ICFF week is winding down here in New York, which, among other things, means we’ve had a lot of European visitors with far-out shoes trawling the design stores for inspiration. As a “design professional” it is probably an anathema to admit that the ICFF has always kind of overwhelmed me. You know that scene in Amadeus where Mozart’s archrival Salieri dismisses one of Mozart’s masterpieces by declaring it has “too many notes”? That’s kind of how I feel. There are so many great things in one place I can’t focus. So, in honor of being overwhelmed by design, here are three places I’ve been finding inspiration this week besides the ICFF:
 
 
I rarely see work by Eliel Saarinen out in the world. These perfectly proportioned brass pieces coming up in Wright’s Scandinavian Design auction are a great reminder of his general prowess and impact on 20th Century American design. Father of Eero “St. Louis Arch Designer” Saarinnen, and teacher of Charles & Ray Eames, the elder Saarinen helped make the Cranbrook Academy of Art a hotbed of inspiring design during the early to mid 20th Century.
 
 
I’m such an immense sucker for sweet stationary I don’t know why it took me so long to find Present&Correct. I especially love these British Wildlife drawing cards designed for children and other aspiring artists to fill in the details like what those otters are having for dinner and how the bees pass the time in their hive. I’m also coveting the paper grab bags culled from their years of hoarding the best of the best 2D bits.
 
 
I know it is two years old, which in internet years makes it ancient history, but I’ve probably looked at this Apartment Therapy House Tour of Mason St. Peter and Serena Mitnik Miller’s San Francisco beach bungalow a hundred times over the past week. I love their ship-shape use of limited space, the army of potted succulents and the full catalog of shades of blue. For further inspiration & fresh content, check out their rad and beautifully curated store, General Store.
 

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