THIS LITTLE BIGGIE WENT TO THE MARKET...

A peek inside the January 2011 Gift & Home Furnishings Market from a 6’5 designer’s perspective

Produced, written and directed by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Ashley Waldron Hope

Hey, I probably had one chance in my lifetime to use a title like that, okay? So here’s the deal: As an Atlanta-based decorator slash designer, I’ve been the biggest ADAC snob since embarking on this lemme-come-and-decorate-your-crib-career-situation, but recently discovered something game-changing. What the hell is ADAC? Well, for anyone not in the Atlanta area, it’s the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, which is super high-end, glamorous, wonderful and shiny. For those of you in Los Angeles, it’s the equivalent of the Pacific Design Center; in New York, kinda like the D&D Building. Recently, I strayed from my usual ADAC-centric routine to check out “The Other” trade-only designer megacomplex, America’s Mart. The result? Oh. My. Gawd.

Remember money—that green stuff handed over to stores to get other stuff, you used to be able to save it and smells kinda weird? Well, America’s Mart is not only a delicious place for decorators and designers to purchase gorgeous items for the home, it’s also a magical place where you get to KEEP many of those green pretties. I trekked the January 2011 Gift & Home Furnishings Market and was blown away at the amazing trade-only pieces available both from temporary exhibits and permanent showrooms. Many times, I wanted to pull the showroom personnel aside and say “I think you marked down the wrong prices on your stuff; that says $349, isn’t it supposed to be $3499?”. Alas, no, it’s like ACTUALLY AFFORDABLE but looks rich-people-only-ish. Here’s a quickie first glance at the magic of the Mart. Y’all come back now in a day or two for the full rundown: who, what, where and how. In the meantime, leave a comment about any other magical design-centric place you’ve found where high-design is incomprehensibly attainable. Or else I will not like you.

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FAIREST OF THEM ALL...

The Country Living Fair brings a contemporary edge to the classic, rural lifestyle

Produced, written and directed by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Christina Wedge

A few months back, I crafted a snarky Facebook status update about my personal hell-on-earth hue, beige. The smartass words garnered a comment from shelter magazine superstylist, Annette Joseph, stating “Now, now, Mr. Flynn, there is a place for every color”. Nine well-crafted, inevitably-deleted attempts at a reply later, I kinda found the talented Ms. Joseph’s prose insightful. Design is all about reinterpretation; therefore any hue, material or style snobbishly voted off the island may, in turn, oust its naysayer at a surprise, twist-of-fate elimination round. No tried and true design style is more surprisingly sophisticated these days than country. Read More

ABOUT FACE...

All the single ladies of Lisa Pearl‘s latest accessory collection are giving good face

Produced, written, directed and styled by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio

Someday I’d love to walk into a big ass fancy mansion and empty a paintball gun laden with hot pink latex ammunition. While ultra formal, luxurious spaces are often jaw-dropping, they sometimes make me want to clock ultra-privileged, silver-spoon-fed owners over the head with their pompous $15,000 flatware. Glamour is so much more interesting when juxtaposed with something raw. ENTER Lisa Pearl.

Lisa photographs beautifully mysterious subjects, then prints their images as bold textiles with glamorous finishes. Months after our first East Coast encounter, Ms. Pearl relocated to Los Angeles to stock hotspots Fred Segal [Melrose] and Barney’s [Beverly Hills] with her latest line, Hot & Cold. Current subject? Mannequins bedecked with dramatic makeup and jewelry fit for Hollywood royalty. Lisa’s style isn’t necessarily for the faint of heart, but this girl is the driving force behind a gorgeously daring new style and I plan on joining her for the ride.

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WHATNOTS TO WEAR...

The Muppet Whatnot Workshop makes narcissism fun

Written by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio

Ever have one of those grey-hair accelerating weeks for which you badly needed a clone? Well, now you can — kinda. FAO Schwarz created the Muppet Whatnot Workshop allowing people to create their very own Jim Henson-esque mini-me online. Last year I produced my own Muppet Christmas Special by simply clicking through an assortment of noggins, sniffers, peepers and ready-to-wear wardrobe pieces. My entire design process — including checkout — took less than ten minutes. Read More

ANIMAL MAGNETISM...

Why babies everywhere are drawn to a 48-year-old rubber toy giraffe

Written by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio

America’s Most Wanted — a rubber giraffe named Sophie? Yep! From Savannah to Seattle, hipster moms and dads are shelling out as much as $25 for this 48-year-old, all-natural toy wonder. Similar to Tickle-Me-Elmo come Christmas, many stores sell out of Sophie on a year-round weekly basis. Is Sophie Giraffe high-tech? No. Does she come with an interactive online counterpart? Nah. Can she teach your baby Spanish? Nope! Then what the $@#* does Sophie Giraffe do? She squeaks.

For childless city folk like me, it seemed preposterous for something this basic to be so high in demand. Obsessed with the squeaking obsession, I took a country-wide poll on Sophie Giraffe to see what cool moms and dads truly thought. The unimpressed found a .99 squeaky dog cheeseburger to be a better choice. For those unfamiliar, instant google-fests ensued to get in-the-know. Most parents polled truly swear by their baby’s rubberized It Girl. An afternoon between my photographer and her friend Micah, a baby, proved that Sophie’s choice.

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TOY STORIES...

A peek inside a planet-conscious kid’s room proves the kids are alright

Produced, written and styled by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio

My grandmother said it best “I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the…” wait, that was Whitney Houston. Nevermind. Flash forward 23 years to children of the 1980′s now raising kids themselves. Have we taught them well? Are they leading the way? What are they into? Perhaps the contents of a modern day kid’s room would reveal the answer.

To get to the bottom of this, we spent an afternoon with seven-year-old Nikhel. The whiz kid’s colorful pad is a testament to eco-responsibility. From organic and/or hand-made toys to hand-me-down modern furniture, Nikhel’s room is proof that sustainable style need not be sacrificed for substance. Future-focused? Check. From the looks of it, Ms. Houston’s lyrically mentioned beliefs are becoming modern day reality. Our small wonder led the way through all of his prized possessions. Then he had to finish his homework and get ready for bed.

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LAWN ORNAMENT...

Meet PETaPOTTY: best friend to man’s best friend

Produced, written and directed by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio

Does your four-footed muse refuse to pee in the rain? Mine too. Often I have pondered solutions: shiver through umbrella-covered strolls with my quirky white Terrier or drop some serious cash on a covered pet run? Thanks to PETaPOTTY, your umbrellas and home improvement funds can remain untouched.

PETaPOTTY stylishly brings the outdoors in for stubborn pets with weak bladders. Each boxy modern unit [made of easy-to-clean, non-absorbent polyvinyl material] contains a simple strip of grass enticing scratch-n-sniffers to take care of business and blame it on the rain. A hidden removable trap pan sits beneath the patch of grass. The units are great for covered patios, garages or right inside your back door. From Chihuahua to Great Dane, there’s a size [and price point] for everyone. We enlisted Kuba, a debonaire Boston Terrier, to test it. The result?  A sophisticated one-leg-up response.

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SPUNGE WORTHY...

Organic-modern tots everywhere are snuggling up to Spunge designer Preeti Ayyangar’s eco-friendly blankets

Produced, written and styled by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio

Jack and Jill went up the hill to (A) steal expensive sports cars, then sell them on the black market (B) fetch a pail of water (C) enjoy an organic picnic lunch beneath the old apple tree. Those who chose A are modern-minded but too pessimistic. Folks in favor of B [as in BORING] shouldn’t choose such a safe, unimaginative answer. If you opted for C, then Spunge is right up your alley.

Graphic designer slash design school instructor Preeti Ayyangar made the leap from logos, emblems and typefont to textiles by way of her new project, Spunge. With an overall mission encouraging mini-me’s to make eco-responsible choices, Spunge offers graphically embroidered blankets designed with certified organic cotton and earth-friendly dyes. Colorful appliques in shapes of trees, clouds and flowers keep little ones interactively engaged and snuggled up with imagery of nature. SNUGGLED UP + NAP TIME = HAPPY PARENTS. From Preeti’s original designs to her seven-year-old son’s product testing, Spungeworthy buyers will be happy to know that Spunge products are kid-tested and mother approved.

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MONSTERS, INC....

From bucktooth bunnies-gone-wild to robots under the influence, pop artist Rebecca Scott makes a living off of misfit toys

Produced, written and art directed by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio

Peter Cottontail was never truly “hopping down” a “bunny trail”. The fluffy stud was most likely bouncing around Club Risque loaded up on top-shelf tequila. Sounds harsh and disillusioning but have YOU tried being cute, puffy, bushy-tailed and stuck inside a children’s book every day of your life? Exactly! A schedule like that definitely calls for acts of alcohol-infused debauchery. Reasoning like this often goes through the mind of pop artist Rebecca Scott.

The four-foot-eleven cutie conjures up cuddly creatures in her colorful mind, then heads to the easel with art supplies and bad habits. Next, the diminutive, curly-haired ball of energy downloads ideas from her cranium to the canvas via colorful acrylics, spray paints and paint pens. Scott’s audience consists mostly of hipsters with blank walls begging to be dressed in edgy art; however, there are some nifty nicotine-free versions of her work well-suited for nurseries and kids’ rooms. We spent an afternoon with the poppy artist and her schnockered subjects at Design Within Reach Atlanta. Although my photographer and I drank nothing but bottled water under the table, we managed to have just as much fun as Rebecca and her imaginary 24 hour party people.

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EXPERIMENTING IN COLLEGE...

Cruising the student bodies [of work] and emerging artists at Ugallery.com

With friends and neighbors being voted off corporate islands daily, splurging on art seems sinful. ENTER the divine intervention of Ugallery. Strictly online, it connects apt pupils, future Friedas and budget-conscious collectors by selling original masterpieces at economy-friendly price points. Ranging from acrylic to chalk to photography, the art is both raw AND refined. Read More