MUJI fits in my apartment!!

So...I need this bed. Seriously. [I suffer from "small apartment" syndrome. My studio is "Tokyo-sized."]

Is it at the flagship Muji Store on 42nd Street? Sigh....

“Because there is complexity in purity. Elegance in plainness. Intricacy in streamlining. Richness in reduction. Depth in minimalism. Surprise in uniformity. Innovation in re-use. Cool in the avoidance of cool. And there is true sophistication in simplicity.”

Literally translated, Mujirushi Ryohin, MUJI’s original name, means “no brand quality goods.” I heard they put labels on everything the minute they hit the Big Apple!!

Thoughts, Candy?

Shiseido Vintage Advertising

I came upon these beautiful vintage advertising images from Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido and just had to share...

More lovely examples here and here from flickr user tomish*'s.

ICFF 2008: 3form's Play Capiz Collection

Another capiz shell-centric (and dog-centric) post.

I live in a loft, and I'm always on the lookout for 3form's latest ecoresin-panel offerings for when I imagine I can afford to renovate my place. I can never pick a favorite material - seaweed, flowers, twigs? Well, I could never pick a favorite until now. And so I'll have a housewarming party after the panels are installed. The invitation will come from The Capiz Palace, and you'll know it's from me.

ICFF 2008: Tay Trading

These lamps from UK-based Tay Trading caught my eye because they reminded me so much of traditional Filipino lighting. Made from fibre glass, these fixtures capture that pearly luster that is characteric of capiz shells. And sure enough, there is a Filipino connection.

ICFF 2008: gino the dog

I'm dog-crazy, so of course I oooh'd and ahh'd all over Gaia & Gino's pet line, gino the dog. This is such a swanky dog house. Designed by Brian McIntyre, the Loop house is made of leather, with a hypo-allergenic-covered memory foam that is upholstered in a choice of fabrics.

The Chew toy is designed not to inhibit poochie's natural inclination to attack that favored-furniture-part that are the legs, but to prevent damage. Indulgent pet parents will appreciate this.

2008 BD+ [Brooklyn Designs: Design Accessories Market]

This is the second year of BD+ -the design accessories market at Bklyn Designs. Last year's market had ventilation problems, and I remember visiting on a particularly humid day. This year the market was at the Tobacco Warehouse, under a tent on the grounds of the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park. I loved the location! But that's me, I'm not too sure the BD+ exhibitors appreciated the chill.

The weather gave my friend Sveta of Pip-Squeak Chapeau a chance to model her shoulder warmer, which she was wearing when I stopped by her booth to say hello. Sveta continues to create her charming folk-infused clothing, home and fashion accessories, and has even started making dolls. Hardly civil wrongs, these torts are the epitome of right and grace.

I loved browsing through Lotta Jansdotter's booth, which I left empty-handed not because I couldn't find anything, but because I was overwhelmed with all the choices! Lotta is the master of nature-inspired minimalism, and I'm a big slobbering fan. Some favorites: the Echo Cushions and the Cross Apron.

It was great to see Tina Shoulders of Laidback Home. I loved her collection at last year's market, and I continue to admire her collection of street-inspired home accessories. Only Tina's sense of play and obvious design talent can bring us patterns made from breakdancers and skulls. And her collection is expanding! Be sure to check her site for her upcoming bedding collection. I suggest a future expansion into wallpaper - but then, I may be biased as I am a wallcoverings nut (see previous post for evidence of wallcoverings-affliction).

New York Design Week starts on Saturday!

Bklyn Designs 2008

I spent the past week running around with a childhood friend searching for her new apartment for when she, her husband, and their daughter move here next month. Seeing beautiful apartments, rat holes, former rat holes in the midst of renovation, and the Carnival that is the Manhattan Apartment Search put me in the right head for this year's Bklyn Designs.

After seeing so many bare white walls for rent, I swooned over all the innovative designs for wall coverings at this year's show.

From ASTERISK DESIGNS, handmade venetian plaster wallpaper:

and venetian plaster, which is marble dust and wax, on burlap

From POST LOGIC STUDIO, William Morris-inspired patterns using animal motifs. (Their wallpaper collection will be debuting on their website in August.)

And I think I'm going to order these beautiful wall decals from dVider.

Sinotique's beautiful bamboo wall just took my breath away. Check out their other pieces here.

And even though this piece had nothing to do with a wall, I did fall in love with Palo Samko's wooden bird mobile

Amagasaka: Nagoya Shop

I know it's been a little heavy on Japanese design discoveries, but there's so much to discover! While searching for more information on Michiko Tachimoto's new work, Janetta World, I came across the website for Amagasaka, a Japanese lifestyle store in the city of Nagoya. Below are some images from the book launch of Janetta World posted on their blog.

The shop's blog is where they keep folks informed of events that they host in their space (related to art, design, cooking, music) and new products offered at their shop. There's also a tea salon! Some beautiful finds from them:

Bird prints from Atsushi Toyama:

A book of brass animal bookmarks from Minoru Takeuti:

And finally, the Netherlands via Japan, Cloissone "Shippo" plates commissioned by Cibone Tokyo, and made by former Droog member, Dutch designer Hella Jongerius. More on her work later.

All photos are from Amagasaka.

Ao Daikanyama: Tokyo Shop

Ao Daikanyama. Beautiful fabric pieces - clothing, accessories, home goods. To keep up with their shop news, google translate might induce a headache, but the images will soothe.

Muslin

I promised I would post more projects here. So here is a project I am doing with a friend. Just playing around right now, and we'll be ready to show the finished pieces in a few weeks - still waiting for our fabric vendor to come through for us. Hmmm, looking at muslin this closely makes me think of buttercream. I must be hungry.

Winter Calm

That nor'easter is here - just in time to possibly delay my morning flight out to California. Okay, no stressful thoughts. How about some calming Christmas images? Images of exterior holiday decorations? From the current Winter issue of Marie Claire Idées.

Asiatica by way of Kansas

Based in Kansas City, with trunk shows traveling around the country, Asiatica arrived in Brooklyn today via a mailed holiday greeting, aka, very pretty catalog. Some of my favorites:

Aoki Ryota silver lined porcelain bowl
Five Japanese papier-mache puppies
Reiko Ishiyama oxydized silver bracelet

Supermodel Sofa

Tell me about yourself. Canapé a la Reine by Phillipe Coudray.

Tell me about your look. I can never run away from my Louis XV roots, but I'm all about fashion, you know? I'm always thinking of new and bold combinations to create something fresh and exciting.

What are you wearing today? I wanted to out-Paul-Smith Paul Smith. This is the Jura Stripe Velvet from Watts of Westminster. Isn't it fabulous?

Quite stunning. How do you deal with all the attention? How do I deal with it? What's to deal with? I love attention!

What do you like to do when you're not working? I love to curl up with a nice book - in some cold and drafty corner of the family castle. Right now I'm reading The Social Contract by Rousseau.

Hardware Notes

Pictures above and immediately below from Pottery Barn - Small Spaces.

C, you know my moving history. Having spent several years in less than 200 sq. ft. (it did have a killer corner view over Manhattan, in a building that filmed Spiderman, the X-files, Superman, Batman, and many others), I moved out west for a few months and enjoyed a glam view over San Francisco Bay from a 500 sq. ft. multi-room pad with crown molding, hardwood floors, bay window, full kitchen, dining room, and foyer (not to mention closet space that was so big I didn't need a bureau). But the story continues...

For many reasons, I chose to leave my lovely Russian Hill view and hit it back east, this time Boston-Beantown. I wanted to stay in Boston itself and have been pricing some great apartments in fascinating historical neighborhoods that are still within walking distance to my new office.

But the challenge is returning to what will probably be less space. Um, 350, maybe 400 if I am super-lucky. And a one-room studio with a kitchen just sort of part of the wall. Maybe. So, how do you make 400 sq. ft. look like 1,200 sq. ft.? I thought I would research some room divider possibilities...

Check these out:

Ceiling Mounted Hardware, at Pottery Barn (right). It lets you get some curtains and partition a room with some really pretty fabric, straight down from the ceiling wherever you feel like hiding something (like a full-size bed).

Even JC Penny has their ceiling mounted curtain rod hardware starting at $14.99 (picture above left, used as a canopy over the bed). I think I'm going to need some help when I move back east. :-D

Some other cool hardware was this great Wire/Cable Rod Set by Mt. Drapes:

Designed to be mounted on the inside of the window jamb or on facing walls, the cable rod system is custom fit when installed. A hint of Nickel or Brass: a curtain rod system that makes the world feel a little smaller and the view seem larger. Recommended for light weight draperies only. Up to 16' of cable included. Easy installation instructions included.

I'm thinking about hiding my bed behind a long cool sheath of semi-transparent silk, or maybe some magnificent embroidered chinese cloth. I imagine long panels of amazing fabrics falling vertical from the ceiling, blocking out my unsightly bed-sitting-in-the-living room/kitchen/dining room.

What have you done?

Antonio de la Pedrera

Hi, D! I just wanted to let you know that this junior designer has a new design assistant! Meet Tonio (because we're close like that) de la Pedrera y Mila de Barthelona. He's great! Just spot-on design sense, and such a humble guy -- when we were choosing silk burlap for an armchair, he insisted that the focus be on the fabric and not on him! Oh, and he took me aside (so that the other designers wouldn't hear) and said that covering the armchair with burlap, even silk burlap, would make anyone sitting on it look like they were perched on a feedbag. Wow, I love that candor-- and so discrete!