Happy Fourth of July!!!

Happy fourth from the Apt.30 Crew to you and yours :) We hope you had an amazing weekend! 

Shore thing

Summer is here and I officially have beach fever! Very luckily I've always had the luxury of living at least an hour away from the beach. But for those of you that may not have that option, or like so many of us are just way to busy to get there; here are a few chic items that can bring that shore directly to your home.

Hammered Metal Seaweed inspired bowl

Decorative Starfish Bowl

Sterling Sliver Sea Urchin Salt and Pepper shakers

Faux Coral paper weights

Silk Embroidered throw pillow

Capiz shell decorative pillow  

Bejeweled Tortoise napkin ring

Sterling Coral Napkin ring

 

Fossilized Seashell Sculpture 

Organic driftwood and capiz bowl

Hampden bound

Two weekends ago during the Memorial day holiday the Apt.30 crew hit the road with some amazing friends and discovered the best thing in Baltimore since John Waters! Hampden Village. This little town has more vintage shopping in a 3 block radius than most large cities. It was store after store of hidden treasures. Clothing, jewelry, and furniture. Oh the furniture! You know I was in heaven.
One of my absolute favorites and a MUST see is a store called Denova.  This cozy two story retailer is a Mecca for all things mid century modern and danish modern classics. The pieces are off the wall amazing, the condition that they've been kept in is phenomenal and their prices will not break the bank.
I mean come on! I wanted to take everything home..... but we all remember my Dumpster Diving incident....(just in case you were wondering, the chairs will finally be finished shortly!!).

 The second store that we all loved was less vintage and more surreal and edgy. At Trohv; the items are all new and vintage inspired but the way they play and push the boundaries of design and function is great. There were large scale images of the anatomy studies of the human body hanging from the ceilings (see the image below, it's not as gross as it sounds), a fleet of paper airplanes suspended over the check out counter, old school wooden lunch tables with retractable stools attached. The store is just fun, they have a definite aesthetic and I really enjoyed it.

The next few stops were a hodge-podge of vintage wonderful!! Old records,comic books, art nouveau hair accessories, turquoise refrigerators and a cherry red 1960's carry-on we all now lovingly call Jeanne!

Oh and let's not forget the amazing breadpudding the size of your head from Cafe' Hon.
Hampden village is a must see and I will definitely be visiting again for the Hon Fest, I hear it's going to be a blast... think Mummers on crack!

YouTube

Did you know Apt.30 had a YouTube page?? Well, you do now!
Check us out: Channel Apt.30. This will give you the chance to check out all of the fun behind the scenes design action! Drop by anytime, we'd love to hear from you!

All that Glitters

I saw these remarkable side tables at the ICFF trade show a few weeks ago and I absolutely adore them. The two designers Daniel Hellman and Eric Chang of Hellman-Chang have created a bold yet elegant statement using Swarovski crystals in deep rich tones in the tops, interior and bases of the tables. The crystal adds just the right amount of bling to their simple and very current pieces. Very chic Boys!

ICFF TRade Show in NYC

Click the title above and get a sneak peak of what we did this weekend!

Tom Dixon : Bronze Copper Shade Cluster

Charming Chains

I saw this piece and I had to share. I know it's different then what I usually post, but it's vintage and beautiful and I think that inspiration for interiors and textiles should come from everywhere and everything. The layers of the 100 years Necklace #2 by Lulu Frost consists of glass buckles and a several  art deco brooches  from varying counties in Europe ranging from 1860-1960. This piece is one of a kind and so amazing!
Check out all of the other great pieces on Chain&Charm.

Pin It!

A friend of mine recently told me about Pinterest, and it has quickly become my new obsession. This website allows you to "pin" the amazing things that you see on a day to day basis when you're surfing the web. Personally anytime I find something online that I love I add it to my "favorites", but Pinterest allows you to add it to an organized list using the actual images, add notes of exactly why you loved the piece and you have the option to arrange it in a corresponding category. It's ah-ma-zing! This site gives you the chance to be your own fantasy interior/ lifestyle designer.
The only catch is you have to request an invitation before you can begin,and it may take a day or so; but I promise it's so worth it.
It's so much fun and a bit addicting. I suggest you try it for yourself, so kids get busy Pinning!

Hey Guys, here's a new way to follow Apt.30 and a number of other amazing blogs! Check it out :)

Follow my blog with bloglovin

Happy Easter!!

Happy Easter, have an amazing day!

It ain't easy being Green

Being green may have been hard for Kermit, but not for my favorite one stop design build store, Greenable. They make going GREEN effortless. Greenable opened their doors in September of 2007 in Old City and a few years ago relocated to an industrial space in Northern liberties. Not only is the new space wonderful, and larger (which means even more great product), but there is tons of free parking... that fact alone gives them a gold star in my book!

Greenable is a brilliant alternative to the horrific waste and pollution that was created when using other building material suppliers. They prove that GREEN no longer means sacrificing depth and quality of material. In my opinion they are changing the face of GREEN building supplies in Philly. The friendly and helpful staff at Greenable cares deeply about their community and the lifestyles of the people living within it. Shopping in their store is easy and fully accessible to everyone and any budget. They realize that every little bit helps and they don't want to exclude anyone from the benefits of utilizing the products they provide.

All products supplied are LEED qualified and meet the EPA GREEN standards, which makes Eco-conscious shopping there a no brainer. Basically they're supplying gilt-free products that will beautify your space! You can't really ask for more then that, talk about good design karma!
One of my favorite basic materials is Mythic Paint. This paint is amazing. It's non toxic, there is virtually no order and has zero VOC's. In layman's terms it doesn't stink and there is no harmful off gassing. Not to mention the color palette is phenomenal, you no longer have to substitute Eco-consciousness for color selection.

However, their inventory doesn't stop at just paint. The have such an interesting array of exotic hardwoods, tile products and counter top materials including products consisting of compressed paper and fly ash, it will truly blow your mind. They are taking Eco-friendly design to new heights. Before you begin your next renovation I suggest you stop by, you never know what you may find.

                                                                                                                                                                         

     

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Steel Magnolias

One of the best and admittedly sometimes questionable things about living Philly are all of the unexpected surprises that you encounter on any given day. While visiting my local florist the other day I started talking to a fellow customer and he was raving about this Magnolia garden he had recently discovered. Needless to say I had to see it, and so later on that afternoon I ventured out to a tiny street in between 4th and 5th on Walnut to discover one of the most beautiful and underrated elements that Philly has to offer. The colors are so magnificent and inspiring. This park proves that nature really is the ultimate designer. Take a moment and enjoy the view, spring has officially sprung kids!

 

I wasn't the only one who loved the park, Happy first Birthday Carolyn!

Vinyl Siding

If you're considering a change in your home or office space, but you don't want to commit the to something as permanent as paint and construction is just out of the question; I recommend custom Vinyl wall art (aka: Decals)! What is Blik and Wall-Print have made it possible for you to create your own personal wall art. You have the option to chose from their vast library of images or you can ...(and might I add should) create your own. I feel that you can use them almost anywhere.Your options are virtually limitless, because of this the degree of color, style and sophistication is totally up to you. They aren't just for kids any more.
Here are a few that I love. Get inspired!


I'm partial to this one.... But then again it's in a space I designed!