3.28.2006

Enough space to adopt the stray animals of Istanbul:



Everywhere we went in Turkey there were homeless cats and dogs. In the ancient city of Ephesus I met a couple dogs who lived among the 2000-year-old ruins. Then there were several smart cats who hung out at the butcher shop down the block from our hotel in IStanbul and the aging dog who had claimed a spot outside of Aya Sofya. Most of the animals seemed fairly healthy— people put out food for whatever strays happen to come by. And I saw others beside myself (probably tourists) stop to pet them. I think the best thing for them, though, would be for me to ship them all over to NYC to live with me. First I need to buy a large brownstone, though, I guess.

3.18.2006

A personal intern:



This past work week involved 11-12 hour days from the time I left the apartment to the time I got home. I was so swamped when I was at work that I barely had enough time to run to the water cooler (OK, I admit, I did manage to sneak out to the gym at lunch four times, but that's it). I definitely didn't have time to pick up a very necessary box of contact lenses or to return a purchase, and there was definitely not enough time to try to fit in any work on my sideline business. So, I think it may be time to get my own personal intern. I would willingly give she/he college credit for checking and responding to emails, faxing in requests for price quotes for materials for my dog beds, returning phone calls, as well as refilling my water glass at work and running important errands (like to the brand new Union Square Trader Joe's to get organic raisins and veggie gyoza).
It would definitely be no worse than most internships and I've been told I'm a great boss. Any interested parties out there willing to work for nonexistent pay?

3.16.2006

iJoy massaging chair:



For years, Bri has occasionally mentioned her desire for a massaging chair. It came up again recently because I'm going to physical therapy for a wrist injury and the physical therapist has massaging tables that feel wonderful. After my first session I came home raving about them. And that's when she started in about a massaging chair. "No way," I've always said. "They are way too ugly to have a place in my home." Discussion over.
Until last night. When we went to Brookstone. And she got me to sit in one of them.
The iJoy is amazing. It actually feels like hands are massaging your back. Truly, truly amazing. And it's currently on sale for only $600. It's still ugly but not as offensive as most of them. I could probably live with it tucked away in our bedroom.

3.14.2006

Mokusei lamp by Tortoise:



This light shade is actually a puzzle. Or the puzzle is actually a light shade. It consists of 20 pieces of triangle shaped cherry wood veneer. You can use all the pieces to make a ball-like shade or only some of them to create different shapes(the shade pictured above uses only 10 of the pieces). The shade is named Mokusei, the word for the planet Jupiter in Japanese, because the pattern on its surface is similar to that of the 5th planet. Very clever and it looks good, too.

3.10.2006

Calvin Klein Home Ellipse flatware:


I love the style of pretty much anything made by Calvin Klein— it's minimal, refined, elegant and sleek. So of course I love this new stainless steel flatware design. It is a softer take on Iittala's 1997 Artik flatware, which was done by the Finnish duo Laura Partanen and Arto Kankkunen. And it's a good $10-$20 cheaper per 5-piece set.

3.08.2006

Design Classics Dogsofa:


Lexie told me about this take on the Le Corbusier Confort Sofa that she would like. It will look quite classy in our living room with her perched on top.

3.07.2006

Modernlink's "Jimmy" desk:


Modernlink— an NYC-based group of architects and artisans who sell vintage Scandinavian-modern furniture at their Bond St. store and design functional, stylish, contemporary furniture— created this extremely ingenious desk. It has 5 file slots built into the desktop to keep papers organized. One of the drawers is the perfect size for storing letter-sized paper for your printer. The drawers also come with removable organizers. It's made from bamboo, a highly renewable (And therefore eco-friendly) source. And it's intentionally sized for apartments— it's less than 5 feet long. It could only be better if it came with a built in computer.

3.06.2006

Fortuny lamp:



Perhaps it's obvious that I would like this iconic lamp.
A) It looks like a photography lamp and deflector but much, much cooler.
B) It was designed by Mariano Fortuny, who was born in the ancient Spanish city of Granada, which is located about an hour's drive from my family's apartment in the Mediterranean coastal town of Solebrana and is therefore I place I have visited several times throughout my life.

Although Fortuny was trained as a painter, he became known as a fashion designer, stage-set designer, and lighting technician. His 1907 lamp design represents the early modernist emphasis on industrial materials, functional style and the spatial role of objects. It also makes a compelling modern sculpture. The light is height adjustable and the diffuser swivels to allow for direct lighting or a nice, soft glow. It's a clear embodiment of Fortuny's philosophy: "It is not the quantity, but the quality of light, that makes things visible."

3.03.2006

Paola Lenti Linea chaise:


The Italian furniture company Paolo Lenti designed this chaise to magically adjust to four different positions. It's so simple while being sleek and luxurious. Unfortunately, it's also more than $3,000.

3.01.2006

Gus Design Fruit Trough:



I love fruit. I love brushed stainless steel. I love clever organizational/storage bins. All of these things come together in this one sleek item by Gus Design, a Canadian company devoted to producing elegantly minimal furniture. I'm always happy to support my fellow Canadians.