Hi everyone, thank you for the overwhelming, positive responses to our new tea towels, designed in collaboration with the talented illustrator Lisa Congdon! We are so glad that you love them as much as we do.

Today, we’re excited to release another short but inspiring Q&A with Lisa herself, in which she shares about her beautiful new home in Oakland, decorating it and her favorite spaces.

1. Congratulations on your new home in Oakland! What are some things that you love about your new space?

It gets tremendous natural light. I used to live in a really dark apartment in San Francisco. So every day I wake up and my house now is flooded with light. Things look different in light. My animals might even love the sunshine more than I do! I also love the huge outdoor space we have in the back. I can’t wait to begin summer barbeques back there and reading books in the sunshine.

2. What’s your approach to decorating your home?

I am all about creating spaces that are not fussy, spaces that are both relaxed and organized. I am also all about personalizing my spaces. I like clean and minimal, but I also don’t want to feel like I am living or working in a bland hotel room or a room that is generic. I add a lot of personal touches to my home, through my collections, artwork that I’ve purchased over the years, and mementos.

3. What is your favorite room in the home and why?

The dining room! It has a great corner window, and some amazing midcentury furniture. It also includes many of my favorite collections, including my Catherinholm Enamelware collection.

4. Tell us more about decorating your kitchen…what do you enjoy most about it?

The greatest design challenge in my kitchen was the red countertops. When I first heard the countertops were red, I was really worried! But I decided to embrace it, and I went with a theme of red, white and black for the entire space. Now I actually love the red countertops!

Thank you Lisa for sharing your home! For our readers, if you missed our first interview with Lisa and want to see the awesome tea towel collaboration with Poketo, check it out here.

To celebrate the release of our new tea towels in collaboration with Lisa Congdon, we’ve conducted a series of interviews with the illustrator herself. We’re big fans of her creative work, and would love for you to get to know the amazing individual behind these designs!

In the first installment, we ask Lisa about her vision for the tea towels and how she will be using these versatile linens in her own home. We’ve got more interviews with Lisa lined up, so stay tuned!

1. What was your inspiration for the tea towels?

I use a lot of geometric pattern in my work, and oftentimes I find myself doodling different geometric designs in my sketchbook. This pattern started out as a doodle and the next thing I knew I was making it into a repeat pattern!

2. Why do you think these designs are totally Poketo?

Poketo is all about the combination of modern and quirky. It’s also about cool art and design being accessible and even funtional. I think the tea towels bring a really fun, quirky, colorful element to something that people can use in their everyday life.

3. In three words, how do you hope people feel when they use your new tea towel designs?

Happy, clean, inspired.

4. How will you be using the tea towels in your kitchen?

I will be adding them to my already huge tea towel collection. I started collecting tea towels from all over the world about five years ago — some are vintage, of course, but many are new and from countries that really embrace their tea towels like Sweden and England. I actually use the vast majority of my tea towels — most for drying things, but I also use them as centerpieces for my tables.

Moms are no stranger to multitasking, a skill they’ve finely honed as part of motherhood. From taking care of the kids, to making sure things run ship shape at home, to managing their own careers, they’ve got a lot on their plate each day – yet they continue to work tirelessly. So this Mother’s Day, show your gratitude and make her busy days brighter with our colorful picks to help keep the multitasking mom organized.

1. iPhone 5 Case – $38
2. Petite Everyday Case – $24
3. Envelope Leather Card Case – $26
4. Cinch Tote – $89
5. Turkish Pestemal Towels – $38
6. Infusion Coffee Maker – $45
7. Modern Water Bottle – $20
8. Monography Planners – $24
9. Minimalist Watch – $150

See all our Mother’s Day gift guides here.

Happy Monday folks! We are so excited to launch our second collection of tea towels today. This time, we’ve collaborated with the prolific, talented artist and illustrator, Lisa Congdon. Lisa is no stranger to Poketo, having worked with us on our signature artist-designed wallets and our first Target collection back in 2010.

For our latest collection, Lisa has come up with two herringbone and pyramid geometric prints in vivid hues, and we love how they are so bright and cheerful for any part of the home. These are full of personality and truly make everyday tasks and moments a treat – whether you’re drying the dishes, throwing a dinner party, having your tea outdoors, going on an impromptu picnic, or wrapping up a gift. Because they’re so versatile, you can use them anywhere from your kitchen to your workspace and even your bathroom!

Our tea towels are made from 100% pure linen which are naturally stronger and more absorbent than cotton, and only get softer with use over time. We’re pretty sure you will get lots of mileage out of them, but here’s what we would love to hear…how will you use them in your own home?

Check all the tea towels out here.

Photography and Styling:
Lehua Noelle Faulkner and Jessica Park