Mark Your Calendar: Modern Economy Sale

If I can manage to sneak away from my coughing, sniffling, feverish, germ-ridden family (no, it's not Swine Flu -- at least I don't think it is) for a couple of hours on Saturday, I am so hitting the Modern Economy Sale in San Francisco.

Meg Mateo Ilasco's annual event features first- and (almost imperceptibly) second-quality bargains from dozens of cool independent artisans and housewares designers. So if you're in the area, stop by and snap up some lovely ceramics, textiles, potted plants and terrariums, and other modern home accents at up to 80 percent off retail.

Participants include:

Cursive Design

Emma Gardner Design

Ferm Living

Henry Road

Jean Pelle

Jefdesigns

Paige Russell

Papaver Vert

Perch!

Rae Dunn

Soft Goods

Tikoli

Xenia Taler

... and many more.

The sale takes place this Saturday, May 2, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fort Mason Building A Conference Center. (In my experience, the place gets picked clean fast, so plan to arrive early for the best selection.)

More info here. My blog buddy Anh-Minh Le also had a great article about Modern Economy -- as well as how the modern economy itself is affecting local artisans -- in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle; read it here.

Shameless Plug: My "Handmade Modern" Article in Sunset Magazine

Super-excited to see my piece on San Francisco indie boutiques specializing in handmade modern wares (as well as some great product picks from local design maven Meg Mateo Ilasco) in the May issue of Sunset magazine, which just hit newsstands.

Grab your copy today, or click on the images above to read it here.

Mark Your Calendar: Modern Economy Sale

This Saturday, April 12, is the day for Modern Economy's highly anticipated yearly sample sale in San Francisco.

So if you're in the area, take a break from doing your taxes and go spend some of that anticipated refund. A few of the indie-designed goods you'll find there, at up to 70 percent off retail:

Allymoon prints

Dwell Studio bedding

Harry Allen objets

Perch ceramics

Petite Collage artwork

Sharon Spain pillows

Simrin textiles

Variegated pillows

The sale is in Fort Mason Center's Building A from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Pssst to my Stumptown homies -- Modern Economy is having another sale at Portland's Ace Hotel on July 19.)

Based on my experience at a previous Modern Economy sale, a few words of advice:

* Get there early -- as in, join the queue before the doors open. The place gets picked clean fast.

* Install your partner, friend, mother, etc. in the checkout line before it snakes all the way around the room. Otherwise, you'll be cooling your heels there for a good long time.

* Have fun and score some great deals!

Click here for more info on the sale.