Ebb bench

This new bench for Leland  (a family-owned business based in Grand Rapids, MI) is available in various lengths from 4 to 10 feet, and features a  rounded, hollow design.  Finishes available in walnut or beech veneer, or laminate.  Upholstered seat pads are also available.  

(not available to public - if interested contact me/your designer)

less is more

- Mies van der Rohe

colored pencils balcony

I rendered the drawing of my balcony in colored pencils:

line drawing balcony

I drew this in ink of my balcony.  I'll probably go over it with colored pencils and/or watercolors another time.

colored pencils

I drew this today in Santa Monica with colored pencils:

It's a beautiful public park.

Bernhardt Design

Bernhardt Design is an outstanding company that manufacturers contract furniture.  Contract furniture is  made for commercial spaces and with more stringent criteria for durability.  Since commercial spaces are more trafficked than residential spaces, they must be more durable and usually pass more strict codes for fire-resistance, etc.  This is one Bernhardt Design's more recent chairs, and it is especially attractive.  The price range is a bit high at $1100 - $1700, depending on the fabric, and it comes in either walnut or maple.



This one is great too:

wearing shoes in the house

I grew up in a house where shoes were not allowed to be worn inside, and entire countries practice this policy.  In our house, shoes had to be removed the second we walked in.  The reason for the rule was to not track dirt, etc. in to the house.  I still do this, and think it is an excellent policy that not only keeps my house cleaner, it also preserves my interior flooring finishes.  

If you live in a big city like New York, where people walk their dogs on the sidewalks that people also use, it seems like a great idea to remove the shoes which have some pretty nasty stuff on the bottom.  In other cities that are more driving oriented (and that have grass), we still use public restrooms, etc., and that bacteria gets on the bottom of our shoes too.  With any kind of weather or dirt, that's best left outside as well.  

The amount of dirt that is kept by the door with the shoes is staggering, and it really cuts down on the amount you have to clean your floors.  But if you do have guests over and insist they remove their shoes, you better have some clean floors for them to walk on!  Or you could always provide socks...

tips for a good party

Besides good food and drinks, there are two essential elements to throwing a good party: lighting and seating.
Make sure there is enough comfortable seating.  The idea arrangement would encourage conversation.  Think about having the seating in a big open circle or rectangle.  That way the group can all sit down together and still talk.
Lighting is also critical.  If the party is at night, dim the lights and make it low and moody.  Low lighting will make it feel intimate and comfortable.  It doesn't have to be dark, but it should not be fully lit either.

Ikea - future projections

My good friend Laurel (who is also a designer) recently said something brilliant about Ikea.  She predicted that a lot of the pieces we buy from Ikea will one day become collectibles.  I know this might sound crazy, but let's consider this: They have a team of excellent designers working  to create well-designed affordable pieces that are current.  They make and sell what we want.  And they only produce a fixed amount of product ever.  It might be a huge number, but it's still limited.  

For example: I bought a stool from them about a year ago for $7 that is fantastic, very reminiscent of an Alvar Aalto piece, and it is no longer available.  Because of that, to me its value suddenly increased.  And it looks great between my two Arne Jacobsen Swan Chairs:

I've noticed this with a lot of my favorites.  Even small pieces aren't available forever. 

Here is something I picked up recently that I'm hoping will one day be worth something, even if it's just a memento from 2010:

Barbar Tray

$5.99

outdoor chair

Here is a great outdoor chair from the latest CB2 Outdoor collection:

Igloo Chair - made of white wire and finished with a rust resistant powder-coat finish to protect it from the outdoor environment.  $149

mid-century modern desk

This new desk from CB2 would has a mid-century style.  It's pretty compact and would be nice in a living room or a bedroom.  It can also be used as a console table.

CB2 Laird Desk
$349