TheDesignFile

Buy Hoosier handmade for the holidays

Rather than fighting the crowds at the mall on Black Friday, consider instead buying some Christmas gifts from a locally-owned shop or the DIYers and crafters in your community.

Those of you who live in and around Indianapolis have a perfect opportunity.

The Hoosier Artisan Boutique is this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds.

The fair will feature 50 Indiana artists selling handmade goods that will make fabulous Christmas gifts.

There will be art, textiles, children’s clothing, jewelry and more.

I went to a similar event a few years ago and it was so fantastic. I think I’m just going to make it to this weekend’s Hoosier Artisan Boutique.

We have a Thanksgiving event on Saturday but I’m confident I’ll make it just time to buy up all the good stuff others have foolishly passed up!

You can get a preview of the artists at Hoosier Artisan Boutique, but here are some examples. The pieces below come from Susan Ball of New Castle:

I love those Ball jar soap dispensers. They are so cool.

Below are pieces from Beverly Skinner of Battleground, Ind., who makes amazing glass art.

There are so many more fantastic artists and gift options. Make sure to check it out!

New Reclamation shop is packed with treasures

Last spring I told you about a great new shop in the SoBro neighborhood of Indianapolis called Reclamation. What I didn’t tell you then was that owner Elizabeth was being pressured out of the building she had at 49th and College (a foreclosure dispute involving the building’s owner, not her) and was on the hunt for something new.

Last night, I attended the grand opening of her new – and much larger – space located at 5335 Winthrop Ave., just south of 54th Street and right around the corner from the ModHomeEc studio where I take upholstery classes.

The new Reclamation is not just a shop. It’s really a sort of antique mall with a number of rooms and hallways connecting individual sellers.

But it’s not your typical antique store. Many of the sellers focus on Reclamation’s “rediscover, revamp, repurpose” slogan and offer pieces that are truly reclaimed.

Also, it just has a much more modern feel.

Last night’s event was packed! And if you can believe it, I forgot my cameras. The whole point was to take a slew of photos to show you the space.

Instead, all I had was my iPhone, which as many of you know, shoots terrible photos in low light.

So this post is an experiment.

I decided to take advantage of the vintage vibe of Reclamation and use my new favorite app – Hipstamatic – which gives your iPhone photos a ‘70s style instamatic camera feel.

I actually sort of like the way the photos turned out, although they don’t really give you a feeling for how modern the space really feels.

Design Center to have open house on Saturday

It seems like I just keep missing all the great design events around Indy and the same will be true this weekend when the Indiana Design Center in Carmel hosts a Community Open House and the grand opening of Santarossa Mosaic & Tile Co. showroom.

The open house runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday at the design center, located at 200 South Rangeline Road, in the Carmel Arts & Design District.

If you haven’t been to the Indiana Design Center, this is a great opportunity to see all it has to offer in a fun setting. The first floor retail showrooms will also be open with special holiday displays, gift ideas and offerings.

Artwork will be featured in the Coats-Wright Art & Design Gallery as well as a pop-up gallery.

The event is co-sponsored by the IDC and the city of Carmel.

That’s also the day for the grand opening of the Santarossa showroom, which features natural stone, mosaic and tile. The opening runs from 2 pm to 8 pm.

Santarossa – which is headquartered in downtown Indianapolis – is occupying an 1,800 square foot first level space at the Indiana Design Center.

”As the state’s premier natural stone and hard surfaces provider, Santarossa works with residential and commercial design professionals, builders and homeowners on a variety of hard surfaces applications that range from marble countertops to natural stone mosaics,” the design center said of the firm when it announced its move into the center last year.

“Santarossa’s work has graced some of the finest homes in Indiana and their commercial projects include Clarian North and French Lick Casino & Resort,” the IDC said.

Among the special activities on Saturday:

Heritage Fabric offers amazing selection in Indy

I told you recently about my newest upholstery class and the rocking chair I’m planning to recover.

Today I headed out to buy fabric.

You’ll see in the post from last week that I already have an idea – a black and white upholstery fabric with black and white polka dots in wavy stripes.

But I still had to check out some other options. That led me to Heritage Fabric & Design Center in the Castleton area of Indianapolis.

I’d never been there before and my teacher, Shelly Leer of ModHomeEc raves about the place.

I saw lots of things I liked but nothing that was just right.

Still, I thought I’d share some photos of the store with you.

My favorite option at Heritage Fabric is the black and white leaf pattern shown below.

I was so close to buying it, but the guy at the store – who was really helpful – said it wouldn’t make a good upholstery option, especially not for a chair that would be used regularly. He said the threads on the raised pattern would likely shred.

Bummer! So I left Heritage without a fabric for my rocker.

But there were so many other beautiful options there for other projects, including the interesting piece below. The pattern is way too large for my chair but I think this would look great on a large bench or the back of a wingback chair.

Heritage Fabric specializes in home décor fabrics, which means you don’t have to wander through fashion fabrics.

My first trip to The Container Store in Indy

I admit it. I’m such a geek. I finally went to The Container Store last weekend and actually took some pictures to share with you.

I know most of you have been to The Container Store and for you this is not a big deal.

And I’ve been to The Container Store too – but never in my own city! That’s what makes this so exciting.

Going to The Container Store was always part of a trip to Chicago. Now, I can drive up to the north side of Indianapolis and walk right in.

No need to plan in advance. No need to overbuy because I’m worried about getting home without enough of whatever I wanted. No need to order online. I love it!

Still. I was so overwhelmed during my first visit to the Indy store, I hardly purchased anything. But I did get lots of ideas. Check out the cool grid system below. Wouldn’t that be great in a craft room?

I also loved these pink and orange boxes.

I think I might get some of the orange – but I doubt my husband will let me sneak any of those pink boxes into the house.

Container Store opens this weekend in Indy

Calling all you organized Hoosiers: The Container Store opens this weekend!

I can’t be there (how often do you hear me say that?) but I suspect many of you will be headed up to the Shops at River’s Edge on the city’s north side to check out all the fabulous stuff.

I’ll be the new store will be packed!

And that’s good news for the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana, which will get 10 percent of this weekend’s grand opening sales.

GRAND OPENING WEEKEND

Saturday, Oct. 8, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 9 , 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

WHERE: 4120 East 82^nd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46250

I love The Container Store. It’s perfect for those times when you’re reorganizing your closet or your pantry or your garage and you need just the right storage pieces to make it work – while still looking great.

I’d like to take every piece in the photo below home with me and start organizing my stuff.

But The Container Store also is just a fun place to browse.

I never go in without buying something – usually wrapping paper or desk accessories, much like the ones I’ve highlighted below:

Top row: Die-cut gift card, $2.50; red-check oval decorative labels, $3.99; multi-color Fun Fringe, $6.

Bottom row: Stitched grosgrain ribbon, $10; Blossom Stockholm magazine file, $10.99; Circuit wall file, $30.

Get designer handmade goods at The Red Event

RJE Business Interiors – Indiana’s primary dealer for Knoll furnishings – is hosting The Red Event this week to benefit the Little Red Door Cancer Agency in Indy.

This is the third year for the event, which has raised more than $6,000 for the nonprofit agency.

It’s from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6 at the RJE showroom at 621 E. Ohio St.

The event features local architects and designers selling handmade items and 10 percent of the proceeds go to the nonprofit.

“We’ll have everything from knitted items, to handbags, to jewelry,” a friend told me about the event. “We also have a silent auction and all of the proceeds benefit Little Red Door.”

I’m sad to say I’m already double-booked that night but make sure you go and tell me all about it!

'Pop-up' mid-century store coming to Carmel

A Columbus, Ohio-based mid century specialty store will open a “pop-up store” this month at the Indiana Design Center in Carmel, part of the firm’s strategy to expand its presence and online sales.

I can’t wait to check out TheSwankyAbode.com, which will fill a 2,000 square foot space with a “carefully curated assortment of goods geared toward modernists who seek a connection to mid-century living,” according to information released by Pedcor Companies, which manages the design center.

A pop-up store is one that opens for only a limited time and then disappears. Pedcor hasn’t revealed how long the store will remain open but said it will have an “approachable gallery-like feel.”

The Swanky Abode is owned and managed by the Jones family who travel the country to find true vintage, mid-century pieces like original Herman Miller Eames chairs or a Knoll Saarinen dining table. The store also will feature charmingly chic home accessories like pillows, rustic jar vases and its very own candle line.

The candle line, Shine, will debut at the Indiana Design Center pop-up shop.

Container Store will open location soon in Indy

It seems the opening of a Container Store in Indianapolis will be a reality.

I had read last year the store – in which I can spend a ridiculous number of hours just dreaming about getting organized – would be opening a store in the city’s north side.

But with so many of these kinds of deals falling apart as the economy has continued to lag, I really didn’t have much hope.

Now comes word that the Indianapolis store will have its grand opening Oct. 8 and 9.

I’m not one that generally hits grand openings. They’re typically so packed you can’t do any real shopping.

But the Container Store is promising “prizes every hour, on the hour, including $1,000 elfa space makeovers on both days.” Now that may be worth fighting a crowd for!

Who wouldn’t want closets like the one at right?

Those of you who live in larger cities may be finding this email a little funny. In Chicago, LA, Denver, Cincinnati, Miami, etc., the Container Store is nothing new or exciting.

But here in Indy – where we’re just two to three hours from Chicago and Cincinnati – stores sometimes blow us off for new locations (I’m talking about you, IKEA). So the opening of a Container Store is pretty exciting.

For those of who’ve never shopped at the Container Store, here’s a sampling of what you can get:

Shop the sidewalk sale on Sunday

If you’re in the Central Indiana area, you might want to spend your Sunday afternoon at the Broad Ripple Sidewalk Sale, an annual event that features all kinds of shops, including some home décor and art locations.

Among the stores participating are:

 Addendum, 908 E. Westfield Boulevard

 Artifacts, 6327 Guilford Avenue, which sells the gorgeous Motawi tiles at right.

The Blue Door, in the parking lot at 924 Westfield Boulevard

The Bungalow, 924 E. Westfield Boulevard

Ceramic Dreams, 1134 E. 54th Street, Suite G

Chelsea's, 902 E. Westfield Boulevard

Editions Limited Gallery / Frame Designs, 838 E. 65th Street

Panda(ology) 823½ E. Westfield Boulevard