Tag Archives: design

Creative Reuse Inspires Sustainable Living

painted soda bottle vases
Photo by SC Studio on Pexels.com

That old glass jar on your counter could be more than just a container for leftovers. It could become a hanging planter, a desk organizer, or a candle holder. This simple act of seeing potential in everyday things is what creative reuse is all about. It’s a practice that quickly makes our lives more sustainable and thoughtful. It’s not just about recycling. It’s a fundamental shift in how we view the objects and resources around us, turning what we once called “waste” into something valuable and beautiful.

This way of thinking goes far beyond DIY crafts and home decor. It pushes us to rethink our consumption habits, from the clothes we wear to the energy that powers our homes. By embracing creative reuse, we not only lessen our impact on the environment but also spark new ideas, save money, and feel a deeper connection to the things we own. It’s a practical approach to sustainability that shows how small changes in perspective can lead to big, positive results. Continue reading Creative Reuse Inspires Sustainable Living →

Threads for Impact Turns Discarded Textiles Into Design-Worthy Treasures

threads for impact signage

What happens when a bunch of talented people in the architecture and design world get their hands on textiles that were destined for the landfill? They turn them into something fabulous — and then throw a party to celebrate it.

On Wednesday, September 30, DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation) and Sewciety NYC will host Threads for Impact, a one-night-only celebration of creative reuse and social good at the Steelcase showroom at 4 Columbus Circle. The event brings together local artisans, interior designers, manufacturers, and makers who have transformed discarded textiles into one-of-a-kind quilts, totes, pillows, wine bags, jackets, and other functional works of art.

diffa logo
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Eye On Design: Geisel Library at UCSD


All Photos by Gail

Recently, while vacationing in San Diego, I made a stop at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) campus, where I discovered one of the most wonderfully unusual library buildings I’ve ever seen. Meet Geisel Library, a futuristic concrete-and-glass landmark that looks a little like a spaceship that has landed in the middle of campus.

The building is named for Theodor Seuss Geisel and his wife, Audrey. You probably know Theodor better by his pen name, Dr. Seuss, the legendary author and illustrator whose wonderfully strange, colorful and often surprisingly wise children’s books were a part of my own childhood. The library was renamed in their honor on December 1, 1995, following a $20 million gift from Audrey Geisel. Before that, it had been known as the Central University Library and, after a 1993 expansion, as University Library.

But the building itself is every bit as interesting as its namesake.
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Why Oversized Pivot Doors Are the New Statement Piece in Modern Home Design

elegant red door in tropical setting
Photo by Anton Stepanov on Pexels.com

Most people shopping for a statement front door never ask the one question that decides everything: how much wall do I have to give up? A pivoting slab needs roughly eight inches of clearance on the swing side, sometimes more, and that number has killed more beautiful front entries than bad budgets have. I learned this the expensive way on a project in the hills outside Boise when a homeowner fell in love with a nine-foot slab before anyone checked the framing.

Let me walk you through what actually makes a pivot door work, where homeowners get the swing math wrong, how to prep your walls before the crate shows up, and how to pick a finish that still looks right five winters from now. You’ll finish this piece knowing whether your entry can carry one, and if it can, how to spec it without bleeding your whole remodel budget.

Continue reading Why Oversized Pivot Doors Are the New Statement Piece in Modern Home Design →

Eye On Design: Yayoi Kusama-Inspired Trench Coat By Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton

kusama spotted trench coat for lv with pumpkin photo by gail worley
Photos By Gail

Infinity and timelessness characterize the 2012 collaboration between Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, and the recently departed contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama. Her trademark dots – derived from childhood hallucinations – are neurotic and obsessional. Alongside the coat,  Red and White Pumpkin, composed of meticulously aligned, variable dots, mirrors the painstaking repetitive process she employed to achieve what she referred to as “self-obliteration.“ Continue reading Eye On Design: Yayoi Kusama-Inspired Trench Coat By Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton →