david wiseman for artel

david wiseman is one of my absolute favorite young designers. constantly working on innovative projects and never falling prey to some of the more superficial trends in the industry, wiseman continually produces products and interiors that are both elegant and wonderfully modern. his style manages to straddle the worlds of modern, pop, traditional and minimalist design with ease and what i enjoy most about wiseman's work is the way that you can follow his design progress and growth with each product. since the fame of his poppy deer hangers wiseman has gone on to create sophisticated wall and ceiling installations for private residences and designed a line of porcelain vases that mastered the art of simplicity and form. wiseman has now teamed up with famed glass designer and manufacturer artel to create the glacier collection- a series of cut glass vessels that experiment with faceting and different textures. each piece is handcut by artel's czech artisans and contrasts smooth polished surfaces with rougher faceted edges. you can click here to find out more about artel and you can find more on wiseman right here. this collection will debut at the gift fair (artel booth #4045, accent on design). [thanks david and adrian!]

[meeting at conde today, see you tomorrow! xo, d*s]

porcelain bud holder

the companion to her porcelain votive, louise langgaard's bud vase is a unique way to display your favorite summer blooms. available for $55 right here. enjoy!

we dream in colour

the lovely sophie from we dream in colour emailed me these 'plastic fantastic' necklaces and i just had to post them. i know, not a jewelery site, but i thought they were too cool to pass up. these little plastic people are available for around $28 and are designed by the lovely jade gedeon of we dream in colour. enjoy! [thanks, sophie!]

tak

scott at tak was kind enough to send over one of tak's latest products, the takboard bulletin board. available in a plain or printed version, each takboard is made of a lightweight tactile material that is perfect for tacking up messages and photos. you can hang it vertically or horizontally and pick from three super cute designs. available for $34.98 (plain) and $39.98 (printed versions) right here. enjoy! [thanks, scott]

d*s diversion: resources for artists

i'm working on a project involving independent designers so i've been storing up some useful links for those living and working in the creative field. i figured some of you might have use for them now rather than later so i thought i'd share some of these quickly.

• icovia design edition: test out this fantastic space planning software. you can check out the free trial online and move walls around, test furniture, accessories, etc. very handy for designers and non-designers alike.
• fractured atlas: passed on by d*s reader natalie, fractured atlas is a fantastic indie artist resource that provides health insurance, marketing, promotion and development resources. a lot to check out so click here to get the full story. could be a great resource for smaller designers.
• and last but not least, a fun new blog that helps you decorate and entertain and style. can be helpful if you're throwing an art event, hosting an event dinner or just looking to make some contacts or a dinner party. enjoy!

clear, inc

arlene from atlanta's clear, inc sent along their beautiful vine chair this morning. made of rustic twigs and clear resin, the vine chair is a wonderful way to celebrate nature and the cool, clean lines of minimalist design. you can click here for more info on clear, inc and the vine chair. [thanks, arlene!]

d*s sneak peek: amenity home newbies!

lauren at amenity home was kind enough to contact me with an exclusive sneak peek at amenity's brand new home collections set to debut at the gift fair in august- just for d*s readers! this gorgeous collection, available for purchase in mid-august includes a beautiful new duvet cover pattern, pillows, canvas wall art and a lovely bag (sure to be a hit). the earthy, organic amenity look is still there, but has been updated with fresh new colorways and great new patterns. click here to be notified when the collection hits the shop (just enter your email on the home page). great stuff, guys. [thanks, lauren!]

[i'm heading out to find something to wear to a wedding this weekend. have a great friday everyone!]

port2port july

hooray! my july package from mav's port2port press card club came in the mail today. a goregous botanical that's just begging to be framed in this little sponge's apartment. click here for more info, thanks mav!

twenty2 does wal-mart

kyra at twenty2 was kind enough to send along this announcement and give d*s readers a little heads up on their new collection of colorful wallbands for wal-mart. designed to coordinate with wal-mart's "get it together" back to college collection, the wallbands are designed for dorm room use and feature a new peel and stick adhesive that allows students to move out cleanly. the twenty2 collection is now available at select wal-mart stores so feel free to decorate and redecorate with ease ($19.96 each). [thanks kyra!]

mibo newbies

new patterns from the uk's mibo design. known for their colorful lighting and playful patterns, mibo adds "rhosilli" to their collection of pendant and table lamps. for a closer look and to shop online, click here.

claire de lune

beautiful clair de lune chandelier by danish designer clair requa. available in clear, black or white acrylic. you can grab your own claire de lune right here for $156. for more information on clair requa, click here. enjoy!

adler newbies

allison at jonathan adler was kind enough to send over these images of some gorgeous new adler ceramics that i've been lusting over. the lattice urn and the giant bjorn are perfect examples of what adler does well- really lovely shapes combined with the perfect amount of subtle pattern. if i had a bit more pocket change i'd love to snatch a few of these, but for now i'll be saving my pennies for the giant bjorn. i think just about any flowers you put in it would look stunning. but of course, it would look just as stunning on it's own. you can snag the giant bjorn for $250 right here and the lattice urn (in s/m/l) for $88-$198 right here (each size has a diff pattern). enjoy!

chilewich

the lovely ladies of chilewich invited me to their showroom for lunch yesterday to see their latest collections. over a delicious quesadilla i got to see a sneak peek of their new collections for fall 2006 and spring 2007. the spring collection is going to really surprise people- they're testing out a slightly different style that i think is going to be hugely successful. when a retail date is near you'll be the first to see them here! until then click here for a little glimpse into the colorful chilewich offices. thanks so much to sandy and camille for the wonderful lunch and showroom tour! [above, founder sandy chilewich and assisant camille howe]

[ps: on my way back i hopped in a cab just as the food network's dave lieberman was getting out. so dreamy]

d*s apartment project: artwork

i'm starting to actually get small steps in my decorating process squared away (shower curtain being made, couch company coming to measure, electrician on the way) and the first thing that's made me really happy was getting back my framed camilla engman prints. i just love her playful, child-like style and her simple use of color. if you're looking for some affordable prints i highly suggest camilla's work.

[ps: all sorts of drama in the project runway post. cara's stirring things up...i'm heading to chilewich for a studio visit, be back later!]

fantastic finds: threadless at blik!

i was so excited to see this beautiful new collection from blik design in my inbox this morning. blik held a fabulous design competition called "blik loves threadless" that encouraged designers to submit designs that would make great tees (for threadless) and would also work well as a set of wall decals. close to 340 designs were entered and 2 made the cut- happy when it rains by zeptonn.nl (a rainbow and bouncy people pattern) and 7.00 by letter (a bird on branch pattern). each pattern is fun, colorful, funky and totally fantastic. there's a cartoon flair to each pattern that makes them a bit more cutting edge than the main collection and perfect for those who find traditional wall graphics a little safe. each collection sells for $55 and can be arranged however you like- i think they're far too cool to hide in a small space so i suggest proudly displaying them in your most visible spot. i just think it's fantastic that blik is celebrating the talent of independent designers and making their work available for the mass market. more people should be doing this on a big, big scale. be sure to check out the fantastic gallery of entries, too!

soho house beauty

how gorgeous is this high road house project by soho house interior designer ilse crawford (she's the genius behind studio ilse!)? i love the wall behind her with the wallpaper. gorgeous. [via the nytimes, photo by luke tchalenko for the nytimes]

hable must-have

i'm loving this online-only pillow series by hable construction. this embroidered linen pillow has such a nice little punch of color with the hot pink and green iris. so lovely. available online right here for $160 (def a splurge item...)

dart coat hooks

i was so appreciative when d*s reader (and northumbria grad) paul taylor emailed me about his recent work and his buddy anthony chrisp's new dart hooks for suck uk. the very next day anthony emailed me himself (unbeknownst to paul) and shared his clever little hooks and some great photos so i couldn't pass up sharing them here. anthony is a 23 year old northumbria grad who works in a men's social club in the north east of england. it was this working class local that gave him the idea for his humorous coat hooks that recall the classic pub dartboard. suck uk is still in production with the dart hooks but they'll soon be available right here. to email anthony about his work, click here. [thanks to paul and anthony!]

dermond peterson

i've long been a fan of the design studio of dermond peterson and, after doing a little research this morning, found that they haven't gotten the online coverage they deserve for such beautiful work. founded in 2001 by sisters, sandra dermond and susan peterson, dermond peterson design produces gorgeous linens that bring such a freshness to the market that they're almost impossible to over praise. their commitment to beautiful linens, colors and patterns, coupled with their dedication to quality, is really spectacular (especially in an industry where people can skimp on the quality sometimes). i'm the proud owner of a dermond peterson artichoke tea towel, but when i discovered their table runner line this week i knew i had another purchase on the way.

the wonderful thing about the dermond peterson collection is its unique block-cut print patterns that combine an almost child-like playfulness with a sophisticated color palette and pattern selection. every item is block-printed by hand in their studios in milwaukee, wisconsin on top-quality linen and cotton fabric using environmentally sensitive, water-based inks . you can even wash them (in the washer, not by hand) and not have to worry about fading, color-bleeding or damage to the linens. i've used mine as my kitchen towel for a while now and can't get enough of the beautiful patterns and bold colors they use. my favorites are the sardine, gingkos (that runner is to die for), mussels and artichoke styles, but you can't go wrong with a single design. you can browse their entire collection right here and find a retailer near you right here. i use todd and holland to buy my dermond peterson goods (prices are quite reasonable, about $15 for a hand towel). enjoy and here's to another great business creating beautiful things by hand!

[don't forget there's project runway dirt being dished below!]

project runway: ehh?

ok, so let the project runway debates and comments begin! my gut reaction is: this season makes me sad. i feel like the whole season is sort of uninspired. but for me hope lies in alison, bradley (who i love) and michael. and is it just me or do we not hear anything or see anything from michael? they didnt even show his model walk all the way off the runway. it seems odd, i love his work and i don't think it gets the air time it deserves. i'm just really let down. i think the influence of the producers feels way too transparent, the designers seem uninspired and the judges just feel a little off. i've been shocked to see what vera wang thinks- i just don't see what she sees. tim gunn seems to be on a different page than the judges and to me that's a sign something's wrong. either way, i'll keep watching and hoping that we find the new helmut lang in bradley and the new jill stuart in allison. i just don't feel any spark with this cast and think the judges panel is off. i miss michael kors. i'd take his "look at this, i wrote down that it looked 'farty'!" over vera wang's random hairdo comments any day. but i do like that they questioned angela's taste level. she drives me nuts. ok, it's open (until i go to sleep) so have at it, what do you guys think? of and of course, are we all in agreement that jerkface (keith) goes home next week for being a copycat?

west elm newbies

loving these newbies at west elm. these colorful pillows are perfect for the end of summer and won't break the bank (around $24 each). you can just change them out with the seasons for a new look. click here for the full selection. [lurve the bronze and ceramic lamps, too]

reluct eindhoven coverage

reluct has great great coverage of the design academy eindhoven masters grad show. so many beautiful designs to soak up. click here for the full story!

porcelain

delicate porcelain rings give this candleholder it's graceful look. perfect for casting beautiful shadows on the table while you share a romantic meal or set the mood in your home. designed by louise langgaard of copenhagen, the porcelain rings candleholder is available at peek keep for $50 or $75. enjoy!

jefdesigns

the wonderful joe futschik of jefdesigns has just released a small series of limited edition prints that will be sold exclusively through velocity (who just had a beautiful baby boy, congrats!). the four prints feature sea-inspired designs and will be signed by the artist and available for around $200 each. enjoy!

d*s diversion: child-leash?

this is totally off topic but i'm pretty shocked after returning from my morning bagel and coffee. i was waiting for my bagel at la bagel delight and this woman walked in with three loud children. the smallest, a little girl maybe 6 or 7 years old, had a dog collar around her neck (with her name on the tag) with a real dog leash attached. for a second i was like, maybe she likes wearing it as a pretend game. then i saw her mother whip the leash and yank her over on it. people were shocked but no one said anything. then her brothers kept stepping on the leash and it would yank the little girl's neck and she would say "ouch!". maybe it's because i just read this ny times article, but i was shocked and didn't know what to do. does anyone know if this sort of thing is legal or has any precedence? it wasn't one of those "leashes" designed for kids, it was a real dog collar and leash and she was def being yanked forcefully by it. it just seemed cruel and unbelievably harsh. i'm just shocked, if anyone knows anything about this or if it's legal (i know it's probably none of my business anyway but that little girl looked like she was in pain from the collar yanking) i'd be most interested to know...

sneak peek: agnes and hoss

stephanie at agnes and hoss is debuting a gorgeous new fall pillow collection at the gift fair in august. just wanted to share a little sneak peek before the full write up in a few weeks. [thanks, steph!]

bouroullec brilliance

kristina is so good to me, she sent me these gorgeous pictures of the new bouroullec textile pavillion at the luxembourg museum of modern art (recognize those tiles?) it just opened this month and looks like such a pleasant place to dine outdoors. if only i could fit one of these in my back yard. well, if it had one that is. click here for more info on the bouroullecs, my heroes. [thanks, kristina!]

readymade proposal

ok ladies, ready to faint from cute overload? a friend of ours from street hockey (who runs a lovely stationery company) just proposed to his girlfriend my taking out an ad in readymade magazine. she got the proposal when it came in the mail. is that not the cutest thing ever? congrats to sarah and andy- you are a crafty couple's dream.

paper voyeur

designer nik daughtry passed along these fresh new wallpaper designs that ded ass studio just produced. fresh off the presses (they're being printed this week!) nik's paper voyeur line is called flora & fornication- each piece looks innocent enough but when you take a closer look you notice the spicer side of the design. the collection was designed for the modern boudoir and would certainly look great in any room (provided you're ok with the subtle sexual imagery). you can click here for more information and to get a rate quote. enjoy! [thanks, nik!]

[thanks also to clay at the/20 for featuring a little d*s interview he conducted. click here for the full story]

good morning!

hi guys! i'm back and rested after a lovely trip home to va. my inbox is loaded with great material so i'm hitting the ground running- d*s reader katya caught these great repro newbies ('coriander') and thought we would like them. i love the great colorways their available in- and for only $8.95 they're affordable enough for a large project! click here for more info. enjoy!

scandinavian textiles

bold prints and bright colors will always have a place in my heart- and no one does color and pattern quite designers from scandinavia. i was searching for some bright red fabric on scandinaviandesigncenter.com and found all of these fantastic textiles. you'll need to pay for overseas shipping but sometimes the right fabric can be all the inspiration you need for an entire room (or apartment!). i found myself drawn to the citrus panels (great for the kitchen!) and a number of fabrics by kvadrat but you can click here to browse and order for yourself. enjoy!

[i'm going home for a little family vacation so i'm closing up shop for a few days. i'll be finalizing the d*s shop details and getting ready to relaunch with an updated look in september! i'll be back on tuesday with oodles of fresh finds, but until then you can get new, exclusive d*s finds every day this week and next at d*s on hg. have a great week, see you tuesday! xo, d*s]