Mini Bull Beanbag

Add this Mini Bull Beanbag to your shopping list for your kids and they will never be happier to sit in their room during time out.

Indian Lake

Rubie Green's, "Indian Lake" fabric makes me want to decorate a funky loft, kid's room, or cabin.  Insert girls face with mine :)  Oh yeah and it's 100% organic cotton...yippeeeee!

Fuse Flooring

Fuse, a new company that just introduced themselves to me, offers beautifully engineered wood flooring options that can be used on horizontal or vertical applications.  They use natural vegetable oils to finish the wood instead of staining or applying the surface of the wood like most finishes.  The natural oils absorb into the wood cells creating a very durable finish with a natural feel to the wood surface.  And best of all, no VOC's! 

Guatemalan Placemats

Now that we have a new dining table I would love to get some new placemats to accompany it.  I found these at Viva Terra and love the beautiful craftsmanship and coloring.  I can already picture us sitting down to dinner with them.

Bathtub Couch

A good friend passed along this find to me via Etsy.  Love the idea and coloring!  Might be a little uncomfortable without back pillows but heck they look gorgeous.  Needless to say it ain't light being cast-iron.  Learn to love it, if you get it, cuz it ain't going far easily...  but being this adorable I can't imagine it being moved often.

Homemade Dining Table

What do you do when you have a tight budget, small space, and big aspirations for a new dining table?  Build it yourself...

After months of planning, crafting, salvaging, and hard work we have finally completed our new dining table!  We had a local welder build-up our steel frame from 1 1/2" tube.  I contacted some friends in the flooring business, Stromberg Moore, who kindly gave us left over alder flooring planks in different widths.  Zach, Nick, and I cut, screwed, and glued the pieces together to make a solid surface for the dining top.  Then another friend at Fresh Air Finishes, Tom Walcher, generously sealed the top with a water based finish that is stronger then any standard oil finish and arguably more beautiful (not to mention good for the environment).  We have two extensions that can be added on either end so we can seat 10 if needed.

Wallah!  We couldn't be happier :)  

Thanks to everyone for all your help and making our table vision a reality!

On to the next project...

Atypical Tree House

When a 40-year-old pine tree fell over at the rear of a Brentwood estate in Los Angeles a few years back, its owner, an art lover and a philanthropist, let it lie. The tree revived itself, continuing to grow from its newfound horizontal position. At that point, the owner decided to honor its resilience by incorporating it into a 172-square-foot office / guest house.

While most tree houses have a trunk running vertically, this structure floats above the tree, suggesting the delicate tension between nature and the built environment. Serving as an inhabitable sculpture – a refuge, a gallery and a guest cottage – it's perched atop a hill and overlooks canyon vistas, downtown Los Angeles and the Getty Center.

 

To reconnect back to the fallen tree, the architects carved a portal in the walnut floor, affording a view of the inspiration for the house itself.

Read more: http://www.dwell.com/articles/an-atypical-tree-house.html#ixzz0uAhKP8xF

ModRocks

Great recycled Glass Rocks from Modwalls are gorgeous and eco-friendly!
Love those two words together :)

Use them on the floor or on the walls for that back to nature feel. 

Anthro Love

Can't help but loving the whimsical quality of Anthropolgies design and flare.  These classical shaped chairs are recovered in current trendy fabrics to bring life to the old.

Plate Art

Come full circle crossing an elegant look with decorative plates. There really is a way to show off that hodge-podge of dishes that you've picked up at discount stores, flea markets, and yard sales. Hang them on a color that complements all of their patterns.
Arranging 101
-To arrange plates, make a large circle on the wall using painter's tape and hang plates within the circle for a more balanced look.
-Repeatedly step back and assess the arrangement.
-Start hanging from the center plate and work your way out.

Red Accents

It's July, it's hot, and I think red!

Pulling it into a room is always fun and can look stunning if done correctly.

Recycled Bike Tire Area Rug

Danish designer Annemette Beck takes a creative new approach to textile design by utilizing an extremely inventive array of recycled materials. Her line of woven products include rugs, upholstery, fabrics, runners, blinds and even room dividers made from materials such as rubber, paper and metal. Beck’s experimental textiles showcase materials that can be salvaged and re-used — we are especially fond of the woven recycled bicycle tire area rug pictured above.

Beck’s materials include but are not limited to paper yarn, rubber, silver, copper brass stainless steel threads, lurex, crystals, coated polyester, recycled bicycle tubes, plant fibers, wool, and linen. All of the fabrics are hand-made or factory woven and are all custom-made. Becks approach is simple and based upon Danish design principles — she celebrates the materials by removing anything that is unnecessary and leaving only what is essential. The designs tell a clear and distinct story with each independent construction.


Read more: Awesome Area Rug Woven from Recycled Bicycle Tires | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World

Closet Organization from

I would LOVE to have a closet this size where I could spend time lingering while picking out my next outfit. Not to mention it's just a gorgeous room!  Here are some tips for how to accomplish this if you have the space:

• Pick a few plush looking accents from a bargain store or even the flea market or Salvation Army. From pillows and rugs to paintings and lamps, your eye will be drawn to that unique, maybe even antique piece.

• PAINT: Add a bright color to one wall of your closet to add spunk and high energy, or use cool shades like grays, blues and purples to promote relaxation.
• HANDLES & KNOBS: Find interesting handles and knobs to bring a touch of style and luxury to your closet.  There are fabulous leather and stainless steel options. Yard sales, flea markets, and even hardware stores can be treasure troves!
• MIRROR: Add a full-length mirror to the dead space.  It’ll make the room feel bigger and be functional.
• SEATING: If you have the room, add a sitting area.  The seat could be used for lounging or for putting on your shoes.  A sitting area makes the closet a true living space.
• LIGHTING: Lighting is very important when choosing your outfit and getting dressed.  Pay attention to the lighting to make sure it is natural and not overpowering. Also, use natural lighting whenever possible, such as windows and skylights. It flatters more and saves on cost.
• DRAWER LINERS: Lining your drawers either with cedar, lavender or even pretty paper is a beautiful, cheap and a great motivator for keeping things neat and orderly.
• HANGERS: Don’t skimp on the hangers.  Make them uniform for each type of clothing.  It’s a good investment in the long run because your clothes retain their shape, and don’t snag or become ruined.
• BOOT TREES:  Invest in boot trees or boot shapers for maintaining their shape and to prevent cracking and creasing.  Your boots can then be displayed like a shoe store, and will have a longer lifespan.
• STACKABLE SHOE RACKS: Get your shoes off of the floor and organize them with chrome stackable racks.  With a simple expandable two-tiered design, you can store more shoes in a limited space.
• SLIDING SHELF DIVIDERS: Bookends for your closet, these sliding shelf dividers come in various heights and depths and are perfect to keep rows of sweaters stacked like in a boutique.

• DOUBLE HANGING RODS: Without having to overhaul your tight closet, these double rods add function to wasted space by providing two layers of hanging space at once. 

Lisa Adams of LA Closet Boutique,

Tree Bookshelf

What better way to nurture your child’s love of books than by displaying all of their favorite titles on this delightful tree-shaped bookshelf?! This adorable Tree Bookshelf was spotted at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. Designer Shawn Soh’s “Tree Bookshelf” has not an ounce of the stodginess that traditional rectangular shelving units have, instead reflecting the natural fun and wonder of reading, with their organic designs!


This concept behind the design came from Shawn’s early memories of sticking letters on tree branches. Unlike a regular bookshelf, Tree Bookshelf’s branch-shaped ’shelves’ are very forgiving, meaning that books don’t need to be put back neatly. The organic nooks and crannies are perfect for tucking away toys and treasures too.

Rather than using wood for the design, which involves a ton of cutting and wasting of trees, Shawn decided to use steel, which is durable and easy to recycle. Each bookshelf takes one week to produce and every process including the welding and bending is done by hand.

See more pictures at Inhabitots.

Eco-Friendly White Board Paint

Turn any blank wall or smooth surface into a white board thanks to Idea Paint’s new line of Tabrasa water based paint! The paint was on display at MDC Wallcovering’s booth at this year’s NeoCon World’s Trade Fair in Chicago. The water-based paint only requires a single coat application, comes in five different colors, and has a 10 year warranty. The paint was designed for a number of environments including offices, schools, meeting centers, and hospitals, but we’re personally excited about its applications at home!


Read more: Eco Friendly Whiteboard Paint Turns Any Wall Into an Artistic Canvas! | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World

Animal Prints

The limited edition animal prints by Joe Futschik of jefdesigns explore the forest once more, this time inspired by his favorite forest creatures. Each design is created from an original hand drawing, digitally enhanced with wood-grain and printed on paper. Prints measure 6x6 and are mounted on 1/2 thick, espresso stained panels. Wall ready, no framing needed. A UV gloss coat protects from sun and intensifies print color. Each design is produced in a limited edition of 100, numbered and signed on the back.

You can buy them at Design Public for around $40 each.  

Design Glut

I love whimsical designs and anything that comes from Design Glut always gives me a smile :)

 

As the world’s climate heats up, will we continue to use more energy-intensive air conditioning, generating ever-higher greenhouse gas emissions? It’s a valid question for the first full day of summer, considering that the average American household already uses 2,822 kWh of energy each year to cool off, spending $276 a year. The answer will likely depend on building efficiency measures and new cooling technologies like these efficient new bladeless fans announced today by Sir James Dyson, of vacuum fame. The inventor’s new fan is the opening salvo, he says, in his war on air conditioning.

The fan works like a jet engine, sucking air into a cyclone accelerator that amplifies it 15 to 18 times before blowing it out over an airfoil-shaped ramp. As that air is blown out, more is sucked in from behind. With no blades, the airstream is smooth and the contraption is easy to clean and more difficult to break one’s finger in (just sayin’). The fan runs on a modest 40-watt motor.

Read more: Dyson's New Bladeless Fans Aim to Replace Air Conditioning | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World

Sun-Powered Bambu House

Tonji University Shanghai’s Bambu House at the European Solar Decathlon is a beautiful sun-powered abode inspired by nature. It has two elegant sloping roofs and is almost entirely constructed from bamboo. Its impressive solar array generates 9 kilowatts of electricity which powers its one bedroom, one living room layout. I love how the house combines traditional Chinese architecture with state of the art technology — it has temperature and humidity control systems, high-level thermal insulation systems, and a bamboo enclosed garden.

Read more: Sun-Powered Bambu House Sprouts at Solar Decathlon Europe | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World

Jeffry & Andrew

My former San Francisco employers at Fisher Weisman were recently featured in 1stdibs the "it" magazine for designers.  It really made me miss these guys.

You can read the article at Style Compass

Seed to Table

Ever wonder how to get more involved in the ever-growing farm-to-table movement, aside from vowing to personally taste test everything on the menu from each new restaurant? Thanks to a tip-off from Daily Candy, it’s easy – get even more local… as in, your own windowsill.
Paxton Gate’s Edible Greens Planter ($49) constructed out of salvaged and reinforced wine crates from Napa, CA comes complete with a burlap bag of pre-mixed potting soil, seasonal mixed green salad seeds (think arugula, garden cress, and mustard greens), and a packet of organic Dr. Earth fertilizer. Follow the step-by-step instructions and in 6-8 weeks, voila! Invite friends over to enjoy the fruits of your labor and inspire others to join the seed-to-table movement.

Posted by EcoFabulous.  

Water Cleaner

Have you heard of this new cleaner? 
Activeion, is a cleaning solution that frees you from chemicals. With Activeion, the cleaning agent is water!
The science of Activeion has been used for decades in the food processing, industrial technology, and health-related industries. Activeion has just taken the same technology, and integrated it into a sprayer for easy cleaning.
 Here’s how it works:

1. Charge
   When the trigger is pressed, the water flows through a water cell that applies a slight electrical charge to the tap water;
2. Transform
   The water passes through an ion exchange membrane, where the ionized water is separated into an oxygenated mixture of positively and negatively electrically charged nano-bubbles;
3. Clean
   When applied directly to a surface, the ionized water helps lift the dirt from the surface like a magnet, enabling it to be wiped away;
4. Kill Germs
   Before the water exits the nozzle, a slight electric field is applied, allowing the water to carry a low-level electric field to the surface where the germs may be living. When used as directed, this low-level electric field kills more than 99.9% of harmful germs.

I love the idea of not using chemicals and being able to use what is readily available to everyone...tap water!  I really want to try this :)