designer at large

as anyone who has made the shop rounds knows all too well, finding the perfect piece to furnish your space can sometimes feel like the design version of mission: impossible. i count my lucky stars that my fella daydreams about furniture design and, if not for his hectic production schedule and lack of workspace, he would happily spend all his free time sketching and building something to my exact* specifications.

[you are, imho, either a big or an aidan girl and, while big's bank account is enticing, the one who makes a custom chair just for you, refinishes your floors, and cuddles up with the occasional bucket of fried chicken wins my heart every time]

if you don't happen to have an in-house aidan at your beck and call, you will be happy to discover art/design student brandon large who recently sent along a few peeks of the latest creations to come out of his workshop. with less than a year under his tool belt, brandon has been building a collection of pieces perfect for the smaller living spaces typical of the urban dwellings found throughout honolulu and its suburbs.

primarily self-taught, brandon started out as a painting student and counts artists like donald judd, australian architect harry seidler, and traditional japanese design among his influences. the result: furniture with a clean, modern aesthetic that are his calling card into the cozy but growing world of island design.

brandon crafts all his furniture out of clear pine and redwood, sews all the upholstery by hand, and, in a nod to sustainability, cushions are repurposed from thrift shop finds. fans of modern design will love the budget friendly price point which ranges from $130 for a small table to $800 for an upholstered chair.

no official website yet but brandon's designs have been known to make an appearance at the honolulu art collective showcase during first friday.

for more details.

niko art studio

max the alien *pepper

way back when, big island artist nicole holi was one of the very first etsy finds shared with h|h readers, and i am happy to report that, after taking a breather from crafting, niko art studio has made its long awaited return to everyone's favorite indie emporium.

in addition to a fresh batch of handmade toys and figurines, nicole recently introduced her very own rubber stamp line featuring simple but adorable line drawings that crafters and scrapbookers have found irresistible (her sweetie even makes the woodblocks for each stamp).

hobo cat & the tuna sandwich

niko art studio is also stocked with more traditional forms of art making from original artwork to archival prints of nicole's fanciful if idiosyncratic illustrations.

click over to the etsy shop to take a peek at all of nicole's creations.

p.s. welcome back nicole!

isis godfrey-byrne show

artist isis godfrey-byrne recently sent along word of her upcoming summer show at cedar street galleries featuring a fresh batch of those dreamy landscapes shared with readers last april. stop by and say hello during the opening reception on friday evening &/or click over to the gallery's website the day of the show to take a peek at isis's new work online.

• when: fri, jun 20th - 5:30p to 8p
• where: cedar street galleries, 817 cedar street
• show dates: fri, jun 20th to sun, jul 20th

mu'umu'u heaven update

aloha onesie + l/s tee

the other day i happened across sweet little onesies perked up with recycled fabric appliqués made by mu'umu'u heaven and realized that it had been far too long since the last update. alas, the wee togs are sold out at the kailua boutique but if you simply must have one for your keiki click over to online stockist equita.

for grownups, mu'umu'u heaven continues to translate the little black dress in bamboo jersey with their signature island style which will certainly delight those with a more minimal aesthetic.

honey * bamboo sunrise * luana

heavenly home

pretty flower pens

and, you may recall that earlier this year designer deb mascia launched her heavenly home collection as a way for customers, who swooned over the shop's beach chic meets reclaimed design upon its opening, to decorate their own space with the one of a kind look found inside the boutique.

eric of mu'umu'u heaven (deb's husband, business partner & right hand man) kindly sent along a peek of a few pieces from the collection which closes the green loop by transforming thrift shop bound furniture with a few fixes along with a fresh coat of paint and updated upholstery.

accent pillows made from vintage aloha shirt fabric are also available to brighten up your space and can be found at the shop and pacific home.

finally, one of my favorite things about mh is that every thursday they welcome w.i.n.g.s., a group that works with windward teens and young adults who have autism, into the shop for an afternoon of project making. members have created these cheerful flower pens made with scraps of fabric saved from mu'umu'u heaven's sewing room and are available at the shop for $6 (proceeds help support w.i.n.g.s. activities and additional craft supplies).

• where: 767 kailua road
• shop hours: mon - sat, 10a to 6p & sun, 11a to 4p

what a wonderful whittle world

shave ice

oh my, how adorable are these wee handmade creations from whittle world? these are such a cute alternative to the plastic little people sets found in many childhood playrooms and you have to love the local twist of shave ice stands and surfers.

a host of whittles are ready to populate your little one's playtime compliments of nikole, the sahm who crafts each and every whittle, who started making the miniatures for her son and, with encouragement from friends and family, began selling them at island craft shows. the sets are made to order (with each painted detail done by hand) and have a sweet homespun charm missing from most mass manufactured toys.

 leilani's lei stand

little surfer

as someone who has blown out a few candles atop a star wars birthday cake (or two) back in the day, the mini r2-d2 and friends (crafted by special request for her son's sw collection and, alas, not for sale) definitely bring back memories of princess leia halloween costumes and standing in the endless queue winding around the cinerama waiting to behold the empire strikes back.

you can take a peek at all the wooden wonders inside the whittle world etsy shop, and, if you have a sweet spot for sesame street, be sure to click over to puppets and pals, nikole's other etsy outpost which is devoted to the world of puppetry.

p.s. there's also a whittle world blog to keep fans updated on all the latest (and one of a kind) creations.