Goodbye and Welcome

Okay, I'm doing this.  First off, this is not really good-bye at all, it's just the end of the first act. For the past 3 years I have been burning my fingers with hot glue, camera hanging around my neck, cobbling together what is now an archive of over 450 posts, many of which capture my children in sweet, well-lit moments, growing older before my eyes. Poppy Haus was the project I created to help stay engaged with the outside world while getting them through their early years at home, a period of time for me to consider my next professional step. What began as Make-Do, a little blogspot journal, quickly grew into the Poppy Haus before you today. It's become so much more than I imagined it could ever be, and I've become more of a blogger than I ever originally intended, going to conferences, leveraging social media, working with brands. In the end, it's the writing, photography and working on composition, color, styling that are the true joys of my day. I will continue to do them, but this little spot on the interwebs is moving forward.  

For the past year and a half I have been training in interior design, taking courses, volunteering my services, interning, and working with small project clients. I kept plugging away with Poppy Haus while I figured out my next move. And now here we are. 

Today I am so very proud to announce that I have started Make+Haus.
This will be the new online home for the blog, a portal for my interior design and styling services as well as the future bulletin for camps and classes which will be offered starting 2015. Over the weekend Poppy Haus will disappear into the ether, but you will find the full archive including this post and a fresh offering at my new home www.make-haus.com which will go live by the time you wake up for Monday morning coffee. Thank you as always for reading.

Okay, gotta go do so much work.  Goodbye and Welcome. xo, Heather 

Orla Kiely

Perhaps I am needing a moment to procrastinate on all the packing and loan doc drama that takes place the week you close on a house.  Perhaps I need a moment to channel my inner Peggy Olson right now, the Mad Men final season begins next week, and since I'm about to move to a 1968 split level ranch in "original" condition, I need to immerse myself in the time period. Whatever it is, I am taking a moment to daydream about what will happen when I tear down the stifling interior walls and make myself a new kitchen. My first point of design inspiration is coming from Orla Kiely.  I got her book "Home" last winter- it's full of case study houses and danish modern interiors, and features her own colorful, happy London home. I've always loved her now iconic scribble stem pattern. She has this groovy look to her textiles, an obvious nod to the bold patterns of the late 60's, but with a little restraint, and way better colors.  I don't think I'd ever go so far as to put up wallpaper in the kitchen(or would I?), but I do think I'll take her cue to add lots of pops of color with my existing white and walnut furnishings... 

The Orla Kiely House collection, including furniture is now available in the US. 

Oh and did I mention her Spring/Summer clothing collection? It's like Wes Anderson and Anthropologie had a baby. Mr.Jennings, we're in trouble. 

A Practical Experience

Ring Of Roses by Clare Elsaesser

As an interior design student, I got to play artist at my dream job for a few months, working as a visual display intern for Anthropologie.  It was an inspiring, rather humbling experience. I was mentored by a Senior Display Coordinator, Asaki, who's weekly undertaking put into perspective the small scale at which I design for this blog. In order to be successful in this position you need such a wide range of of skills, from fine arts to soft construction, you need to really understand the brand, and you need to be able to see the big picture, all from a cramped art room.  Here are my design takeaways from interning with Anthro...

1. Make a sketch. This was the first thing I had to do on day one.  My task was to build a series of 3D baubles to be installed from the ceiling in the entry of the store.  I learned how to make scaled sketches in school, but it is really straight forward, simply use a scale (1/2" = 1' works well for smaller interior spaces)something you can do with a standard ruler. The benefit of sketching is that you will know exactly how a piece will fit into the whole. This is especially important for room layout and hanging art.

2. Composition makes or breaks a design. Finding the right balance of color, negative space, light, and mass (some of the elements and principals of design)can determine whether or not a design succeeds. Asaki understands composition. Her current backdrop in the main window is a foggy scene of the Marin Headlands, with the Golden Gate Bridge peaking through, and 3 dimensional hot air balloons hanging in the sky. This could have easily gone the direction of a child's room, but the execution feels dream-like and impressionistic.   

3. Craftsmanship is crucial. Anyone can follow a tutorial to make the pieces that you see in Anthropologie...a coral reef wall, a bent wood swirl sculptures, a sea of fish, a forest of mushrooms.  The difference between the artful Anthropologie version and a home craft experiment gone awry is in execution. They make things out of paper, wire, cardboard, and canvas, they spray paint and hot glue, just like we do at home. Even on a small scale, a design can work if it is done with some precision. This precision comes with practice, trial and error, and by using proper technique.  I had to educate myself on how to apply gold leaf in an "organic way" to create patina, and how to score chipboard enough to easily fold it without splitting or looking sloppy, I used a common level to hang 100+ ornaments on the same linear plane over a table of kitchenware.  Taking time to learn how to do something well before building or displaying a piece ensures the right end result. At Anthropologie this end result is both refined and unconventional.

4. The psychology of color. I love color, and I think I have a pretty good understanding of color theory. The use of color depends on the size and scale of a space, and with the mood that you are trying to convey. Going back to the hot air balloon window example, Using muted tones of grays, blues, and greens, with a healthy dose of white made the rust and orange of the bridge pop from the fog.  The bridge feels hopeful, and the headlands seem calm. Translate this idea to a room, and you have a perfect retreat. 

5. The essential power tools. Going into this internship I wanted to learn one thing above all, and that was how to use a variety of power tools.  I think there is certain apprehension on the part of a lot of women to pick up a circular saw and cut a piece of wood. It's not something that I learned how to do growing up.  I find using power tools, well, kind of empowering.  I can chop and saw, drill, wire a lamp, use an air compressor.  I've learned to make things sturdy, and precise, as well as pretty; the most useful takeaway from the whole experience, and one that will translate in to my work going forward.
   
 

The January Home

It's January. I know this because the frozen air and my somber post- holiday mood is leaving me with the overwhelming desire to strip my house naked like a tree without leaves.  I love empty space.  I love simple, natural elements. I love air plants, and succulents, and leafy stems, and barnacle covered stones. I made a winter terrarium with them this week. I rinsed the barnacles with cold water and shook the moisture off, then put them on a wooden cheese pedestal with air plants- the moisture from the rocks keeps them hydrated- and covered them with a glass dome.  The air plants look like sea plants to me, and the whole thing looks decayed, and frozen.

January is also the time of year when I tend to contemplate what comes next for me...I'm wrapping up my design stint with Anthropologie this week, getting ready for my trip to frozen Salt Lake City for Alt Summit at the end of the month, and my interior design courses resume next week. I'm not sure if I'll pick up a new internship, and what that might mean for Poppy Haus. I did take a little time away from blogging during December to sit with it and relax with my family. I do know this, I'm excited to have some more freedom to make and share, and I'm ready to get back to it with more regularity and a renewed feeling of creativity. xo, Heather
  

  

Designing Women

Here's the reason I will be posting my feature on being an American Mum in England tomorrow rather than today as scheduled! That and the fact that I am having to type this on a laptop that is failing with each successive keystroke (my new Macbook Air gets here Friday!). It's funny to have final projects and big tests when you are an old lady like me. I can't wait to start designing real spaces... For now, take in the magic of my Danish modern, preppy-bohemian space. I'm going on break! xo, Heather