December 2008 - Office Furniture

Anthropologie is having a very, very generous sale on great stuff!

Anthropologie is usually out of my price range, but I still can't help but look from time to time. I often check the sale section of their website, and boy do they have some deep discounts on some yummmmmy stuff. Here are some of my favs.

Wouldn't these make the cutest outfit? I love the shoes especially, and they're on sale for $59.95!!

Embroidered lamp shades for $39.95...sweet

I adore this hairpin wallpaper. It's usually $168 per roll, but now it's $69.96!

HGTV Winner Update - New drawing on 01/01/09

Hi Folks -
It's been two weeks and Cheryl Ng has yet to claim her prize. So I will be redrawing a winner for the HGTV Home and Landscape Platinum Suite software. You can read about the contest here. I will be drawing from the same group that originally entered, so check back tomorrow to see if you won! Also, if Cheryl Ng happens to read this, you have until midnight tonight to email me.

Speaking of Wendell Castle...

Neil Lamens over at Furnitology has an excellent two-part interview with Wendell Castle that is a must-see. Here's a link that includes the two parts plus another couple posts Neil made about Castle. Thanks, Neil!

Feats of Woodworking: Wendell Castle's "Ghost Clock"

I love going to galleries and museums, but it's a rare and amazing thing to truly be stunned by a work of art. When that happens, you never forget it. One of these times was when I stumbled upon John Everett Millais's painting of Ophelia (titled Ophelia, appropriately enough) at the Tate Gallery in London.

Another time was when I saw Wendell Castle's Ghost Clock at the Renwick Gallery in Washinton, DC. I was at the Renwick to see furniture and craft. This was at least ten years ago and I had never heard of Wendell Castle. You can imagine my surprise when I turned a corner and saw this:

At just over seven feet tall, it's a formidable presence in the room. I love grandfather clocks, the older the better, so I was immediately drawn to it. Old grandfather clocks are haunted enough as it is, but one covered with a sheet is particularly captivating. It immediately suggests an abandoned house with its furniture covered in a futile effort to protect it from dust and weather. But the closer you get, the more compelling it is until finally you realize that this isn't a clock covered by a sheet at all. The whole thing, including the sheet, is carved out of mahogany. Castle made it in 1985.

The photograph is used with grateful acknowledgment of the Renwick Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. There is tons of excellent furniture to be seen on their website: americanart.si.edu. You have to search a bit, but it's there. I suggest you go to the collections search page, put 'furniture' in the Keyword box and select 'Crafts' in the Artwork Type dropdown list. You'll see great work by Maloof, Nakashima, Knox Bennett and many other American masters. Of course, you can also go there in person!

Does anyone know where to find something like these in the states?

In the beginning of December, I posted some storage ideas - you can read the post here. Reader Jeffrey asked me to source these crates, which I originally saw on Creature Comforts. Turns out the crates are from Baileys Home and Garden in the UK. You can see more of their awesome products in a post from last week, A Simple, Beautiful, Natural Home. Anyway, does anyone know where similar crates can be bought in the US? Thanks for any leads!

Fear not bold and beautiful color...

The inspiration -- this vivid blue velvet jewelry from Lush Bella

left to right: Trine Thorsen, Skona Hem

Love the bedding on bottom right!
left to right: Trine Thorsen, Car Moebel

I love the girly bedroom top left.
Clockwise from top left: Point Click Home, Car Moebel, Trine Thorsen, Marie Claire Maison

Clockwise from top left: Marie Claire Maison, Trine Thorsen, Trine Thorsen, Car Moebel,

A Simple, Beautiful, and Natural Home

I love the products of Baileys Home and Garden. The accessories and tools are eco-friendly or recycled, and I love the focus on utilitarian- but still beautiful- tools that work. Oh, the simple life.

Happy Holiday pics and thank you all!

I really hope everyone has a wonderful holiday, and gets to spend it with loved ones. I'm honored to be a part of such an amazing and supportive community. As some of you know, this has been a very hard couple of months for me with my dog passing, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your kind words and sentiments. They are immensely helpful during this most devastating time.

via Ideal Home

via House Beautiful

via Country Living

via Sunset Magazine

via Martha Stewart

Furniture I Love: Jason Henderson Edition

With his work in rustic furniture, Jason Henderson is doing things I’m not seeing other people do – and that’s saying a lot. But not only that, his pieces challenge me to step out of my comfort zone and will hopefully challenge you as well.

I absolutely love when the true nature of wood – no, the true nature of a specific piece of wood -- is kept in as natural a state as possible in a piece of furniture to show the contrast between what nature presented and what a maker manipulated to fit his or her own vision. I love furniture that features wood with a live edge or a knot or crack. I especially love it when the furniture has one or all of these features and then alongside it or part of it there is something completely refined. The contrast is striking but each aspect speaks to the potential of the other.

So if you think you've seen enough rustic or "twig" furniture, prepare to be wowed. You can see more of Jason Henderson's work at www.jason-henderson.com.

Photo by Stock Studios Photography.

Modern Design Icon 101

George Nelson is a modern design icon. He is most well known for his relationship with furniture designer Herman Miller. He actually got the attention of Herman Miller when Life Magazine featured one of his designs in a 1945 issue. Herman Miller founder D.J. DePree saw the article and met with Nelson in New York, and he soon became Herman Miller's director of design. Nelson also went on to found George Nelson & Associates, his own design firm.

His partnership with Herman Miller "shepherded design into the modern era," where he worked over 25 years. Modern classics like the Marshmallow Sofa and the Coconut Chair are still must-haves in modern homes, offices and museums. You would probably recognize Nelson from his Herman Miller designs- including my favs, the Swag Leg Series of tables, desks and chairs and his Platform Bench. Here is a little history for ya on both designs-

Swag Leg Series
Originally introduced in 1958, the Nelson Swag Leg Group is just as relevant today as it was in the late 50s and 60s. The perfect addition to any modern home office, the pieces can be used together or separately. The desk has just the right amount of work surface, and those colorful little cubbies make desktop organization a snap. The Swag Leg Chair is probably one of the better known pieces from this series - its separated seat and back have a sculpted look and feel, flexing with the sitter for supreme comfort.

"Swaging" is the process in which the legs in the series are manufactured by "using pressure to taper and curve a metal tube." The goal with this series was to create stylish yet easy to assemble pieces that could ship flat to cut down on costs. Nelson received permission from Charles and Ray Eames to use their patented plastic molding process to make the shell, going a bit further and creating two separate shells - one for the seat and one for the back. Today, while the design itself hasn't changed, the shells are made of recyclable polypropylene for an added eco-friendly benefit.

Nelson Platform Bench
The Nelson Platform Bench made its first appearance in 1946 and was part of Nelson's first collection for Herman Miller. It was reintroduced in 1994. Made of solid maple, the Nelson Platform Bench is a perfect addition to any living room, vestibule, bedroom or office. The slats were spaced to let air and light through and finger-jointed legs make it extra durable and strong. The Nelson Platform Bench is a quintessential multipurpose piece and can be used as either a low table or as a bench.

While there's no substitute for a Herman Miller chair, (I have an Aeron at work and it’s done wonders for my posture) it’s not all office furniture. Over the years, Herman Miller has been a modern design magnet, attracting some of the most famous and talented designers, including Mr. Nelson. Which piece strikes your fancy?

*love love love* the platform bench

Alex - the sofa that's simple, seductive and so comfortable

If simple elegance is your thing - check out the Alex sofa by Italian designers Cristian. The chrome feet lift the Alex off the floor giving it a sense of lightness and space.

The clean lines look great in white or even in the ever-popular black leather.

Find out more: about the Alex sofa by Cristian furniture

And the winner of the HGTV software is...

Number 13! Cheryl Ng! Congratulations Cheryl Ng; I hope you enjoy the software - you will have to let me know how you like it. Email me with your shipping address and it's all yours*

Thanks everyone for participating, this was a lot of fun, and I hope to have more giveaways in the future.

The Wallflower - anywhere, anytime stroage and workspace

The Wallflower re-siteable shelf system provokes two thoughts: 'why didn't I think of that?' and 'why hasn't it been done before?'

No drilling or fixing; a tool-free solution to storing and/or working in different locations as the need arises. The Wallflower works courtesy of innovative design, the laws of Physics and and Sir Isaac Newton: gravity rules - OK.

Angled legs plus weight of contents pushes the Wallflower against the wall and four elastic buffers on the back create a non-slip stable connection. Move it where and when you want - how cool is that?

To find out more - click here

Bye bye Cody - I love you!

I don't think I've ever cried so much as I have been during the past month. As some of you might know, my sweet little dog, an 8 yr-old Aussie named Cody, was diagnosed with cancer last month. We did everything we could, but sadly he left us this morning. I'm truly devastated to loose him, and am sorry to leave you all neglected today, but I will try and be back on track tomorrow.
Take care everyone, and thanks for being patient.

De Sede's stunning DS-1064 sofa - just needs a name!

The only thing missing from Hugo de Ruiter's stunning, distinctive sofa for De Sede is a name.

DS-1064 is a bit clinical for such an exciting piece of furniture.

The backs can be placed wherever you want to alter the use and mood of this highly architectural piece: from intimate and close to a more business-like distance.

To find out more - click here

The Vermelha Chair by Edra

Edra make some of the most modern and contemporary furniture around.

The vermelha chair is a prime example of Edra furniture..

Designed by F and H Campana for Edra its likely you have seen this chair on many a chat show or inter view with film stars and of course in film themselves. The vermelha is simple but unforgettable design.

Lots more to come on the blog about edra as its one of the most interesting furniture brands.

Ode to Modern Retro!

Modern retro is one of my favorite styles of interior design. I love it due to it's roots in clean Scandinavian furniture design. The furniture has aged beautifully, and it's clean lines and attention to material deters it from looking like a badly-aged trend. Tasteful application will also keep a room in this style from looking too kitschy. What are your thought on modern retro, and how do you define it?