Friday Favorites 7/27/2012

Lisa Harrison, Associate Editor
Bristol, Rhode Island–based artist Susan O’Donnell gives the age-old art of Japanese fish printing a new–and local–look with her Nantucket Gyotaku line. O’Donnell calls on her fisherman friends to hook her scaly subjects (snapper, sea bass and striped bass are favorites), which she then imprints on bright canvases and frames in her signature gilded bamboo. Not only does the art have a breezy island appeal, but it scores points for sustainability–non-toxic ink enables the fish to do double duty as dinner once the painting session concludes.

The coastal chic prints come in custom colors and sizes and are available at O’Donnell’s home furnishings and accessories store, Sue Casa in Bristol, as well as the Lion’s Paw on Nantucket; Tracker Home Decor on the Vineyard; and Diana Levine Fine Art in Boston.

Photos courtesy of Susan O’Donnell

Stacy Kunstel, Homes Editor
Killer stripes make this settee that I saw at The Drawing Room in Cos Cob, Connecticut this week. Reminiscent of French grain sacks or mattress ticking, the chocolate-colored stripes make for a great visual on the high-backed piece. Piled with a collection of colored pillows (with some Jill Rosenwald pots at its side) the stripes are anything but staid.

Photo by Stacy Kunstel

Jared Ainscough, Assistant Art Director
While I was exploring Symmetry Tile Works for my blog post yesterday, I came across this great story. A husband and wife wanted a new backsplash, and went to Symmetry for ideas. They were avid gardeners, so Symmetry suggested incorporating flowers from their garden into the tile work. The final tiles were unique and beautiful–but also a clever scrapbook of the project itself.

Photos courtesy of Symmetry Tile Works