Eat Your Garden!

Ellen Ecker Ogden’s new book, The Complete Kitchen Garden has just come out, and it is worth buying if you are at all interested in growing your own wholesome food.  The book is a great collaboration, bringing together Ellen’s vast knowledge and eloquent writing, Ali Kaukas’ brilliant photographs and a catalogue of watercolor illustrations that I painted.

The New York Times book review states “Ogden’s recipes zero in on the freshest possible ingredients.  If you don’t have a garden when you crack this book open, you’ll be ordering seeds by the time you put it down.”

Ali’s photographs range from the broadly illustrative to the intimate.  Her landscape shots will take you away to warmer days and secret gardens while her close-ups will make your mouth water.  Ellen’s fourteen garden schemes make for delightful watercolor compositions.  Intricate geometries are rendered with a loose hand that brings about colorful interpretation.

More than just an inspiration, this book provides step-by-step instruction on how to develop a beautiful, edible landscape and literally bring the fruits to the table.  You can now purchase copies through Ellen’s website, or at the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, VT.

Designing for Designers

This morning I had the pleasure of working with photographer, Lisa Cueman, and client and designer, Daphne Markcrow on a scouting session at Daphne’s barn conversion.  What a treat it was to have all of that talent coming together from different disciplines.

Craig & Daphne Markcrow were amazing clients.  Craig’s business, Vermont Structural Slate, provided the resources for the beautiful stone slabs and tile we used on the job.  Daphne is the founder and lead designer of the equine –inspired handbag and luggage company, Oughton Limited.  Her understanding of detail and construction paired with a disciplined editorial eye meant that she could clearly articulate her vision. 

The resultant project is so simple and elegant.  It is a reflection of both confidence and sensitivity.  If my job is to provide a portrait of my client through the built environment, the success of this project lies in the simple sophistication that this talented couple exhibits.

Today we hung some of Lisa’s amazing photographs in the space.  Her equine portraits and abstractions were such a natural fit in the space, they looked as though the project had been designed around them.  Check out her work at her website.  

Additional snap-shots that I took at our session can be seen at Ramsay Gourd Architects.

Handsome Little Faucet

Every now and then, I come across a product that gets me excited.  My good friend Frank D’Angeles, at Close to Home recently introduced me to this amazing little company called Watermark Designs.  Located in Brooklyn, NY, this socially and environmentally-conscious business produce all of their products here in the US.  While they manufacture kitchen fittings, and lighting as well, their primary focus is on bathroom fittings.

This little faucet, The Stratford / Waltham, is my favorite new piece to come on the plumbing market.  Evoking the romantic feel of early 20^th century design, it is up-to-date with the precision performance of ceramic cartridges and quarter-turn function.