Diana's Daydream

In yesterday's post, I played around with the idea of taking the imagery that a song a creates and turning it into a room. Ms. Diana was lovely enough to play along with me and she put together a beautiful collection.

wallpaper - bed - mirror - window seat - light

I think she really captured that place in between awake and dreamland that I see when I listen to the song. That bed is certainly a fairytale all on it's own but I think my favorite item is the window seat Diana included as a place to gaze out the window and stare at the fireflies at night. You can find a description of each item included in the collection here.

(fyi, the music player does not appear in google reader)

Anyone else care to play along? Here's what you have to do: Listen to Owl City's song Fireflies, put together a mood board that you think captures to essence of the lyrics, and either leave a link to your mood board in the comments or email it to me verdugo.designevolution@gmail.com. Be sure to include the links to any shops or art work you include in your collection. If you'd like to write up a little description of why you choose the items you did, that would be wonderful too.

Related Post:

Daydreaming a Room Design

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Daydreaming a Room Design

I'm totally hooked on Owl City's newest release Fireflies lately. If you haven't heard it yet I'm sure you will soon. I have a bad feeling it will soon me on over rotation and I will tire of it. Until then I love fanciful lyrics and the sweet images the song evokes. I was daydreaming this afternoon about spending some time in the space I imagine when listening to this song. When I close my eyes I see something similar to the space I put together below. Have a listen to the song and see if what I picture is anything like what you envision.

(fyi, the music player does not appear in google reader)

print - bedding - disco - throw - slippers - print - fairy lights - hide

So what do you think? Does it capture the whimsy that the song portrays? Give it a try yourself and see if you can turn Fireflies into an interior space.

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Jonathan Adler Warehouse Sale - NY

Heads up to those in the greater NYC area, Jonathan Adler is having a warehouse sale in Long Island City this weekend only.

30 - 70 percent off Adler housewares is enough to entice me, how about you? Side note: don't you just love the fun colors and graphics they use for the Jonathan Adler promos and email newsletter? I guess I shouldn't really expect any less from him.

Hope you all have a great weekend. In addition to some I shopping I plan on checking out this art exhibit, can't wait. See you back here Monday morning.

Image Credit: Jonathan Adler

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It's Official, I'm in Love

It's official, I've found my dream home decor.  What I find hilarious is that I'm currently decorating my home and it looks nothing like the photos below.  It's feeling much younger with brighter colors and more modern furniture.  But when I saw these photos it was love at first site.  These will have to be stashed in the inspiration file for the next major moved because I'm certainly not starting from scratch.



I can honestly say I love every single thing about.  The totally neutral backdrop with punches of deep, rich color and ethnic prints, the perfect mix of classic furniture pieces with a few modern ones thrown in, the view (this one is going to be tough to find in NJ).



One thing I especially love about this home is the simple white bedding.  It leaves you with the ability to quickly change the look of the room but just adding a throw and a few pillows.  It's also leaves you the option to easily (and less expensively) change your bedding seasonally.



I'm throwing in this last photo just for fun, isn't it fabulous?



Photo Credits: Haven in Paris, yes again I'm hooked on that site

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Steal This Idea...

...Create a simple painted headboard.

A solid color painted about 1/3 up the wall creates the illusion of a headboard.  Carry the stripe along the full length of the wall for added impact.

Photo Credit: Haven in Paris

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Steal This Idea...

P.S. Haven in Paris site discovered thanks to Nichole.  I suggest you spend sometime checking out the site and dreaming about planning a trip to Paris.  There are some breathtaking properties available for rent. 

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Discover: Interior Design

Hello folks, my crazy project schedule has been put hold so that means I should have more time to spend with you all. Today I wanted to introduce you to a blog I've been following for the past six months. The blog is Discover: Interior Design written by Kristin Warbington, a LEED AP Interior Designer based in Georgia.
  

Discover: Interior Design is not just a blog full of beautiful interior photos (not that we don't all love those), it dispenses fundamental information to help you navigate the field of interior design. It's like you're getting a free education in the field. I especially want to point towards a recent post which describes the Elements & Principles of Interior Design. The Elements and Principles of interior design form the foundation for all design. The application of these elements and principles creates an interior that is both physically and psychologically comfortable. The Elements of Design are: Space, Line, Shape, Texture, Light, Color, & Pattern. The Principles of Design are: Balance, Harmony, Rhythm, Emphasis, Scale & Proportion. I won't really elaborate any more from there, be sure to check out Kristin's post because the post is well written and the information is easy to digest.  

If you are a novice to the field of interior design and read a lot of design blogs you probably see these terms used often.  Having this basic foundation will help you to really understand why a room design works. Instead of looking at a photograph and thinking' "oh, that's a beautiful space" you will have the tools needed to dissect the space and translate the elements and principles it displays into your own home.

While you're visiting Discover: Interior Design the Design Jargon and Decor Tips pages.  These are also loaded with useful (and interesting) information. 

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Kreme Life

Wallpaper has made a fantastic comeback and I'm always on the look out for really fun and interesting patterns. Enter Kreme Life.  Kreme Life creates low VOC, eco-solvent wallpapers, designed and manufactured in California.




These smaller scale design companies are pumping out some really awesome designs though they can pricey for a single roll making them cost prohibitive for an entire project.  What's great about these Kreme Life papers is that they are offered in frameable sheet sizes like 18"x24" and 24"x36" for only $45 and $55, respectively.  It's an affordable way to bring some interesting color and pattern into a room.


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Victoria & Albert Pattern Book Series


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Nice Package

Alright kids stop your snickering.  Well, okay I'll admit it, the shop name makes me giggle a bit and I hope the pun was totally intended.  I'll get serious now because this is exciting news.  Two lovely and talented ladies have teamed up to create a unique line of home decor products and packaging supplies.  So, with out further a due,  I give you Nice Package:

website - blog - bigcartel - etsy - twitter

Every single thing in the shop is sweet and special and packaged with attention paid to every last wonderful detail.  Of course, I'm not at all surprised by how wonderful the shop is, it's brought to us by these two lovely ladies:

Ez on the left & Marichelle on the right

The shop is officially open for business next week but I couldn't wait to share it with you.  Head over to site and start browsing now so you can have your shopping list all nice and ready for when they officially open.  For the creative gift packaging challenged I must recommend the Total Package - Winter Essentials Kit.  With 15 different items, it has everything you need to create the most beautiful gifts that friends and family will almost not want to open.

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Color Lines - A.I.R. Gallery

Starting tomorrow night and running through November 1st a fabulously talented artist friend of mine, Taryn Wells, is having a solo exhibition at the A.I.R. gallery in Brooklyn.  Taryn's work is thought provoking and the theme is often centered around her experiences as a mixed race individual growing up in a suburban, and primarily white, environment.

Taryn's primary medium is graphic and her drawings are so finely detailed they often feel almost as lifelike as a photograph.  I always moved by her pieces and definitely recommend that you check out this exhibition. Please see the the press release below for a complete description of this showing as well as gallery address, dates, and times. 

BROOKLYN, NY, SEPTEMBER 2009 - A.I.R. Gallery is pleased to announce Color Lines, a solo exhibition by artist Taryn Wells. The exhibition will be on view from October 7th through November 1st, 2009, with an opening reception on Thursday, October 8th from 6 to 8 pm.

Color Lines brings a distinct viewpoint to the often overlooked history of the multiracial American and the complicated subject of racial classification. The featured works examine the dualities and dark truths of America through a new perspective. Wells’ self-portraits illustrate her personal relationship to the topic as the artist identifies as multiracial. The drawings are sometimes sardonic, sometimes somber, but always compelling.

By using graphite for the entire series, Wells creates sharp contrasts and a sense of isolation and grit, portraying her problematic place in the world as a multiracial individual. Most importantly, the medium transmits the continuous motif of black and white – both a thematic and literal translation of identity. The incorporation of the “box” motif suggests that the subject is under the viewer’s microscope, imparting feelings of constraint and limitation.

“Ms. Wells’ work “provides no easy answers in her exquisite drawings which grapple with the psychological implications of society’s definitions of racial identity. These monumental graphite drawings of her own face, some of them nearly three feet tall, combine portraiture, anatomy, pop culture, and an unflinching gaze to create an artistic tour de force.” -Susan Navarre, Executive Director, Brookline Arts Center

Color Lines asks us to discard our prior beliefs and look at race in a new manner, for Well’s works offer an opportunity for dialogue concerning the plurality of race.

Taryn Wells earned her BFA at Boston College. She is the recipient of numerous awards and her work has been featured in several publications including Nerve House and CALYX. Wells’ work is exhibited internationally, including New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Madrid, and Tokyo. She is a National Artist of A.I.R. Gallery in Brooklyn.

A.I.R. – ADVOCATING FOR WOMEN IN THE ARTS SINCE 1972. A.I.R. Gallery is located at 111Front Street, #228, in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn. Gallery hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 11am to 6pm. For directions please see www.airgallery.org. For additional information, please contact A.I.R. Gallery Director, Kat Griefen at 212-255-6651 or kgriefen@airgallery.org.

Image Credit: Taryn Wells

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Design Evolution Tumblr

I've just been slammed with a bunch of work for an important project so I anticipate a lighter blog posting schedule in the near future.  I thought this might be a good time to formally introduce you to the Design Evolution tumblr blog.

Initially I set up this for my own personal use and wasn't really planning on sharing it with anyone.  But then I though why not share. I use this blog as a place to dump all of the beautiful photos of interiors that I find around the web.  It's strictly interiors, all of photos are tagged with terms I feel are relevant to the photo and the source is linked under the image.  I highly recommend this type of blog to anyone looking for a way to organize a big stash of inspiration.  Tumblr blogs are super simple to set up and post to.  It takes just a few seconds to upload your photo(s) and include any text you'd like.  Just try not to get too sucked into the tumblr world, there's a lot of fab stuff out there.  

Have fun exploring, trying using search terms like - dining room, study, lighting, orange, etc. and see what you find.  Enjoy!

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Blueberry Scones

I've been changing up a few things here on Design Evolution and one of those things is I'm ditching Tasteworthy Tuesday. I've never been happy with that name so it bugs me every time I have to write and apparently I can't handle the pressure of having a feature that runs every week on the same day. There were weeks I would be lazy about cooking and have no recipe to share so I would feel guilty about it and some other weeks I would have a recipe to share and totally forget I was supposed to post in on Tuesday (spaz). But don't fret I will still be sharing some of my favorite recipes with you I'm just going to be a little more lax about when I post them. I would also like to go beyond just sharing recipes and include posts about entertaining, place setting ideas, etc. so look out for some new content in the near future.


So now that I got all of that out, on to the recipe.  This one is pretty easy, though a little messy, and thoroughly tasty.  I love to make these on lazy Sunday mornings.

Blueberry Scones
recipes makes 8 scones, adapted from a Tyler Florence recipe


Ingredients:


1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
5 tbsp. cold butter, cut into chunks
1 c. heavy cream
1 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)


Instructions:


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 


Sift together all dry ingredients. Using a couple forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate.  The secret to making scones is to not overwork the batter.  Fold the blueberries into the batter. I used fresh blueberries that I had tossed in the freezer so they wouldn't spoil.  It actually makes it much easier to incorporate the berries if they are frozen.  Otherwise they are easily smashed and you end up with blue scones.  


Here comes the messy part.  I've made these several times and each time I ended up with a mixture that was kind of wet.  This makes the shaping of the scones difficult but not impossible.  Press the dough out on to a well floured surface into a rectangle about 12ish by 3ish inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet.  If your scones stick to the table don't despair you can reshape them on the cookie sheet. This is what I usually have to do. If you'd like brush the tops of the scones with a little heavy cream and sprinkle with course sugar. 


Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and enjoy plain or topped with your favorite preserves.

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Tasteworthy Tuesday: Sour Cream Cheesecake

Tasteworthy Tuesday: Kitchens That Work

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Small Space Solutions Courtesy of a Chic French Flat

I love wasting the afternoon going through the small space galleries on the Marie Claire Mason site because (a) Europeans really know how to do functional, stylish, and we organized small homes and (b) in French they're called petits espaces which makes them sound so fabulous.

I wanted to share this charming 26 square meter (about 280 square feet) apartment because it has so many great space saving tricks anyone can emulate.  First up is the stylish coffee table that is adjustable in height so it can also be used as a small dining table.

At first glance I though the fridge an microwave was so fabulous combo appliance that they don't sell in the United States, well okay they only exist in dorm rooms and look like this.  With my wonderful translating skills (ahem, google translate) I discovered it is actually a custom cabinet built to house both of the appliances.  The cabinet provides a nice separation between the living space and the kitchen and helps them to look less like appliances and more like a piece of furniture.

I think the most genius idea in this apartment is the extra storage space that is built on to the inside of the closet door.  What a great way to build a ton more storage into a pretty small closet.  Definitely mark this as a "Steal This Idea".


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Small Space, Big Style

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Pantone Color Combos: Purple Heart, Nomad & Rapture Rose

More reader participation this morning joining in on all of this Pantone Color Combo fun. This mood board comes from Anita, a stylist and author of the blog 1richtungsblog. Anita's mood board incorporates two colors that I avoided, Purple Heart and Rapture Rose, and she does a great job with it. I especially love the addition of that beautiful wallpaper.

You can follow this link for a description of Anita's color combination choice and links to all of the shops she visited to pull this look together but since her blog is written in German I will do my best to translate here:  

1. Bring nature into the house with a wallpaper from the wallpaper Agency
2. Romantic candle with geometric engraving - almost too good to be lit (Zara Home)
   
3. Rustic pillows in washed linen provides structure and color to the sofa (H & M Home)
4. These pillows will provide contrast, cotton sateen (H & M Home)
5. I love the shape of this sofa - clear lines but somewhat rounded and cuddly thanks to down filling (Bolia)
6. Genuine mohair throw - Autumn is coming! (Zara Home)
7. My favorite colors in a pillow! :) (H & M Home)
   
8. Slim structured lighting (the red packet)
9. Rose-colored silk pillows (Zara Home)
10. For tea lights, perhaps? (Ikea)
11. Royal wool carpet - oh so glamorous! (Impresssionen)

I really enjoyed going through all of Anita's links because it brought me to so many shops that were unfamiliar to me here in the U.S. I'd love to get my hands on that die cut wool rug, for instance, and when the heck is Zara Home going to start shipping to the United States. 

The particulars: If anyone you would like to contribute a color combination collection please send along the links to your color combo mood board. You can either leave a link in the comments section (if you upload them to flickr or somewhere similar) or you can email the image directly to me at verdugo.designevolution AT gmail DOT com. I'll include your creation in an upcoming post on Design Evolution.

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Pantone Color Combos: Honey Yellow, Iron, &Nomad

Pantone Color Combos: Rapture Rose, Warm Olive, & Majolica Blue

Color Combination: Inspired by Pantone

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Variety is the Spice Of Life

I apologize for the totally lame title but I couldn't come up with anything better.  This however is not the least be lame.  Actually, it might be the most fantastic way to store spices that I've ever seen.

These honeycomb shaped jars are from Gneiss Spice an etsy shop based out of Brooklyn, NY.   The lids have strong neodymium magnets and are die stamped with spice names.  You can purchase the jars with our without spices and in the quantity you need.  I'm in love with how the spices are arranged by color in the product shot.  It makes me want to snatch it up immediately.


Join me Monday for more Pantone color combination mood boards created by readers of Design Evolution.


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Pantone Color Combos: Honey Yellow, Iron, & Nomad

Alright, keep them coming ladies (and gentlemen, I know there are a few of you out there) these mood boards are so great.  This next collection comes to us from Diana Brennan.  It's no surprise that Diana has a great eye, she has a stunning art photography shop that I suggest you pay a visit.  This color combination is probably the closest to what I would have in my own home.

mirror - print - chair - sofa - lamp - pillow - table - curtain

The bird print in the layout is from Diana's collection and he is such a perfect fit.  The print made me realize that I did not include any art pieces in my collections.  I will have to make sure I do next time.


One a totally unrelated note, Diana has the prettiest calender for sale in her shop.  I've been going back an forth about doing a calendar round up here on Design Evolution because I know many other bigger and better bloggers are preparing them now.  What I might do is pull together a round up of all of the round ups :)  Whatever I decide to do,  you need to at least see Diana's calendar.

I know what you're thinking and yes it does come with the clip board.  How great is that?


I should repeat the details in case anyone else would like to participate: If you would like to play please send the links to your color combo mood board (based on the colors provided here). You can either leave a link in the comments section (if you upload them to flickr or somewhere similar) or you can email the image directly to me at verdugo.designevolution AT gmail DOT com.  I'll include your creation in an upcoming post on Design Evolution.

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Color Combination: Inspired by Pantone

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Pantone Color Combos: Rapture Rose, Warm Olive & Majolica Blue

I threw a little request in at the end of Monday's post for some reader participation.  I asked anyone who wanted to play along to put together a mood board based on their favorite color combos from the colors found in the Pantone Fall Fashion Color Report.  I'm super excited that someone actually did participate.  These mood boards are from fellow interior design blogger and web friend, Tiffany Melanson (The Other Tiffany).  

I love what Tiffany pulled together especially since she incorporated the rose color in both, a color I hadn't included in any of my collections.  I'm dieing over that Ikat chair in the second grouping.  Tiffany, care you share your sources with everyone?

If anyone else would like to play please send along the links to your color combo mood board. You can either leave a link in the comments section (if you upload them to flickr or somewhere similar) or you can email the image directly to me at verdugo.designevolution AT gmail DOT com.  I'll include your creation in an upcoming post on Design Evolution.

Update: Tiffany included a post on her blog with links to the stores that carry all of the items in her mood boards.  You can find it here.  Thanks Tiffany!

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Color Combination: Orange & Aqua

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Need Some Advice on Window Treatments

I'm having a tough time figuring out how to hang window treatments in my living room so I was hoping to get some advice from my very helpful readers.

There are only two windows in the living room/dining room (we only have four windows in the entire condo) and right smack in the middle of them is our heating/cooling unit. Normally I'm a "hang 'em high and wide" type of person but that heating unit is providing some challenges.

I can't hang them wide at all. As a matter of fact the curtains would have to be hung pretty close to the window frame so that I don't obstruct the heating unit. The windows are pretty large so I'm not too concerned that I will crowd the windows and make them look smaller, I'm more concerned that I'll be blocking too much light. The drawing above demonstrates two panels on each window and I think it looks okay but light is a precious resources in this condo so I'm trying to come up with other options.

One idea I came up with is to hang the Dignitet curtain wire system from Ikea and have it span both windows. Basically I would be treating the entire area as one set of windows and would hang one panel at each end. This way I don't have to worry about heating unit and I can hang the curtain panels as wide set as I'd like. Do you think the wire spanning the wall between the two windows looks odd?

If it does seem a little odd, the other option would be to deal with each window separately and hang rods over each. I would still only hang one panel on each window so I can allow light in but now the question is does a rod with only one curtain panel on it look odd? Have any of you had to deal with a similar situation? If so, what did you decide was the best option? If you have any pictures I would love to see them.

Thanks a bunch!

-Michelle

Color Combination: Inspired by Pantone Fall Fashion Report

I spent the morning flipping through Pantone's Fall 2009 Fashion Color Forecast and I'm totally in love with all of the rich colors and the warm neutrals that they are paired with. Just one quick glance at the lineup of the color swatches and so many gorgeous color combinations jumped out at me. If you are having trouble deciding on a color scheme for your home or are not sure which colors will coordinate with which Pantone is a great place to start, there site is full of excellent tools. And don't just limit your self to the articles on interiors; fashion trends often translate wil in the home. Or if they project still seems too daunting you could always just ask me for help.

With the fall fashion forecast as my guide, I did some online shopping and found a ton of great furniture pieces and accessories to pull many of these color combinations together.

sofa - chair - rug - pillow - clock - lamp - side table - curtain

In some cases I don't actually intend for every one of these pieces to be used together, I just want to give you an idea of what's available out there. By checking out just a few of my favorite online retailers I was able to find furniture pieces and accessories available in every color from the report.

sofa - rug - curtain - lamp - pillow - vase - pillow - duvet

As always, the easiest way to incorporate some of the more bold and rich toned pieces is to layer them with a coordinating neutral. For me I find it easiest to have the wall color provide a neutral back drop this way those pieces really shine. If you're decorating on a budget you may also consider keeping all of the larger investment pieces of furniture neutral and utilize accessories like pillows, wall treatments, and rugs to add color to the space. If you are anything like me and your tastes change as often as the tides, having a neutral background allows to change the look of the space without having to spend too much money.

rug - chair - pillow - chair - lamp - curtain

I just thought of a fun exercise that I would love from you to participate in. Pick out your favorite color combination for those found in the color report and put together your own layout options. I'd love to see what you come up with!

Related Posts:

Color Combination: Orange & Aqua

Color COmbination: Navy & Teal

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Laura Ashley Wallpaper

Flipping through a magazine this morning I come across wallpaper in what I like to call "modern floral" prints in interesting color ways. I was surprised to read the footnote and see that the patterns were from Laura Ashley Wallpapers. I must admit I was still holding on to the idea that Laura Ashley was somewhat old lady and was probably the last place I would think to shop for wall coverings. I'm happy to say that I learned a little lesson about looking in unexpected places when pulling together a room design.

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Victoria & Albert Pattern Book Series

London's Victoria and Albert Museum hosts one of the largest archives of prints, textiles, and wallpaper patterns. In an effort to make their collection available to a much wider audience, V&A is publishing some of these patterns in a collection of books. Currently the collection contains for titles, "The Fifties", "William Morris", "Indian Florals", and "Digital Pioneers". Each book also includes a CD of all images featured. The intent of the books and CDs is to serve as inspiration, the digital images can be reworked or redrawn with the possibility of licensing the prints for new projects.

The books are available through the museum's V&A shop at £7.99 each or only £30 for a limited addition boxed set of all four titles.

I know some of you may think this is crazy, but the first thought that popped into my head when I saw this set was how I would love to dismantle the pages and frame the prints as artwork. Each book is 80 pages so at roughly 50 USD for the set that's only 15 cents a print. Now that's what I call affordable art. I can see 6, 8, or 12 of the prints framed and making a big statement. I almost forgot that each book comes with a CD of the prints. If the resolution of the prints is high enough I suppose you could print them out and frame them, then you wouldn't even have to take apart the books. Score!

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