artist Olaf Hajek seems right at Home in Berlin on the selby this week, but he says he has a love/hate relationship with the city. it doesn’t show. his home is beautiful and bright and cheerful, much like his incredible illustrations. plus, he has the most rad socks ever. go have a look at the full tour on the selby.

for shame — it’s been utterly way too long since we’ve had an unexpected guest! but today i’m quite elated to be sharing designer and artist jill danyelle’s apartment in manhattan’s east village. i’m extra excited about this apartment, not only because it’s lovely, but because this coming may i’m headed to new york for the ICFF show and a bit of fun, and jill has very generously invited us to share her space for a few days! so i’m pretty thrilled to be staying in such a beautiful home. born in woodstock, formerly a therapist, jill danyelle is primarily an interior designer now, but has creativity bounding from her in countless artistic avenues — from fashion design to writing and photography. here’s what she had to share with us…

You’re kind of a creative entrepreneur with your hands in a bit of everything design related — how do you define what you do?

Currently, I am focused on interior design, but am hoping to grow the art/ photography/ print side of the business more this year. I definitely explored a lot prior to beginning this business and those experiences were invaluable. They contributed to my abilities, to who I am and allowed me to meet a lot of great people. Ultimately, they were not the right fit for one reason or another, but I am thankful that they led me to the path I am on today.

Is there anything you’d like share about your work, who you like to work with etc?

Doing interior design has been great so far. I find it creatively fulfilling, but I also really enjoy working with clients and solving problems. They may not be the kind of problems I was solving as a therapist, but I still feel good about the work I am doing. Being able to hire an interior designer can be seen as a luxury, but many of my clients opt for DIY plans which are fairly affordable. Sometimes it is hard to hand over the DIY plan and not be able to see a project through, but it makes me happy when I get emails from clients who have implemented their plan with good results.

As far as the art side of things, I need to be more diligent about making, making, making. I am not talking about making things to market and sell necessarily, but just developing more consistency in my practice. It is really therapeutic for me and I want to see myself progressing. When I photographed my garden over the course of a year, I felt like that was a really magical and productive time. Just by the nature of the project, I had to continually go there and shoot. Prioritizing time to create and make art is definitely a goal this year.

what are a few of your favorite things to do in the east village?

Some of my favorite things to do in the neighborhood are…share a meal with friends in the amazing community garden that I belong to…walk through Tompkins Square Park. I live just off the park and try to always make a path through it to admire the trees, see people of all walks of life and catch a glimpse of our resident hawks…grab a coffee at Ninth Street Espresso. I was never too particular about coffee, then came Ninth Street.

What’s your favorite flea market, or secondhand find?

Half my world seems to have been found secondhand or in a flea market, so picking a “favorite” might be difficult. I am quite fond of my Lightolier sconces and Dansk Kobenstyle pots and pans, recent additions in the last couple of years. My Danish Modern daybed probably wins for combined points of aesthetics and utility. I scored it many, many years ago at The Salvation Army. I think it was $75. There used to be a great flea market in the parking lot on the corner of Ave A and 11th St. You could find a vintage dress for $20 to wear out later that night, get some authentic tamales and horchata and pick up some old school music. It was the best. I bought this huge, kind of abstract print there of sailboat masts and rigging for $5. I was sailing on tall ships out of South St Seaport at the time, so thought it was extra cool.

What’s your favorite possession?

I am really fascinated by our relationship to our possessions. I am trying to get my feng shui on more and more in recent years and I think it takes a bit of detachment. As New Age as it sounds, I try to have faith that the Universe will bring what I need, when I need it – although, it still hasn’t answered my prayer for some brutalist brass chandeliers or a set of bottom basement priced Dansk Fjord teak flatware… maybe when I finally close on the house Upstate. Seriously though, if there is one thing that shopping at flea markets will teach you, it is that there is always another killer vintage dress and Danish Modern credenza to be had somewhere.

I liked Marion Melbourne’s 52 objects…I think that was a really nice practice to meditate on the things in her life, show appreciation in some way. Like her, most of my favorite things are imbued with some emotion, connected to some memory — a Mexican silver bracelet that I wear a lot, which was given to my Mom by my Dad. I actually love it aesthetically, but it is the history that gives it meaning and makes it special.

What five things can’t you live without?

love, nature, creative expression, challenges and growth.

I also find brunch to be pretty important. When I lived in Barcelona people did not brunch and everything was closed on Sunday. Five people sitting around the kitchen table, hungover, staring at one banana and a cup of yogurt is not pretty.

If you could go flea market shopping with anyone in the world, who would it be?

Lisa Eisner. Maybe we’d just skip the flea market, sit in her garden having cocktails and then try on some of the Sammy Davis Jr suits she owns or maybe some feathered hats. Then Roman Alonso would come over and offer me his apartment for any time I wanted to crash in L.A.

What bores you to death?

Chronic negativity.

• all photos courtesy of jill danyelle.

last week, i shared a round up of pia jane bijkerk’s “it list”, but i’ve also been hounding the poor girl to share some images of her new home in sydney, australia. even though pia may be delivering into the world a brand new baby this week, she was kind enough to share some little corners of her family’s home as she’s been getting it ready for the baby, and getting her home settled with their furnishings from Paris, and Amsterdam, where they once lived on a houseboat.

something else to keep in mind, Pia’s new book My Heart Wanders will be available in the united states early Spring — exact dates and shop locations to come, so check her blog for updates.

“Some things I’m loving about our new home: the garden where I’m now planting organic veggies and herbs, the front porch where the morning sun comes streaming in (my partner and I have our breakfast out there nearly every morning), and the light! There is just so much light in this house – quite a contrast to our cavernous houseboat living in Amsterdam over the past few years.”

“Some more notes about the house: it’s an old worker’s cottage in an inner west suburb of Sydney. We glimpse the famous harbour bridge from the front porch, and it’s in walking distance to some fabulous cafes, bars, farmers markets, antique shops and restaurants. We have two french patisseries only a stone’s throw away (which makes my french man very happy!), and the neighborhood is so friendly and laid back. I was at first a little concerned about moving back to my home town of Sydney, fearing I would miss the energy and eclecticism of living in Europe, but we’ve picked a great suburb and house, and I am enjoying it immensely. And it’s certainly nice to be near family and old friends at this time in my life, starting a family of my own.”

• all photos courtesy of pia jane bijkerk.

i was pretty surprised, and pleasantly so, to check out hole rocker and mad woman courtney love’s rented west village townhome over on xo jane. it’s pretty beautiful, and not at all what i would have expected. not that i expected it to look bad, or for her taste to be off, but i wouldn’t have thought of it to be such an eclectic and lovely mix of some very traditional antiques, some of which did come with the rented apartment. it’s definitely got an edge though, and some artwork to prove it. go on over to xo jane and have a look at the whole smashing tour.

• all photos by peter murdock.

this is one awesome, vintage-inspired new york city loft. it belongs to eric goode and was featured on yatzer, which is fast becoming one of my favorite websites.

be forewarned there’s a bit of taxidermy here in case that’s not your thing, but we are assured all the animals died of natural causes, as the idea of killing animals is something that the goode is strongly opposed to. his collections include bits of vintage memorabilia from his many nights as an entrepreneur in new york’s club scene, and the eclectic vibe is simply awe-inspiring. i could live here in a new york minute.

this month’s issue of lonny has a very inspiring story of paul caddell’s life-changing move from memphis to manhattan, and how he went from health-care administrator to opening his very own design shop abingdon 12. his vintage-inspired west village town home is right up my ally, too — here’s a sneak peek at both his home, and abingdon 12.

there’s yet another amazing home tour on the selby this month. damn, todd selby blows me away — in fact, my mighty life list includes my dream of having him shoot my home one day. i was honored last week to be included with the talented Mr. selby in the telegraph uk’s 20 best interiors blogs. our names have never been in such close proximity before, and i was elated. but back to this house. it’s a doozy. it’s the japanese home of hitoshi uchida – owner of j’antiques tokyo. eclectic, minimalist vintage-modern at its finest!

todd selby (my personal hero) has a new home tour up, and i couldn’t help but notice his focus on the small details. this is the very fabulous new york home of Michael Hainey – writer, artist and editor and Brooke Cundiff – director of merchandise for Park and Bond, and it’s clear the two have impeccable taste and an eye for the perfect vintage finds – from chandeliers to the unique way she displays her shoes, i love every inch of it.

this week on unexpected guests i’m delighted to share the philadelphian home of Trish DeMasi, Co-owner and exclusive designer for Fabulous Stationery (and one of my lovely sponsors). Trish’s home is filled with vintage treasures and has a really eclectic, stylish vibe and that kind of effortless elegance i’m often striving for. i think you’re going to love it – just look at her amazing lighting fixtures, and mid-century modern collections. stunning!

Where do you live, and what are a few of your favorite things to do in your neighborhood?

I’m a native Philadelphian and live in the Center City area near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. You can usually find me walking my Boston Terrier, Larry behind the museum on the newly renovated Schuylkill River Banks. The historical Water Works buildings in Fairmount Park are a beautiful place to enjoy the outdoors in the city. There are miles of paths and great views of Boat House Row and the art museum. I’m also happy to sit at any outdoor cafe with a cocktail, whether it be on Rittenhouse Square or the new Piazza in Northern Liberties.

What are your top three online shops?

I always check in with YOOX for slightly discounted designer fashions and contemporary Italian housewares and furnishings. It’s easy to get sucked in to the huge inventory. 1st dibs is another favorite for vintage and mid-century finds. They’re a great resource for finding antiques anywhere in the world. And I love Etsy for vintage tchotchkes that I buy and use for design inspiration.

What’s your favorite flea market, or secondhand find?

My friend Harry is an antiques dealer and is a great resource for estate sales and unique treasures. I’ve scored lots of amazing vintage jewelry through him. I also try to find special objects when I travel. I was in Palm Springs recently and found a fabulous huge white ceramic bird to add to my collection. In Philly, I bought an amazing vintage oversized straw bag from Scarlett’s on Pine Street. She has a nice collection of high-end vintage clothes and accessories from every period.

What’s your favorite possession?

My collection of old family photo albums. I’ve spent years putting them together and always enjoy looking at them. I’m a sucker for nostalgia.

What five things can’t you live without?

My three beautiful dogs, Larry, Sidney and Camille; A cup of coffee first thing in the morning; A sketchbook and black fine tip felt pen; Black liquid eyeliner; A great meal.

What bores you to death?

Closed-minded people.

If you could go shopping with anyone in the world, who would it be?

Aside from Larry (my Boston Terrier) the only person I’d shop with might be Keith Johnson, the antiques buyer for Anthropologie. He seems like an adventurous choice. He travels the world and has endless resources.

Guests are coming over – what’s on your soundtrack?

Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto. I enjoy all kinds of music but when I have guests I like something that isn’t overwhelming or distracting. It’s feel good sounds and I love the nostalgia. My father always played them when I was a kid.

What’s your “go-to” specialty – a cocktail, a recipe, a certain flower arrangement?

Whenever I have pop-ins I seem to always have the ingredients for a bolognese sauce and a fruit crumble of some kind.

If you were a fly on the wall, where would you be and who would be be listening in on?

I’d be in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast in Italy listening to the waves.

pssst….the one year anniversary issue of rue magazine is available online, and i’m pretty excited to share a sneak peek of designer tom bonauro’s home with you. recently, rue’s editor in chief crystal gentilello wrote to me seeking some ideas for bay area homes to feature, and i was thrilled to introduce her to tom and his amazing home. think modern museum with loads of fascinating art and collectables. tom bonauro is an amazing graphic designer as well — you can see a portfolio of his work here, but pop over to the new issue of rue to see his beautiful bay area home as photographed by the talented and lovely emily johnston anderson.