This is a great-looking lamp from Room + Board. It would look especially good in a room with mid-century modern decor. At 27" high, it is sizable fixture. Made of hand-blown glass in brown or white, with a silk shade, it is stocked for $299.
7.30.2010
7.28.2010
sofa slipcovers
A couple people have recently asked me about sofa slipcovers to achieve a "shabby-chic" look. The shabby chic style is deliberately distressed, casual, and comfortable with an all-white and/or bleached-out pastel palette. Vintage pieces that look worn and antiqued (but still in a light or white color) play a role in this aesthetic.
This look can be achieved by applying a white or off-white slipcover to an existing sofa. Installing a slipcover is very easy. You simply drape it on and tuck it in. A trick to keeping it tucked in is to lodge rolled-up newspapers into the crevices. This will hold the slipcover tighter on the sofa. Here are a few slipcovers I found. Some are classics while others are updated modern versions:
$99
This one is a departure from the traditional slipcover, but it still achieves the "shabby-chic" look. It also seems like it would be more flexible for different styles of sofas underneath. It requires a less rigid installment and therefore becomes more casual. Pair this look with an array of colorful (or muted pastel) accent pillows.
$109
This is a more traditional look. The pleats give it a more structural feel and add a strong design feature. This one is on sale and available in stark white.
$150
This is the most typical slipcover of the three. The nice thing about it is that it has a separate cover for the seats, which keeps it fitting tightly and minimizes having to re-tuck-in the slipcover repeatedly. It's available for sofas with square-shaped or T-shaped back cushions.
Hovas Sofa Cover
This is a great budget-oriented option from Ikea. It's a pretty straight-forward slip cover, machine washable and white. With this low price you can really go crazy with pillows.
Hovas Sofa Cover
$50
7.27.2010
Dot Coffee + Side Table
The new Dot coffee + side tables from West Elm are really unique and truly minimal. This very neutral oak finish would work in a room with a warm neutral scheme (beiges), as shown. In my opinion it doesn't mix well with grays. If you have a lot of space to work with, you could try clustering a couple of them.
Coffee table measures 36" in diameter, and 14" high for $399. Side table is 14" diameter and 18" high for $149.
7.12.2010
Kohler Flipside Handshower
The Flipside Handshower, a very clever new showerhead from Kohler, redefines settings on a typical showerhead. Instead of using controls, rotating the fixture to expose one of four different openings changes the spray type.
7.09.2010
7.05.2010
"design" by collage
A very common pitfall that people make when designing a space is the following.: they will do research on existing spaces they like, compile a list of elements they like from these spaces, and put them all together in one disharmonious project. This is a huge mistake. Cutting and pasting from other people's projects will never result in something that looks together. It's also uncreative and visually unsettling.. Additionally, something that works on one project won't necessarily be appropriate for another.
The key to designing a cohesive space is selecting a strong concept that drives the project along. A concept is a phrase that explains the design intention of the project. It can be reached by studying the requirements for the space ("program requirements") and understanding what situations will be occurring in the space. The concept should be non-architectural, and is a critical first step to design. The more specific, the better.
In other words, let the specific needs of the space and the people who will use it inform a concept, and the concept guide the design.
The key to designing a cohesive space is selecting a strong concept that drives the project along. A concept is a phrase that explains the design intention of the project. It can be reached by studying the requirements for the space ("program requirements") and understanding what situations will be occurring in the space. The concept should be non-architectural, and is a critical first step to design. The more specific, the better.
In other words, let the specific needs of the space and the people who will use it inform a concept, and the concept guide the design.
7.02.2010
Maya Romanoff wallcovering
This is a striking new wallcovering from Maya Romanoff called Meditations. Handmade of lokta paper by Nepalese artisans, it is environmentally sensitive. It requires minimal energy use and a portion of the profit goes to Aid to Artisans. It comes in 9 colorways and is 36 inches wide.
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