If you’re a puzzle person like me, you need to know about Ordinary Habit. They make modern, frame-worthy jigsaw puzzles, artfully designed to help create habitual moments of calm and connectedness. Founded by mother-daughter duo Teresa and Echo Hopkins, Ordinary Habit puzzles are as pleasing to the eye as they are to put together, bridging the gap between art and play. Whether you’re just looking to unwind or crave a mind-bending challenge, there’s an Ordinary Habit puzzle for everyone, each starring an original artwork created by independent artists. These are puzzles you’ll be proud to leave strewn across your coffee or dining table. Their newest trio of 500-piece puzzles: Home Flowering, Enchanted, and Nap Time, are no different, featuring bold colors and whimsical scenes that capture the essence of summer. “We wanted to evoke the warmth and fun of summer,” says co-founder Echo, “We wanted to highlight scenes that could transport you and would be super fun to put together along the way!” Read on to learn more about each and find the collection in the Design Milk Shop.
Home Flowering ($50) by Italy-based artist Lida Ziruffo illustrates my ideal summer afternoon – hanging out in my sun-drenched kitchen, vibrant blooms abound, freshly baked pie cooling on the table, and cozy kittens curled up for a mid-day siesta. Inspired by the lines, shadows, and light seen in trees and the patterns they create outside your window, Ziruffo thoughtfully pays her respects to nature even in indoor scenes like Home Flowering. In fact, I’d argue that it’s Home Flowering’s natural greenery – and the lines, patterns, textures, and colors used to convey it – that make this puzzle such joy to piece together.
Malaysian-based illustrator Nur Ashikin Hussin (aka Eureka) channels her passions for colors, nature, and literature to create the whimsical, space-themed Enchanted Puzzle ($50), infusing it with a celestial quality that encompasses the magic of stargazing on a summer night. Eureka’s digital illustrations document everyday life in relation to astronomical wonders – from comets and constellations to blankets of twinkling stars – and in doing so imbues the every day with a cosmic specialness that delivers its own form of escape. While piecing together Enchanted Puzzle’s star-lit sky might seem like a serious challenge, it’s totally do-able for puzzlers of every skill level with a little time and patience.
Nap Time ($50) by Madrid-based illustrator Ana Jarén uses rich, bold colors, intricate details, and contrasting patterns to create a vibrant portrayal of a slow and sleepy summer afternoon. After starting her career in the fashion world working alongside designers and stylists, Jarén set out to fulfill her creative passion, beginning her work as an illustrator. And between the small details and eclectic mix of textiles seen in Nap Time, Jarén’s fashion background is easy to spot. Using a mixed media approach that involves markers, pencils, and acrylic paint, Nap Time encapsulates a bright, maximalist aesthetic full that holds something new to discover with every glance. Piecing together each pattern at a time will make this colorful puzzle a blast to put together!
Shopping any of these new Ordinary Habit puzzles? Share your haul and tag us @designmilk to be reposted on our Instagram!
Alexa is commerce editor at Design Milk. She lives in Miami, Florida with her fiancé Alex and retired greyhound, Phoebe. A longtime art and design enthusiast, Alexa’s first stops in any new city are the art museums. When she’s not writing about her favorite DM shop picks, she might be buried in a book, binging reality tv or adventuring around her city with her partner and pup.
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