Archive for December, 2008
What do you get when you marry expressionist painting and a feminized ‘60s psychedelic poster style? The result just might be the artwork of Yellena James. Her illustrations have graced Anthropologie’s website and she has designed for Nike. Though, it’s the artist’s delicate, pen-and-marker drawings on paper that are linked to her heartstrings, and to her pen(s). To have an original piece on paper costs several Benjamins; to acquire a signed printed edition will only set you back between $20 and $50.
Even though the prints hover around 8” x 10” in size, they electrify any space with colorful intensity. In an interview with Etsy.com, the Web’s premiere destination for buying and selling handmade crafts and where Yellena’s work can be purchased easily, the artist cites “…cacti, moss, wallpaper, micro-cosmos, macro-cosmos, deep sea creatures, pebbles, plants and the universe” as her inspirations. To frame and mount Yellena’s artwork in your home is to bring all these inspirations into your daily reality.
For more information, visit Yellena.com.
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Posted by admin at 31 December, 2008
As the winter months approach and the economy freezes up too, it’s hard to feel hunky-dory lately. But looking at Hunkydory Home’s website brightens up our mood when we see their cheerful, sunny, creative retro patterns on lampshades and pillows.
What cheers us up even more are their price tags. The “big flower cushion” and “rainbow retro cushion” each retail for less than $30 and are packed with big, bright, ‘70s-inspired design. Our favorite line has to be the “Shabby Chic,” which proves that a vintage look can be affordable: the handmade “Red Cherries Pendant Drum” features a classic cherry-picked pattern that would sweeten up any kitchen light fixture. Also adorable is the “Red Gingham Pendant Drum” lampshade which brings a dash of ‘40s-era Loretta Lynn to any country-inspired home.
What’s even more hunky-dory than their designs is Hunkydory Home’s commitment to environmentalism. In July, for each customer that spent more than 100 pounds the company pledged a tree to Borneo. The company’s website has a shopping cart system and loads of fun stuff to check out, including many things not yet mentioned here – from wall art to kids’ room accessories to scads more pillows and lampshades.
Check it out: Hunkydoryhome.co.uk.
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Posted by admin at 30 December, 2008
As far as organization is concerned, public schools are onto something. The same utilitarian metal lockers you remember from 2nd period gym class have been transformed into colorful storage for your home. Four refurbished vintage locker baskets – in red, orange, sky blue and green – fit into a steel frame, making this piece an A+ spot for tucking away books, toys or bad report cards. Complete with metal number labels, this basket locker will bring back visions of kids yelling and locker doors slamming – all without the dirty sock smell.
You can buy it at UncommonGoods.com
For More Modern Furniture
Posted by admin at 29 December, 2008
China cabinets with glass doors are so last century. These days we need more efficiency from our dining room or living room storage units. This means furniture that has lots of compartments and creative storage spots, as well as a commitment to energy saving, eco-friendly manufacturing.
Kursi’s retro-cool sideboard fits the bill on all these fronts, not to mention it has been turning heads in design showrooms and homes since it debuted last year. Though with the overall shape of a mid-century buffet, the details of the piece are decidedly more contemporary, most of all in terms of its three-part storage system – it has four drawers on the left side, a cabinet in the middle portion sized to perfectly accommodate liquor bottles or flower vases, and two sets of sliding doors and drawers on the right side.
The piece gets green stats for a long list of reasons: it’s made from start to finish in a small town in Lancashire, England and contributes to the small, local economy there; water-saving, energy saving, and recycling measures were at play in the manufacturing process; and entirely natural materials were used in its production.
The price retails for about 2,700 pounds on OneEcoHome.co.uk, a furniture-meets-eco-friendly website which rates all Kursi’s “green” stats (as well as an array of interior design products from a variety of companies) in more detail.
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Posted by admin at 26 December, 2008
Your kids can never have too many animal friends – especially at night!
Find it at UncommonGoods.com
Posted by admin at 25 December, 2008
When your candlesticks start looking a bit common, you can always heat things up with a mini fireplace instead. Brings warmth and ambiance to the table… and will probably add some sparks to the conversation as well.
You can get it at www.GenerateDesign.com
Posted by admin at 24 December, 2008
Posted by admin at 23 December, 2008
I will freely admit to having a penchant for earthenware of all shapes and sizes. That’s why I was skeptical when I went to peruse Wells’ site. In no time at all Guilo Iacchetti and his Europlast collection had proven me wrong.
With their electric and jewel tones one’s eye is immediately captivated by each piece that happens to cross your line of sight. Looking at the entire collection as a whole, even a casual buyer can’t help but appreciate the wholeness of the collection, its playful textures and coy takes on iconoclastic images. Take for example, my personal favorite – the Cactus vessel. Instead of prickly avoidance, its gleaming finish seems to cry “touch me”. Like the rest of the Europlast collection, this piece is ideal for indoor our outdoor use. Standing at 49.6″, it’s definitely not a piece that will fade away, if anything, you’ll find yourself changing amidst the lush creative landscape that Iacchetti and crew have put together.
See the entire collection at Jane Hamley Wells Homepage
For More Home Accessories
Posted by admin at 23 December, 2008
There area countless sites available courtesy of the world wide web for those looking to furnish their new home, or re-feather their old nest. Inhabitliving.com has struck on an interesting way of separating themselves from the masses with one word: Custom.
The one-in-the-million piece of home décor is crucial. Many designers find such a piece and use this item as the conceptual center of their home design projects. Inhabitliving.com has taken this a step further, giving you a creative hand from the start.
Inhabitliving.com unifies the idea of custom cohesive design with the critical element of lighting with their new website feature. Go to their site, and you are presented with two options: I Want Creative Control or I Don’t Know Where to Start. Clicking on either link brings you to their one of a kind lamp building virtual workspace. From there it’s simple, stylish, and fun. Following a series of steps, you begin by selecting your base, body pieces, and finishes – this final feature is my favorite if only for their well executed on-line color swatch book. Perusing the website aimlessly, you may well stumble on the right look for your home, but using their custom builder you are able to view fully all they have to offer and to create a look that it wholly your own design.
For More Modern Lighting
Posted by admin at 22 December, 2008
Okay, so you’ve staged your doorway indoors and out – where to go next? That’s up to you, but today we’ve picked the bathroom, having compiled a set of tips to start you off on the right foot.
Clearing off counters, the back of the toilet, the floor, and shelves is a very important part of staging your bathroom. This is true of any bathroom, but when it comes to smaller bathrooms it’s even more crucial as clean surfaces give the illusion of more space.
After you’ve got your surfaces sparkling, don’t neglect your fixtures. If your handles or spigots are outdated, replace them with sleek and modern fixtures. Stay away from brass fixtures — they bring the 1980’s to mind in a big way, and while retro is fun in clothing, it’s a big ‘No’ when it comes to Bathroom fixtures.
Don’t forget those seemingly lux touches – candles, rolled towels, fragrant aromas. For many of us, days at the spa are few and far between. If you can create a spa-like illusion at home in your bathroom, you’ll have something that will really appeal to home buyers. By the same token, upgrade the space – display a new matching towel set and upscale bathroom products – appeal to their sense of aspiration.
As a final touch, don’t forget wild life. Plants add a freshness & softness to bathrooms. Buy healthy bathroom loving plants that are appropriate to the space you have. In larger bathrooms palms can work well, in smaller bathrooms ‘Ivys’ and ‘Peace In The Home’ may work better. Whatever the plant they must remain in tip top condition, dead leaves will have the opposite effect of the one desired.
For More Home Staging Tips
Posted by admin at 19 December, 2008
