Gardening for Dummies!

I  don’t have a green thumb and I think that’s why I was completely blow away by the beauty of the air plants at Nest, a new home accessories store in Columbus. (Air plants or Tillandsia need no soil because water and nutrients are absorbed through the leaves). These are definitely my new plant of choice- it’s like gardening for dummies!  I was equally blown away by the fantastic home accessories, especially the vintage finds, at Nest.  Thanks guys, for showing stores like Anthropologie, that you can sell uber cool stuff at reasonable prices. I’m excited to check out Shine, their 2nd store featuring a larger furniture selection.

Hotdogs and Wallpaper at Dirty Frank’s

Dirty Frank’s is a local hot dog joint (that serves vegetarian versions of everything on the menu!) with a cool  interior, down to the “custom” wallpaper in the bathroom. dirtyfrankscolumbus.com/

Keeping it Retro

The windows of Flower Child, the vintage furniture store in Columbus’ artsy Short North district, tempt us with the promise of mid-century goodies. And the 2-level, multi-room retro heaven does not disappoint with tons of interesting, fabulously kitschy, finds. flowerchildvintage.com

Stripes & Sushi at Edamame

Dramatic horizontal stripes in lemon/lime hues at Edamame Sushi & Grill in Columbus, OH. Love the wood framed suspended “rooms” on either end of the restaurant.  www.edamamesushiandgrill.com

Boston, Old & New

I was in Boston last week for the first time and while the highlight was connecting with old friends and making new ones, the city also offered some delightful interiors. It being one of the country’s earliest cities, I was not surprised to find old churches with original furnishings, but I was surprised to find that they still held services! The King’s Chapel was my favorite. We encountered it as one of the landmarks on the Freedom Trail, which did not turn out to be as touristy as people warned us. (This was probably because as haters of tourist traps, we opted for the self guided version rather than the type led by an overzealous dude in over-the-top colonial garb. If you ever happen to be in Boston, own an iPhone, and want to check out the tour, the best way to do it is to download the free Freedom Walk app and enjoy a great walk. The market at Faneuil Hall is probably the most touristy stop, but is not a bad place to break for lunch and grab some clam strips or a lobster roll). Designed by America’s first architect, Peter Harrison, and completed in 1754, the King’s Chapel is considered the finest example of Georgian church architecture in North America. Now I’m no expert on Georgian church architecture, but man is it a beauty! The original high-walled pews (intended to help keep out the harsh New England cold) retain many or the original furnishings and are still used today for Sunday services, as well as weddings and other events. The cushions have been recovered many times throughout history, but still have the original horsehair filling!

Then our friends took us to Chill Tart for some FroYo. Because it’s really yummy and –I’m thinking- because the interior is fab. I’m used to most yogurt places being really contemporary and cool in a Pink Berry-ish fashion, but this one I especially loved for the ingenious use of material. Spanning the entire length of the store was a dimensional wall that was basically different sized MDF-type panels applied to the wall in two layers and painted in a crisp and glossy white.

It was simple and brilliant and dramatic all at once. Or maybe it’s just that I have favorable opinions of interiors when I’m eating something delicious.