So not IKEA: The cozy cottage of Carl Larsson

This week's post on decor8 (don't you love decor8?) about Swedish design happily reminded me of an art exhibit my aunt and I saw waaaaaaay back in 1997 at London's Victoria and Albert Museum: the first major exhibition of artist Carl Larsson outside of his native Sweden.

Neither my aunt nor myself had heard of Carl Larsson before the show (and we both like to think we know a lot of stuff about a lot of things), and we each stepped out of the show a little smarter, a little wide-eyed, and a little bit in love with the artist and his family.

Larsson frequently painted his wife Karin, their eight children, and their life at their cottage in the village of Sundborn. His work is almost magical, but the best thing is the way he and Karin designed their home:

Larsson's work, unsurprisingly, has heavily influenced Swedish design through the years. Case in point: most of these watercolors are over a century old, but their design elements could easily fit today in Country Living, Cottage Living (RIP), or a look-at-my-sweet-'n-chic-weekend-cottage-in-Lancaster-County feature in Domino (God rest its soul).

And is it just me, or does the Larsson pad seem like the happiest, most rainbow-iest place on earth?

(Thanks, Holly, for the inspiration.)

All images / websites / content © their respective owners.

Dreaming of Lindsey Adelman lighting

Ever since I was little, I've been building my dream house in my mind. Right now, that dream house is a cottage (that I've lovingly renovated) that's small in size, but big in character. And glowing in that dream dining room and/or the dream foyer are a few pieces from the lighting designer of my dreams: Brooklyn's Lindsey Adelman. Meet her here, and check out a few of her installations below.

(SO dreamy, no?)

Photos by Joseph Deleo, Patricia Rubinelli, and Kate Glicksberg for Lindsey Adelman Studio

Have you met Clyfford Still, my new old art crush?

So why has it taken me this long to discover Clyfford Still? And am I about to book a ticket to Denver to visit the new Clyfford Still Museum that's opening there in 2011? Because this art crush has just started, and by then, it could be a full-blown love affair.

The below works from the American Abstract Expressionist are all featured for sale at artriver.com, mostly as book plates. My favorites are almost sold out, but take a gander--they're totally making me swoon (in an artistic way, natch).

[gallery link="file" columns="7" orderby="rand"]

Photo of Clyfford Still © Bert Stern, 1959

To blame for my Overcrowded Kitchen: One Kings Lane

I'm a sucker for lots of things. Items monogrammed in my initials. Animals with human names like Jason or Chad. Anything (and I mean almost anything) that will help me rack up frequent-flier miles. And I'm especially sucker-prone to an outlet store or a sample sale--particularly if it has anything to do with brand-name home goods or kitchen items (be still my heart!). However, direct me to your sample sale online, and you will witness a woman sent well over the edge.

Such is the case for me and One Kings Lane.

Inspired, I can assume, by online sample sale sites like Gilt Group and HauteLook, One Kings Lane is a "private home decor sales" site that acts on your (okay, my) tendency to make impulse purchases when something seems a) scarce, b) desirable, and c) cute. Sales events are only 72 hours long, so you get that good old buy-it-or-it's gone adrenaline rush. Plus, it's nicely curated. For example, I recently bought this delish pink pie dish from Emile Henry.

(Please note that I bake pies about 0.5 times a year. But dang, the thing's gonna look real good when I bake that chocolate brownie pie in about 6.75 months, no?)

Sign up here. And be sure to mention my name when they ask for a referral (I'm sucker for that, too).