New Tome: Design*Sponge at Home

By Lexi Green
October 20, 2011

Design Sponge

Grace Bonney (photo credit: Johnny Miller) and her new book, Design*Sponge at Home

As designer Jonathan Adler says in the foreword to her new book, “Grace Bonney was a kid when she started her blog.” He’s kind of right. Even Bonney, the author of the now-iconic Design*Sponge blog, agrees with him about her naiveté back in 2004, when, at the ripe old age of 23, she launched her site. (But then, wasn't everyone a bit green way back then in the relative e-Dark Ages?) In any case, as lore goes, Bonney began her blog at the suggestion of her then-boyfriend, now-husband, Aaron, as a way to showcase her talents and land a coveted editorial position at a design magazine. Little did Bonney know that one day, she would not only be the patron saint of design bloggers everywhere, but also finally have her name in print—albeit via a different route than she could have ever envisioned when she started out.

Design*Sponge, initially devoted mostly to DIY projects and the burgeoning design scene in Bonney's Brooklyn backyard, eventually garnered a devoted daily readership of 75,000 (so large, as Bonney says, “it could fill Madison Square Garden"), over 121,000 RSS subscribers, over 315,000 Twitter followers and 30,000 Facebook fans.

These days, Design*Sponge remains focused on attainable design, and is updated up to eight times a day with content that runs the gamut from entertaining ideas to gorgeous spaces to product ideas and, of course, plenty of how-to's.

Finally, after what has felt like eons of anticipation by her devoted fans, Bonney has a book. Design*Sponge at Home is a user-friendly tome divided into five navigable chapters that mirror her popular blog: sneak-peeks of uniquely designed homes, DIY Projects, DIY Basics, a Flower How-To guide and a Before & After section. There’s also a resource guide (complete with a shout-out to eBay).

Design*Sponge

from Design*Sponge at Home: Joy & Tyler Thigpen's Rainbow Room by Joy Thigpen

While the book includes plenty of contributions from Bonney's colleagues and friends, the blogger's own voice shines through throughout as she shares her personal journey within the world of design.

We chat with Bonney here.

The Inside Source: Now that your book is published, what's been the biggest thing you’ve learned from creating it?

Grace Bonney: Well, I've definitely learned that I'm capable of working without a lot of sleep! I worked harder on this book than anything else I've ever done and I really learned to bring that heightened-work stamina back to the site. But, I also learned that it's important to write from a more educational point of view. Learning to write that way was really valuable and made me approach the site from a new direction.

The Inside Source: Did writing the book shift any of your steadfast opinions on design?

Grace Bonney: The book actually did the opposite for me—it reaffirmed how strongly I believe in the idea that design has no hard and fast rules and that it doesn't require a lot of money or education. Some of my favorite homes and projects came from everyday people, just like the rest of us.

The Inside Source: Speaking of which, what are some of your favorite rooms featured in the book?

Grace Bonney: The Portland home that Jessica Helgerson designed is always one of my favorites. I want to move into that living room. I also love the rainbow-striped room in Joy Thigpen's home—that bold use of color is so brave and dramatic.

Design Sponge

From Design*Sponge at Home: Jessica Helgerson Living Room (photo Credit: Lincoln Barbour)

The Inside Source: What is one design item featured in the book that you are dying to try in your own space one day?

Grace Bonney: I really want to recreate the shelves featured in Matt Carr's Toronto home. He sawed coffee tables in half to create truly unique shelving.

The Inside Source: You've featured some incredible DIY projects both on the site and in the book. Besides your famous otomi headboard (we've seen it reposted on the web dozens of times), have you had any other special personal DIY achievements?

Grace Bonney: Well, staple-gun upholstery has sort of become my go-to craft. It’s probably what I'm now known best for. I really love the upholstered storage ottoman I made for the book because it's a simple craft that just about anyone can do. It showcases my love of old wooden boxes (I collect them like crazy). They are a great way to have multi-use furniture items in your home.

Design*Sponge

From Design*Sponge at Home: Matt Carr & Joyce Lo's Dining Room, with shelves made from deconstructed coffee tables (photo credit: Kim Jeffery), Rolling Storage Bench made from an old wooden box (photo Credit: Johnny Miller)

The Inside Source: We love the flower workshop section! Within the book you say that you are still learning how to arrange flowers. Any go-to arrangements or flower choices you usually turn to?

Grace Bonney: Thanks! That's my favorite section right now. I love to work with flowers, but I like to keep it simple, so I prefer the arrangements that are garden-style, and use things like old mason jars or glass bottles. That simple vintage look is my favorite. For flowers, you can never go wrong with purple jasmine, black cosmos or peonies.

Design*Sponge

From Design*Sponge at Home: Wildflower Arrangement by Sabra Krock

The Inside Source: You cite eBay as a resource within several sections of the book. How do you use eBay? Any favorite purchases?

Grace Bonney: I love eBay when I know exactly what I'm looking for. It's how I found my steal of a mid-century credenza (only $200, down from what could have easily been $600+) and it's where I'm currently stalking a Dorothy Draper dresser.

The Inside Source: And of course, we all see the book as one more stop on your Design*Sponge journey. Are there any other fun projects in the works we can know about?

Grace Bonney: The first thing I plan to work on after the book tour is over is taking a nice long nap. But after that, we're going to work on a second issue of our D*S Newspaper. We love small-scale printing like that.

Otomi Fabric

(buy it now price, $280)

Bonney used Mexican Otomi fabric in her now-famous DIY headboard creations.
Green Demi-John Bottle

(starting bid, $20)

The eco-friendly home designed by Jessica Helgerson is one of Bonney's favorites from her book. Bonney cites eBay as a great place to find demijohn bottles like those featured within the home.
Seven Gallon Demi-John Bottle

(buy it now price, $135)

Here, a rare large demi-john bottle in clear glass.
Jonathan Adler White Elephant Piggy Bank

(buy it now price, $83)

The same Helgerson-designed home features Jonathan Adler ceramics in the bathroom as fun accessories.
Jonathan Adler Bud Vases

(buy it now price, $59.99)

Adler is now a full-fledged designer, though he started his career as a potter.
Old Promitive Box

(buy it now price, $31.96)

Bonney talks a lot about her vintage box obsession. She even turned one vintage box into a rolling storage bench and displayed it within the pages of her book. She cites eBay as a great place to find vintage boxes.
Heritage Hollywood Regency Dorothy Draper Style Nightstand

(buy it now price, $700)

Bonney is currently searching for a Dorothy Draper dresser on eBay.
Mid-Century Modern Credenza

(buy it now price, $750)

Bonney found her mid-century credenza for a great price on eBay. It looks a lot like this one.
Antique Mason Jar

(current bid, $28)

Bonney describes herself as a novice floral designer. She loves to use simple vessels, like mason jars and old tins. to hold her creations.