Amy FeezorWriter
Brooklyn writer Amy Feezor has spent the last ten years crafting copy for magazines, including Real Simple, where she's currently based. She's an avid traveler and barbecue enthusiast who obsesses over home design, food, and photography at www.m-dashing.com
Amy's Posts
Balance, Design, Products
February 2, 2012
By Amy Feezor
Hot cups of tea and mugs full of coffee not cutting it on chilly mornings? Warm up your workspace with these easy picks.
1. Under Desk Heater, $89.00 Created to fit right under your desk, this soft plug-in floor mat provides extra warmth to legs and feet looking for relief from a winter-y workday. Get it: warmlyyours.com
2. Plus-Minus-Zero Heater, $389.00 Infuse your workspace with a little extra color using this lively compact design. Get it: Generate
3. Crane Space Heater, $34.99 Retro cool (in a way only a space heater can be). Get it: Amazon
4. Bionaire Ceramic Mini Tower Heater, $53.45 With a digital thermostat controls, LCD display, and remote control, you might feel like it’s your own robot of warmth. Get it: Amazon
5. Anna Little Ceramic Heater Stadler Form, $79.99 Add this streamlined design to your desktop and turn up the heat. Get it: Horne
Images linked to their sources within the numbered text
Uncategorized
February 1, 2012
By Amy Feezor
After you make a memorable, handpicked music mix for a friend or loved one, there are a few things you might feel. Glad. Sort of satisfied. Clever for the interesting playlist you thoughtfully compiled. Slightly cool for hipping someone to artists and songs they might not have already known. Happiness in sharing a little part of yourself.
But let’s face it: there’s always that “gah!” feeling—a moment when you realize that there was one more perfect song that you wish you had included. In that spirit, we gave a few past Playlisters the chance to add that one extra tune to the mixes they previously created for our column. Here’s what a few of them are choosing to include. (We think it makes a pretty great mix just in itself!)
Song: Candomblé by Utsumi
Added by: François Chambard of UM Project
Song: The Drying of the Lawns by The Tallest Man on Earth
Added by: Interior Designer Isabel Borland
Song: July Flame by Laura Veirs
Added by: Art Director & Graphic Designer Rick VanderLeek
Song: Painted Eyes by Hercules and Love Affair
Added by: Designer Matt Singer
Song: I’ve Been Tired by Pixies
Added by: Architect & Designer Emily Fischer of Haptic Lab
Song: Golden Years by David Bowie
Added by: Graphic Designer Carolyn Sewell
Song: Hounds of Love by The Futureheads
Added by: Resource Specialist and Musician Royce Epstein
Song: Turn On Me by The Shins
Added by: Writer & Photographer Nichole Robertson of Little Brown Pen
Song: Off to the Races by Lana Del Rey
Added by: Daniel Kanter of Manhattan Nest
Song: XO/The Host by The Weeknd
Added by: Matthew Hickey of Turntable Kitchen
Image by Daniel Kanter
Balance, Design, Products
January 25, 2012
By Amy Feezor
Ever since architect Emily Fischer founded Haptic Lab in 2009, she’s been wowing the design world with her unique “Soft-Maps” quilts (a great gift for new parents, the newly married, or dear old friends).
Hear a little of what’s playing in her Brooklyn studio—also responsible for creative collaborations in architecture, art, furniture, and even kites—in our latest Playlist.
What do you listen to while you work? I spent years working in buttoned-up, quiet architectural offices in the city, so I definitely take advantage of having my own non-traditional working environment. The music is always loud when it’s playing in the studio, usually drowning out the din of DUMBO’s bridge traffic. When I need to focus on a specific sewing project, I listen to audiobooks downloaded via the New York Public Library. The NYPL has over 20,000 audiobooks available for download in MP3 format for free, and I average around 12 books a month. (Mostly classics like War and Peace, Proust, everything written by Dickens and Edith Wharton…and now I’m blacksliding into YA with the Hunger Games series.)
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Design, Products
January 19, 2012
By Amy Feezor
Coffee mugs not your bag? Raise your pinky proudly with this quick roundup of tea cups.
1. Alada Gold Winged Teacup, $161.25 Handmade porcelain and 18K gold wings. Because some of us think of tea as much more heavenly than coffee. Get it: shophorne.com
2. Tap For Tea, $39.00 Inspired by the Chinese custom of tapping your fingers to say “thank you” when tea is served, this design by Willie Tsang features a clever gold fingerprint pattern on its saucer. Get it: gnr8.biz
3. Glass cup and saucer, £6.95 Watch as your favorite blend brews in this elegantly simple cup and saucer set. Get it: teapigs.co.uk
4. Tea Mug, $20.00 This handle-less ceramic cup from South Korean designer Luna Seo features a small indentation along the rim to keep your tea bag in its place. Get it: momastore.org
5. Blomus Darjee Tea Glass, $18.98 The unique stainless-steel handle of this mug-style glass helps ease the heat (and increase its cool factor). Get it: allmodern.com
Balance, Design, Products
January 18, 2012
By Amy Feezor
What sounds fill the workspace shared by Stanley Wilson and Sophie Gollop of Urban Cottage Industries? Find out what these designers, manufacturers, and suppliers of vintage industrial lighting have playing on repeat in their headquarters in Mytholmroyd, England.
What do you listen to while you work? We fight between Radio 4 (Stan) and music (Sophie). Sophie is proletarian. It’s class war—all day, every day.
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Balance, Design, Products
January 13, 2012
By Amy Feezor
Warm up your morning (and your workspace) with a fresh mug for your daily cuppa joe.
1. Kami Wood Mug, $78.00 Handcrafted in Japan from castor aralia wood, the thickness of this simple mug is only 2mm—thin enough to allow light to glow through, yet thick enough for durable insulation. Get it: muhshome.com
2. Small Diamond Knit Cozy Mug, $22.00 The hand-knit cozy surrounding this porcelain mug makes taking on a winter day a bit easier. Get it: leifshop.com
3. Ripple Mugs, $28.00 Water inspired each piece in this dishwasher-safe collection, which merges the durability of porcelain with a handmade, minimalist look. Get it: tasknewyork.com
4. Striped Mugs, $40.00 Artist Heather Dahl hand-paints these bright mugs in orange, navy, or celery (and we especially like their light gray interiors). Get it: curiosityshoppeonline.com
5. Color Dipped Mug, $28.00 Another great pick made in Japan: straightforward white porcelain mugs dipped in hues of charcoal, red, yellow, or blue. Get it: poketo.com
Images linked to their sources within the numbered text
Balance, Design, Products
January 11, 2012
By Amy Feezor
During work hours, Royce Epstein focuses on materials and finishes at the architecture and interior design firm Kling Stubbins. After hours, she’s the lead singer and rhythm guitar player in not one, but two bands in the Philadelphia area. (How does she do it?) Turn up your speakers for a listen to her (not one, but two) music mixes in this week’s Playlist.
What do you listen to while you work? I started listening to Spotify after I got bored with Pandora. I am always genre-jumping depending on my mood and work load. I am a huge music junkie, always listening, collecting, reading, and writing about music. I have a somewhat specialized knowledge of certain periods in music, my favorite being British Post-Punk. I am also a huge ska fan, and I always listen to 60’s-era ska. So those are my go-to genres but I listen to lots of current indie rock, lots of classic rock, lots of garage, you name it. When I am doing research, I prefer more mellow music, but when I am writing specs I prefer tunes with more energy to keep me going, like The Ramones.
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Balance, Design, Products
January 5, 2012
By Amy Feezor
Not interested in investing in a brand-new calendar every time a new year rolls around? Save yourself some time with one of these perpetual picks.
1. Calendar Tin, $9.00 Multitasking at its best: the three swiveling compartments of this container let you stay up to date, and the inside lets you store small office supplies. Get it: monkeybusiness.co.il
2. ThreeSixFive Calendar, $17.99 Inject a bit of color with the bright blocks of this easygoing wood design. Get it: joannehudson.com
3. Futuro Perpetual Calendar, CAD$29.99 The 14 double-sided inserts included with this smart calendar by designer Pieter Woudt help you stay on schedule. Forever. Get it: morba.myshopify.com
4. The Calendar Wall Decal by Ferm Living, $126.50 Change the look of your workspace in a flash with this decorative WallSticker, which can be personalized with post-its and chalk. Get it: velocityartanddesign.com
5. Perpetual Calendar, ¥9,345 Keep up with every day (every year) with this simple creation hailing from Japan’s “More Trees” organization. Get it: rumors.jp
Images linked to their sources within the numbered text
Balance, Design, Products, Technology
January 2, 2012
By Amy Feezor
There was so much good music last year we had to run a second story! So please, take a listen (and another look back) at this second half of our 2011 “Best of” Playlist—a music mix from some of our favorite features from the past year.
PLAYLIST, BEST OF 2011: PART TWO
Brand New Start by Little Joy from The Playlist: MacFadden & Thorpe
Time Spike Jamz by Lapalux from The Playlist: Graphic & Web Designer Jonathan Rahmani
Wildwood Flower by Carter Family with Mother Maybelle from The Playlist: Artist Leah Durner
This Will Take Time by Jim Avett from The Playlist: Artist Amy Helfand
What Must Be Done by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis from The Playlist: Graphic Designer Blake Allen
Wonderful Life by Hurts from The Playlist: Writer and Lifestyle Consultant Sophie Donelson
Don’t Look Back in to the Sun by The Libertines from The Playlist: Rob Woodbridge of Herman Miller
Midnight Train To Georgia by Gladys Knight & The Pips from The Playlist: Artist/illustrator Jonathan Woodward
Little By Little by Radiohead from The Playlist: Music critic and author Amanda Petrusich
Goods by Mates of State from The Playlist: Typographer Jessica Hische
Neckbrace by Ratatat from The Playlist: Designer Mike Devereaux
That Was Just Your Life by Metallica from The Playlist: Creative Director Eric Karjaluoto
He Was a Friend of Mine by Willie Nelson from The Playlist: Interior Designer Isabel Borland
Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder from The Playlist: Designer and Illustrator Nicole Block
Meeting of the Spirits by Mahavishnu Orchestra from The Playlist: Product Designer Stanley Ruiz
Hope and Validation by Bernard Fanning from The Playlist: Cerentha Harris
Talamak by Toro Y Moi from The Playlist: Graphic Designer Timothy Goodman
One Step Too Far by Faithless from The Playlist: Graphic Designer & Art Photographer Paul Vanzella
BossaCucaNova by Aguas de Março from The Playlist: Photographer Nicole Hill Gerulat
Joy by Bettye Lavette from The Playlist: Graphic Designer Carolyn Sewell
Image sources (clockwise, starting top left): Mike Devereaux, Nicole Hill Gerulat, Amanda Petrusich, Timothy Goodman, Jessica Hische, Carolyn Sewell
Balance, Design, Products, Technology
December 30, 2011
By Amy Feezor
2011 brought a full year of great music mixes to inspire us while we work—and while we play. Our thanks to those creative folks who gave us a look at the song picks that kept their workday (and ours) humming along throughout the year. Be sure to keep an eye out for more interviews and playlists from some of our favorite workspaces in 2012.
In the meantime, take a look back at some of tunes we featured in this first part of our “Best of” list. There were so many to choose from that we decided to sneak in part two on Monday.
Here’s to more music finds in 2012.
PLAYLIST, BEST OF 2011: PART ONE
January Hymn by The Decemberists from The Playlist: Designer & Musician Matthew Thornton
The Worst Taste in Music by The Radio Dept. from The Playlist: Designer Katarina Häll
Symphony No. 3, II by Philip Glass from The Playlist: Environmental Lifestyle Expert Danny Seo
‘Round Midnight by Bobby McFerrin & Chick Corea from The Playlist: Stylist & Product/Interior Designer Sofie Brünner
Fight or Fall by Thin Lizzy from The Playlist: Artist Carrie Strine & Graphic Designer/Illustrator Tim Lahan
Time Space Transmat by Juan Atkins from The Playlist: Jerinne Neils & Scott Flora of Blik
Belong by Washed Out from The Playlist: Matthew and Kasey Hickey of Turntable Kitchen
The World (Is Going Up In Flames) by Charles Bradley from The Playlist: Justin Gage of Aquarium Drunkard & Autumn Tone Records
Parallel or Together? by Ted Leo and The Pharmacists from The Playlist: Herman Miller’s John Kim
Optimist by Zoe Keating from The Playlist: Kristin Appenbrink of RealSimple.com
Peacebone by Animal Collective from The Playlist: Web Designer & Developer Dustin Hoffman
Chinatown by Destroyer from The Playlist: Ben Lambers of Studio Aandacht
For Beginners by M. Ward from The Playlist: Art Director & Graphic Designer Rick VanderLeek
Where’d You Go by J Mascis from The Playlist: Designer Matt Singer
My Home is Nowhere Without You by Herman Dune from The Playlist: Artist Leah Giberson
Paris 1919 by John Cale from The Playlist: Designer, animator, and filmmaker Todd St. John
Cold Front Blues by Southeast Engine from The Playlist: Freelance Writer Joelle Alcaidinho
Neon Lights by Kraftwerk from The Playlist: Product Designer Jonah Takagi
Open Rhythms by Bodies of Water from The Playlist: Writer, Editor, and Musician Zinzi Edmundson
Vicious Traditions by The Veils from The Playlist: Industrial designer Matthew Weatherly
Image sources (clockwise, starting top left): Studio Aandacht and Jeroen vd Spek, Justin Gage, Amy Feezor, Joelle Alcaidinho, Carrie Strine and Tim Lahan, Todd St. John