sarah cihat

gorgeous new plates from brooklyn designer, sarah cihat. [i love the rose] more information at her website, right here.

candles

pretty options for candles at wingard...

wingard

ooh, love this, too. a three dimensional, white powder coated steel sculpture. looks soo pretty against those chocolate walls. and i love it as a wreath below. lovely modern alternative to the traditional pine versions (although not quite as festive, perhaps you can dress it up with some other modern holiday decorations). available right here.

mo-bi-le-o

love wingard's mo-bi-le-o's. especially this star pattern with the gorgeous chocolate paint in the back. available right here [details: 12" antique brass stars that link together to make a screen or back drop. each set contains 6 stars. 12" x 77"]

dandelion light

i love this light. it just looks happy. available at dutch by design.

sari syväluoma

sari syväluoma is an amazing european designer passed on to me my mark of sparkability. her work is colorful, fun and sophisticated (there's a very judy ross feel to some of her work, which i love). from her handprinted pillows to her cheery serving trays, her work oozes happiness and color. and in my book that's a-ok. you can view her entire collection right here and get purchasing/retail info via email on her site. enjoy! [thanks, mark!]

orange skin

fun chicago boutique for high and slightly-less-high end design. tons of italian designers, my favorites are this affordable chip and dip bowl (only $23) and the classic take lamps from kartell. more info and full collection right here.

ulrike rapp

ulrike rapp's faux brooches- made of layers of silicone and a soft tricot material. available right here.

ghost mirror

anyone want a matching ghost mirror to go with your ghost chair? starck is at it again with a new piece from kartell. available online at unica home.

eek!

totally creepy baby lamps from petitcollin. i mean, does this creep anyone else out? a glowing green baby would scare the bejesus out of me. but if you like this, shop away- they're available at unica home for $90. i just had to post this for the "eek" factor.

a girl's best friend

for only the girliest of girly girls- pearl pillows in bright pink from dutch designer, ulrike rapp. available online at unica home.

usame

i love patricia urquiola's usame table for kartel so much i can't stand it. i have such a crush on her- her work is just gorgeous. you can buy your own table right here, at unica home.

martino d'esposito

martino d'esposito is a product designer who has produced a phenomenal amount of beautiful work in his 28 years. of swiss and italian decent, martino earned a masters in product design at the university of art of lausanne in 2003 where he now teaches design. primarily a freelance designer, martino has worked for such prestigious clients as: ligne roset, lacoste, etain prestige and ad hoc.

my favorite projects of martino's are his "smoking corner" tray (before anyone jumps down my throat: i do not smoke, condone smoking or support it. i merely like the idea of the object), his work for ligne rose: the triple lustre lamps, the lumin'air lamp that can be picked up by the smooth chrome stand/handle, and his drink tray- which has those cute little finger slots so you can carry things more easily.

to top it off, martino has just designed a clever little piece called the "earthquake table" that will be exhibited at the MoMA from October 16th on. It's not for sale, but is an interesting look at what one might need while hiding under the protective steel shell in the case of an earthquake or hurricane. [prototype kits contain first aid equipment like oxygen, a helmet, a shovel, extinguisher etc; plus some "soothing" items like wine, a card game and even a fondue kit]

always innovative and never boring, martino's work shows amazing promise and outstanding potential. i can't wait to see what he does next.

beautiful shelving unit from dutch designer, robert jan snoeks. more info to follow...

big post of the day

i am a huge, let me repeat, huge fan of esque design- a portland based glass studio run by artists, justin parker and andi kovel. i was thrilled to receive a cd of some great images of their work, so i wanted to share their designs in a larger post, so i could showcase the stunning range of work they produce.

founded by parker and kovel, esque design studio makes its mission "...to achieve a coherent vision of functional home accessories, lighting, and architectural detailing". their interest "is in the inherent attributes of glass, which we infuse into each aspect of the living environment". ackowledging the effect and inspiration of artistic works before them, esque chose a studio name that, "refers to the suffix, and is a nod to the acknowledgment of outside influences and inspirations. the idea that we cannot create in a vacuum, so must rely on our knowledge of the past to assemble our future".

having worked worked together for the past seven years, parker and kovel manage every aspect of the business as a team, from design to packaging. one of the top head glass blowers ("gaffers") in the country, parker is widely known for his skill with glass. in addition to teaching speciality glass classes across the country, parker has exhibited his artwork at various venues, including the brooklyn museum of art.

kovel is well known for her work as not only a designer, but as a glass blower, installation artist and painter. kovel has exhibited with the likes of claus oldenburg, damien hirst, and kiki smith and has taught for the long island university, urban glass, the university of california, and recently was a visiting artist at parson’s school of design.

the collaboration between kovel and parker has created some stunning works of art that clearly have a style of their own. from their brilliant use of color to their mastery of form, esque has created a line of glass lighting and accessories that function as both artwork and practical homegoods. from their gorgeous "cozy" line to their silver pieces, "off" pitchers and root vases, esque has a style that is wide ranging, but distinctly theirs.

my personal favorites are the wonderfully simple "off" series which take traditional ideas of pitchers, vases and caraffes and change the shape slightly, so as to create a melting effect, along with the "cozy" light and votive, which i seriously can't get enough of and the entire lighting collection, which really brings some unique looks to the industry.

esque's entire collection is phenomenal and no matter what your style, there is something for you- which i think is the real beauty of their work- they have really great, basic glasswork (although it's far from basic, it's stunning) and really "out there" pieces for those looking for a bit more edge to their glasswork. you can find more information, ordering details and the full collection at their website, esque design. [thanks, andi!]