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The bicentennial is finally upon us. 200 years ago today — on December 11, 1816 — President Madison signed the Congressional resolution admitting Indiana into Union as a state.

The Indiana Mammoth Improvement Act of 1836

So we come now to the end of our story. It was a tale that, as they say, grew in the telling. When I started writing, I had a vague notion of a couple of posts each month devoted to the bicentennial. By the end, the project had consumed my blog activity and resulted in 12 to 13 posts per month. We are going to end just shy of 115,000 words. In this, I suppose, it’s a metaphor for Indiana which started as a small affair, huddled in a crescent from the Whitewater, across the Ohio, and back up the lower Wabash but has grown to a population of about 6.6 million people. Additionally, when I wrote about the national background, it was originally conceived as a few paragraphs to give some flavor of what was going on in the rest of the country. It progressively came to dominate more and more of the  entries. I think this is reflective of how transportation and communication came to tie Indiana (as it did with the rest of the states) to the country as a whole. For the first half of our history, the barriers to communication and travel contributed to our state having a unique identity. As those barriers eroded, so too, has the uniqueness of our identity has eroded.

In the beginning, there was William Henry Harrison, Jonathan Jennings, Native Americans, and the slavery question. Native Americans, slavery, and Harrison were pushed out. Jennings spent some time on top but ended his days in an unmarked grave. Nevertheless, the state was on its way. The first order of business was to claw its way out of the wilderness. Hoosiers pushed out the natives and focused on internal improvements. The Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act was a seminal event in our history. It laid the skeleton for our transportation system and plunged us into bankruptcy.

History of Indian Removal in Indiana

With the Constitution of 1816, our educational system was more aspirational than real. But, before long, educational reformers like Caleb Mills prompted changes that led to the Constitution of 1851 and our public school law. Of course, the Constitution of 1851 had its dark side as well — notably the infamous Article 13 and the exclusion of “negroes and mulattoes” from the state. During this period, the dyspeptic Jesse Bright rose to power, dominating the Democrats and the state political structure. As Indiana was drawn into the sectional conflict over slavery, Indiana’s Democratic Party fractured. Republicans rose out of the ashes of the Whigs, Democrats became the Party of the South, and Bright was eventually tossed out of the U.S. Senate for introducing Confederate President Jefferson Davis to an arms dealer.

The question of slavery dominated the country’s politics for a decade, and it seemed like everything was on hold until the Civil War finally burst the bubble. In Indiana, as elsewhere in the North, the federal Fugitive Slave Act (enthusiastically embraced by “states rights Southerners”) caused consternation and some dramatic incidents as slavers attempted to abduct black people in the north so Southerners could steal their labor.

In the dramatic election of 1860, Henry Bright led the Republican ticket in Indiana as the gubernatorial candidate, then immediately turned the governor’s office over to his lieutenant in exchange for the U.S. Senate seat. As governor, Oliver Morton faced abolitionist Quakers like George Julian on his left and, more numerously, Copperhead southern sympathizers on his right. Through force of will and, occasionally questionable methods, Morton kept Indiana fighting for the Union.

After the Civil War, Indiana hit its stride. Over a period of 50 years or so, its politicians would become politically relevant. Its authors would become world renowned.  Indiana would supply four Vice-Presidents and one President. Schuyler Colfax served with President Grant from 1869 through 1873, Thomas Hendricks would serve with President Cleveland in 1885, Charles Fairbanks with Theodore Roosevelt from 1905 to 1909, and Thomas Marshall with Woodrow Wilson from 1913 to 1921. And, of course, Benjamin Harrison was the President from 1889 to 1893.  Indiana was a swing state during those years with Republicans and Democrats fairly evenly matched. Having a Hoosier candidate on the ticket helped the odds. William English and John Kern were on the losing ticket in 1880 and 1908, respectively. Thomas Marshall, always good with a quote, quipped that Indiana was the  “mother of vice presidents,” because it is “home of more second-class men than any other state.”

The Trenton Gas Field covered 17 counties in east-central Indiana

The development of industry in Indiana was powered by a gas boom from the 1880s through the early 20th century. Rapid growth and industrialization took place in Indiana’s gas belt in eastern Indiana. Cities like Muncie, Kokomo, Anderson, and Marion competed to attract new industries with offers of free natural gas, land, railway sidings, and tax credits.

Lured by the generous incentives, 162 factories were built, creating over 10,000 jobs by 1890. Among these new industries were tinplate mills in Anderson, Gas City, and Elwood as well as 21 new glass factories. “Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing” relocated to Muncie from Buffalo, N.Y.

About the same time, the state experienced the Golden Age of Indiana literature. Probably the most commercially successful was Lew Wallace’s Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ, published in 1880. It has been called “the most influential Christian book of the 19th century” and outsold “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” It was an action adventure of sorts that was popular even if it received mixed reviews from critics. The works of Edward Eggleston and James Whitcomb Riley  depicted nostalgic views of early Indiana. Eggleston at least, was motivated by a desire to be regarded as an equal of the New Englanders. Celebrating what Indiana had to offer, he wrote:

It used to be a matter of no little jealousy with us, I remember, that the manners, customs, thoughts, and feelings of New England country people filled so large a place in books, while our life, not less interesting, not less romantic, and certainly not less filled with humorous and grotesque material, had no place in literature. It was as though we were shut out of good society.

Booth Tarkington was somewhat later, mostly the first two decades of the twentieth century, but he wrote a number of well-received novels, including The Gentleman from Indiana, The Magnificent Ambersons, and Alice Adams. His novels detailed the changes experienced by middle and upper-class Hoosiers in the face of dramatic changes in society, hopeful but fearful the urban and industrial would threaten traditional Hoosier values of stability and individualism.

By the time of its centennial in 1916, Indiana was understandably proud of its accomplishments.  In many ways, the ambitions of those first Hoosiers had been realized. Indiana had carved its way out of the wilderness and risen to prominence as an important part of what was becoming the most powerful nation on the planet. The centennial observations were extensive. Among other things, Governor Ralston founded the state park system to “stand forever as a token of the past,” and “bring health, wealth and happiness” to future generations.

But, the dislocation and transition that Tarkington wrote about left its mark on Indiana after the upheavals of the Progressive Era and World War I. Post-war Indiana saw the rapid rise of the Klan. The Industrial Revolution has been disruptive, and the switch to a more urban and less rural way of life was disconcerting. After World War I, the nation was looking for, as President Harding put it, a return to “normalcy.” D.C. Stephenson was a huckster who was particularly successful in selling the Klan’s essentially negative views of Christianity and American and Hoosier exceptionalism.  This message was pretty easily used in an “us” versus “them” kind of way. And the Klan always likes to punch down against less privileged members of society. In 1920s Indiana, the group tended to promote a negative vision of Patriotism and Protestantism, “defending” them against Roman Catholics, the foreign born, Jews, blacks, and the old White Cap enemies: the immoral such as adulterers, gamblers, and drinkers. The Catholics, in particular, seemed to cause anxiety in the sorts of folks who joined the Klan in 1920s Indiana. The Klan’s vision had resonance. About 1/3 of white, male Hoosiers joined up. They successfully put Ed Jackson in the Governor’s office. But D.C. Stephenson whose rise from “a nobody from nowhere” to “the law in Indiana” was rapid had an equally rapid fall from grace. The media coverage of his trial for the murder of of Madge Oberholtzer shocked the state. And, when a pardon was not forthcoming from Governor Jackson, Stephenson decided that he was not going down alone and mostly took the rest of the Klan down with him by talking to the Indianapolis Times.

It was not long after the peak of the Klan that the Great Depression gave Hoosiers and everyone else real problems. The dire economic situation prompted the electorate to sweep Republicans out of office and elect Democrats in overwhelming numbers. For Indiana, this meant that Paul McNutt had almost unprecedented political power for a short period of time. He used it to reshape Indiana government. When he took office in 1933, McNutt hit the ground running.  Historian James Madison says, “no governor since Oliver P. Morton held such power or so forcefully directed state government and his party.” McNutt believed that government could be a great instrument of human progress. First on the agenda was relief for the unemployed. The local organizations and government were not up to the task. McNutt extended and centralized the existing relief efforts and worked in conjunction with FDR’s federal government to provide more. This led to the Indiana Department of Public Welfare and the creation of a state old age pension. Another initiative of the McNutt administration was the Office of the Consumer Advocate — initially led by future Supreme Court Justice Sherman Minton. Home rule and state’s rights were infringed upon in favor of a powerful state government working hand-in-hand with the federal government.

McNutt also created the Indiana State Police. He was successful in implementing tax reform where prior governors had failed. McNutt advocated and the legislature passed a state gross sales tax — in effect a combination sales and income tax. He overhauled the state bureaucracy, making it more rational but also using the changes to enhance his patronage power. State employees were “encouraged” to show their support by joining the Hoosier Democratic Club — commonly known as the “Two Percent Club,” because that percent of their pay was assessed as the price of membership. Theoretically membership was voluntary, but it was generally assumed that a state job was not secure if one did not belong. Republicans vehemently denounced the Two Percent Club but somehow changed their mind about its merits when they returned to power in the 1940s.

Indiana, like the rest of the country, weathered the Depression and then was consumed by World War II. The state became a center of production with activity that transformed the state. Approximately 363,000 Hoosiers served in the war and 10,000 died in service. Indiana produced $3.2 billion worth of war supplies and constructed factories valued at about a billion dollars. Between 1940 and 1950, Indiana’s population increased by 500,000.  Following the war, Indiana would take imperfect and often contentious steps toward desegregation. We saw a microcosm of this in the efforts in Marion County to desegregate schools and the history of Shortridge High School. Also following the wars, the nation really improved its highways. Improvements in transportation and highways intertwined us more closely with the rest of the nation and, for good or bad, I feel like this cost us some of our distinctive character. Milan had its miracle in 1954, but since then we’ve traded our one-class basketball tournament and joined the rest of the country in observing Daylight Saving Time.

Indiana Land of Taxes

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Civil Rights movement, Vietnam, and Watergate made for stormy politics. The state implemented some fairly substantial constitutional changes in the early 1970s. This led to, among other things, a return to two term governors in 1972 after a long period of governors being limited to one term since the Constitution of 1851 was adopted. Taxes had been a particularly troublesome issue in the 60s. Governor Bowen, in the 70s implemented a shift away from property taxes toward sales taxes to address the problem. Governor Daniels would take a similar approach in the early 21st century when similar issues arose.

Since the 1970s, our political leadership has been fairly stable. After a major corruption scandal in the Indiana Senate in the late 70s, Bob Garton took control of the chamber and led it for a quarter century.  Governors Bowen, Orr, Bayh, O’Bannon, and Daniels each won two terms. Mike Pence is the first elected governor, eligible for re-election, not to enjoy a second term since Samuel Bigger in 1843. But, he’s going to follow in the footsteps of Dan Quayle and be the Vice-President, so I suppose he won’t complain.

And now we’re at the bicentennial. Through a good chunk of this history, I’m proud to say there were Massons involved. My great, great grandfather, James P. Masson moved to Indianapolis sometime around 1850 or 1860. My great grandfather, M. Ross Masson was born shortly thereafter. His son (my grandfather) James E. Masson was born in 1905. My father, also named James, was born in 1939. They were all from Indianapolis. I was born in Richmond in 1971. And my kids, the 6th generation, were born in Lafayette.

It is my hope that, in our third century, Hoosiers can redirect their attention locally and regain the energy and ambition that drove the first generations to carve a great state out of the wilderness. To do so, I think we have to reconnect with our neighbors, devote our attention to local government and community events, and make our cities and towns places our children are eager and proud to call home. Greatness is not beyond reach. Golden Age Athens did work that still shapes the world today despite having a population of only about 300,000. England, a relatively small backwater island nation at the beginning of the 17th century went on to rule a large part of the world by the end of the 18th century, coming to regard the Romans as little men with small dreams.

We need to educate our children, improve our infrastructure, cultivate the science, literature, arts, and productive economic activity. We should not be passive observers, complaining about the present or dwelling on nostalgia for the past. We need to actively create our future. If we do so, perhaps our tricentennial will mark a new high water mark for the Hoosier State.

Decked out in an elegant midnight blue with rose copper details, Miuccia is a new freestanding kitchen design that was inspired by a traditional hutch and cupboard. Ruadelpapavero Creative Studio kept the shapes of the chest and pantry but striped every other detail away in order to modernize it. Manufactured by TM Italia, the kitchen incorporates contemporary materials like leather, stone, wood, and copper to finish off its bold personality.

The lacquered blue surfaces feature linear grooves that result in a sophisticated, modern pattern. The appliances are hidden within the cupboards, which are topped off by Pirgon stone countertops, while the sink and stove are concealed under two chopping boards that slide. Each component is raised above the ground by rose copper legs and frames giving them a lighter appearance.

Located in the historic city of Trogir, a landmark UNESCO World Heritage Site, the recently opened Brown Beach House Croatia is a 25-room and suite property that infuses Mediterranean-inspired design into contemporary and classic design aesthetics. Up until its renovation and redesign by Amsterdam-based designer Saar Zafrir, you would never be able to guess that this boutique hotel was formerly a tobacco processing plant. Zafrir beautifully transformed the old facility into a luxurious escape for the vacationer looking to grab some R&R in a coastal but modern hotel.

Zafrir combined the timelessness of the 1950s Italian beach vibes (a retro aesthetic that has become synonymous with Brown Hotels) with the grandeur influence of the Roman Empire when designing the hotel’s outdoor infinity pool and sun deck. You can walk across the classic black-and-white tiled flooring, plop into one of the contemporary lounge chairs, and enjoy picturesque views of the the Adriatic Sea and old town of Trogir.

A full-service spa with a thermo-mineral outdoor pool and jacuzzi will also be available for full relaxation come Summer 2017.

Natural color palettes and wooden tones mixed with contemporary & vintage furniture define the interiors. Plants and flora from the Dalmation Coastline bring a bit of outside life inside.

Additional amenities include: Cartina (the hotel’s seafood-focused restaurant), a bespoke cocktail bar, private beaches, elegant spaces for private events, a kids playroom, and bicycles for exploring the coastline.

What’s on the horizon for the hotel? An additional 24 luxury suites will be unveiled in Summer 2017.

What: The Brown Beach House Croatia
Where: 21220, Trogir, Croatia
How much? Rooms and suites start at approximately $124 per night
Highlights: Soak in some sun along the Adriatic Sea at a boutique resort located in a town deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Design draw: While Zafrir designed the interiors/exteriors to retain that classic Mediterranean aesthetic that makes a hotel in this kind of coastal location special, he also brought in contemporary elements in the form of lighting and furniture to truly transform this landmark property into a luxury destination.
Book it: Visit the Brown Beach House Croatia or email reservations@browncroatia.com.

Photos by Assaf Pinchuk.

Recently we had Kelly Wearstler on our podcast Clever, talking about her inspiration and her life from crafting as a young girl to turning a love of making things into a world renown lifestyle brand. During our chat, she talked about her love of “the hunt”—scouring the aisles of flea markets and antique/vintage shops to find the perfect pieces. We recently followed Kelly along as she hunted for treasures at the Paris flea market—follow along today on Instagram to see some of her discoveries—plus some tricks of the trade.

Photo by Stephan Julliard

Because of her extensive experience and trained eye, we thought we’d hit her up for some good hunting tips:

Paris Flea Market

1. Get there early.
The early bird really does get the worm.

Vintage Philippe Starck table used for a restaurant project of his in the 80’s –
Found at Paul Bert Serpette

2. Be prepared.
– Tape measure is crucial!
– Bring a cart or dolly for transporting heavier items
– Pack a camera. Photograph stand out pieces with vendor business cards. At the end of the day  you’ll have a catalogue of your favorite items with contact details for all the relevant vendors.
– Bring images of the space you’re purchasing for. It will really help you visualize a piece in a room.
– Wear comfortable shoes – you’ll be on your feet all day!

3. Visit the ATM
Don’t be afraid to negotiate. Cash is power!

Top of a table – all ceramic inlaid tile. Late 1960s at Paul Bert Serpette

4. Trust your instincts.
If there’s something you love but it’s a little out there, go for it. It’s the special anomalies that can make a room sing. It will reflect your soul.

Two Philippe Starck sculptural chairs from 80’s

5. Bring a friend.
It’s great to have a second set of eyes during the day and an extra pair of hands at the end.

See what Kelly discovered while hunting in Paris AND get some more great tips >>> on Instagram.

Our City in a Suitcase series takes a closer look at the art, design and architecture through the eyes of four international cities and creatives who live and work in them. Each will pack a TUMI 19 Degree suitcase full of items that they feel best represents their city’s culture. Take a look:

East London has always been full of a diverse mix of creative people. Often the first settling place for immigrants fleeing religious persecution or coming to seek their fortune on streets ‘paved with gold,’ it received influxes of French Huguenots in the 17th century, Ashkenazi Jews en route to America in the 19th century, and people from all over the world into the 20th and the 21st centuries, making it one of the most vibrant, multicultural and dynamic parts of London. One of its latest arrivals is French-born Camille Walala who is (literally) painting East London her own inimitable brand of colorful. Describing herself as a “purveyor of powerfully positive print,” she graduated in textile design from the University of Brighton and established her eponymous brand in 2009. Inspired by the Memphis Movement, the Ndebele tribe and Optical Art master Vasarely, she also says much of her work is driven by a simple desire to make people smile. Over the past 17 years she’s been putting smiles on faces everywhere from pop-up restaurants to canal boats and for clients including Nintendo, XOYO, Koppaberg, Bompas&Parr, Darkroom, Barbican Festival and Land of King.

We visited Camille in her East London home to talk about her favorite East End haunts and what inspires her about this corner of the capital…

Since we can’t all hang out in London’s hottest ‘hood, we asked Camille to choose a range of items to represent the city she loves. Her selection includes work from local up-and-coming designers – a sure sign of the close-knit creative community in this part of town – objects that inspire her, and a good dollop of the color and pattern with which she’s made her name. The rug in the background of all the shots is by Congo – Camille’s own design for Floor Story.

Here’s a list of Camille’s selections, where she bought them, and why:

Fluoro red necklace by Eleanor Bolton
Eleanor Bolton is a British designer based in London. I used to share studio with her a few years back and I was always so fascinated to watch her creating her hand-stitched necklaces so effortlessly. I’ve got one in pretty much every color! They are so versatile and go with so many of my favorite outfits.

Hand-knitted scarf by Giannina Capitani
Established very recently, Giannina Capitani is a London-based designer with Italian and Scottish ancestry. What I love about her work is that she draws inspiration from both her historical pasts. Combining Italian designs with Scottish textile tradition. She’s all about bold, colorful graphic patterns – right up my street!

Modernist Estates by Stefi Orazi
I’m absolutely fascinated by the housing estates in London. This amazing book gives a great insight into what some of these remarkable housing estates look like, the impact they have on communities and what it’s like to live in places like these.

East London Food
When I first moved to East London 15 years ago, you were hard pressed to find a half-decent restaurant to eat in. Now this neighborhood has the pick of the bunch, boasting amazing culinary delights from all over the world. I love this book because it presents the best of the best in East London – my home. I’m slowly working my way through it!

Brutal London: Construct Your Own Concrete Capital
The Brutalist movement seems to be having a revival in a huge way of late, and I for one am definitely on the bandwagon! I’m a total fan of this style of architecture. Published by Prestel (one of my favorite publishers), this clever book allows you to replicate your favorite Brutalist structures in 3D using their pre cut and folded buildings – hours of fun whilst learning about these great historical buildings!

Stripy Vase by Ann and Stuart Mercer
I am a big fan of these two! Ann has a history in ceramics, Stuart in architecture. Together they have fused their incredibly different crafts and have created a collection of ceramic pieces based around a post-modernist, asymmetrical and symmetrical architectural forms. They decorate each piece with patterns found in the urban landscape. I absolutely love these objects – they are so incredibly beautiful and clean.

Battersea Power Station in Plaster by Chisel & Mouse
Battersea Power Station was built in 1933 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott is an absolute icon of the London skyline. Sir Giles Gilbert is one of my absolute favorite architects and is known for some of the most prolific buildings in London. I need to take this replica with me in my case!!

Vivienne Westwood shoes
These iconic shoes were first released in 1985 and are still amazingly cutting-edge today! Ever since these shoes were first released, I have dreamt of owning a pair, but unfortunately I couldn’t afford the price tag – until a few years ago. I love owning a piece of fashion history like this.

Split Shift Tiles by Darkroom, in collaboration with Bert & May
I have been a huge fan of Darkroom for ages – it was in my eyes the best design shop in London, and beautifully curated. They have just launched an incredible tile range that they produced as a collaboration with interiors shop Bert & May of East London. They’re pretty heavy, but I need the whole suitcase full of them!

Jacket from Martina Spetlova
Martina Spetlova has a great story in that she has a background as a Chemistry graduate! The London-based fashion designer originally from Prague, creates incredibly beautiful woven leather garments. I love how she experiments with textiles and creates patterns in the materials she uses.

Postcards
I keep sketchbooks to inspire my work, so I’m always picking up postcards, paper and ephemera. I recently went to see the brilliant exhibition of Malik Sidibé at Somerset House, so I picked up these postcards to add in my sketchbook.

Plate by Camille Walala for ARIA
I designed this plate for my collaboration with design shop ARIA during the 2015 London Design Festival entitled Walala In Da House – it is inspired by Memphis design.

Trunk Vase by Richard Wood
I have very much admired Richard Wood’s design work for a long time, so I was delighted when he produced his first collection of vases for Danish brand Hay, featuring his typical colored woodgrain imagery.

Where are some of your favorite places to shop for local art and design in London?

PSST… Check our our London Travel Guide!

This post is in partnership with TUMI. Our partners are hand-picked by the Design Milk team because they represent the best in design.

San Francisco-based startup, Ravelin, has created a new way to bring safety to a work shirt. The RS01 Riding Shirt is targeted at urban dwellers living an active lifestyle who need both to be safe biking to work and to be stylish and ready to go when they get there. At first glance, the shirt fabric looks to be a traditional Shepherd’s check, but what you don’t see is that the bespoke fabric has 3M retroreflective thread woven directly into the pattern. That means you can rock it in the office while being safe on the road without needing any extra gear to carry with you.

During the day, it’ll look like a you’ll look polished but throw some headlights up on you and you’ll glow making sure you’ll safely get to where you’re going.

We all know just how cold it gets when the wind hits our body as we ride, so Ravelin integrated wind blocking panels into the shirt’s front design. The back, sleeves, and armpits are left alone to release heat as you warm up.

The shirt’s design is made to fit like a second skin so it’s easy to move around in. The back fabric is cut on the bias for increased stretch and there’s a cell phone pocket built-in for easy access.

Ravelin has the completed design and now they’re seeking funds to bring it to the public. If you want to help the brand get off the ground and snag one of these shirts, throw them some dough on their Kickstarter campaign.

The Lexus LIT is a one-of-kind technological audio-visual experience on wheels – a customized Lexus IS wrapped in 41,999 programmable LEDs engineered to shine attention to the latest song from UK artist Dua Lipa.

Just as an octopus, squid or cuttlefish are capable of dynamically adapting their exterior skin using color-changing cells called chromatophores, the Lexus LIT mimics the color changing capabilities using an enormous array of hand-applied LEDs, the sum capable of pumping out 175,000 lumens of light for an effect not unlike the Disney Main Street Electrical Parade. Each pulsating wave of colorful patterns are synchronized to adapt to music, react to motion, or simply be put into the equivalent of a screen-saver mode for “look at me” attention grabbing display.

A music video was a perfect place to launch the LIT IS and working with Dua Lipa allowed the concept to come to life, putting a spotlight on the Lexus IS in an entirely new way. – Brian Bolain of Lexus

The Lexus LIT also sports a “gesture mode’ that allows LED animations to be controlled using hand motions.

Considering its very clear danger of being an eye-captivating distraction, don’t expect to see anything like the LIT on the roads any time soon. But other exterior paint technologies like paramagnetic electroluminscent paint hint that one day cars might be easily customizable at the flick of a switch, turning the exterior of vehicles we drive into an outward expression of our fashionable whims on a daily basis.

Credits:

Agency: Team One
Chief Creative Officer: Chris Graves
Executive Creative Director: Alastair Green
Associate Creative Director: Amanda Abrams
Associate Creative Director: Ryan DiDonato
Art Director: Adam Bright
Copywriter: Eric Jorgensen
Senior Producer: Kristen Little
Associate Director, Interactive Production: Chad Bauer
Management Supervisor: Trina Sethi
Group Account Director: Joel Dons
Associate Media Director: Elaine Evangelista
Associate Media Director: Scott Thornton
Media Supervisor: Tiffany Hsu
Media Supervisor: Melissa Lam
Program Manager: Jamie Lau
Project Manager: Laura Schluckebier

Production: Tool
Interactive Director: Aramique
Managing Partner, Digital: Dustin Callif
Managing Partner, Live Action: Oliver Fuselier
Executive Producer: Jennifer Baker, Erich Joiner
Director of Digital & Experiential / EP: Chris Neff
Technical Director: Jeff Crouse
Producers: Jennifer Baker, Bill Galusha
Lead Software Developer: Matt Felsen
Front End Programmer: Lars Berg
Lead Designer: Mau Morgo
Sound Designer: Gary Gunn
Jr. Digital Producer: Jean Chang
Fabrication: SCPS Unlimited

Post Production: Team One Multimedia
Executive Content Producer: Bryan Cook
Associate Director Multimedia: Gina Grosso
Editor: Gabe Diaz
Assistant Editor: Brendan Carney
Lead Motion Graphics Artist: Robert Johnston
William McGuigan: Audio Mix / Sound Design

Color: The Mill
Colorist: Derek Hansen
Executive Producer, Color: Thatcher Peterson
Color Producer: Diane Valera
Production Coordinator: Robert Cohen

Music Video Production

Media Partner: Vevo
Vevo Media Sales: Michelle Gable, Oscar Contreras
Vevo Brand Solutions: Sophia Reichenbach, Rachel McEnerney, Allie Goodchild
Vevo Production: Dave Kalvert
Vevo Talent Relations: Parul Chokshi

Talent
Artist: Dua Lipa
Artist Management: TAP Management
Artist Record Label: Warner Bros. Records
Male Lead: Ansel Elgort

Production: Anonymous Content
Director: Daniel Kaufman
Director’s Representative: Caroline Clayton
Executive Producer: Nina Soriano
Line Producer: Mark Berger

For the second Sunday in a row, there’s a pot of this stew in the oven. That’s a picture of how colorful it looks when it goes in. When the timer beeps, four hours later, the greens and oranges have caramelized into the height of flavor.

It’s based off of the very famous (in my world) and very good Silver Palate short rib recipe. But there were a few stoppers in that recipe for me, namely beef stock, which I never have. I decided that any liquid would do, there are so many vegetables in the pot anyway, that flavor emerges inevitably. So far I’ve used: chicken stock, red wine, tomato juice from the can, and water. The stews are a little different each time, but always tasty, and the recipe is easy enough to make just for yourself, though also a fancy main dish for parties.

The original short ribs contribute plenty of flavor and fat, and they have one more perk: Since they’re bigger, you brown fewer. Pieces of chuck roast work just as well, you’ll just be browning a few minutes longer. After that step, the rest of the ingredients get piled into the pot and hoisted into the oven. For four hours, you do whatever you need to do on Sundays, and then you eat.

Here’s the recipe.

Sarai Mitnick left her tech job in Oakland, CA eight years ago with a heart for designing and publishing sewing patterns for women who wanted to make their own clothes. “It was something I felt deeply passionate about, but I couldn’t afford to start a business in the San Francisco area.” Sarai and her husband, Kenn Wilson, founded Colette Patterns in 2009, a publishing company that creates home sewing patterns, books and an online magazine called Seamwork for sewists of all experience levels. Since then, Colette has grown to an office of 11 enthusiastic and creative people with the goal to revive the art of sewing and home garment making. Their modern taste and variety give followers an open invitation and resources to curate a wardrobe with their own hands.

The couple has been a part of their current neighborhood since the move, and they feel fortunate to have found a house in the same area five years ago. “It’s really walkable and there are plenty of restaurants and bars around, but it’s still quiet and residential. I feel incredibly thankful that we get to own a home in such a wonderful neighborhood,” Sarai shares. Working with a small budget, Sarai and Kenn looked at a dozens of “run-down, creepy, smelly places” before walking into their 1923 colonial revival house. Sarai grew up in an old house and couldn’t imagine living in a space that lacked historic character and charm. They immediately refinished all the original floors, which had been covered with Pergo laminate, and coated the rooms with soft, cool colors to reflect as much natural light as possible and counteract dark Portland days. “One of the rooms was painted bright turquoise, including the ceiling, and the floor was painted shiny white. Because the floor reflected the turquoise, it gave the appearance of blue skin when you walked in!” After the initial renovations, they started taking care of little things like lighting and shelves, and tried not to overthink how the house should look, but focused on finding décor that captured their interests. “I tend to just collect things that feel like me or that I find particularly beautiful,” Sarai shares. “I like the way a house evolves over time and reflects the people who live there. That’s more important to me than whether or not it looks perfect.”

Sarai and Kenn work together all day, so their primary goal for the home was to create a space to recharge. Sarai believes that a home should, “inspire serenity and a certain amount of curiosity.” The space has a natural, homemade air with a penchant for vintage imagery, floral patterns and quiet, cozy vignettes that provide the perfect escape from an active lifestyle. Surrounding themselves with books, photographs, art and other personal items helps Sarai and Kenn unwind and activate the emotions they want to experience when they are home. “It’s like a good cup of coffee, relaxing and stimulating at the same time.” —Bethany Joy Foss

Photography by Sarai Mitnick

Notebook lovers, rejoice! The Bookblock Editions collection is a series of colorful and fun notebooks by 12 renowned illustrators. From soft watercolor landscapes to graphic geometry to hand sketched animal studies to vector cityscapes, there is a design for everyone. The artists created four unique designs in their own, distinct style and each notebook has a soft cover, and is a great collectable item for stationery lovers. The notebooks are made by combining modern technology and traditional bookbinding methods to create a durable notebook that’s also affordable, and are cased-in by hand to ensure high quality products.

Annu Kilpelainen

Annu Kilpelainen

Thomas Hedger

Thomas Hedger

Supermundane

Supermundane

Rob Flowers

Rob Flowers

Marylou Faure

Marylou Faure

Martina Paukova

Martina Paukova

Maggie Chiang

Maggie Chiang

David Doran

David Doran

Claudine O’Sullivan

Claudine O’Sullivan

Ben O’Brien

Kristen Boydstun

If there were three takeaways from this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show they were: 1. SUVs are back with a vengeance, 2. virtual reality is the new marketing tool of choice for auto manufacturers, and 3. matte grey paint is the unofficial concept car color of 2016/2017. Jaguar also unveiled a showstopper electric SUV, 3D printed auto parts/detailing were on display everywhere, Bentley’s new luxury SUV is as smooth and luxurious as you’d imagine, and I might have found a strong contender for my next car. There weren’t as many outlandish concept vehicles at this year’s show with numerous vehicles already unveiled earlier this year, but the following vehicles left their impression as expressions of design, ergonomics, and future automotive technologies:

Divergent 3D Blade Supercar
The retina-tantalizing paint job stopped plenty of passerbys in mid-stride. Closer inspection revealed a supercar that is built based on 3D printed aluminum parts, one powered by a 700 HP engine capable of slingshotting this vehicle from 0-60 in 2.2 seconds.

Bentley Bentayga
I can’t say I really experienced Bentley’s first SUV at its full and intended capabilities; Los Angeles traffic basically negated the Bentayga’s 600 HP, 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged W12 engine to a staccato of stop and go traffic – albeit a remarkably smooth, quiet, and comfortable evening commute in its back seat. That said, the slow drive gave me an opportunity to carefully inspect the characteristic craftsmanship of a luxury vehicle not so much driven as donned, like a bespoke suit. The interior is graced by so much hand stitching, a Chesterfield couch would be struck with envy. Small details like the round touch capacitive lighting brought unexpected joy as passengers fiddled around. But ultimately this is a vehicle designed to be enjoyed driven, not driven in, with serious off-road capabilities hidden behind its ultra-luxury SUV appearances tested and tuned out in the dunes outside of Dubai. Your best bet catching a Bentaygas out in the wild will be in Dubai, Los Angeles, South Beach, and in tonier parts of China – markets that helped define Bentley’s most popular model.

Acura Precision Concept
The Precision’s muscular downward demon pose and Diamond Pentagon grille were both what first lured me closer. But it was a closer inspection that revealed a dazzling frozen constellation of shattered geometry housed within its Jewel Constellation LED headlights that convinced me this was the show car I wanted most to drive off in. Alas, the Precision is all show, no go – a design study intended as the aesthetic framework for the entirety of Acura’s future vehicles. We found some consolation in the official unveiling of the Acura Precision Concept next door, a futuristic instrument panel and console system demo complementary to the Precision’s concept exterior – an interior representing Acura’s vision of intelligent and adaptive technologies, all controlled from a pair of 12.3-inch LCDs and a console touchpad.

Cadillac Escala
Cadillac reps made it a point to emphasize the Escala’s nine layers of paint, a finish that gave the concept a chameleon-like presence under the bright show lights. The 22-inch wheels, slung-back profile, its blunt nose front, and five-door liftback design further underlined the “flagship model” spirit on display. Even the Cadillac emblem is neutralized into a minimalist badge, with focus redirected to the tasteful execution. But it was the Escala’s light grey fabric against an inlay of walnut that left the greatest impression, an interior that steers away from most of the tropes of automotive interiors and more toward fashionable textures and color combinations. Let’s hope something close to this design exercise becomes reality.

Infiniti QX Sport Inspiration Concept
This was the North American coming out party for Infiniti’s mid-size SUV concept – perhaps a misnomer noting the open intent behind the QX Sport Inspiration is to transition from concept to a production vehicle with many of the styling cues intact. Infiniti’s tri-city collaboration between their Beijing, San Diego, and London design studio’s basically created a tastefully aggressive mid-size SUV that normally would expect from Audi in years past. If any vehicle at the show wore a matte finish best, it was the QX Sport Inspiration.

Mitsubishi eX Concept
The angularity and harsh creased lines are admittedly a love/hate affair, but the bodywork by Michael Bay design was undeniably eye-catching. I also give Mitsubishi points for bucking the trend of sedate and neutral colors, the bright yellow communicating the all-electric, 250-mile range engine inside its next generation skin. They also had the longest line at the show, partially because of the eX Concept, but also thanks to an impressive buffet.

Jaguar I-PACE CONCEPT
Most memorable LA Auto Show unveiling goes to Jaguar, who invited a gaggle of journalists to don HTC Vive headsets to explore the interior, exterior, and inner workings of the manufacturer’s very first electric crossover in virtual reality. While we were all oohing and ahhing blind to the real world, Jaguar secreted the concept to reveal the real thing before our very eyes. Sneaky, but well played. What was even better was inspecting what might be the very first serious Tesla contender at the luxury end, a fighter jet rolling on four giant 23-inch Nighthawk wheels, capable of a 220+ mile range and 0-60 in 4 seconds acceleration. And I think every car moving forward need’s the I-Pace’s full-length panoramic glass roof embedded with LEDs. Wow!

Chevy Colorado ZR2
Maybe you didn’t expect to find a pickup truck in the mix, but Chevy’s sequel to their popular and highly-rated Colorado ZR1 is everything I’m looking for in a mid-size truck, including a very tastefully executed aggressive profile from every angle. The styling is undeniably rugged, but the ZR2’s leaned back posture communicates speed usually seen over in the crossover market, and I couldn’t find any angle as it was spun around for inspection that I found disagreeable. Outfitted with improved dynamic suspension, higher clearance, and 1,100 lbs payload capability, I’m going to have a hard time deciding between a ZR2 and Toyota’s similarly categorized Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro. I’m just disappointed I missed out on the drive-along obstacle course.

Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster
The GT Roadster was memorably the show vehicle I saw the most people taking selfies while sitting behind its wheel. Getting any alone time with this popular car required patience. Considering the GT Roadster will probably fall in the ballpark of $150,000 when available fall next year, it’s no wonder show attendees were prone to fawn and fantasize for a few moments.

Divergent 3D Dagger Motorcycle
Another 3D printed vehicle from Divergent 3D, this time a two-wheeled 3D-printed carbon fiber chassis, one “50% lighter than contemporary motorcycle materials” designed for speed and fuel efficiency. Can you believe this was constructed just a day before the show?

Suburu VIZIV-7 SUV Concept
Nevermind the name – short for “Vision for Innovation” – the VIVIZ-7 is a big deal for an automotive brand that has defined and (re)captured a new generation of drivers by mostly ignoring the SUV trend for a stable of beloved crossovers. The three-row seven seater from Subaru will be the brand’s biggest vehicle ever in dimensions, with yet-to-be-determined reception for the manufacturer’s legion of Forester, Outback, and WRX loyalists, but the large crowds at the show bode well.

Porsche 911 RSR
What’s better than a Porsche 911? Very little, to be honest. Porsche rarely fiddles with the evolution of its most iconic model. But this racecar designed to endure the 24 Hours of Le Mans houses some newsworthy news that may shock Porsche loyalists: the 2017 RSR moves from a rear-engine over to a mid-engine design, with a carbon fiber exterior attached to the chassis by latches. The combination of lightweight aerodynamic design and 510 hp delivery is counter-balanced with radar-supported warning system designed to help avoid accidents, something quite useful in a car intended to compete at teeth-clenching speeds.

Toyota C-HR Concept
The C-HR – Coupe High-Rider if you want to get specific – looks like a beefier Toyota Mirai from some angles with a splash of Land Rover Discovery thrown in if you squint. Toyota is calls the exterior design language a “distinctive diamond” and there is indeed a bevy of sharp angles defining the profile of this compact crossover.

Volvo V90 Cross Country
Volvo really knows how to shape metal these days. Their V90 Cross Country’s sleek profile belies how much usable room is available within, and how much ground clearance this category defining sports wagon offers.

The Pink Panthermobile
The most ridiculous, strangest vehicle at the LA Auto Show wasn’t a future-forward concept, but a throwback from the late 1960s – a vehicle designed for the The Pink Panther Show. It really didn’t matter where you stood, every angle presented a wonderfully weird and imaginative view from the front, side, and back. The interior was no less over-the-top, with shag carpeting, a liquor display case, pink telephone, and rabbit ear antenna within inviting a comfortable…ahem…time inside.

Oh my gosh, I have been waiting for this. Notebooks from Society6!!! Now, you can take notes, create to-do lists, write poems, doodle, or whatever you do in a notebook, and be inspired by and support an artist. The notebooks are available lined or unlined. SO EXCITED!!! PLUS 20% Off + Free Shipping on Everything through 11/28 so grab a shopping cart full of stuff this weekend. Here are some of our favorite notebooks (we want them all!):

D24 notebook by Georgiana Paraschiv

Confusing times notebook by Laura Avila

Swing Time notebook by Keith Negley

Red lips notebook by Monika Juengling

Pink tropical haze notebook by Nikkistrange

Snake Green notebook by Paul Fuentes

Graphic 83 notebook by Georgiana Paraschiv

Eye Don’t Care notebook by Farsidian

LIVING in MARS / Building 06-07-16 notebook by Menchulica

STACKED notebook by Wesley Bird

In an ongoing effort to support independent artists from around the world, Design Milk is proud to partner with Society6 to offer The Design Milk Dairy, a special collection of Society6 artists’ work curated by Design Milk and our readers. Proceeds from the The Design Milk Dairy help us bring Design Milk to you every day.

Not everyone gets around to buying art for themselves as many of us are focused on the necessities. But surrounding yourself with art, with various patterns, textures, colors, etc., can easily bring you joy and happiness, which most definitely is pretty necessary in these times. We looked around and found some great works of art, at varying price points, that anyone would love to own.

Gabriel Stromberg Study Print \\\ $60
A limited edition silkscreen print with simple black line patterns on a pale pink background.

Concrete and Glass, Midtown East (NYC) Print by Amy Park \\\ $150-$575
Amy Park’s incredible watercolor paintings of iconic architecture are breathtaking and full of detail and come in affordable prints, like this one.

“Pink Pop, 2016” by Jeffrey Cutaiar \\\ $1950
An original abstract piece in shades of pink, black, and white acrylic paint and marker.

Joshuas Print by Max Wanger \\\ $150
A peek at the tops of desert plants giving you just enough to let your mind go there and imagine the rest of the image.

Kalypto Print by Eskayel \\\ $45-$90
A dreamy watercolor print of one of Shanan Campanaro’s signature watercolor paintings in a soothing color palette.

Rainbow Mirror by Bride & Wolfe \\\ $85
A playful mini rainbow sculpture with a hint of 70s and 80s pop culture.

Print Disturbed Circles by One Must Dash \\\ $74
A simple, graphic print of double circles where one becomes interrupted, or “disturbed”.

Moon and Back – Silver by Studio January \\\ $50
A subtle, silvery screen printed image of the moon that was shot at Yellowstone National Park.

Block Shop x Capsule Mosaic Indigo Textile \\\ $120
A collaboration that led to this custom-made textile that would look beautiful as a wall hanging or on a table.

Bottle Vase by The Granite \\\ $76
Choose between two different painted patterns for this simple vase that looks beautiful full of flowers or without.

Iconic manufacturer Herman Miller has decided to take a step in a whole new direction – they’ve opened a flagship, direct to consumer store in New York City. The retail shop spans 6,000 square feet on the ground and second floors of Herman Miller’s Manhattan offices at Park Avenue South, which is pretty exciting since it’s the first retail brick and mortar store since their Textiles & Objects shop shuttered in 1967.

Its design feels like a modern home, a home where everything is for sale, from the large furniture to the tiniest object. Each of the rooms in the store offer design ideas and problem-solving designs for living, working, dining, socializing, and sleeping. Paired with the current and vintage Herman Miller roster are a curated selection of design objects from around the world.

As always, you can shop their online store if you can’t make it in person to the new NYC store.

Photos by Nicholas Calcott.

We’re in full swing getting ready for December events here at Pinch. And as we are creating new experiences for our clients, we can’t help but think of holiday parties of yesteryear, like when Dan Aykroyd dressed as Santa in Trading Places, smuggles a whole smoked salmon behind a giant ice sculpture and an obscene display of shrimp and cocktail sauce. How far we’ve come! This month we are exploring ice.

Ice as a medium is such an anomaly. It’s hard and heavy, yet fragile and temporary.

We have dabbled in some creative designs using ice on our own. But ultimately we prefer collaborating with our favorite ice masters at Okamoto Studio in New York.

Here are some examples of their work that goes beyond a caviar bar.

Or here is a stunning piece by Scott Grove from Rochester New York. This surprisingly intricate work of ice-art is formed into a giant knot. Alas, when spring arrives, the minimalist sculptures will melt away, hopefully along with any lingering seasonal melancholy.

Photo by AFP

Then there is ice-art for awareness, like this artwork by Olafur Eliasson and Minik Rosing addressing climate change. Last December at the Place du Pantheon in Paris, twelve immense blocks of ice from a fjord outside Nuuk, Greenland were arranged in a clock formation during the COP21.

Photo by AFP

Photo courtesy Birmingham Mail

Or the Melting Men exhibit by Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo in Berlin. This amazing installation of 1,000 melting figures was done in collaboration with the WWF to highlight global warming and bring awareness on the rapid loss of ice worldwide.

Anita Thompson says she has ‘found a legal method’ to extract DNA from six of the gonzo journalist’s personal strains of marijuana

Fans of gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson may one day get to smoke his own brand of marijuana, thanks to the efforts of his widow, Anita Thompson.

Anita told the Aspen Times that she has six strains of her late husband’s preferred marijuana saved and is working with a cannabis company to grow them for public sale.

Congress set to review bills to authorize intelligence body to oppose Russian interference and propaganda, which could be at odds with Trump administration

A provision in intelligence legislation that is going through Congress would create a new high-level body aimed at thwarting covert Russian political interference around the world, potentially placing it at odds with the incoming Donald Trump administration.

The measure, tucked into the fiscal 2017 House and Senate bills authorizing US intelligence operations, would create a powerful new committee across the security services to oppose Russian destabilization measures and propaganda domestically and worldwide.

I don’t expect most “repeal and replace” advocates are arguing in good faith about the health care system, but in case they are, just a reminder — much as detractors like to complain endlessly about Obamacare, we had big problems that led to its passage in the first place. This post from November 2006:

Fort Wayne Libertarian Mike Sylvester has a good post on the healthcare crisis. Some of his stats:

Healthcare costs are rising 8 – 10% per year and are projected to rise at that rate through 2010.

For 2005 the cost of a comprehensive healthcare plan was $11,480 for a family of 4 for one year.

. . .

The United States currently spends 16% of the entire National GDP on healthcare. This will grow to 20% by 2015. The United States spends the HIGHEST percentage of GDP in the world on healthcare. 2nd and 3rd are Germany and Switzerland at 11% of GDP. In relative terms, we spend 1.5 times as much as the next most expensive country per capita on healthcare. Also please remember that EVERYONE in Germany and Switzerland have free healthcare of some sort.

In the U.S. we spend more and get less than just about anyone in terms of healthcare. We have all the bureaucracy of a government system without the equity that usually comes along with it.

Some links to past healthcare entries in this blog:

• In Indiana, Rep. Orentlicher seemed to have been taking the lead in developing solutions, according to the minutes of the Select Joint Commission on Medicaid Oversight. He was looking to the Veteran’s Administration as a model for reengineering health care delivery.
• Healthcare and poverty in Indiana. Hoosiers had the highest rate of “medical bankruptcies” per capita. 9 to 14% of Hoosiers are uninsured. $950 of a family’s annual insurance premium is used to pay for the uninsured. Soon to be ex-representative Troy “I’ll Never Vote For It” Woodruff blamed the problem on Hoosier smoking and obesity.
• There is an effort to use schools as healthcare delivery centers for children.
• Too many of our healthcare dollars get spent on bureacracy, wasteful subsidies, and treating catastrophic illnesses that could’ve been nipped in the bud if the patient had been able to afford routine medical care.
• Eight conservative, good-for-business reasons for a single-payer healthcare system. (Short version: 1. Transaction costs; 2. Employer funding; 3. The basic idea of insurance; 4. Value; 5. Risk cost of receivables; 6. Service quality; 7. Efficiency; 8. Patriotism.)

Vandalism at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Bean Blossom, Indiana included “Heil Trump,” a swastika, and “Fag Church.”

James Duffy, writing for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, has an article on the increase in abuse directed at Latinos, blacks, and Muslims in Fort Wayne, and an increase in anxiety felt by members of those groups.

Fort Wayne has seen incidents. The day of the rally, a garage on the city’s northeast side was spray-painted with the word “Trump,” and the house was later shot at.

. . .

Guillermo “Memo” Contreras, a deejay on Fort Wayne’s Spanish-language radio station La Unica 102.3 FM, said he receives at least seven phone calls a day now from parents whose children ask to be picked up from school because they are being bullied over Trump’s promise to build a wall along the southern border of the U.S. and Mexico.

Contreras, whose radio program runs 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., said he rarely received such phone calls from listeners before the election. One parent told him her child was told by a teacher not to speak Spanish.

. . .

Graffiti spray painted at the city pool in Tell City, Indiana

The attacks the Muslim population is seeing are “a bit more verbal than anything else,” said Michael Spath, executive director at the Indiana Center for Middle East Peace in Fort Wayne. “Intimidation. (Comments such as) ‘you’re not wanted here’ and vulgar language are being used.”

. . .

Attending the forum was John Houser, principal of Wayne High School, whose student-athletes were subjected to an incident at a Nov. 8 girls basketball game at Norwell High School.

A cheering section started chanting “Build That Wall,” said Superintendent Scott Mills of Northern Wells Community Schools. The action was immediately stopped by high school principal Mark Misch, he said.

Fort Wayne is not the only Indiana area experiencing such things. For example, in Bean Blossom a church was vandalized with spray paint saying “Heil Trump,” “Fag Church,” and a swastika. In Tell City, the pool was vandalized with a swastika and “Trump”.

August 7, 1930 in Marion, Indiana. A white mob murders Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith. A man in the crowd poses for a picture.

It doesn’t take a lot of this kind of thing to make a members of a non-majority group feel extremely uneasy. And that’s not just them being delicate or fragile. We really aren’t that far historically from a time when white men felt comfortable having their pictures taken at a lynching.

What’s going on with all of this? Is it a new trend, a precursor to more frequent and more violent events to come? Is it just a few bad apples, being sensationalized by media outlets (mine included)? Are minority groups panicking more than the events warrant?

I couldn’t say. Growing up, I — and I think probably most Americans — were indoctrinated with the tale of Nazi Germany as a cautionary tale. It’s been overdone for sure. Mike Godwin was getting at that when he invented Godwin’s Law. Every Internet discussion thread devolved into Nazi comparisons. That said, when a political leader stokes ethnic resentment for political power, it’s tough not to draw comparisons. On the other hand, the United States in the late 2010s is not in the same dire economic state as 1930s Germany, nor are we suffering from postwar humiliation. So, the hope would be that we are not as vulnerable.

Similarly, I have no real ability to judge the reaction of minority groups who feel threatened by these incidents. I’m an upper middle class white professional in a community that is relatively diverse and prosperous. West Lafayette has a diverse nonwhite population, but because of the presence of Purdue, many members of that population are of a professional class. We talk of race and wealth in our politics, but we very often do not discuss social class as a thing distinct from those factors. And I think that creates something of a blind spot in our political discussions.

What should we do about this? Again, I’m not full of answers. Specific instances should, where criminal, be investigated and prosecuted. Noncriminal acts should, at a minimum, trigger social disapproval. Beyond that, Trump supporters of good will should avoid the temptation to perceive discussion of these issues as a personal attack and reflexively dismiss them as unimportant.

For my part, I think I need to do a better job of respecting the feelings of those who feel attacked and marginalized in a lot of ways – whether it’s the black man who fears the police, the woman who fears sexual assault, American who fears terrorist attacks, the gun owner who fears crime, the Christian or Muslim who fears the loss of religious freedoms, or whatever it might be. It’s easy for me to sit back and philosophically note that the statistics don’t necessarily support the level of fear. The fear is, nevertheless, very real to the person experiencing it. The question is what can I (and what can we) do to reduce this pervasive anxiety. Compassion for the person experiencing the anxiety is one reason to address it. But the larger reason is that the anxiety is corroding our social institutions and our relationships to one another.

There was a time when it was in vogue to cover your sofas in plastic, keep the formal dining room spotless, and strive for perfectly-visible vacuum lines. It was the age of tupperware and pastels, when keeping things preserved was obviously the way to go. Times are changing, though. We are seeing more and more homes built to be truly lived in. No rooms are off limits, decorations are less precious and kids are more free to be creative and (dare I say it) mess things up a little.

There’s such freedom and joyfulness that comes with this feeling of letting go. And that’s exactly what Katie Sarokhanian of Rus in Urbe Home and her husband Nicholas strive to infuse into the Dallas, TX home where they’re raising their three daughters. By setting a certain tone with the decorations they bring home, Katie and Nicholas let the kiddos know that messing up a little something there or getting something dirty here isn’t a big deal. Instead of being focused on how they’re making a mess, they want their daughters to focus on things that bring them joy. In order to keep themselves from stressing when stuff gets broken or blemished, they eagerly pick through vintage shops and browse Craigslist listings. Not only is it fun, but since these thrifty finds don’t break the bank, their wear and tear is much easier to take. “My most important goal is to never be attached to any thing in my home. I want my friends’ kids to run around and have fun. I like having the house full of people, and I never ever care when wine is spilled or things are broken,” Katie tells us.

Just because these affordable finds aren’t shiny and new doesn’t mean Katie and Nicholas have sacrificed their personal style. On the contrary, their collection of pillows and textiles seems right out of a bohemian dream. Rich red blankets, patterned pillows and an eclectic mixture of layered textiles help guests and the family alike feel at home from the second they walk in the door. Click through to see just how well the couple has managed to craft a pretty home that isn’t afraid to get a little dirty. Enjoy! —Garrett

Photography by Kris Ellis

Claire and Parker Brody’s 900-square-foot rental home in downtown Austin, TX is filled with natural light and unique color combinations. Each room has an unexpected flavor that highlights their love of vintage furniture and crafting inviting spaces. Claire likes to experiment by choosing playful palettes and styling elements like paint, light fixtures and window treatments to create personality, while staying within the parameters of their rental agreement. The living room feels cozy with an eggplant colored bookcase, neutral walls and blue curtains that are balanced with warm furniture and décor, whereas the guest bedroom pulls from a range of greens and embraces comfortable textures. The dining room walls are painted a soft green complemented perfectly by luscious reds and sophisticated accessories. Check out more of Claire and Parker’s colorful space in their original home tour. —Bethany

Palette 1 – Living Room
A. Igloo Blue (Behr), PMS 552; B. Velvet Beret (Valspar), PMS 668; C. Desert Clay (Behr), PMS 4635; D. Tricycle Red (Benjamin Moore), PMS 186; E. Dove White (Valspar), PMS Warm Gray 1

Roundup 1 – Living Room
1. Vintage Hollywood Regency Floor Lamp, $285; 2. Nina Charme Tan Armchair, $999; 3. Red Pocket-Sized Encyclopedias, $299; 4. Black Wool Rug, $195.19; 5. Brass Duck Bookends, $28; 6. South Seas Bar Cart, $498; 7. Vogue Cover Print, $57

The second and third room images and product roundups continue after the jump!

Palette 2 – Guest Bedroom
A. Du Jour (Valspar), PMS Cool Gray 1; B. Sun Valley (Behr), PMS 371 ; C. Glitzy Gold (Sherwin Williams), PMS 1245; D. Eccentric Lime (Benjamin Moore), PMS 397 ; E. Purple Earth (Valspar), PMS 438

Roundup 2 – Guest Bedroom
1. Kensie Home Madison Velvet Pair of Panels, $108; 2. Yellow Roses by Redoute Poster, $9; 3. Cloudnola Trusty Gold Alarm Clock, $29.99; 4. Green Velvet Feather and Down Filled Throw Pillows, $35.99; 5. Luxe Velvet Lumbar Pillow Cover, $39; 6. Franklin Lamp Base, $26.59; 7. Velvet Cushion Cover, $9.99; 8. Blue Green Pillow Cover, $22; 9. Duval Burnished Antique Gold Frames, $29.95; 10. Seychelles Dove White Quilt, $339; 11. Slub Velvet Orianna Headboard, $1,648

Palette 3 – Dining Room
A. Breakfast Room Green (Farrow & Ball), PMS 5565; B. Million Dollar Red (Benjamin Moore), PMS 1805; C. Royal Garnet (Valspar), PMS 4975; D. Lunar Surface (Behr), PMS Cool Gray 5; E. Autumn Surprise (Valspar), PMS 463

Roundup 3 – Dining Room
1. Four White Roses Dark 36″ x 32.65″ Framed Print, $332.85; 2. Milo Baughman 1188 Dining Chair, $1,550; 3. Seno Table, $799; 4. Darya Rugs Tribal Norene Rug, $3,190; 5. Black Polyresin Vase, $14; 6. Division Street Stardust Pendant, $118

We’ve all faced difficult challenges before. Part of being someone who is actively engaged with their creativity is finding smart solutions to whatever problems come our way. This is especially true when you own your business (full-time or side-hustle) and ultimately have to count on yourself to get through. But sometimes – maybe even right now – you are faced with the kind of challenge that makes you question everything.

Giving up completely isn’t a real option. Shutting down is just delaying the inevitable. Feeling helpless is valid, until you need to get your s*** together again. Life moves forward whether you’re ready or not, so it’s our job to keep moving too. It won’t happen overnight, but change will come. Here’s my best advice on how to keep going so you’ll still be here when it does. –Adam J. Kurtz

Adam J. Kurtz (better known as ADAMJK) is an artist and author of 1 Page at a Time & Pick Me Up. His dark (but optimistic) humor comes to life in an offbeat line of gifts and small trinkets. Follow him at @ADAMJK or in real life (he lives in Brooklyn because of course he does).