there's been a death in the family so i'll be out of town tomorrow and friday. i'll return monday morning (the d*s fall contest will be announced then).

UPDATE: GRACE IS STUCK RENOVATING THE OFFICE TODAY AND HAS NO ACCESS TO A COMPUTER. SHE WILL BE BACK TOMORROW. AC

studio ilse

i'm a big fan of most everything studio ilse does. their furniture is that perfect mixture of glam and modern that makes me want to sell my tv for enough money to buy one of their pieces. but, in the meantime, i'm happy to look at their work and appreciate it in a window-shopping sort of way. you can find more info on studio ilse and their work right here.

marcel wanders

i love this chandelier. designed by marcel wanders for flos (and inspired by the work of achille castiglioni), the zeppelin lamp uses a gauzy, cocoon like material to create a truly unique lighting experience. more info at flos.

sprout home

beautiful things at sprout home: colorful journals, my favorite urchin vases, simple test tube bud vases, a great modern bent ply pendant lamp, fun stick and peel gold head decals (for the punk/boy/girl in the family) and those beautiful bird decals from blik (i love the green, i'd previously only seen installation shots of the blue). all available online at sprout home (all affordable, too! $5-$99)

cards...

thank you cards by amy smyth...online right here.

kilimanjaro

[gorgeous new design mag, via psfk's blog] "Kilimanjaro is a new magazine from London printed on news print in a broad sheet style 680X480 and sold at posh places like the Tate Modern, Magma, Centre Pompidou and Colette in Paris and the New Museum in New York. It likes to bring together like-minded contributors stemming from different art disciplines including photography, illustration, fine art and collage- the last issue featured Alexander McQueen, Chris Ofili, Hardy Blechman, Patrick Burgoyne, Erwin Wurm and Zed Nelson. Nice - and the concept is based on the early 1940's newsprint!"

electro gifts at dwr

i like this electronic charger at dwr. i'm not very good at explaining tech stuff, so here's the description from dwr:

"The dual-function MultiPot Personal Electric Charger is the indispensable item for any owner of a cell phone, iPod or other rechargeable electronic device. Designed in the shape of a translucent bucket, the compact MultiPot solves the problem of messy recharging devices by socking away the electric cords in one easy-to-find and attractive spot. A 5-way multisocket is hidden in the lid where you store your gear, while the deeper base holds the tangle of unsightly cords. Doubling as an ambient LED light source that can gently illuminate a darkened room or shed a glow at night on your recharging cell phone, the MultiPot can cast light for 60,000 hours with a simple push of the button on the lid of the bucket."

cool stuff. you can shop and find more info right here.

more jean!

jean and eieio press have come out with three great new holiday wrapping paper designs: plummy, posh and sonic neue. and there are gift cards to match! more info right here.

jean is the queen...

of super fantastic wallpaper. i was lucky enough to meet jean on my last trip to SF and can attest to her ultra- amazing graphic prowess and general inner-coolness. her work is phenomenal and now you can buy a set of her gorgeous wrapping paper (for a lovely, modern holiday) at dwr online. hooray, jean!

more joy....

[great store review from d*s reader, joy. i write a design column for the philly inquirer, so i was psyched to read this- for those of you in philly, be sure to check out "open house"- it looks fantastic. thanks, joy!]

OPEN HOUSE is my favorite home furnishings store in Philly. It's a true gem in a growing area of Philadelphia just below Rittenhouse Square. They carry great home stuff from Angela Adams, Thomas Paul, Dwell, Wallbands, as well as great baby gear & bath items.

Check it out ~ OPEN HOUSE ~ 107 S. 13th Street in Philadelphia ~ 215 922 1415

wrapables

cute little lehti throw pillows for $18.95 at wrapables.

focus: reader's voices II

[the following post is from d*s reader, joy, whose fantastic roundup of great modern bedding is a MUST-READ. you can check out joy's website right here. thanks, joy!]

Here's a look at some GREAT bedding out there right now. {Left to Right} Variegated bedding & pillows, Dwell Baby bedding, pillows by Variegated, Amenity duvet cover, Macaroni baby bedding by Nurseryworks, Swell sheets from Target, pillows by Three Sheets 2 the Wind, Tree Pillow by Eleventwentyfive, and Ultrasuede pillows by Michele Varian.

Many of these are available at Design Public.

focus: reader's voices

[the following post is from d*s reader, jan, who runs a lovely blog called "poppy". jan will be contributing every other week or so on various design topics, from kitchen design to her favorite new products. thanks for your post, jan!]

When i first saw this countertop dispenser from Zevro with the fruit loops inside, i was hoping it was available retail and was thrilled to see it was. Available at Cooking.com for $59.95 or the black version also available at Target for $29.99. Getting up in the morning may just be more fun with one of these. You really have to see these silicone spatulas by Chef'n to appreciate their quality and durability. Made of stain-resistant, high temperature (650ºF) silicone with steel core, these dual-ended asymmetric spatulas will glide with ease and won't scratch non-stick surfaces. You can purchase them online at Sur la Table, $7.95. With all the nice tomatoes around, this adorable 2 quart casserole from Le Creuset is perfect for serving tomato soup or a fresh tomato sauce. You can pick up this famed enamel over cast iron beauty at Sur la Table $100. it also comes in a mini version for $25. And if you are an ice cream sandwich fan like me, you are going to love this cute ice cream sandwich maker from Cuisipro. they are so fun! the durable plastic mold creates perfectly formed triangle ice cream sandwiches in a snap. Available at Sur la Table, $16.95.

muléh

d*s reader, alexa passed along a link to her favorite home store in dc- muléh, so i thought i'd check it out. home to beautiful south east asian designs that focus on renewable materials, muléh has a unique collection that is a nice alternative to some of the slicker, more minimalist design boutiques out there. my favorite pieces are by designer, kenneth cobonpue of the philippines, but take a look for yourself and see if you find something that's just right for you. enjoy! [thanks, alexa!]

woollyhoodwinks

adorable little wool animals with a fun animated cartoon to go with them. all five "characters" are available online right here. my favorite is "reddy". [thanks, scott!]

greener grass design

i love these boda nova glass sets that come in a tube. easy to transport, perfect for gifts, these glasses come in a set of four in four different styles, ranging from $30-$40 a set. you can find more information right here. oh, and don't forget to check out the gorgeous green transglass vases. not brand new, but still totally gorgeous.

hgtv design star

hgtv has launched a nationwide search for the next great design star, and it could be you. here are the details:

"Anyone who is bursting with décor and design ideas and has a burning desire to be on TV will finally have the chance to make the passion for paint and romance with rooms pay off. Beginning Monday, October 24 through Saturday, December 3, HGTV will accept applications from professional, novice and wannabe designers who think they have the ideas, instincts and individuality to host their own show on HGTV. The application can be found on HGTV.com. As a second pillar of the Design Star search, homeowners who have dreamed of enhancing a room in their home will have a chance to get in on the action. Beginning Monday, December 5th through Friday, January 14th 2006, HGTV will accept applications from homeowners who have a room that is in dire need of a redo."

so, if this sounds like you, go ahead and enter! who knows...maybe the next design star could be you! heck, maybe i'll even enter...

design: eindhoven

every year i find myself longing to be able to attend all the fantastic design shows across the globe- but thankfully this year, lise, a d*s reader and design student (who makes beautiful work of her own!) was kind enough to attend the show in eindhoven and send me her favorites and some wonderful pics of her highlights. beyond being extremely appreciative of her hard work, i completely agreed with her choices about standout pieces. the following are lise's highlights with a few of my own thoughts. [all pics by lise]

the show was overflowing with gorgeous designs, all of which married function and form beautifully. the creativity of the student designs was overwhelming and i found myself dying to see some of these pieces in person (especially the textiles). my favorite piece had to be the radiator pictured above and some gorgeous window treatments that i would give my right arm to have hanging in my house. the sculptural textiles above were designed by an artist whose name i will have asap (lise is finding it) and the funky "radiator" above was designed by monique horstmann whose design played with the idea of a clothesline that would actually heat your clothes until they dried.

in addition to the curtains, there was another piece called smockdeckens that used smocking to give new life to an old fabric. it must be stunning in person.

beyond textiles, there was a really interesting piece called "cover tiles" by jasper van grootel that covered copper piping used in showers with tiles made to fit over top of the metalwork. such a fun idea.

"unplugged" a decorative element meant to make electrical outlets more fashionable, was a fun idea i hope to see come into actual production one day, followed by the "solid, solid + liquid and liquid" bowls, which are a wonderful exercise in simplicity.

suzanne happle's stunning works called "solid poetry" must have been even more amazing to see in person, because the pictures were enough to blow me away. suzanne's work changes when exposed to elements like air and water, revealing a subtle surface pattern. i'm a really big fan of these pieces.

the flexilight by jos kranen uses electrical tape as a moveable socket, turning an industrial material into something elegant.

klein geluk was an adorable little wall-mounted music box with a cord that, when pulled, caused the bird on top to "sing". so sweet.

kitchenette, another student project, combined four metal wire modules to create a fully functioning kitchen storage system. not exactly my cup of tea visually, but i thought the idea was fun.

last but most certainly not least, the "branch" system is comprised of elastic bands that can be fastened to the wall to hold clothes and accessories, all while expanding to create a beautiful tree-like pattern on the wall.

[thanks again to lise for all of her hard work and help with this design academy eindhoven summary. thanks, lise!]