Thursday, March 27, 2008

Another example of verre églomisé

At first I thought this very gold-glam creation was a mirror, then realized it is actually another example of that interesting verre églomisé technique, without the glass part.


The texture is lovely, if you zoom in on the website - I think it is what keeps getting my attention, since I usually am not into blingy stuff like this:

There is something about this technique that consistently catches my eye; I think because it seems like a textured way to light up the gloom of hall corners. This one, for instance, if it was an 1/8 of the size, would go a long way to adding a little glow.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Textiles: A typography ironing board cover

I don't like to iron. When I say I don't like ironing, what I really mean is I don't like ironing boards. They are hard to open and hard to close and collapse without warning, are difficult to store away and tricky to drag out when you need them.

I bought a fancy new ironing board, with an appealing plasticized lavender cover included, before the in-laws came to stay with us for a month. I had a tabletop version before, that worked fine for me but would never do for daily iron-ers. They used the new one after they unpacked, and then were unable to close it, as were any of the rest of us. It stood open in our living room the whole month they were here, and after they left we devoted a ridiculous amount of time to trying to collapse it. I would be embarrassed to admit we never succeeded, if there weren't five other people who failed beside us. It could not be done. We ultimately had a great time demolishing in enthusiastically on moving day (that was back when we had a garage to store things like uncollapsible ironing boards until oh, moving time).

Looking back, I think it probably wasn't as fancy as I thought, and had some sort of defect. That lavender cover was probably what convinced me it was the newer, better, ironing board.

Which brings me to this, which comes separate from an ironing board and therefore can't influence a purchase, but if it did come with an ironing board I WOULD TOTALLY BUY IT, even if it was guaranteed never to close again, because...well, look:

Typography on an ironing board cover. I think it might have been designed just for me, to convert me into the sort of domesticated being who irons her bedsheets (I now know one other person beside my mother-in-law who really does that. Really!). It might even look kind of good, open forever in the middle of the living room, if it came to that.

All that for
€59, in pink or green, at The Collection (under Accessories) - pricey even without the exchange rate and the international shipping and all, but having something that inspires me to iron? Probably priceless!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

New Baby Blog

I started a separate blog this month for baby and child-centered posts, called Little Capucine. Petite Capucine will remain all about inspiration for cozy homes, while Little Capucine is about inspiration for life with children (and the zillion product decisions they require). Some of the latest posts over there:

A review of Imps & ElfsInspiration for a neutral child's roomWing hooks in pink, silver and whiteSo if you want some ideas for cozy homes with children in them, head on over!

Friday, March 14, 2008

Typography: Maharam Letters pillow

Maharam has some fabric out that I love called "Letters", designed by Gunnar Aagaard Andersen in 1955. It probably costs a fortune per yard, I'm guessing, but luckily I stumbled onto Jamric's Etsy shop, where she has a pillow pieced together from this fabric that I'm really stoked on:


It is also available in purple, beige, pink, and green but I love the burnt yellow one shown here.

Design Within Reach has a pillow in this same fabric (not patchworked) for $250. This pillow is a deal! I personally prefer the patchwork one, anyway. It's mostly wool with some nylon, it would probably last forever. I think a white or grey couch would look great with this pillow hanging out on it.

$35 right here on Etsy.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Accessible Industrial

You want an affordable industrial-style table that doesn't remind you of Frankenstein? Done:

The Ikea Vika hyttan/fintorp combo, for $139 and available online now.

I love those legs, way better than restaurant-supply industrial versions. This would be a great work table...sigh.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Bathmats

I'm buying these cotton bathmats today - they look like they'll be pleasantly nubby and absorbent, I like the texture, and my current white bathmats have started the downward path to that grungey non-white shade no amount of bleach/hydrogen peroxide/blueing can chase away. These are perfect!

At Bitters Co., $40 for a set of two:

Friday, October 26, 2007

Rocking chair hunt

Update: This post has been cross-posted on my new family-focused blog, Little Capucine. All the baby stuff is over there now!

Finding a rocking chair that isn't hideous (gliders) or grandmotherly (everything else) seems like a fool's errand, for some reason. Enough so that suddenly these few options, found after a lot of web sieving, don't seem so bad:

This one was on Surfing Cowboys, a no-name Danish mid-century rocker that sold for around $600. They reupholstered it, and I found out why when I looked around for a similiar one and turned up this identical version, in truly hideous yellow fabric that is probably the reason it took so long for mid-century to become trendy again, on Ebay :

But the bids are already around $600 and since I personally would have to reupholster this puppy to want to sit in it at all, that would put it near $1000 when all was said and done and...uh...for a rocking chair?

Then there is this Hans Wegner (or so the description hopefully suggests) which is currently at a more-reasonable $199, but looks less comfortable and sort of short:


And in the department of new options, the Brigger rocker, also for something like $600 and vaguely 80s somehow and reminds me of the ugly ones a little:




And the only other contender, in the classic and ultra-deep department, the Thonet knockoff, which at least is only $150:

So? What would you pick?

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Art: Clarence H. White

When I saw this photograph (via Le Divan Fumoir Bohemian, so apropos for a rainy day), I was amazed to read it was taken in 1902. Some of the other photographs are obviously more dated, but whoever this photographer was, he really took a great photo with this one, in my opinion! It makes me want to run out and take the same one myself, with my favorite oversize fishing buoy, only I don't know any kids this age...yet!

Enjoy the rain!

Quick Post: Cutie Owls!

Today was my lucky day - my commute was blocked by an overturned semi so I got to spend the day at home cozy in the rain, and feeling humanly cheerful instead of queasy I even found a new blog to read while I was cleaning out my inbox. These little raku owls were right on top!
I like the philosophy of raku, and I thought the artist who created these owls had some sweet things to say about always creating 'families' of his little birds. (Family being more at the front of my mind than usual these days!)

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Happy garage sale finds

I like garage sales. The really good garage sales, where you find cool old stuff for fifty cents. But the truth is, at least in my neighborhood, those kinds of garage sales are what I hope for more than what I really come across.

But the last time I went looking, we lucked on an elderly couple cleaning out their garage in the dense fog. They were in a chatty mood, and going all out to convince us to buy some stepping stones the husband made himself with gravel and concrete.

I settled on taking home a large blue picture frame and an old yoke for $10, humming a happy I-found-a-good-garage-sale tune.

I scrubbed the frame to clean it off and distress the painted parts a little more. Now all I need is a piece of glass and cardboard backing!

I'm going to hang two flower pots from the rings of the yoke, outside on the patio. It must be really old - I can't even fathom how long ago it has been since livestock would have been walking around with yokes where I live - but it is in very sturdy shape all the same.

At first I thought geraniums, but now I think something trailing would be more interesting. It isn't a huge yoke, so I'll have to find smallish plants.

Those are my happy garage sale finds! It happens so rarely, I just had to share, because I still feel like humming a tune every time I see them!