Air apparent.

That super chill engineer from Dyson (of really cool vacuum fame) with the great accent has come up with the next big thing in household fans.  This amazing combination of sleek design and functionality is inspiring, and if you're a clean freak like myself, you'll note the clean up is far easier than with a traditional blade fan.  I can't wait for this thing to come out in stores!  Here's the video.

The future of design.

The architect extraordinaire pictured above happens to be my little cousin, but I'm not biased or anything. Luca Franceschina stands next to his latest incarnation of a Starbucks cafe, following in his Father's footsteps as a former in-house architect for the Starbucks brand. Please note the well thought out entry and exit and also the space "out back" for outdoor seating. When asked by Luca what my favorite part about the structure was I replied "the great circulation", and upon further explanation this compliment was deemed satisfactory. When asked if he was perhaps better than many adult designers, I replied with a resounding "YES!".

In all seriousness, this child is inspiring to watch, and I wasn't kidding when I said he was a better designer than many adults working today. His diligence and passion are what every designer young or old should have in abundance. Our lives would be more beautiful because of it.

For my Dad.

This post goes out to my Dad who is a lifetime Mercedes owner. Growing up, the Mercedes held this kind of elegant quiet power. In short, it was the 'nice car', and this fantastic reproduction poster by artist Ludwig Hohlwein made in 1926 pays homage to a classic. Century Guild in Chicago sells this poster for $900.

rescue dog of the day.

This little hound mix is Mayer, so named for John Mayer who recently made a bet with TMZ that if they could find his mugshot photo, he would donate $25,000 to the charity of their choice. Well, they picked Ace of Hearts dog rescue, which is an organization near and dear to my heart. I was a volunteer and foster Mom for them for nearly four years in Los Angeles before I moved to Chicago, and I have never seen a better run animal rescue.

But back to our rescue of the day, Mayer, he is a beautiful hound puppy (4 months?) that is ready for a fantastic family with lots of energy to keep up with his puppy antics, and later, his need for nasal stimulation. If you are interested, contact Ace of Hearts for more information.

The future looks chilly.

This ice maker from Fusion Brands is insane, and I mean that as a compliment of course. Dual functionality really tickles my fancy, and this products works overtime. While the IceOrb's obvious purpose is to make ice cubes in a fun shape without water sloshing around your freezer, it also doubles as a cooler for cold dips or bottles of wine. If you're a Chicago resident or native, you may be thinking what I'm thinking...RAVINIA! If you're not from Chicago, you may be familiar with "picnics", and this would be an excellent companion on such a thing.

You can find the IceOrb at Amazon.com for $15.95

Lights, camera....just the lights actually.

A great lighting fixture, in my opinion, is like a piece of artwork. It not only fills a wall, it can add a big dose of personality and style and can be easily switched out to another room or another home if you so desire. Today I am posting several fixtures that I think are fantastic. I am currently, perhaps semi-permanently, into industrial modern fixtures. There's a quiet artistry about the style that belies its low-brow roots, and whether or not industrial modern is your thing, most of these fixtures would be at home in a variety of settings.


Take the Pelham Moon Light above from Circa Lighting, one of my favorite spots. It's such a simple and recognizable geometry and the hand rubbed antique brass finish gives it a sense of solidity and timelessness. This could definitely work in a loft or in a Hamptons estate.

This Large Danish Teardrop Lamp was an interesting find at a new resource-Rewire in Los Angeles. The antique lighting dealer has some spectacular designs in inventory, but I was particularly drawn to this oversized pendant. There is something about a teardrop shape that is both sexy and playful, and I dig both of those vibes.




Ralph Pucci is a favorite designer of mine and, in particular, I love the lighting line designed by Patrick Naggar. Although it doesn't quit have the same artistic beauty, the Modern Floor Lamp from West Elm is a cheap fix until I can get my hands on the real deal, and despite the uninspired name, it has a nice presence and the angular horseshoe base makes a bigger statement than your typical circular base.
Copper is one of my new favorite materials to use in everything from lighting to coffee tables. This cleaned up take on the classic industrial flood light is the Copper Blow Light by Tom Dixon. The best part about it? It's designed to take a compact fluorescent lamp, so it's a sustainable as well as stylish design choice. I'd like to see these fixtures illuminating an art filled corner and resting on a white epoxy floor.

haute milk.

i have a very close relationship with milk. growing up it was around at every meal and to this day i go through a gallon a week by myself. i actually order the stuff at starbucks, occasionally, and i always have the same conversation:

me: a small milk, please.

them: you mean a tall milk?

me: oh yes, i'm sorry, a tall milk. (inner monologue-you know what i mean you irritating "barista")

them: do you want it steamed?

me: no, cold.

them: just cold milk?

me: ("are you slow?" eyes and a nod)

my older brother tyler, who always has the most interesting articles on his blog- you, me and my api- introduced me to some cool new packaging for milk. the "got milk?" ads have helped my people's cause, but now we've got something that could really get people excited- david hung's design for milk packaging. this packaging is so fantastic, i would like to keep the thing after i've gorged myself on the good stuff. what do you think? will this change the future of milk?

rescue dog of the day-suzy Q(ute).

suzy Q is a beautiful 12 year old flat coated retriever that was surrendered at the pasadena humane society by her owner. this just kills me-how can you turn your back on a dog you've had for 12 years that in all likelihood does not have very long to live? i am so frustrated with these types of situations, and i see them constantly! anyway, here's the information i received from an email forward.

My dear Susy Q (A246475) was turned into Pasadena Humane Society phsspca.org by her owner after 12 years. She is a Flat Coated Retriever, absolutely the most loving and happy girl as you can see here in her videos. (Susy just waking up from her sleep):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyycxn6S7LwThose eyes... I can't stop thinking about her.

If you have a soft spot for the seniors, please consider Susy. She would love to sleep on a comfortable bed, go on short strolls, and adore her new family. She truly deserves to know how wonderful life can be. Please call 626.792.7151 or e-mail ute @ phsspca.org (at phsspca.org) or mobile @ phsspca.org (at phsspca.org) or adoptsup @ phsspca.org (at phsspca.org) IMMEDIATELY if you can
rescue or adopt this girl.$250 donation offered by Jessica Cliver jessicacliver@hotmail.com (at hotmail.com).

Please contact her PRIOR to bail.

you gogirl.

often times people forget that design is not limited to fashion and interiors. it extends to any product that is well designed for its intended use. well, the gogirl ($4.99 for a single, $11.99 for a 3-pack) is definitely that product. basically, ladies, you can stand up and pee like a man with this thing, and i know that is something every girl has dreamed of. this is something that i think about pretty consistently, like when i'm bored at home and feel like shaking things up or when i'm out in the middle of a snowy field and want to sign my name in yellow ink. so ladies, the next time you're feeling penis envy, grab a gogirl and let your problems melt away.

oilve oil-tastic.

olive oil is the foundation of my kitchen and it should be the foundation of yours. i am not talking about some bastardizing-store brand-mild tasting-calorie adder either. the right olive oil will heighten the flavors of any dish and make a simple scrambled egg breakfast transport you to italy- "big night" anyone? you may feel lost when looking through row upon row of different oils, so let me make it simple for you. frantoia. don't think, just go to whole foods or find another store that carries it near you and buy it. then use it. frequently. your crusty french baguette will thank you.

rescue dog of the day.

i am very passionate about rescuing animals as opposed to purchasing them from a breeder. although i have many animal "nieces" and "nephews" that have been purchased from breeders, whom i absolutely adore, it is my strong belief that there are already too many animals without homes to be purchasing insteading of adopting. i don't like to preach, but i have no problem increasing awareness about animal rescue. from here on out, i will be highlighting a rescue dog in need everyday. today the lucky fellow is "tripod"! tripod happened to have come from the same horrific situation my very own avery aka "bear" came from, so i have a special place in my heart for him. he's a two years old german shepard/australian shepard mix and, as his name suggests, he has only three legs. i have had first hand experience with tripod, and he's an absolute sweetheart. as an added bonus, his missing leg makes him easier to walk on the leash-i'm sort of joking there.

check out more info on tripod at http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10108339

recession floral arrangements.

this past weekend i threw another in a series of great parties, but the twist was to do it all for under $250. i may rival houdini because i actually pulled it off, and for forty people no less! i had to come up with some kind of decor, so i raided my cabinets, drove to OSH and spent a long time in the floral section at whole foods to come up with my recession arrangements. here's the breakdown for eight arrangements:

glass vases- free because my dad sends me flowers all the time

limes- two limes sliced up in each arrangement $1

river stones- thanks OSH! $10.99 for a 40 lb bag

white orchids- $15.99 for eight stems

total per arrangement- under $5

the best part is, i now have all these pretty arrangements all over my apartment and they smell like limeade. moo and bear like them too, so much so that they ate an arrangement in my absence last night. thanks a lot dogs.

punk poultry.

i am not the world's biggest fan of the color pink. it's too girly, and i am decidedly not. there are however, certain occasions when pink is fantastic- for instance the aforementioned wedding i am planning. the bride has chosen watermelon pink as one of her colors, so i am changing my tune about this formerly off putting hue. i digress. another occasion is when thorsten van elten comes out with a hot pink version of his pigeon light and rocks my world. pigeons are generally the most disgusting type of bird, or flying rodent if you prefer, and as such the intense girly pink covers its rabid image and makes it a little rock and roll even. i can imagine a particularly boring evening receiving a fun injection by imbibing a few cocktails and chasing a friend around with a flock of these things ala hitchcock's "the birds". or you could just clip it to the top of a mirror or something and not be so weird about it.

does this chair look slutty?

red is not the first color i’d choose for a wedding- it makes me think of slutty types and blood-but i am going to semi-retract that sentiment based on the killer use of the color in this reception scene. it could be that i am just completely enamored of the greek goddess draped chairs, but the lush floral arrangements and hanging fruit really nail the whole romantic outdoorsy feel. i have been trying to figure out if those chair covers are custom made to fit or just have some loose fabric thrown over them. in my heart of hearts i know that no loose fabric ever looks that perfectly draped, but a broke ass girl can dream right?

the cheap expensive look....that's actually kind of expensive.

i have the distinct pleasure of planning one of my oldest and closest friend’s wedding for june of next year. like the design spaz that i am, i went out and purchased six wedding magazines and tore through them immediately. you’ll be seeing a lot of wedding related designs in a lot of these posts, so if you’ve recently gone through a bad break up or are just single and don’t want to be-pretend these are just regular party ideas or better yet, stop being such a pussy about it and enjoy the photos. in the photo above, from elegant bride, we’re looking at the perfect combination of elegance and beach casual. i am really digging the ikea light fixtures because they’re cheap as dirt, but also because the hard wiring reminds me of a scene in “father of the bride” when they have to put in more amps for the new lighting. so in the end the ikea fixtures probably cost $400 each. such is the price of having an elegant beach casual reception.

this concept of simple and casual being deceptively expensive reminds me of my sister-in-law gretchen, who invariably chooses the most understated yet perfect peices of clothing that cost a gagillion dollars. love you gretch.

the pleasure is all mine.

i am intensely infatuated with three things in life: design, dogs and food (this includes drinking). on any given day my conversation or my actions revolve around these passions. i am going to tell you about great design, whether that be a centerpiece in the wedding i am planning or the most killer eco friendly fireplace. i am going to talk about my dogs- morris and avery, or moo and bear as i yell at them affectionately- because they do some funny s**t and are pretty much the most neurotic animals anyone has ever met (which is funny). i will also be going into quite a bit of detail about food because i worship culinary exploration. true story-i literally prayed before the most ridiculous meal of all time at eleven madison in new york. split pea flan and a medium rare cote du boeuf…wouldn’t you do a fist bump with the man upstairs?

so why exactly should you read what i am saying?

i am an interior designer by profession. i am a volunteer at a dog rescue, plus i co-habitat with the aforementioned moo and bear. i am an amateur foodie, and i generally stay a step ahead as such, so if you’re not terribly knowledgeable about food-i’ll blow your mind. if you do know a thing or two about food, hopefully i am curious enough to turn you on to a new thing or two.

as part of the most entitled generation in our nation’s history run headlong into a bitch of a recession, i will be tottering back and forth between the realistic and the ridiculous. if you are ridiculous most of the time, you need to chill out and get more creative. if you are realistic most of the time, stop being so f-ing boring and get a little ridiculous.

sincerely,
moo and bear’s mother