Autumn reading


The weekly micro-decorating newsletter * Issue 5 of 13, A25 * Subscribe free *


Our mission at guy with an eye is not just about helping you see your home in a new way, but also about spotting the best design articles to keep you well-informed. So here's a collection of six to get you current on all things decor-related:

On legendary blankets

When I pass by a shuttered Hudson's Bay outlet, I still get a twinge of sadness. So, learning that Canadian Tire purchased the department store's intellectual property, including its iconic striped blanket, was an emotional jackpot. This article gives the full story, including how blanket sales will continue to benefit Indigenous communities:

Canadian Tire to Continue Hudson’s Bay Blanket Fund Legacy
Canadian Tire will continue The Blanket Fund, donating proceeds and $1M yearly from Hudson’s Bay blankets to support Indigenous-led projects.

On mid-century classics

Judging a book by its cover might be frowned upon, but if it's a design book I believe it's a fair practice. So, take a look at this volume:

Photo from Phaedon

According to Designlines magazine, it's a worthy addition to your design library, thus living up to its exuberant cover. Get the scoop here:

Mid-Century Modern Designers Maps a Global Design History
In Mid-Century Modern Designers, Dominic Bradbury delivers what is arguably the most comprehensive survey of postwar design talent to date.

I'm planning to get a copy myself, and when not paging through it, I'll be tempted to display it propped up like this, for full effect:

Photo from Phaedon

Not only striking, it's also a kind of pop quiz: How many design classics featured in silhouette can you identify?

On floor-plan magic

The premise of this newsletter is that the placement of objects has more meaning than we think – so it's easy to go along with the idea that a room's floor plan affects its inhabitants' mental health. This Architectural Digest piece gives credence to the notion via interviews with experts, while shying away from offering cookie-cutter solutions:

Can a Bad Floor Plan Affect Your Mental Health?
Shifting your furniture may shift how you think, feel, and even behave. Clinical psychologists and interior designers explain why

On colour bravery

There's a new quarterly design magazine out of Australia, Never Too Small, focusing on the joys of compact living. I discovered it in Montreal this summer and have been devouring issues 2 and 3. I haven't spotted issue 4 on newsstands yet, but I'm already excited, because it's all about colour:

Photo from Never Too Small

As a big advocate of being bold with colour choices at home, I was pleased to find this article from the colour issue online:

A Directory of Colour | Never Too Small
Most of us could do with some more colour in our homes and lives. In the event that you need inspiration or solutions, we’ve curated a list of the brands, retailers, designers and makers who are doing exciting things with colour.

It's a handy roundup of sources for vibrant home goods, and while there are several names I'm familiar with – like Iitala, HAY, and Vitra – there are numerous others I'm eager to explore.

On Halloween extremes

Every year, it seems retailers have a bigger profusion of Halloween decor than the previous one. Even though I don't participate in all the regalia, I enjoy the creativity behind it immensely. This amusing New York Times piece celebrates people who go all-out, and includes their field-tested guidance:

On persuasive algorithms

It's becoming all-too-common to bemoan the effect of internet buzzwords and force-fed digital recommendations on the practice of interior design. While familiar in theme, this essay delves into the topic in an especially eloquent way:

Is interior design being killed by clickbait clichés and keywords?
Turning terms such as ‘chinoiserie’ into hashtags denudes them of all context and nuance, argues Diet Prada’s Tony Liu. What’s more, he says, this ‘keyword-ification’ consigns designs to obsolescence prematurely

As a bonus, the article ends with an invitation to send a reply via email – and you might get published!

Enjoy!

Thank you for reading.