CINDY LACKEY

DESIGNER



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Carole and Ellie + The New Look

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Today is the day! I finally get to show you all what I’ve been working on behind the scenes for, what seems like, ever. THE NEW LOOK!

The new square logo is so wonderfully bold and graphic in jet black and Open Sans Extra Bold 800 (a FREE google font). It’s got Scandinavian style and simplicity without losing any personality. I’m totally in love.

I really like watercolor but the old blog logo wasn’t doing it for me anymore. It wasn’t easily reproducible in other mediums and it didn’t properly represent exactly what the feel and content of the site really is (or at least what I hope it will be). Also, I am super happy to trade in the link text lines for real super cool buttons that add more interesting navigation to the site. I hope you’ll poke around a bit and try it all out!

I’ve kept some references to some of the old style of Carole + Ellie, like the watercolor in the new masthead. I love watercolor, it’s my favorite paint medium so it made sense to keep it incorporated somewhere. Just not in the logo. And I’ve kept the blue but slightly tweaked it to be a fresher teal blue.

Possibly my second favorite part of the new look is my new secondary design elements font, Manhattan Darling. Seriously guys, I couldn’t fall asleep the night I bought it because I was so excited about using it the next day. Talk about font nerd Christmas!

So, click around, guys. Tell me what you think in the comments. I’de love to hear from you!

 

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Trends + 2015 >> Part 2

Today I’ve got part 2 of my trend report for you. In case you missed it, check out part 1 here.

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Along with all these soft pastels and bold darks I was talking about last week, I think were going to be seeing more Neon and especially bright yellow. I think there is a serious shift away from grey on grey and we’re also going to be seeing the grey-ness come out of our colors. With the muddy-ness gone, the bold neons will shine bright and happy. I am especially excited about the just announced Kate Spade Saturday + West Elm collection (see the pillows above). (Also, did ya’ll spot the backgammon board peaking out? That’s the Luxe Gaming trend I’m talking about in Part 1!)

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Next up is Facets + Brutalism. I’ve started to see a shift away from regular geometrics, like hexagons, and into more faceted irregular geometrics. I think were going to see the trend start to look like precious gems but also deconstructed, hard edged pieces like this light fixture from Jason Kohairk. And that brutalism can be traced back to Nordic design with their harsh winters and stoic Vikings.

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Lastly, and on a softer note, I think we’re going to see a lot of Tassels, Dots + Fringe this next year. I’ve been seeing tassels and pompoms pop up all over the DIY scene (I’m loving this cute bag) and I think it’s finally translating into home decor like in the chandelier from PB Kids above. I think this is a logical transition from all the ’70s macrame of last year to something more authentically current though still handmade. If you’re looking for Nordic-ness in this trend, look no farther than the iconic Marimekko Räsymatto pattern. And even more Scandinavian? The awesomely intricate braids everyone’s been rocking lately. I think I’m going to call this trend report done and go braid my hair now.

// in other news

One of my very favorite Minted designs, Heart Stripe, won an Editor’s Choice award last week! I was so excited to get the news and I’ll be sure to share with you guys when it goes up for sale. Thank you to everyone who voted!! You guys rock.

Right now I have three set of Minted items are up for vote (including the fabric I mentioned last week). Check out my Minted Challenge // voting board on Pinterest for what is active (or my // everything board if your curious about all my work for Minted). Vote-able links are also below! Thank you so much for your support.

Art Work   1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Fabric   1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

Birth Announcements   1 / 2 / 3

Pick of The Week + The Floyd Leg

I don’t often post on Mondays. Mostly because it would mean that I would either have to draft on Sundays or have my act REALLY together and draft on Fridays. Well folks, that’s all about to change. I am getting my resolutioning (totally a word, right?) butt in gear and creating a new Monday series: Pick of the Week.

I’ve been seeing so many exciting things in furniture and product design. You’ve probably spotted these if you are following me on Pinterest (btw, you should look into that). I’m excited to take a minute and really look into some of the best things here on the blog once a week.

So without further ado, my first pick is The Floyd Leg.
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This ingenious leg set started out on kickstarter and then was launched last July. The legs are sold as sets of four in 2 heights + a shelf mount and a heavy duty option. You simply attach them to nearly any flat surface, and BAM, you’ve got a table. The color palette is really well edited primary colors and black + white. The legs are all made state side in Detroit (which is booming as a maker town). I think it’s a really interesting way to look at furniture for a new society of renters and city dwellers who are not afraid to do a bit of the making themselves. The Floyd Leg has promised more products in September and I can’t wait to see whats next.

Trends + 2015 >> Part 1

I was going to give you a really awesome DIY today. I was. But it didn’t turn out awesome. Sometimes that happens. I’m going to work on it a bit more and come back with something even better next week.

Instead I’m going to share my trend report for 2015 that I’ve been working on. Here’s what what I’m seeing for the new year!
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First up, and I think influencing all the other trends below, is Scandinavian Bold. I promise this is not just because I’m living in Sweden and surrounded by Scandinavian design. This trend is getting big! Pantone has selected a wonderfully deep red for color of the year, then paired it with pastels and nudes in the Scandic tradition. And I’ve been seeing deep greens and emeralds popping up as well. Pastels, nudes and black + white go great with these bolds and speak to the starkness of Nordic living. You can see this in the new lines for Hay, Ferm Living and even West Elm.

 

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Luxe Gaming is just starting to trend. I feel like people are starting to want to unplug a bit from their iphones and spend real time with friends again. We started hosting game night this winter, but I know we are not the first or the only ones to be throwing a dice (or pig). The popularity of Cards Against Humanity and One Night Ultimate Werewolf definitely speak to this trend. I think we’re seeing this manifest in interiors with games displayed along side books (like ours are here) and also in new patterns, like this wallpaper.

 

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Pastels + Nude Leather are a subset of the Scandinavian trend. It’s not just for spring time and little girls’ and boys’ rooms anymore. I’ve seen it popping up in furniture and accessory design and I think we’re going to see more of it, mixes in with bold colors, in 2015.

That’s it for now. Stay tuned and next Tuesday I’ll post Part 2.

If your curious about my 2014 trend report check out Part 1 and Part 2 here.

about

Hello! I’m an interior, user experience, and graphic designer with a love for purpose-driven minimalism. I am also a digital nomad originally from California, currently living in Colorado and baking so many loaves of sourdough.

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