interior design – Castle Foundations

Our Favorite Place to Stay in Hudson: Wm. Farmer and Sons

September 8, 2017September 8, 2017Leave a comment

We love a good day trip to Hudson, NY and although we normally go for just the day — we finally stayed over for the night and were so excited to check out Wm. Farmer and Sons. It’s not only a hotel, but they also have a restaurant and cocktail bar! After arriving to town, we checked into the James Louis suite and were blown away by how adorable and well decorated it was. Not to mention – this room just screams cozy. From the fluffy pillows, music playing, and comfy chairs — to the gas fireplace, clawfoot tub, and books everywhere, this suite is the ideal place to just hideaway for a weekend!

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Feature Friday: Des Sottises

August 25, 2017August 25, 2017Leave a comment

Happy Feature Friday!
Today we have the fun, bright work of Margot Tissot who designs just about everything for her brand Des Sottises. You can find her illustrations on cards, posters and prints, tote bags, and even as pins — one of her favorite products to create! Her shop is based in Switzerland and we love getting to showcase amazing creatives and shops from all over the world! The images she illustrates are largely based off of things that inspire her, or are part of her daily life, which creates such a personal product! And we can’t help but just love that she illustrates veggies and makes stuff like broccoli and lettuce look pretty cool. Des Sottises has such an amazing diversity of illustrations and products, so keep reading to see more and learn about the maker behind the brand!

: Tell us a little bit about yourself!

: I’m Margot, I’m a 28 year old graphic/web designer based in Lausanne (Switzerland). Over the years while I practiced graphic design, I developed a passion for illustration and I’m trying to develop my little brand “des sottises” since nearly a year now. Beside this passion for illustration I am fascinated by the whole magical universe (I’m a Harry Potter fan) and I would like to think I’m a sorceress 😀

: How did your shop Des Sottises get its start?

: Des Sottises started in between two jobs. Last year, I lost my dream job for economical issues and I had a few weeks of unemployment. So I took advantage of this time to create my Etsy shop and created a lot of illustrations. I started with the animal alphabet, I made one illustration for each letters and searched for various supports to put them on. The animal alphabet poster, bookmark and pennant were my first items to sale.

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Feature Friday: Artwork by Sahar

August 11, 2017August 11, 2017Leave a comment

Happy Feature Friday!

We’re heading to the world of fine art for this one! We are so excited to share Artwork by Sahar’s story and give you all a look at some of the incredible pieces Sahar creates. We love how she’s always pursued art in her life and has constantly found an outlet for her creativity. Her outlook on her own work is amazing as well, and she truly wants the viewer to see her pieces in their own way and create a personal connection with it. We are always huge fans of artwork that can be interpreted however the viewer sees it! Sahar has a lot to share about her personal creative journey as well as her process for crafting her original artwork. Keep reading to learn more about Artwork by Sahar and see some of her pieces!

: Tell us a little about yourself.

: Hi! My name is Sahar. I work full-time at an advertising & marketing agency based in the Washington, DC area, but I’ve been an artist my entire life. I started taking art classes at the age of 6, and studied Studio Art (with Painting & Photography concentrations) at the University of Maryland, College Park. #GoTerps!

I am huge, huge Terps basketball fan and Washington Capitals fan – I love repping where I’m from! I live with my fiance – our wedding is this fall! – and our blue heeler mix, George Costanza. We love to spend time outdoors and veg out with Netflix marathons.

Between my full-time job, planning a wedding, and well – life in general – launching a business has been quite the endeavor.

: Since you were a child you’ve taken art classes. What about art made you stick with it into your adulthood?

: My parents put me in every kind of class you can think of – piano, tennis, swimming, tap – but nothing every really felt right. I wasn’t passionate about those other hobbies, and to be completely honest, I kind of sucked at them. Drawing, painting, creating in general – it made me happy. Everything made sense in my head.

Fast-forward to today, and it is truly my version of meditation. I am so grateful for painting in my life.

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A Cafe Perfect for Plant Lovers

June 20, 2017June 29, 20175 Comments

BY TARA BURKE

We’ve been loving the “jungalow” style of decorating lately, so when we saw this plant wall at Stacks Espresso Bar, we knew we had to share it with our fellow plant lovers. Not much is better than sipping a latte under a dreamy wall of hanging plants.

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Feature Friday: GlennCoFinds

May 19, 2017May 18, 20171 Comment

Happy Feature Friday!

Today we’re so excited to feature Kayla Glenn of GlennCoFinds! What makes it so exciting is 1. Her shop is AMAZING and 2. She just happens to be our very first shop owner of vintage and antique goods! We not only love the items she curates, but also how enthusiastic she is about purchasing items that have a story and a background — making them so much more unique! Successful thrifting and antiquing is not an easy task, and Kayla has a lot of great tips for making your trips really pay off with some incredible finds. We are huge advocates of filling our homes (and closets!) with previously owned items, and GlennCoFinds is the perfect place to begin your journey to making your own space more individualized. Keep reading to learn all about the background of Kayla’s shop and to seriously swoon over the unique treasures that GlennCoFinds discovers.

: Tell us a few things about yourself!

: Hi! My name’s Kayla and I’m a 23-year-old wife living in Iowa City, working full-time as a nanny to the two squishiest turkeys in all the land. Jesus is my reason for being, I’m a college drop out, have 1,632 hobbies, love making things fit perfectly into my trunk, and classic rock comes out on top of the music chain in my world. I am also incredibly sarcastic, which makes my personality seem quite strange through writing.

: All of the products you’ve found for GlennCoFinds are so one-of-a-kind and stand out pieces! What kinds of items initially grab your eye and how would you describe the items you fill your shop with?

: Mid Century pieces are hands-down my favorite things to find. The easiest way to find mid century pieces for me, is by looking out for colors. Pretty specific color pallets were used in the 50’s and 60’s so this makes it a bit easier to spot items on the surface. Interesting enough, most of the items actually in my shop aren’t mid century. These pieces are becoming harder to come by as this style is coming back into rotation for the general public. I also get really pumped when I find something totally weird and unusual. Fact: I wanted our wedding theme to be weird and unusual and my mother wasn’t having it. Anyway, trying to describe my items as a whole is darn near impossible, which makes my collection eclectic, I suppose.

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Feature Friday: Soft Bloom Tapestries

May 5, 2017May 3, 2017Leave a comment

Happy Feature Friday!

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Today we have the amazing, whimsical works of Marissa Long from Soft Bloom Tapestries. We are in love with how beautiful and organic her weavings are — and just plain soft and fuzzy looking! The fact that she incorporates so many natural elements into her work (all foraged herself from the Pacific Northwest!) makes her products even more unique and truly have a story behind them. She has a ton of great insight into the world of creating, so keep on reading to hear all about her brand’s start and what she’s learned along the way!

: Tell us a few things about yourself!

unnamed-2 : I am 22 and I currently live at the foot of Mt. Hood (Oregon’s highest mountain!), right outside of Portland. When I was a child, my parents were constantly taking my brothers and myself camping and hiking. Getting outside recharges my soul and is still one of my favorite things to do, except now I have a fur-child to come along! I have a golden retriever, Theodore, he goes everywhere with me. I adore plants, I try to be always surrounded by them and that’s why I currently work at Portland Nursery. I also work with Foraged Blooms, creating floral arrangements and helping as needed. I realized early on in life that my heart is fullest when I have a creative outlet, and I love working with mixed medias and trying new things!

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: We are absolutely in love with your tapestries! How would you describe your brand and the products you create?
unnamed-2 : Thank you! Yikes, that is not an easy question. I describe Soft Bloom as warm, and creative! It’s all about the process of creating something by hand, something that encourages you to touch and explore and experience wonder and warmth. I like to think (hope) that the hangings I create convey my heart, my love of this art form and the way it grounds me and encourages the journey of growth, softness and transformation. I would like to inspire those concepts in the beautiful people that purchase or admire my hangings!

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Must Visit: Cha Cha Matcha

November 22, 2016Leave a comment

BY CAILIN BURKE

I’ve expressed my love/obsession for matcha in numerous posts, so when we heard a new ALL MATCHA EVERYTHING MATCHA place was opening, we were so excited to go! Not only does Cha Cha Matcha focus on the greatest drink/flavor ever, but when we saw photos of how cute the place was, we were sold! We headed there crossing our fingers to find seats on a Saturday afternoon (this place gets crowded) and strolled right in to find adorable bench seating available!

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Feature Friday: If You Give A Girl A Saw

February 5, 2016February 25, 2016Leave a comment

If You Give a Girl a Saw - Janine Stone _ Owner - Woodworker
Happy Feature Friday!

We love how unique today’s feature is, as Janine Stone of “If You Give A Girl A Saw” is the first woodworker we’ve had on Castle Foundations! She’s actually the first woodworker we’ve known of, and we’re so glad we came across her work … simply because it’s incredible! From gorgeous breakfast trays and wall hangings to full on furniture, her pieces are one-of-a-kind and you can clearly see the time and craftsmanship put into them. Plus, this girl loves what she does! We completely agree with Janine’s mindset on finding a job that makes you excited, determined, and fulfilled each day. Keep reading to find out more about her brand and make sure to also follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and check out her Etsy store!

: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

unnamed-2 : My name’s Janine Stone! I’m the girl with the saw. I have entirely too much to say about wood, tools, shop life, and the general excitement that envelopes me when I’m around any of those said things. So I’ll stop before I get carried away! But here’s most of what you need to know: