Our kind of minimal-effort, high-reward DIY project: a silvery branch entwined with twinkly lights as instant holiday decor. Via Annaleena's Hem.
Above: The key is to use lights with a white cord; the Bethlehem Lighting Indoor/Outdoor Miniature 50-Light Set is $10.40 at Amazon.
A rustic take on the classic mod Utensilo wall organizer: the Industrial Wall Storage unit (70 by 50 by 8 cms) from Danish company House Doctor is made of aluminum with brass accents; £168 at Bodie & Fou. (Also see Design Sleuth: Design Sleuth: Utensilo Wall Organizer.)
Above: The Industrial Wall Storage unit features seven storage pockets and three hooks.
Located on Mile End Road in East London, designer David Carter's four-story 1717 Queen Anne townhouse has served as a photographer's location for several years now. Carter recently began offering two unused guest bedrooms as an alternative to traditional hotel stays: "The concept is simple," he says. "We're offering a place to park your suitcase while enjoying a bit of understated opulence and a large dose of quirky style at a very affordable price." Rooms can be booked by the week or by the night; for information, go to 40 Winks.
Newly opened Melbourne restaurant the Millswyn is located in South Yerra, across from the leafy Royal Botanic Gardens. Design studio Hecker Guther integrated an array of domestic objects in the Nordic-inspired interior: an old-fashioned straw broom is mounted on one wall, Italian farmhouse porcelain lights provide illumination, and ceramic jugs serve as water dispensers. Photos by Earl Carter.
Above: The Millswyn is housed in the premises formerly occupied by South Yarra dining institution Lynch's.
Above: Pale wood floors and blond wood tables contrast with the sober khaki gray walls.
Above: Chesterfield banquettes add a luxe note.
Above L: An old-fashioned straw broom is mounted to the white ceramic tiled walls. Above R: A display of vintage plates adds a decorative note.
Above L: A Shaker-style bench. Above R: Italian wall-mounted porcelain light fixtures illuminate the space.
Above: Shaker-style dining chairs are painted khaki gray to match the walls.
Above: Textural linen curtains filter the light.
Above: Outdoor dining is available on the veranda.
Above: The veranda overlooks the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Founded in 1607, Swedish company Skultuna Messingsbruk is one of the oldest active brass producers in the world. In the last decade, the company has been working with designers and architects like Claesson Koivisto Rune, Thomas Sandell, and Ulf Lamby. We especially like Skultuna's range of brass candlesticks, which add a glimmery golden note to the holiday table.
Above: Designed by Michael Kurpatow Skultuna, the Brass Cylinder Candle Holder is €156 for a set of three (7 cm, 5.5 cm, and 4 cm high) at Swedishness Online.
Above: Designed by Pierre Forsell for Skultuna, the Skultuna Tulipe Candleholder Set includes a trio of candleholders in graduated heights (19, 21, and 23 cm) and is €150 at Swedishness Online.
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Los Angeles-based Environment Furniture's motto is "Create beauty, respect the planet." Included in Time Magazine's 2009 Green Design 100 issue, Environment uses materials like vintage military canvas, exotic wood beams salvaged from the maritime shipping industry, and responsibly harvested plantation mahogany in its sleek-lined pieces (fans include Hollywood eco boosters like Leonardo DiCaprio and Julia Roberts).
Environment is offering Remodelista readers the chance to win a Curve Dresser made from reclaimed Peroba Rosa (a warm, honey-colored Brazilian wood) with elegant bronze pulls and valued at more than $3,000. To register, go to Environment; all entries must be received by January 31, 2011.
Why didn't we think of this? The classic Aalto vase as countertop utensil holder makes a lot of sense (especially in a small kitchen with room for only one utensil container); the undulating shape allows for the separation of wooden spoons from metal whisks, for example. Design Story is currently offering the dual-colored Aalto vase from Iittala for up to 60 percent off; go to Design Story to register.
Above: Designed by Finnish architect Aalvar Aalto in 1936, the Aalto vase requires three separate glass blows to create.
Above: The Aalto design lends itself to utensil storage (or pencils, pens, paintbrush storage).
Above: Iittala released the dual-colored vases in 2006 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Aalto vase, which was unveiled at the Paris World Exhibition in 1937. The blue, green, brown, or sand colored vases are $90 each (down from $215) at Design Story until December 6.
Above: The Aalto Vase in red is $130 at Design Story (down from $295) until December 6.
Belgian architect Bruno Erpicum has been practicing for 25 years, creating a portfolio of finely detailed modernist buildings and interiors. We especially like this small stone outbuilding in the Belgian countryside, which Erpicum transformed by introducing steel sheets into the existing structure to create a mezzanine floor. He extended the steel sheets to the outdoors, fabricating a glass-enclosed living room pavilion that offers sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. Go to Atelier d'Architecture Bruno & Partners to see more of the firm's work. Photographs by Jean-Luc Laloux.
Above: Erpicum preserved the rustic character of the original stone cottage.
Above: The steel-and-glass room seems to hover in the snow, affording almost-panoramic views.
Above: A&D 8: Bruno Erpicum, by Wim Pauwels; $91.25 at Amazon.
A roundup of classic, streamlined white marble baths from the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory.
Above: A bath in New York by Deborah Berke & Partners with a marble surround and storage niche base.
Above: A bath in Brooklyn by Steven Harris Architects featuring a marble tiled floor.
Above: A marble bath by Deborah Berke & Partners.
Above: A bath in NY by Steven Harris Architects.
Above: A curvy marble sink by Annabelle Selldorf Architects.
Discovered via You Are the River: the work of designer Barbara Hill. A native Texan, Hill was born on the Gulf Coast and lived in Rio de Janeiro and Santa Fe before settling in Houston. She worked for the de Menils at the Rice Museum and owned the Cusack Gallery in the early seventies (she was an early champion of Sol LeWitt and other then-unknown conceptual artists). To see more of her interiors projects, go to Barbara Hill Design; to see a slideshow of her own stripped-to-the-bones Houston apartment, go to Dwell.
MARFA HOUSE
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Made of ceramic and featuring typewriter lettering: a new (and covetable) line of bath accessories from Rockett St. George in the UK.
Above: Ceramic Toilet Paper Holder; £19.95.
Above: Ceramic Toothbrush Mug; £9.95.
A couple of ideas for creating DIY Christmas tree substitutes, both utilizing reclaimed wood.
Above: One of the easier DIY ideas we've seen, via Desire to Inspire.
Our latest obsession: beeswax candles. We're loving the sweet honey fragrance given off by the candles, and although they are a bit pricier than conventional candles, they have some advantages. Among their virtues: beeswax candles emit negative ions that help purify the air (unlike paraffin candles, which give off soot); they typically burn longer than paraffin candles; and their appealing colors range from pale to dark gold (depending on the pollen, which varies in intensity according to season). To learn more about the benefits of beeswax, go to Care2.
Above: Beeswax Tea Lights from Brook Farm General Store; $10 for six.
Above: Beeswax Taper Candles from Brook Farm General Store; $10 per pair.
Above: English Beeswax Candles from Toast; prices range from £5.95 to £15.50.
Above: Eena Travel Kit made by Beckel Canvas Products in Portland, OR. Each bag is locally crafted of 20-ounce canvas, with leather trim, sturdy zippers, and a stitched label; $24 at Canoe Online.
Above: Another Portland company, OR, Tanner Goods, produces simple leather goods; the Tanner Goods Lanyard is available in several finishes, including natural (shown), for $35.
Above: The 8-ounce Stanley Flask in black enameled stainless steel is $24 at Blackbird in Seattle (the Stanley 8-Ounce Flask in classic hammerstone green is $17.99 at Amazon).
Above: Red Wing One-Gallon Stoneware Crock from Red Wing stoneware has been made in Minnesota since the mid-1800s. Handmade, sturdy, and functional, the stoneware features a clear salt glaze (created by introducing rock salt into the hot kiln during the firing process). The red wing logo has been essentially unchanged over 150 years; $70 at Canoe Online.
Above: Ace Hotel Portland Pendleton Elk Blanket made by the venerable Oregon Pendleton Woolen Mills; $275 for the queen size through the Ace Hotel Store.
When Paris-based, American-born designer Bambi Sloan was commissioned to design the interiors of the Jura Lodge (the former head distiller's house of the Isle of Jura Distillery), she took the Hebridean island's 5,000-plus population of deer as her inspiration. Sloan created a slightly madcap manor house look with dozens of mounted antlers, antique French linen throws, battered leather sofas, and a reconditioned 1950s Brazilian café fridge in the kitchen.
Interesting sidenote: George Orwell wrote 1984 while staying on the remote, unspoiled island of Jura, where there isn't much else to do but "walk, drink whisky, go fishing, and retire to the lodge. And write, because the island inspires you to," according to the London Times. Go to Jura Lodge for more information.
Yesterday's Designer Visit: Barbara Hill in Texas inspired us to track down the white resin antler racks Hill uses in this converted dance hall in Marfa.
Above: Designed by Seattle artist Erich Grinder, the Ghost Antler Rack is made of cast resin. The casting process is done entirely by hand in small quantities; each piece is sanded and finished by the artist. $230 at Velocity Art & Design.
Above: We also like Graham & Green's white resin antlers (no longer available, unfortunately). Restoration Hardware sells mounted Deer Antlers in Cast Resin (we'd spray paint them white) for $149.
Above: Made of powder-coated steel, UK designer Alexander Taylor's Antlers Hook for Thorsten Van Elten is $149 at Generate.
We've posted before about the Arts & Crafts-influenced work of British textile designer Lindsay Alker (see Fabrics & Linens: Lindsay Alker Textiles), so we were pleased to discover that some of her pieces recently arrived at the John Derian store in Manhattan. Alker's lino-block prints are hand silkscreened on Irish linen (she works from a thatched-roof cottage in Sussex); her Battle Great Wood print features fanciful hunting scenes (stags leaping, etc.). John Derian is located at 10 East Second Street in Manhattan; call (212) 677-8408.
Above: Aker's 20-inch-square Battle Great Wood pillow is $261 at John Derian.
Above: Aker's 24-by-16-inch oblong Battle Great Wood pillow is $282 at John Derian.
Gifts for the bar, for the wine cellar, for the table are always welcome; here are a few ideas.
Above: The Horn Bottle Opener is handcrafted in Finland from a shed reindeer antler; $28 at Anthropologie.
Above: Designed by Mats Borgstrom, the everyday Cocktail Set includes a stainless steel mixing cup and a cherry wood reamer and muddler; $30 at Design Within Reach (comes gift boxed).
Above: Artisinal Corkscrews from France (discovered via the NY Times); $38 at Apartment 48.
Above: The stainless steel Cocktail Shaker by Matz Borgstrom is $40 at Design Within Reach (comes gift boxed).
Above: The simple Wine Key from Design Within Reach features a cork screw, foil cutter and bottle opener; currently on sale for $14 (down from $28).
Another watering hole with a retro look and feel from nightlife impresario Keith McNally: Schiller's Liquor Bar on the Lower East Side of Manhattan has been open for a few years but seems from another century (all that white subway tile, reclaimed trough sinks in the restrooms, cloudy mirrors, and stenciled signage). Go to Schiller's Liquor Bar for information.
Is it just us, or is a kitchen not a real kitchen without an easy-to-read classic clock to keep everyone on schedule? Here's a roundup of good choices; all with quartz-battery mechanisms.
Above: The Classic Clock was designed by Howard Miller (son of Herman) and measures 12 inches in diameter; $55 at DWR.
Above: The Aluminum Wall Clock measures 9.45 inches in diameter; $48.75 at Muji.
Above: The White Wall Clock from Karlsson is made of white ceramic and steel and is available at West Elm for $79.
Above: Muji's simple Beechwood Wall Clock is 9.45 inches in diameter; $48.75 at Muji.
Above: Embossed Numbers Wall Clock; $49.95 at Crate & Barrel.
Above: Rosendahl Copenhagen's City Hall Clock was designed in 1955 by Arne Jacobsen and measures 11.4 inches in diameter; $430 at Velocity Art and Design.
Above: The simple, well-designed Pugg Wall Clock is $19.99 at Ikea.
Above: The Swiss Railway Clock by Mondaine is available in two sizes. The small (10 inches in diameter) is $195 and the large (15.75 inches in diameter) is $395 at MoMA Store (the small is also available with a red finish).
Above: The Max Bill Wall Clock with Numbers, by famed Bauhaus designer Max Bill, is $380 for the small (8.80 inches in diameter) and $430 for the large (12 inches in diameter) at Lumens.
Above: The Plywood Clock from Mori Toyoshi features a Seiko precision movement, clean graphics, and a plywood frame; $80 at MoMA Store.
Above: The UK-manufactured Newgate 1950s Wall Clock in polished aluminum is 12.6 inches in diameter; $95 at Horne.
