With a passion for research and design, it’s no surprise that Amy Azzarito found a way to marry the two when she first began writing for decor and do-it-yourself blog Design Sponge.
Azzarito started her Design Sponge column in 2009 with a simple structure: Take a time period in decorative history, give a short lesson and then provide a DIY project that’s influenced by the period. In 2011, she became managing editor of Design Sponge, and last year, turned the concept behind her column into a book called Past & Present: 24 Favorite Moments in Decorative Arts History, and 24 Modern DIY Projects Inspired by Them.
The projects in Past & Present are contributions by top designers, including Todd Oldham and David Stark. The essays that accompany them, all written by Azzarito, are informed by her years spent scouring the shelves while working at the New York Public Library and a master’s in decorative arts and design from Parsons School of Design.
AMY AT A GLANCE
Name: Amy Azzarito
Age: 36
Hometown: Los Angeles and Siloam Springs
Current city: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Find her online: http://www.apartmen…">Apartment Therapy, http://www.designsp…">Design Sponge (where she is now managing editor)
Follow her: http://www.twitter.…">@amyazzarito
What are some of your favorite time periods or details in decorative design?
I have a soft spot for 18th century French design, probably because we have that time period to thank for the sofa and so much else in design. I also just got back from a trip to Peru, and I love the design that you see there. There is a tradition of hand weaving and hand dyeing that I love.
How was the process of putting Past & Present together different from writing for an online audience? And how does it feel to move from a measurement of clicks and bounce rates on a website to a physical book that will be on people’s shelves?
In a lot of ways, it is actually not that different. I believe that writing is writing. The difference with a book is that you have more people weighing in. My amazing editor, Liana Allday, really helped me shape the book. I couldn’t have done it without her. As far as knowing what people think — a book is definitely delayed gratification. On the web, you know what people think right away, and you don’t get feedback on a book for a couple of years. But as far as the process, writing is writing. I would encourage anyone, if they want to write, to just sit down every day and do it. Even just keeping a journal can be helpful. I love the site ohlife.com. It sends you an email asking you to describe your day. You write as much as you want and then hit send. It’s completely private.
Did you approach the designers in Past & Present with a piece of inspiration — like a Palladian window or greenhouse — and let them run away with it? Or did y’all collaborate about how to bring the essays and projects together?
It was pretty different in each instance. For example, for the greenhouse project, that was my idea, and I approached Studio Choo and asked for their help with it. But in other instances, like with the light switch, the designers ran with it. It’s my job to stay on top of what’s happening with design so I knew of all the artists prior to working on the book — I sent emails and told them about the book and asked for their help. They all had a strong belief in the value of design history and in this method of communicating it so it was an easy ask.
DIY has certainly made a resurgence in popularity in the past couple of years. What do you think has gotten people so interested in making things by hand again?
I think that the more we become inundated with things that are made in mass-market factories, we begin to appreciate things that are handcrafted, both by artists and by ourselves.
What are three things everyone who really likes to DIY should have in their craft drawer?
It really varies! My favorite sort of crafting is more nesting crafting — little things that you can do to make your home more personal. So in that respect, I think everyone should have a can of black paint (I love the look of black doors and window frames — everything looks better with a little black); everyone should own a good hammer (I made my kitchen drawer pulls using a piece of leather, a hammer and nails); and the [Command] 3M velcro hooks for hanging things on walls. I have a seascape wall behind my sofa and the 3M hooks come in very handy.
What’s on your to-read list right now?
I’m learning Spanish and just finished The Story of Spanish, a history of the evolution of the language. Joan DeJean is one of my favorite authors and I’m looking forward to reading her latest, How Paris Became Paris.
Azzarito discusses Past & Present at noon Friday at the Arkansas Arts Center.