[images via: design sponge]
It was just over a year ago that I became acquainted with this very sweet dynamic duo, husband & wife team Lauren Smith & Derek Fagerstrom. Individually they bring oodles of talent to their collective plate; Lauren worked for Todd Oldham in NYC, and Derek has been a magazine editor for Esquire & Interview in NYC and now, for Readymade magazine in San Francisco.
Together they have created a DIY dynasty that includes weekly craft posts for superblog Design Sponge, two amazing books: ‘Show Me How‘ an illustrated encyclopedia of 500 things you should know, and most recently, ‘Wallpaper Projects: More than 50 Craft & Design Ideas for Your Home’. And just in case that wasn’t enough to convince you of their consummate coolness, they also own & operate an excellent store in San Francisco called The Curiosity Shoppe where they busy themselves with championing other peoples’ ‘making’ dreams. Amazing! (some of my pieces are among the proud-to-be-there product offerings)
Oh, and I almost forgot, they manage to have time somewhere in there to maintain a great blog called ‘Smarts & Crafts‘ where they keep us up to date on their lives/store goings on and also offer, my personal favorite, a weekly photo assignment that is open to any and all budding photogs. ( They are directly responsible for my recent interest in taking pictures. Thanks Guys!)
* How do they do it all? To check out one of Lauren’s time management secrets, visit 43 Folders. [via: geek sugar]
[image via: design sponge]
[above three images from The Curiosity Shoppe website & their flickr site]
I probably don’t need to tell you, now that I’ve gushed thoroughly on about them, how excited I am to introduce them to you as the next installment of my ‘Meet the Maker(s)’ interview series… but… I’m so excited. And here we go…
1. What is your favorite movie for visual/design amazing-ness?
Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love is an all time favorite, and of course, any movie by Wes Anderson. Sometimes we pop these movies in and watch them with the sound off while we’re doing chores around the house. We also own the 6-Volume Films of Charles and Ray Eames, which never, ever ceases to amaze and inspire us.
2. What is your favorite music genre/band to work to right now?
Lauren has been listening to the Blind Lemon Jefferson Pandora station nonstop, and Derek’s favorite album for the past couple months has been the Born Ruffian’s Red, Yellow & Blue.
3. (for Lauren) Has being a purveyor of things changed in any way your approach/strategy to being a maker of things?
There is a big difference between making things for yourself and making things to sell. Putting a price on your wares and figuring out how to produce items on a larger scale can be confusing, and I try to keep that in mind when I’m working with designers and crafters who make all their own goods by hand. I value items that are handcrafted and wish we could sell only items that are handmade, but of course they take longer to produce and sometimes cost a bit more than mass-produced items, so we try to keep a balanced selection of both in the shoppe. I admire artists who can make hundreds and hundreds of a single item and maintain the level of detail and enthusiasm that they put into their very first one- I personally don’t have the attention span to do that! -Lauren
4. (for Derek) A while back I learned from your excellent blog ‘Smarts & Crafts’ that you’re a bit of a bee boy. Has spending time with bees and their hive minds had any impact on how you see our world?
Really, you shouldn’t get me started on the bees….any beekeeper can (and will) go on forever about how magical and special they are. The interconnectedness of it all will blow your mind! Bees pollinate our flowers and food, they create pollen and propolis which both have amazing health benefits, and let’s not forget the mystical royal jelly! Oh, and the honey….the golden, perfect, delicious, nutritious HONEY! So amazing. As far as hive organization and efficiency…it is FASCINATING…the relationship between the Queen, Worker bees and Drones provides a thousand insights into our own behavior as humans…But mostly I just like wearing the funny outfit and puffing on the smoker. I highly encourage anyone who is at all curious about bees to find the beekeeping club in their area and check out a meeting. Beekeepers are the most generous, friendly people around. And bees could certainly use our help and advocacy right now.
Oohh, I can’t wait to check out the great A/V tips. And I’ve always thought that those bee hoods would go really well with my eyes… so it just might be time to find out! Thanks so much Lauren and Derek for taking the time to share with my readers! I (along with some new devotees I’m sure) look forward to keeping up with your future shenanigans.
For links to all Lauren & Derek loveliness, see ( and smartly click) below.
DIY craft posts on Design Sponge: click here and hit the DIY button once you get there. (LOVE their knot project that went up yesterday!)
View and purchase their two awesome books: click here
Peruse their cheeky wares at The Curiosity Shoppe: click here
Keep up with all things L&D at their blog Smarts & Crafts: click here
