design

Man, do y'all remember where we were at last year?

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Dang it feels good to be a Texan tee available here.
Last week, I decided to surprise Houston family and friends with a quick visit. It's amazing how much you can work into a day when you really want to.  My days have been filled with a lot of work and a lot of play and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I've picked up a few new tricks, since the last time I was in Houston. Most recent would be my egg poaching skills (thanks, Pearl!). Maybe I shouldn't call them skills just yet... ability? I'm still tweaking little things, but I enjoy having something new to master and any kind of breakfast food is my favorite. Thursday, Tim, Emma and Brandi were nice enough to test my breakfast. It was a slow morning and I don't think we actually sat down to eat until lunch time.

While we were all lounging in the living room, I was thinking how thankful I was for them and the rest of my friends that were busy at work that day. Somewhere near that thought, Tim says "Man, do y'all remember where we were at last year?" and we all smiled. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. It was one of those crazy years... absolutely one of the most challenging years for everyone in our little crew. A lot of growing pains, random campouts, a lot of laughs, maybe some whiskey, a lot of tears, and finally some breakthroughs. That season has come and gone and this new one is a beautiful wonder. I remember last year, and I'm looking forward with a strong focus. I think we all are.

If you find yourself having one of those days, weeks, months or years where everything is falling apart, just know you are not alone and you are not stuck. Keep focused on what you value and where you want to be. Keep moving. Surround yourself with really good people. There's another season ahead.

AROUND MY HOME /// Mark Salvie


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Name /// Mark Salvie  
Age /// 26

What would you call your decor style?
Quirky, modern, comfortable, curated, and cheeky.

How long have you lived here?
Since November 2012.

What is the square footage?
A little over 2,000 square feet.
Favorite room in the house or where you spend most your time?
With two roommates, a dog, plus all our friends/families/neighbors/lady friends/supper groups/couchsurfers/etc constantly visiting, my home usually feels like a frat house or youth hostel.  So I'm VERY grateful my bedroom is so calm and relaxing, as it provides a temporary retreat from the glorious insanity of the rest of my house!
Where do you gather inspiration from?
My mom, traveling, cool restaurants, old photographs, Wes Anderson's color choices, my hip friends' Instagrams (especially instagram.com/sarakatestudios), Liz Lambert's hotels, the internet.

Favorite Design Blogs or Magazine?
I don't really read these too often anymore, but when I first bought my house and felt pretty overwhelmed, the following few websites were lifesavers and/or great inspiration:

manhattan-nest.com (hilarious and good encouragement to take on more DIY projects)

What is your biggest challenge in decorating?
A lot of my walls have curved edges, which makes multiple paint colors rather tricky.  Also, my ceilings are fairly tall so scale is really important to consider when purchasing art and furniture.

Do you follow any rules when shopping for your home?
I have a few general rules.  First, everything I buy needs to either a.) serve a very specific function or b.) spark curiosity, creativity, or whimsy.  Second, I try to buy from a lot of different sources.  Nothing feels more sterile than walking into a room and everything's straight out of a Ikea or Restoration Hardware catalog.  Finally, I try to always buy original art.  Original art doesn't have to be any more expensive than the mass-produced junk from Target or Pottery Barn, and it has a much greater impact on a space's identity.

Go to places to shop for home goods?
Reeves Antiques is by far my favorite store here in Houston.  The owners are honest, hilarious, and have impeccable taste, plus two Jack Russell Terriers hang out at the store most days!  I also like Native Citizen, The Guild Shop, and Kuhl Linscomb here in Houston, although the secret of the Guild Shop is officially out and the selection is pretty picked over these days and I can't really afford anything in Kuhl Linscomb.

Every time I'm in Dallas I'll pop into We Are 1976, an effortlessly cool store that sells awesome screenprints, custom lighting, and random knick knacks.

I shop online fairly often at CB2, Joinery NYC, Etsy, and Amazon.

Finally, I really like buying art and "home goods" as souvenirs when I'm traveling.  Shipping and transport can be difficult sometimes, but I enjoy seeing little reminders of fun vacations scattered around my home!






THE PINPOINT METHOD NEEDS YOUR VOTE!

Back in October, I submitted my project, The Pinpoint Method, to a GOOD Maker challenge. They have paired up with Travel2change to create a challenge How can one use travel as a way to create meaningful change for local communities. From what I've experienced this past year with the pinpoint trips, interviews and relationships built, The Pinpoint Method is connecting folks throughout the country and within individual communities. Right now it's on a small scale, but if we win this challenge , it will help get us on the road to a larger scale. My Project is about creatives/designers, but it's also about collaboration and community.

There's only nine days left to vote and we are currently sitting at 11th place. Please take a moment to vote for this project here http://travel2change.maker.good.is/projects/ThePinpointMethod and help push us to 1st place so we can get back on the road! 

Thank you so much for your support!


To learn more about this challenge, watch this video or read here //  For more information about my project, The Pinpoint Method, click here
UseTravelForGood-trio
Good design happens everywhere, we're setting out to find it!


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