Hunt and Gather: ScarfShop

By Amanda Rickenbach

The ScarfShop creates beautiful handmade scarfs using silk and cotton. Trained as an architect, Martha, the designer, turned to her passion of making things by hand. It's easy to see that she loves what she does by the care and attention that goes into each scarf and the way she captures their beauty on camera.

Succulents

By Amanda Rickenbach

Succulents seem to be all the rage right now, and why shouldn't they be? They are cute, colorful, and since they are water retaining, they are very easy to take care of. There are so many ways to display your succulents - from wall gardens like the photos below, to cute little planters and pots, to terrariums. Do you have any succulents in your home?

The last photo is from Life in Bridgetown's blog. She also has a great little tutorial on how to create your own terrarium if you are interested in making one or hosting a little terrarium making party.

Illuminate Color - Parisian Threads

By Amanda Rickenbach

Spring is officially here! Yes, it's raining in Portland (a lot), but Spring is here none the less and it's time to start pulling out the skirts and sandals. Or at least it's time to start thinking about it!

1. Sherwin Williams - Naval

2. Benjamin Moore - Orange Blossom

3. Benjamin Moore - Whirlpool
4. Miller Paint - Thunderstorm

Photographer's Blog

Portfolio: Oak Street Colonial

By Jenny Guggenheim

Today I am happy to share a few scenes from Fig's Oak Street Kitchen project located in the heart of Portland's Laurelhurst neighborhood.  The final product conveys a sense of history, permanence, and livable scale.  The fine craftsmanship convinces the viewer that this kitchen has always been a part of this beautiful 1923 center hall Colonial, and the careful millwork details further support the sense of longevity.

Oak Street is home to a beautiful and active family of five, with a sincere love for the meaning and connection to their space.  Our priorities were to first support their family's lifestyle then follow with aesthetics and texture.  This kitchen was created for copious amounts of cooking and baking, craft projects, origami folding, and welcoming parties.  I for one can't wait to see the patina develop on that 8 foot solid butcher block-- for which I'm sure their active 3-year-old will have no trouble helping out.

The decorative lighting and hardware were all sourced and fabricated only a few miles from the site.  While we were mindful with material choices, I do believe the most sustainable feature of this design lies in it's longevity.  There is nothing more sustainable that a space that never needs to be torn down or remodeled again.

Products and Materials:  Ann Sacks Tile, Caesarstone Countertops, Kohler Plumbing Fixtures

This project was a pleasure to complete and particularly special to me as I gained new friends as a result of the design process.  I predict many fun-filled evenings around the massive kitchen island and an unlimited supply of family time.  We are happy to be helping our client furnish their Sunriver home in the near future.  Stay tuned for more.

Project Team 
Architect:  Giulietti/Schouten Architects
Contractor:  Hammer and Hand
Custom Casework:  Bob Anderson
Photography Credit: Josh Partee Photography

More more, check out the Oak Street Album on Fig's Facebook Page.  We've included additional rooms and detail shots.

Hunt and Gather: Blackline Stoneware

By Amanda Rickenbach

I first stumbled upon this simple and elegant collection while picking up pendant lights at School House Electric, for a Fig. project. These pieces are designed to withstand the rigors of daily life and are made out of lead-free, fully vitrified stoneware. A natural color glaze is finished with a hand-painted black stripe for understated simplicity.

We all lead busy lives, and let's face it, we don't always have time to prepare a beautiful meal for ourselves and our families. Blackline Stoneware pieces can be used in the freezer, oven,  or microwave, and they dishwasher safe. Perfect for our fast paced lives. We also love to support American designers and manufacturers, and Blackline Stoneware is made in the USA.

Sister Magazine

By Amanda Rickenbach

The sister's idea - sisterMAG is a new digital magazine for widely interested, active women. Regularly we will cover topics ranging from Career, Technology, Future Trends to Fashion, Lifestyle, Traveling and DIY. Women's magazines have always mirrored social movements and developments in their content and foci of coverage. With sisterMAG we want to target a group of females which has been neglected by traditional publishing houses and editorial departments: the many up-and-coming, well-educated, very active and independent women, which are enthusiastic for the digital world and want to be presented with new and exciting content in a visually appealing way. (From the sisterMAG website.)

The sister blog is pretty fun to check out too. Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Nur ein bisschen? They are located in Germany but don't fret, you can click the English button at the bottom of the page to understand all the interesting things they have to say.

Pinterest - A Tool For Clients

By Amanda Rickenbach & Jenny Guggenheim

 
Are you on Pinterest? It has swiftly taken the world by storm - but if you haven't figured out what all the hype is about, read on for a few tips.

Have you ever ripped pages out of magazines and put them in a binder or on a pin-board? Pinterest is pretty much the same thing– sans paper cuts. Say you are cruising Hive's webshop and you see a funky side chair you can't live without,  just click your PIN button and suddenly it’s a part of a designated inspiration board. It’s as easy as that!  Fig. keeps boards to help organize tear sheets, product descriptions, architectural details, and general inspiration for later reference.  We also keep client boards to help wrangle in ideas as we collect them.

It can be challenging for clients to articulate how they want their space to look and feel without the use of visual aids. With Pinterest, designers can pin ideas to boards for clients to see; but it’s also a fantastic tool for clients to use because they can create inspiration boards for their space and start pinning their wish list! Clients can brainstorm side-by-side with their designer to reach the best possible results.  Fig. is currently working with a client in Washington DC who's created a great set of pinboards to convey the look and feel she desires for her home.  Fig. is able to distill and build upon these ideas despite the geographical distance.

Pinterest certainly doesn't replace in-person meetings or the design process, it's simply a way to quickly and effectively communicate basic ideas.  So, if you aren't already pinning away, check it out and start dreaming!