Graphic Design Studio and Custom Letterpress Invitations
There are so many high-end chocolatiers on the market these days. Our very favorite though, is Brooklyn-based Mast Brothers Chocolate Makers. The small batch sweets are of course delicious (I’m partial to Sea Salt), but their packaging is what stands out most to us. We love the clean, simple logo and type. Plus, every bar is wrapped in beautiful patterns and colors printed on a matte butcher paper. Elegant, thoughtful design.
We’re pretty obsessed with type around here so when we came across Marion Bataille’s little book, ABC3D, we literally flipped out. This three-dimensional pop-up book transforms the way we look at letters and type… The ‘V’ becomes ‘W’ via a mirrored page; “X” magically becomes “Y” with the turn of the page (and the help of a little paper tab); and the lenticular cover shows you the entire alphabet in seconds. We’ve given this as a child’s gift but I can guarantee that any adult will love it just as much.
We love seeing navy stripes in fashion, home decor, and graphic design. Traditionally, when paired with white stripes, you would think of a nautical / seaside theme, but these days navy stripes take on a sharp and sophisticated look on dry land. We like to think if it as a softer black and love using it for our designs. It’s bold and classic.
We’re suckers for great packaging. R+Co’s literally stopped us in our tracks. Hat’s off to the design director Amanda Hall. She worked with over 1000 images in order to find just the right one for each product. We love the super simple, monochromatic logo balanced against the vivid imagery.
Joanna Goddard’s blog, A Cup of Jo, is a great place to get lost for a few hours. It’s a one-stop-shop for reading about marriage, motherhood, food, beauty, and design. And it’s real. Ms. Goddard does not sugar coat. She gives it to you straight, and we all need a little straight talk once in awhile! Each post is usually accompanied by some great photography as well, so grab yourself a cup of jo and drink up.
photo credit: A Cup of Jo
The perfect wallpaper pattern can really elevate a room into an elegant and sophisticated space. The same goes for invitation design. Check out some of these gorgeous Graham & Brown wallpaper designs and some of our wedding invitation designs to see how patterns can bring any object to life.
We’re always sad to see summer go, but with Japanese photographer Mitsuyuki Shibata’s book, Summer Bohemians, you can hold onto that Summer feeling all year long. We found ourselves literally mesmerized by these images and the design is a wonderful reminder that simple is most often best.
In light of the earthquake last weekend up in Napa County, we want to highlight one of our favorite stores in Napa called Poor House. Like most of the buildings in the area, they did suffer some damage from the 6.0 earthquake, but they have cleaned up and are open and ready for business.
Go visit this weekend for some fabulous housewares!
photo credit: poor house, lonny magazine
We loved working on the printed material for this baptism party. Instead of a traditional palette of blue or pink, we turned in an entirely different direction for our inspiration. The animal theme keeps it playful but the black and white color palette makes it oh so chic.
We love graphics that overlap – not only does this do wonderful things with color, but shapes take on new meaning as well. For our invitations, vellum is a great way to achieve this effect. The faint overlapping gives any design a mysterious quality and hints at playful surprises that lie beneath.
I went to see Beyonce in concert this week and not only I was blown away by the spectacular performance (obviously) but her stage outfits were so sensational and sparkly. It reminded us that glitter and gold can be very fun. Like the lovely Queen Bey we’re not afraid of a little sparkle at A Day in May.
From her covers for The New Yorker to her books for children and adults, Maira Kalman, spirited illustrator, author, artist, and designer, is as prolific as she is inspiring. Her work is wonderfully whimsical. Below are some of our favorite illustrations by the creative artist.
The art of quilting goes back for centuries. Every stitch tells a story and has a rich history of family and tradition. Hopewell, a design workshop in Los Angeles, has transformed the tradition of American craft into textiles for modern living. Their inspiring, US-made designs are beautiful and versatile – use it for a day at the beach or as an accent for any room in the house. They also make for thoughtful, one-of-a-kind gifts.
Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg are the incredibly talented photographers behind Ann Street Studio. Together they unfold tales of fashion, travel, truth and beauty. Their work is beautiful and inspiring.
Visit annstreetstudio.com to get lost in their world of visual storytelling or follow them on Instagram for a daily dose of beauty.
Looking for the perfect outfit for those little ones walking down the aisle? We paired some adorable wedding outfits with past designs for a little inspiration on how to create a cohesive look on your wedding day. Shopping links below to help you find the perfect wardrobe for your own ring bearers.
Seersucker Jacket
Bow ties and Suspenders
Linen Vest
Caps
Shoes
In honor of Pride Weekend across the globe, we celebrate the rainbow. From the Capitol building in DC to the bakeries of San Francisco to our design studio in Cow Hollow… Volunteer, Donate, Inspire, Celebrate!
We’ve had so much fun browsing through the NY Train Project website. The interactive catalog is a fantastic display of all of the tile work in every subway stop in New York City, showing the detailed colored mosaics and typography along with historical tidbits.
This was such a great reminder to us that type and letters alone can be beautiful graphic elements.
We’re working on some new wedding invitations that elegantly combine soft tones of browns and whites. They are a beautiful celebration of neutrals and remind us that sometimes color can be overrated.
Below are some of our favorite spring looks embracing the browns, the tans, the creams, and the whites.
The design world lost an icon earlier this week. The Italian-born, New York City-based Massimo Vignelli past away on Tuesday, leaving behind a legacy of influential work. Below are just a few of our favorite contributions from the late, great modernist graphic designer.
Thank you, Massimo!
photo credit: bloomingdales, knoll, subway map, american airlines, calendar
At Lonny Magazine, they believe in making design choices that lead to personal happiness. And we couldn’t agree more.
We’ve always loved the monthly online magazine for it’s inspiring features on lifestyle and accessible home decor, but we love it even more now with their big design relaunch (especially with Cindy Crawford as this month’s cover story). The large, beautiful photos, the bold print, the easy navigation – it’s seamless and fun and easy to devour.
From their market finds to travel style to the personalized home tours, we are truly inspired on a regular basis by Lonny’s beautiful visuals, creative writing, and colorful, personalized stories. You can see that they really value individual style and independent thinking. In fact, Lesley referenced the website a ton over the last few months for her recently remodeled home, and you can see in her latest renovation posts HERE and HERE, how fantastic that turned out.
So if you’re looking to be inspired, look no further.
