Magazine Table - Rehabilitated

Maybe you remember from a few posts ago that we recently acquired this guy into our rehab program. He used to have a good job as a top magazine holder, but then the internet came along and his job was outsourced to a computer. After a few years out of work, he ended up living in some guys garage, but we believe that there is still some work out there for a magazine holder/table, and have high hopes for him.



After a good scrub down with the electric sander, fixing up a few little bruises and a fresh coat of paint, we are going to send him out into the real world again.

Thanks to ReadyMade Magazine for posting this project on their blog.

Catch me also on Twitter @rehabilitated
For more information, dimensions, color samples or how to get your hands on one of these pieces, email me at catchatori [at] gmail dot com.

Cocktails and Clothes Party

This weekend I was invited to a cocktails and clothes swapping party. I love this idea, so I sorted through my closet to find the dresses, shirts, jeans and skirts that I hardly wear anymore and put them in a bag hoping to get some cool stuff in return. I arrived with my homemade jalepeno poppers (spicy!) grabbed a glass of wine and started digging. I can't think of a more fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon than hanging out with friends, meeting new girls, trying on clothes while drinking and chatting!

It actually felt really good that I hooked up some girls with outfits they loved and I walked away with some really cute stuff too! Although, if I would have left with only this cute burnt orange dress, I would have been completely happy.

It was so much fun, thanks Taylor!

Gorgeous Portfolio Book

I started working on this book back in January, so six months of consulting with the client, gathering images and copy, it's finally completed and printed! Kim at Good-Stock.com was a pleasure to work with and crafted a gorgeous portfolio. The leather cover is so soft, I want to take a nap on it. 

The printing turned out fantastic, the divider pages, which are Tizziano hand-made italian paper with debossed foil stamping are a highlight of the craftsmanship of the book. It really turned out nice. 

The Revere

Look at this piece of history. My mom dropped the "Revere" off yesterday. She got it as a gift from my grandmother when she was 13, so this machine has been around since the 60's, it's heavy and used, but definitely loved. I think I'll start by making some pillows with leftover fabric from one of the restored pieces of furniture I've done lately. Maybe I'll run a promo, buy a chair and receive a matching pillow!

Meet The Twins - Rehabilitated

Look at these two, just gorgeous.
Sadly, they were not always this way.

When they were accepted into our rehab program, they were beat up, cigarette burns and wine stains on their seats, a broken back, a little wobbly (most likely from alcohol abuse) and it looks like one of them was involved in some sort of criminal activity.



Luckily we saw hope...

After some time in our facility, the twins turned themselves around. We worked on their exterior and stripped them down to the basics. Then we got them some new kicks, new threads and accessories. They decided on a lovely all-over mahogany color with red highlights.

We are very proud of these two, they are now stable, healthy and beautiful.

Detail of the radiant fabric used to cover the newly re-cushioned seats.

Detail of the of the matching red highlights that accent the backrests.

Here is our newest patient, updates will be coming shortly.



For more information, dimensions, color samples or how to get your hands on one of these pieces, email me at catchatori [at] gmail dot com.

PHXDW | 12seconds.tv

PHXDW on 12seconds.tv

Great meeting about Phoenix Design Week tonight. I am so excited to see my little Phoenix turn into design-central for a few days. We are planning lots of exciting things, studio tours, exhibits, follow @phxdw on twitter or check out http://www.phxdw.com/main/ for more info and to participate.

If you are in the Phoenix design community, you want to be part of this.

Animated GIFs

Animated GIFs making a comeback? I dunno, just something fun on a Friday afternoon.








Created by:
Jaime Martinez (Mexico)





by Brandon Jan Blommaert

Pie Chart of Experience

Over the last 7 years or so, I have gathered a variety of skills. Here is a little pie chart of what my experience looks like.

Looks like I may need to update my pie chart to include furniture restoration.

Portfolio

I made a little portfolio book, it turned out pretty nice, if you'd like me to send you one email me: catchatori@gmail.com

Wedding Book Design

FedEx just dropped off my latest book and I'm pretty impressed with how it turned out! Blurb.com had contacted me a few weeks ago about a beta test they are doing specifically for graphic designers. They asked me to custom design a book using InDesign and then output a pdf to them (instead of using their online pre-made templates), in return I get a free book. What better way to use the 400+ images I have from our wedding?

I just submitted another book design to a printshop in Seattle today, they do old-school hand-binding, so I'm really excited to see how that one will turn out. Stay tuned!

I created another book a couple months ago using Blurb, that time I chose the softcover, I was a little disappointed in the quality so this time I chose the hardcover image-wrap and it has a much better feel.

Leftover tortillas = baked tortilla chips

I'm not sure why I haven't thought to do this before, it's so easy to make tortilla chips at home. If you're anything like me you have tortillas on the counter or in the fridge all the time. Yesterday I noticed I had 2 cilantro-jalapeno tortillas, a couple regular and a few wheat tortillas hanging around. So I cut them up into little pizza-like slices, brushed olive oil on both sides and sprinkled salt on them. I stuck them on a cookie sheet in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for five minutes on each side and there you go, homemade tortilla chips! 

Vintage Octochair - Rehabilitated

I found this chair at an antique store in CenPho. As you can see it had a pretty hideous covering on it when I got it, but I loved the lines and the octagonal shape. After some serious sanding, a couple coats of stain, and then searching high and low for the perfect fabric, I ended up with a beautiful little accent chair. 

My Pattern Obsession

Since I've started my new hobby, refurbishing furniture, I've become even more obsessed with patterns, I love patterns. I went on a pattern hunt the other day, literally, went to 3 different stores to find the right one. It is a little overwhelming, I think Joann Fabric has about 100 thousand sample fabrics to choose from, but, I've managed to narrowed it down to three. The new chair I'm working on is a retro 60's octagonal-shaped chair, so I think it's important to have a retro geometric pattern to keep the feel, but not too overwhelming. I'll post it up when it's finished, but until then, here are some fun swatches to check out...

OVO Party

I was invited to OVO's anniversary party last week. They do really nice work, thanks for the portfolio book guys, it turned out very nice.

Redesigning Christmas

I was listening to archives of one of my favorite NPR shows this morning, Studio 360. One of the topics (since the show was from Dec. 5, 08) was to redesign Christmas. Kurt Andersen (host) asked the design firm Pentagram to re-brand the holiday. One of the first things Michael Bierut at Pentagram suggested is to get rid of green and red, yes! The official color of Christmas will be white, and shades of white. That's what I usually try to stick to when doing Christmas-related design, and am happy to have some backup!















Here is the podcast, it's a fun listen, whether or not you agree.