youve moved many times and finally settled in Louisville. What if any pieces have you carried with you through these moves and why are they special to you? (not just furniture, we’re also thinking of your wall of photos).

When we were first married, we lived in Rockport, Maine. A teeny little Harbor town in which there was just a little diner, a boatbuilding school and an antique store just down the street from our apartment. We actually lived on the first floor of an old shipbuilders’ home. There was an entire wall of corkboard in one room where the shipbuilder would put up all of his blueprints. We had no idea what to do with it, but slowly just started pinning photographs on it and soon enough, the entire wall was covered in photos. After we moved, we sorta missed the wall of photos & found ways to recreate it in each new home. We love it & so do the kids — its a conversation piece when we have folks over and even just among our family, the pictures always trigger a conversation or a fun memory. I actually just very recently found a photo of the original wall of photos in that apartment & added it to the wall here!

Many of the first pieces of furniture that we ever bought together were from the antique shop in Rockport. The Shaker table at our front door came from this shop. We remember buying each & every piece - much of it with wedding money — and sometimes, agonizing over it - will it fit? Can we afford it? If we weren’t sure (about either) the owner would just tell us to take it home and see how we liked it and then when we inevitably liked it, he’d tell us we could pay him when we had the money. We called it the Joe Castalucci payment plan. We’d go up each week with some money to pay for our furniture. We still refer to the pieces as “The Joe Castalucci Dresser” or chair, or table.

After our stint in Rockport, we moved down to Portland & both worked for a wholesaler of direct imported furniture and home accessories. We took advantage of the employee discount and were able to get some really gorgeous pieces that we’d probably never have been able to afford otherwise. The green painted cabinet in the dining room is from India - in other homes of ours, it usually served as a closet; but we like it as a liquor cabinet best.

5. Maine has such a distinct style, New England but also it’s own. Do you feel this has resonated with you? Why has this style in particular stayed with you?

We lived in a lot of places in Maine & I’m not sure there’s a particular style that has resonated with us so much as an approach to how we do things in our house. New Englanders are resourceful and purposeful. I think we just naturally try to find the most efficient use for something & when adding anything new; making sure it serves a purpose — which sometimes results in a little rearranging and/or purging. We definitely have things that are a little nod to our east coast life - collections of rocks from favorite beaches, paintings from an aunt of the Maine coast, and a driftwood garland that remains on our mantle year round. We’ve got a mix of styles and a mix of old and new & just try (hope!) it all works together. We’re super big on making due, and working with what we’ve got and finding something totally groovy that’s second hand or vintage is how we like to roll.

6. If each of you had an animal spirit, what would it be and why? Could you name an animal spirit for the family as a whole?

Animal sprit? Okay, that one caught me off guard! I don’t know. It’s not something I ever really think about. Maybe for us as a couple; and this is totally cliché, but I feel like we can get away with it cause we met in flight school - I’d say birds. You could say that we left our nest of New England a long time ago & made a new life for ourselves here. As far as the family as a whole, again - not sure … I always see the five of us as very tight. We come from a very large extended family & we are the only ones not living on the east coast — so, whatever sort of animals leave the mother land & travel together as a tightly knit pack — that’s us.

Photography by Marife I. Bautista eat3fruits@gmail.com

question by megan and daniel

Michael Jester is Gonna Be Joining Us!!

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:34:08 -0400

We are very happy to have our friend, the talented Michael Jester joining our blog.

Chevron by Michael Jester

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:28:46 -0400

I came pretty late to the Joni Mitchell party. I borrowed her Greatest Hits CD from a friend when I was 21. I’m 31 now and he has yet to get it back. I listened to it while driving a U-Haul from Louisville to Chicago on a portable boombox with my little pug, Leo, at my side. I don’t know that Leo was a fan but I was hooked. I remember calling people and being all “Have you heard of Joni Mitchell?? She’s amazing!” One of my personal favorites was and is Urge For Going and for whatever reason the line about geese in chevron flight has always stuck in my head. Perhaps foreshadowing my current obsession with chevron pattern.

I didn’t even know what chevron was at the time or why these geese were going to the gas station, but it has turned into a mini-obsession. I can’t really pinpoint what exactly it is about it. Maybe it’s because you don’t see much of it out there. I used watch “designers” on Trading Spaces try to use it too much or too boldly and would scream “Don’t listen to Hildy!! SAVE YOUR KITCHEN!” at the television. But when used right, in delicate doses, it can be quite effective.
I have been shopping for sheets and duvets recently. A challenging task for someone with design OCD coupled with being a cheapskate in regards to anything that doesn’t have butter or alcohol in it (I eat out a lot.) I came across these beauties on West Elm:

Perfection! Something modern and cool like this on a vintage bed frame would suit me just fine. There was also that chevron-ish patterned sofa and chair set I loved Green Haus had for a hot minute. They sat for months like an old dog at a pet store. Once I got it together to buy them they were gone. Lesson learned - if you see something, you buy something.
But, that duvet cover. I’m too cheap right now to buy it but considered going DIY on a set of white sheets. But…really? I mean, have you ever just tried drawing on a t-shirt with a Sharpie?

I used to clean apartments in Brooklyn. I cleaned even tinier...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:41:48 -0400

I used to clean apartments in Brooklyn. I cleaned even tinier ones in Manhattan. If anyone had a dining room table it meant one of two things:

1) They were using their living room as a dining room, or

2) They were ballin’. One lady I cleaned for in Brooklyn (she was a baller) had a dining room table and chairs I fell head over heels for. She had a cool modern table and for chairs she used mix and match old wooden ones. They were each painted the same bright yellow. This gave them the feeling of being one while at once applying each with its own strong personality. Give it a try! Or, better yet, just give me your old chairs because I need them.

-michael jester

Lin Morris

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 09:56:05 -0400

I am absolutely dying for these interchangeable geometric tray sets by Lin Morris for Hay. The beauty is slaying me!

World map wallpaper via Mr. Perswall - such a lovely idea for a...

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:32:14 -0400

World map wallpaper via Mr. Perswall - such a lovely idea for a nursery or any room, really. And at only $54.00 (as of today’s exchange rate), totally affordable. Let’s face it, they are unlikely to get any comprehensive geography in school, so … Darn kids these days!

-megan

Sandwich Artist

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:35:30 -0400

Major artists of the last and current century interpreted as sandwiches by Brittany Powell and Tae Kitakata. How flippin’ fun is that? I can totally imagine using this as a way to teach little Bug about art history.

Mondrian

Pollock

O’Keeffe

Hirst

Klimt

Johns

Duchamp

Rothko

Christo and Jeanne Claude

All photos Low-Commitment Projects, found via Babyramen.

-megan

YourHaus with Sarah Pierce

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:35:00 -0400

Sarah has been living in louisville for 8 years, in schnitzelbrug for a year and a half, is a middle school art teacher, loves friend and family time, running, biking, outdoors, art, making things, travel, books, good food and drink, gardening and thrifting. She grew up in Frankfort, went to college in Lexington, then a Seattle adventure, then Louisville. We’re glad she’s here.

1. You have been living in Louisville for 8 years and in the Schnitzelberg area for a year and a half. Do you feel at home and settled in your new place? What do you like/dislike about your neighborhood?

Oh my goodness, i feel so good and settled in my Schnitzelburg home! I’ve lived all over town in the last eight years (Old Louisville, Highlands, Clifton, Butchertown, phoenix hill, highlands, tyler park), mostly moving every year—not by choice!—until i found this place. I’m still renting, but i love having a whole house and a yard. I love the Germantown vibe in that there are all kinds of people and families (old and established/young and hip, and everything in between). There are lots of dive establishments and plenty of hip ones too. I can get good beer and food and see some of the most amazing karaoke in the world (i’m sure of this!) every thursday and saturday evening just steps from my door. People sit out on their porches and look out for one another without being overbearing. There’s a facebook page where people post about neighbors who are going through a rough time so that others can donate money or food or household stuff. Oh, and kids still play outside in Schnitzelburg! lots of them, just having a blast till it gets dark out. Just like when i was a kid! I’ve always chosen to live within walking and biking distance from the places where i hang out, and thought that Schnitzelburg would feel kind of far from things, but i still walk to the highlands. Basically, it’s a dream.

2. You’re a maker and a raker. Ha. Teaching middle school art I’m sure has its ups and downs, is gardening something you do to ground yourself? Has it always been a passion of yours or something you’ve grown into?

I come naturally (ha) to gardening because my mom is an expert flower gardener and my dad has grown an impressive vegetable garden ever since i can remember… but that doesn’t mean i’m good at it. I’ve had a community garden plot since i lived in seattle in 2003 and there was a community garden right next door. Now there’s one just three doors down in emerson park. this year i’m focusing my efforts on my backyard, with two little beds of vegetables and the perennial garden my mom and i started last fall. It’s all just a big experiment, but there’s little i love more than eating a salad from my backyard. And i am so excited every day to see what’s springing up in the flower garden. It’s a new surprise every single day. I now understand why my mom is so enamored with this whole thing.

3 You incorporate a lot of color and shape splashes in your home. How much of being an artist has translated into your sense of style and design?

I have no idea. I kind of think of my living space as more anthropological than artistic. I love digging up stuff in junk stores and the family basement and discovering treasures on street corners. Without trying to, i imagine the past lives of these finds and make up stories about them. I really like old, funky, used stuff. I really really like free stuff. I can’t imagine actually having a budget and buying exactly the right thing for a space. It just doesn’t work that way for me. It’s nice to find an amazing deal and figure out how to incorporate it. Nothing in my house costs more than a few dollars. If i find or buy something i just can’t use, i can set it back out for someone else to discover. I do find it interesting to talk with friends who actually know something about design, and i usually discover that i have done things in my home that designers (decorators?) do on purpose. Like juxtapose shapes and colors and textures in certain ways. I think i approach art the same way, just intuiting (though i do have some training here).

4. Growing up Kentucky’s capital, Frankfort, I assume you were surrounded by more antiques and horses. Is that true? Also, Megan and I were talking the other day about how nowhere we’ve been is as overwhelmingly green as Ky. Do you find this true, and how much of your surroundings growing up influenced your design choices now? We love the red horses…

I wasn’t around too many antiques and horses growing up. I think i was probably influenced by the styles of my parents and their friends, which was mostly casual/hippie/hand-me-down/creative. I’m not sure why i insist on turning my living space into a jungle with houseplants, but it makes me happy and i guess that’s why. The red horses are great! I got them at will russel’s rapture yard sale (see previous post!). He sold me a huge bucketfull of red, blue, and green ones for $3. Over time i’ve given them away (some to Jessica Berg Lam’s twins—see previous post!) except the red ones.

5. Your house looks like its a perfect place to sit and converse with friends. The rooms look like they were styled to promote that rather lets say, play video games or watch tv. Did you have that in mind when styling? Do you entertain at your home very much?

I do have tons of seating! First, i love chairs. I have too many chairs in my house, plus chairs in my basement, plus chairs in my parents’ basement. I do love chairs. Ten friends get together every monday to eat and watch a movie, and when it’s my turn to host there’s plenty of seating (and plenty of stools and poufs, which i also love to collect, to hold plates and glasses). Ii do like to entertain, though now that i think about it, it doesn’t happen too often. That’s it: I’m going to start entertaining more! It’s just that i’m not a confident cook, but having people over is about so much more……….and i’m pretty good at lots of those things, like creating ambience, drinking, choosing music, dancing, and putting out snacks in pretty bowls. My cat is good at entertaining guests, too.

6. Do you have (and I’m sure you do) an animal spirit? And if so what is it?

This may sound awful (or even trite, given recent decorating trends!) but i think it would be the remains of an animal. I like to collect little dead things, skeletons, pieces of bone, fur, etc. I also like abandoned nests. Just remnants of life. I like taxidermy too, but that stuff’s expensive. I’m pretty in touch with my body and am fascinated by the idea that it gives out, loses animation, separates from the spirit, and still leaves something behind.

Photography by Marife Bautista eat3fruits@gmail.com

Shoe Shocker

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:00:40 -0400

Imagine this scene, except that it took place in our house and as such the stairs were much narrower and Daniel wasn’t wearing that sweet scandi sweater and the result was Daniel bump, bump, thudding half way down.

We go around and around about this: shoes on the stairs. Daniel sees this practice of mine as a continual nuisance. I see it as a convenient way of reminding ourselves to take your damn shoes up stairs and put them away where they belong for crap’s sake, already.

So when I saw this sartorial footwear line up on the Selby, I found a little comfort in causing Daniel some discomfort last week when he tumped over a pair of shoes neatly tucked onto one of the lower stairs. I’m sorry, Daniel. Please forgive this weird idiosyncrasy. Buy, hey now! At least I’m not alone in the habit.

Next time, watch where you’re walking - or falling, as it may be.

Sneak Peeks For Website

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:02:00 -0400

We are finally launching a website in early April. Here are a few pics that Aubrey Renee Fingerson took for us. aubreyreneephotography@yahoo.com.

Items that we’ve had and items that have moved on to other houses.

FINALLY got some beers from Haandbryggeriet out of Norway. ...

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:06:16 -0400

FINALLY got some beers from Haandbryggeriet out of Norway.

Hesjeol is a Multi Grain Farmhouse Ale and its amazing. Like most of Haand’s beers, there’s a little smoke to it. This beer is wild yeast fermented and that gives it a really nice floral fruity taste on the tongue, with the perfect amount of spice. Every time I have a beer from these guys I imagine these vikings brewing around a fire in the middle of a snow blanketed field lined with evergreens. 7%

Dark Force is an Imperial WHEAT Stout. The only one I’ve ever had, and if anyone else tries to make one, Thor will smite them with malts in hand. This sucker is packed full of roasted chocolate goodness. It’s a stout lovers stout, you really can’t go wrong. 9%

-daniel

Manliest Town in Amuurica?

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:09:00 -0400

Manliest Town in Amuurica?:

GQ magazine recently named Louisville the manliest town in amuurica. I understand, its a dumb magazine for men, dumb men. So why I even have an opinion on this is confusing me. In this year of 2012, manliness is still overwhelmingly based on what one consumes rather than contributes.

Whatever guidelines this writer used to judge amuuricas manliness was probably something a little closer to the color green and rectangular in shape. This was an obvious bought and paid for ad for downtown Louisville and East Market, ahem, “NuLu”. Press is press and I’m happy for the businesses that got mentioned but what do any of them have to do with manliness? They are businesses that represent creative entrepreneurship that are owned and ran by men and women. If this writer spent anytime here with the ladies of Louisville he’d see a different city. Bourbon, horse racing, art and pizza are all consumables that most ladies in this town partake in, master and create. How one dimensional and absurd this article is.

Manliness as an adjective should be abolished from use. I can’t believe this trite is still hitting the masses. Louisville is one of the most culturally diverse, weird and productively crazy places in this country. And, if it weren’t for the women and men that help replace the stereotyped Kentuckian we’d still be having to tell people in NYC that were not inbred and shoeless while they laugh at our accents. Now they are coming here to witness real progressivism.

http://jezebel.com/5790954/bourbon+drinking-ladies-prove-women-can-drink-bourbon

-daniel

YourHaus with Will Russell and Kate Hanratty

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:35:00 -0400

Will Russell is co-founder of Lebowski Fest and owner of Why Louisville on Bardstown Road. Kate Hanratty is a former woodworker, seamstress and most recently Events Coordinator at Carmichael’s Bookstore, where she worked for 13 years. Their home is in an old blacksmith’s shop and residence from 1865 in the Butchertown neighborhood. They share their home with 2 feisty old cats, Bella and Clementine.

1. You and Will haven’t lived together for very long. What was it like combining households? How were your styles different and similar?

We both purged…, a lot. Will started the ball rolling before we even met with a “rapture yard sale” where he sold many of his pop culture collectibles. I gave away about 70% of my things when we decided to move in together, really paring it down to the things I really loved. We are both collectors, his style is brighter and bigger and I’m a bit more on the subtle side.

2. This home is somewhat temporary - as there is a little Hanratty/Russell on the way. What do you see as your limitations in the current house?

Yes, we are excited about becoming parents this summer. We are looking for a new home mainly for more space, and the spiral staircase and ten foot drop from the loft with no rail are not kid friendly. It will be hard to leave the vaulted ceilings, exposed brick and old timey charm.

3. So, Jackolopes are totally real creatures. Where did you acquire yours?

This Jackalope was found down south and was procured from a man named Red Sparrow. He also issued us an official Jackalope hunting permit.

4. Kate has a background in textiles. How does this interact in your home? What does the old timey sewing machine signify? Does it work?

It means we have a big workspace in our living room. I just love the old Singer machine, but it is for display only. I keep my real machines under wraps until it’s project time.

5. Will has been collecting Americana/kitsch way before opening Why Louisville. Can I build a nest in your backyard? Please describe your love and interest in blown molds.

The backyard already has several nests which you could move right into. Will became smitten with blow molds (plastic light up yard Santas and such) a couple years ago and did a window display at WHY Louisville with 16 Santa Blow Molds. He then began to amass quite a collection ranging from bunnies to ghosts to nativity folks. They adorn the back yard and require less maintenance than living plants.

6. I (Daniel) have a pretty integral (har har) history in how you two got together. We went to see Bill Callahan live in a cave and you all began the courting there. Can you accredit Bill Callahan’s music with sealing the deal. How often do you listen to him together?

Yes, thank you for that nudge. Not only did we meet at the Bill Callahan show but on our first date we put together a Bill Callahan puzzle while listening to a Bill Callahan record. (super fans!) We have since branched out to other records but old Bill still makes the turntable on rainy nights

7. If you each had an animal spirit what would it be?

Will is a jackalope. Giraffe is funny because I’m so short.

All photography by Marife Bautista eat3fruits@gmail.com

except hipstomatic shots, those are from our little Bugaboo.

-megan and daniel

We have four of these chairs. Somebody painted them a horrible...

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:31:56 -0400

We have four of these chairs. Somebody painted them a horrible Burgundy color, we have decided to go crazy with each one. More pictures coming soon. Neon orange is our next.

YourHaus with Jessica Berg Lam

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:52:00 -0400

Jessica is a full time twin mom. Previous incarnations as a furniture designer, an art gallery “Girl Friday”, a jewelry designer and travel agent. Her home is shared with husband Rhys Lam, twins Alice and Nora, Lupie the dog and Mr. B the cat (her animal spirit). Looking to get back in the workforce in about 6 months so if you want to contact this multi talented person email her at jessicaberglam@gmail.com

1. As a mother of two, How has your sense of interior design changed? How do you keep your home functional/organized for kids and Adults alike?

I don’t think what I decorate my house with has changed as much the placement. I still mix old treasures with new treasures to tell our story, but I’m more safety conscience that’s for sure. Nothing dangerous or breakable below 3 feet where a toddler, dog or cat could get a hold of it. We have also started keeping the Rolling Stone, LEO, and other magazines where toddler eyes can’t read them. I found the girls reading the back page of the LEO, and even though they can’t understand the adult ads…I’m not ready to answer some of the questions those pictures lead to! The globe on the side table in the parlor (that’s fancy for the front room with the fireplace) is meant to be looked at and played with. No one can resist a globe, and nothing starts a conversation faster than telling stories about adventures real or imaginary.

As for organizing a house for adults and children to enjoy, the key is balance. It’s easy to let toys and belongings quickly overcrowd a house, especially a small one like ours. I’m a big fan of Frank Lloyd Wright’s design principles, and they translate to the rest of modern life as if they were written yesterday instead of 80 years ago. A few examples, keep fewer possessions, respect your consumption of natural resources and maximize the storage you have before thinking of expanding. Truly, we humans need very little to survive, and FLW even thought it was wasteful to have more than one bathroom per home. He was green, before green was green. It seems like a no brainer but, if you have less to make a mess with, it’s easier to clean up. If you have fewer decorative items on your shelves they become more precious.

2.How do you incorporate vintage pieces with more modern items?

I started out mixing vintage with modern, when I was broke and buying all my clothes and furniture from thrift stores, to pair with the occasional IKEA piece (even IKEA was too expensive sometimes!). It wasn’t until I picked up an issue of the now defunct, DOMINO magazine, that I realized what I was doing was actually stylish. It gave a voice to us quirky vintage lovers, and I feel it validated me to no longer look down on my house because it didn’t belong in Dwell. They put out a book a few years ago and anyone who wants to learn about the mixology of styles should pick it up.

3.You have a lot of items from your grandmother. How has her sense of style helped form your own?

My Nanny, as I called her, was an awesome lady. She owned a travel agency during a time when leisure airplane travel was just hitting the mainstream, and because of it she had been around the world at least twice before I was even born. Her house* was filled with treasures from decades worth of adventures, and was a mini museum of anthropology. She had a guestroom she called the African Room (she went to Africa more than 5 times in her life), which was filled with tribal artifacts, masks, and fabrics. I loved that her home was decorated with things that had a story and weren’t placed there in a rush or just to look pretty. There was history to all of it. I like the feeling of looking around my house and seeing my story, and now that I have a family, our story.

*I always loved her house inside and out. We live in a midcentury stone cottage; she lived in a midcentury stone ranch. I think she influences my ideal style more than I will ever be able to know.

4.How has your past in designing furniture influenced your decisions on what to bring into your own home?

This is a great question! When I started out designing furniture I had an idea of what it would be like, and when I quit I had a very different set of ideas about the whole process.

At first I was in awe by the prospect of my designs being manufactured in India and sold here in the US, I thought I had arrived! What I learned along the way is that a lot of unforeseen aspects in that process are not so green, mainly, the shipping pollution to our planet. I want to visit far away places for perspective and adventure, why does my sofa need to make that trip too! Ha ha!

My time in the industry has made me buy even more second hand furniture and handmade American goods. I used to do it because I was broke, now I do it because it is better for our planet and the quality tends to be better.

5.You’ve bought furniture from us that you have re-upholstered. What aspects of a piece lets you know it has good “bones” so to speak? How do you choose fabrics for re-upholstery projects?

I studied Industrial Design in college, which gave me a nerd’s appreciation for quality craftsmanship, and a lot of craftsmanship went into the vintage stuff. What boggles my mind is that with all the technology we have today, the quality of the old stuff is still so much better! With a little recovering or painting an old piece can last for another lifetime, and the satisfaction that comes from truly giving a piece your own touches…priceless.

When I look at an old piece that needs some love, I ask myself a couple of questions. Is the style of the piece unique and do I like the parts of it that are not easily changed, like the frame and shape. Are there any visible signs of water damage? If yes, this can be a deal breaker for me. Does any part of it wobble, click, or crunch? If yes, evaluate how much and use your best judgment. Otherwise, things that can be changed like upholstery, scratches in the wood, or even the stain of the wood I’m not worried about, if I love the look of the frame.

Picking fabric is the most fun! I like to keep some historic colors and textures in mind, but not letting that box me into a certain period. The sofa and chair I got at Greenhaus to recover were originally pee pee yellow velvet. The lines in the texture inspired me to pick a pale striped, super durable neutral beige. Covering it in a “boring” color makes it easier to change the look of the room with new pillows instead of recovering the sofa again.

6.You live in the Highlands, one of Louisville’s older neighborhoods. How has the layout of the home guided you in your usage of space and decor?

Our house has good bones. The potential was screaming in our faces when we saw it. We’ve done a lot of work to it, but made sure to keep the original architectural details. The triangular archways make me smile. The parlor room with the fireplace can exist the way it is because of the layout of the house. We have our TV room and playroom in the basement, which let’s this room be more flexible for ‘formal’ entertaining. This is my favorite space for visiting with friends, setting up Christmas trees, and having fireside picnics. Simple wholesome family fun!

7.If you had a spirit animal, what would it be? And, can you send us a quick drawing of it sitting on your couch? Ha.

Can it be my cat? I’m pretty sure that old buddy has a couple pieces of my spirit. But if I have to pick another animal, I guess I’d say the giraffe. A giraffe would look quite good sitting on my sofa!

Jessica called me and told me that her cat Mr. B is for real her animal spirit. Here he is...

All photography by Marife Bautista, eat3fruits@gmail.com

-megan and daniel

Daniel and I echo this sentiment every moment we are home - and often when we aren’t. How...

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:23:26 -0400

Daniel and I echo this sentiment every moment we are home - and often when we aren’t.

How do you deal with cats, dogs or interior-hating pets in general?

Print from Oh, Dear Molly

She Throws Herself at Men

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:22:13 -0500

She Throws Herself at Men:

And it’s hilarious

found via Crap = Good

Daniel and I have been mildly obsessed with Die Antwoord -...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:32:06 -0500

Daniel and I have been mildly obsessed with Die Antwoord - particularly this video - for a few years now. It somehow is not getting old for us. I know, I know, idiots are endlessly amused. In honor of this, we give you our first ever “Living In” segment of the blog.

Boom!

My Greenhaus Fünf by Michael Jester

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:02:00 -0500

Michael Jester has lived away from Louisville for 12 years. He recently moved back and discovered our store. He’s a bartender at Proof on Main and his take on life is to live very presently, which he say’s is a “double-edged sword”. These are his Top 5 picks from his recent visit.

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

One of my favorite finds in Louisville has been Green Haus. Daniel and Megan have curated such an awesome shop of vintage fare (and there is wine! And beer!) and plant life. Their Facebook updates of new arivals are a cherised moment for me. It’s nearly impossible to just choose five because there is so much “thattttt!” in one room and it’s ever-changing, but at my recent visit these were my top five must-haves:

Chevron Mixed Media Chairs

There is something about these chairs that I love. And hate. I can’t stop thinking about them and how I would incorporate them into a room. They scream early 80’s to me with their ‘is it/isn’t’ it chevron pattern and earthy tones. The 80’s design scheme is not one you see much of these days popping up on modern design blogs and magazines, but thankfully Megan and Daniel are brave enough curators to blow the dust off my childhood home decor themes. I think if these chairs were paired with some poppy accessories, cleaner lined and more minimal pieces in the right colors they could really be a stand-out.

Antique Mirror

Mirrors, to me, are the best thing you can have in your home. They pull light in to dark areas, make small spaces loom larger and let you know if you made a mistake with that outfit. My design sense borders on Historic/Modern so this one suits me perfectly with its great elongated shape and interesting edges.

Chrome Scale

I love tchotchkes and love an oddity. There is something very charming about this piece to me. Like a baby, I’m drawn to shiny objects and would enjoy finding out just how much random things around my home weigh. I would probably get an interesting plate or bowl to rest on top of this guy and use it for loose change. When you hit 30lbs its time to hit up the CoinStar.

Bar Cart

Every adult knows the most important thing in life after a hard day, week, shower…is a good drink. Ever since I’ve come of legal drinking age I’ve wanted a sexy little bar cart for my home. When I was younger and wilder booze barely made it from brown bag to table without being gone so there was no need. Now that I’ve slowed down and prefer a more craft beverage (ingredients courtesy of Green Haus, of course) I would like a beautiful classic like this to display my bourbons and bitters. I like the simplicity of this and was drawn in by the glass and wheel spoke design of the shelves.

Plantlife

Living in a city can get very mechanical so it helps to have a little bit of natural life hanging around the home. I love seeing tons of plants clinging hungrily to a sunny window and couldn’t decorate my home without them. I love the terrariums Daniel and his family put together and can’t wait to have one of my very own.

We want to thank Michael for doing this and are so excited to meet and talk with someone that has the same passions that we share. A big thank you to Meagan Jordan for taking the photos!!

Photography by Meagan Jordan

meaganjordan@gmail.com