June 3, 2008 at 6:00 am by Elaine Lipson
The Artisan Bookshelf: Kim Parker Home
Remember when everyone was clamoring to be the new Martha? Instead of just one uber-maven of the domestic and decorative arts, we’ve seen a whole plethora of talented designers, chefs, sustainable lifestyle guides, and experts come to the fore with aesthetic gifts and business smarts.
In the design realm, Kim Parker is one of the best. A classically trained musician turned textile designer, Parker aims to help you create an “interior garden” with her graphic, modern floral pillows, rugs, dinnerware, fabrics and prints. …
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Feeling creative, ambitious and disciplined? Take the 
It seems the whole world is trading in industrial, factory-made conformity for artisan style. “Many of the pieces at this year’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair . . .felt more artisanal than manufactured,” wrote the 
How important is good lighting in your life? I can’t live without it for working, reading, creating and illuminating the world, so I love finding well-designed, interesting lamps. 
There’s something inviting and a little mysterious about curtains in entryways instead of doors. The Japanese, masters of marrying beauty and elegance to utility, use split curtains called noren to signify that a shop is open and welcome visitors. Noren are equally effective and beautiful in any doorway, letting in breezes and light while subtly creating needed boundaries.
Gardens are magical places, especially in spring. Plants shoot through the ground, flowers bloom, and birds add music and share in the abundance. Why not make your garden super-friendly to birds by giving them a lovely eco-home?
My American friends living in Germany always comment on how noticeably green the country is; there’s recycling everywhere, organic food is a significant part of the food market, and everybody participates in environmental responsibility as a matter of course. Now 
There are so many ways that beauty comes from waste, in a natural cycle that we’ve often lost touch with. Compost, for instance, becomes intoxicating flowers and delicious vegetables. The glassblowers at 
