4.27.2006

"You’ve Come Along Way, Baby" silkscreen tea towel:



This weekend I had to fly to LA for work and I took along about a half dozen magazines for some "research" for our company brainstorming retreat. One of the magazines was a cool Australian shelter book called Inside Out. (Why is it that all the best shelter books from Australia and the UK?) That's where I found the Australian company Third Drawer Down. They make limited editions of what they call "Domestic Art"— tea towels, aprons, table runners and the like— by Australian and European artists.
I immediately fell in love with German artist Tobias Rottger's 2004 design. And I also am quite fond of "She Danced". Either of them would look really good hanging from our stove— or framed on a wall (especially in a baby's room).

4.19.2006

Stingray rocking chair:



Why is it that most rockers are ugly, wooden monstrosities? And why does the only modern option seems to be the fiberglass Eames RAR rocker, which I'm not only tired of seeing but I'm also not entralled by. Solution? The new Stingray ("rokke" in Danish) chair from Danish design company Fredericia Furniture. It was designed as a final project at architecture school by Thomas Pedersen.
It's made of black or white high-quality molded plastic.

4.18.2006

Holga plastic camera:



Many people consider Holgas to be toys. Or garbage. They are $20 plastic cameras that can make very cool images. They were first produced in Hong Kong and were originally intended to provide an inexpensive mass-market camera for working-class Chinese. Little did the company people around the world would still be using them even when they can afford other cameras.
I got one several years ago but I lost a piece to it after shooting one role. Now they have this slightly "fancier" version— it comes with a built-in flash, a long-exposure setting and a tripod nut. And this one costs a whopping $35.

4.13.2006

Annual Don't-Talk-to-Me Day:



I would like to inaugurate a day in which we all keep silent. My staff couldn't bug me with silly questions they could answer on their own. No one would be able to whine to me about wanting a bigger raise even though they know I can't do anything about it. And I wouldn't have to talk to the loquacious little girl up the block who always asks if she can hold Gertie. It would be such bliss. And I think I'd be in a much better mood by the end of the day.

4.11.2006

Garnet Hill's Techno Blossom Percale:



I seem to be on a colorful bedding kick. It must be the spring weather. From afar this print looks a little like flowers but close up it resembles a molecular formula. Very cool. And despite the use of colors, it also includes my old standbys black and white. Can I have it Bri? Please?

4.10.2006

Zettel’z 5 pendant light:



Contemporary German lighting designer Ingo Maurer calls his Zettel'z a blend of art, sculpture and light. Very true. From the moment I first saw this light a few years ago (it was designed in 1997), I was smitten. The light is composed of 80 sheets of Japanese notepaper— 31 pre-printed with Maurer’s doodles and 49 blank sheets for your own designs and reflections. The paper is then clipped to stainless steel wire cables and shade the light heat-resistant, frosted glass bulb.
The Price? Design Within Reach sells it for a hefty $1,165 but if you search around you can find it for hundreds less— Europe by Net has it for only less than $700.

4.06.2006

Mandatory prison sentences for people who abuse animals like Tinkerbell:


Tinkerbell, an older Yorkie, was found living in a cardboard box, starving to death unable to find food because some sick, sick person chopped off her front paws. Luckily the person who found her took her to BARC, a no-kill shelter in Brooklyn, and she is now being well cared for.
But who in the hell does something like that? I just can't imagine why doing something like that would even occur to anyone. That kind of cruelty makes me completely baffled.
All of our animals are rescues but Gertie seems to be the only one who suffered any abuse. When we got her I was horrified by her story— she was abused (probably kicked) and was then left out in the middle of winter chained to a fence with another Chihuahua, possibly her mother. The other dog died and Gertie was facing the same fate.
But Gertie's story is nothing compared to that of Tinkerbell. Maybe if animal abuse laws were much harsher, people would treat more of them with kindness. Or maybe I'm just wishful.

4.05.2006

"In a New York Minute" bedding:



The bedding company Garnet Hill (OK, it's now more than a bedding company, but it used to only do bedding and similar items) just came out with this fun, new design for sheets and duvet covers. It's a little too colorful for me to have on the top of the bed, but I think it's so clever that it should at least be underneath the duvet. I love the drawing of the Brooklyn Bridge and the pretzel vendors.

4.04.2006

Bell a0 wall sconce:


We are still on the hunt for living room lighting. My most recent find is made by Italian company Vetreria DeMajo using hand-blown Murano glass. When we traveled to Venice two years, we spent an lovely afternoon on the island of Murano. We didn't end up buying anything there, though. Partly because the glass is a little too colorful for my taste. This wall light solves that problem. And a certain someone will really like is its über-affordable price of $161.

4.01.2006

Poul Kjaerholm PK 9 chair:


The PK9 chair, AKA the "Tulip Chair", was designed in 1961 by Danish wunderkind Poul Kjaerholm. It's still in production today and available in various types of leather thanks to the manufacturer Fritz Hansen (which happens to be the official licensers of a plethora of my favorite mid-century Scandinavian furniture. How I wish I was an executive there.)
The seat seems to be perched so delicately— almost awkwardly— above the legs that it sort of makes me laugh.