Aaron: Little Diggs

Over the last couple weeks we've been planning out our annual Small Spaces issue, which means lots of phone calls to architects, combing through a year's worth of submissions and the concerted perusal of numerous architecture blogs and websites. One that caught my eye this year is Little Diggs, which showcases some truly tiny spaces. Our definition of small usually hovers around the 1,000-square-foot mark, but the diminutive domiciles featured here are smaller yet. Those especially enamored of our take on Small Spaces will even recognize a couple stories from the Dwell archive on Little Diggs, most notably this one, featuring a pair of San Diegans whose approach to storage in their 426-square-foot loft is staggeringly smart.

Miyoko: City Map Cuts

These incredible paper cutouts caught my eye this week, and I can't stop thinking about how amazing they are--and how much I want to get out my Xacto knife and self-healing mat to give this a shot myself. Karen O'Leary, an artist in North Carolina who sells her work at her Etsy store, Studio K, creates "map cuts" by removing the "unnecessary" parts of a map to leave the "valuable information" that can be used to navigate the city: streets, circles, parks, and so on. Thus far she has created a set of four map cuts on white paper depicting New York City and a Paris map (using an actual map as the basis, which brings another layer of visual interest). Absolutely stunning work.

Fida: CAMPER KART

While I was on 20x200's site this week searching for some cheap and cheerful art, I came across this interesting project on their blog. Artist Kevin Cyr has created a project he calls CAMPER KART. Following the lines of his CAMPER BIKE, the KART is a pop-up camper attached to a shopping cart. He says it’s a functioning sculptural piece that seeks to explore aspects of housing, mobility, and autonomy. Kickstarter helped Kevin raise the $2,000 needed to complete the project. With the funds, Kevin plans to finish the construction and also document the piece through drawing, painting, and photography.

Amanda: The Best Old-Timey Halloween Cartoon of All Time

I couldn't resist. The Skeleton Dance, animated by Disney legend Ub Iwerks, remains a Halloween standard. This piece was the very first in the Silly Symphonies series, and it was directed by Walt Disney himself at his Silverlake studio in the late 1920s. (via Kevin Roderick)

Sarah: Treehouse Hotel

Based on a number of things I've seen around the Web recently, I'd venture to say that the gardens of Lisbon are very well used by the city for public art and design. This Tree House Hotel, located in Lisbon's Jardim de Estral, was designed by Dass for Experimentadesign Lisboa 2009 as part of envisioning the future of cities. There's more info and photos chronicling the construction here (translate from Portuguese). (via DesignBoom)

Ashley: Artwork by Julie Evans

I immediately bookmarked Julie Evans’ blog this week as I was browsing online. Her new work, which features dynamic, floating “landscapes” with botanic details and bursts of vibrant color captured my attention. You can see the influence of her time spent in New Delhi studying miniature painting and absorbing the rituals and daily routines of India.

Jordan: Marañón embroidered jewelry

As much fun as it's been browsing the crafts gone wild (and so wrong, in such poor taste) on Regretsy, it's impossible to overlook the really lovely handmade and vintage goods on the original Etsy site. These embroidered geometric necklaces from marañón's shop are so darn pretty, and something a little different from any old store bought accessories. Lorena, the Cuban-born maker, says on her site that she'll do custom orders, too.

(via Happy Cavalier)

Appears In

Friday Finds 10.30.2009