Last week I saw the most genius lamp at my friend Elise's apartment: she had coiled jute rope around a very basic style from Target using a glue gun.  I thought of Eugenia Santiesteban's nautical cravings (March issue, page 30) and that glorious 10" Marseille knot.  I want one, but I can't justify spending $50 on the World's Chicest Ball of String.  I do need some new side tables though ... so I think the rope trick will work on a bigger project.  On the attention-to-detail/complulsion scale, Elise might actually beat me (she was working on a needlepoint version of a family photograph!), but she says roping up her lamp was a cinch.  Wouldn't domino's own Marian McEvoy agree?  Vive la Reine de la Glue Gun!

So back to my tables.  These Victoria Hagan ones are on sale at Target for about the same price as the knot:

Their frames are nice and thin so the rope won't add too much bulk.  (Don't worry about covering up the stingray -- it ain't real, anyway).  I found this website called U.S. Rope, Cable and Chain that sells half inch Manila jute for $1.15 a foot. 

Or just try a hardware store -- I think the bigger table would take 30 or 40 feet -- and for that amount I would invest in the 600ft spool.  You never know where some rope might come in handy (curtain tiebacks, belt for my cutoffs this summer ... you get it). 

Another week, another post on lighting.  This time I'll admit that attractive fixtures aren't always an option, and sometimes all you have to work with is the BULB.  But bare sockets don't have to mean bare bulbs.  Before I moved into my apartment two sisters managed to live here under one fluorescent orb for more than a year.  Did they perform open-heart sugery in their spare time?  I don't know.  But if all you have is a socket, you still have options.  My favorite is this gigunda half-chromed bulb:

I first noticed these in a diner in Brooklyn (where most trends begin ... for better or worse) and they did a great job of lighting the space without blinding the hipsters.  They're nice on a ceiling mount in a hallway or on a wall socket.  The convex mirror part is fun at eye level to help you keep an eye on potential shoplifters and tipsy party guests.  This 6-inch diameter version is six bucks a pop, so I'd buy a few and experiment.  Would look great in a Warhol Factory-inspired room:

I am in Atlanta and yesterday afternoon I was pottering in Virginia Highlands when I found this wonderful store, Bella Cucina.  I could have bought everything in the place. It is designed for people who can't cook and everything in it is made by and concieved of Alisa Barry.  Now this salt comes in many favours and you rub it on flat bread, which Alisa also sells--everything is wrapped beautifully and you can get it all on the anitpasti page from the website. 

There are boxes of little tart cases which you buy with jars of all the delicious lemon curds or sweet things to go inside them. This store is perfect for those cocktail essentials you need like artichoke tapenade and crackers etc. But Alisa does a hamper too. I have NEVER been excited by a hamper; I think they are really dreary and filled with nothing you want, but this one is the bost divine basket  filled with olive oil, her crackers and pastes, the flat bread, salts, cookies. Check out the store--it's  great for house gifts and one's own kitchen cupboard.

I haven't seen the new issue of Domino yet because they refuse to give me a free subscription, but I heard through the grapevine from one of the editors (who wishes to remain anonymous) that the current issue is all about green. So I thought I would offer up a little something green myself. The next time you're thinking about sending a lovely bouquet to your lovely someone, check out these folks, organicbouquet.com, and with each purchase they'll give a portion of the proceeds to benefit non-profits dedicated to social justice, wildlife conservation and environmental protection. On top of that, all of thier bouquets are made with flowers grown using sustainable practices and they're all certified organic. That's like what.. three gifts in one?

...ok, I was just kidding about the whole free subscription thing. But don't you think maybe I should get one?

Did I say before how I'm not a fan of white leather? Well after today's visit to Crate & Barrel I take that back ... sort of.  I'll never save up for a white leather sofa, but check out this little valet tray:
12 bucks!  Okay, so it's not "genuine leather," but I inspected and it doesn't feel like plastic.  And it's cruelty-free.  I see one on a black hall table for your keys and coins or a couple on a limed oak vanity.  Looks very Hermes (someone tell me how to make accent marks on this thing) meets Sloane Peterson from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."  I really thought her fringed white leather jacket with pleated walking shorts was a hot look.  Hmmm.  Anyway, the scale of this tray makes it a more winning design than the matching jewelry box or magazine basket  -- small and simple. 

No, not the most famous Nordberg of all whos real name we don't even like to mention anymore in casual conversation, but a new breed of Nordberg, Jenny Nordberg of Sweden, who will bring good associations back to the good name she was born with. She's an industrial designer and apparently has a sense of humor and has.. well.. proven me wrong. And I am not afraid to admit when I'm wrong. If you've been keeping up with Daily Dose you'll remember recently I said something to the effect of 'Antlers Are The New Over' and now I'm going to amend that and say that they are just on the way to a better place. See for yourself...

I have shown Denise Dorrance's cartoons before, i really love them and i think this is particularly funny and something cheerful for the beginning of the week. Check out her site for more.

Shalom Harlow's bedroom is an explosion of ikat (March issue, page 132 and cover)! This style of weaving, common to parts of Central and South America and the former Silk Road (modern day Uzbekistan), has been having a moment for some time now.  It's so rich and graphic. Madeline Weinrib carries a great selection (her showroom at ABC Carpet & Home is a little slice of heaven -- I want every rug, pillow and fabric in the place), including the deceptively simple "Mu" patterns that Shalom seems to like so much:


I love these because they're exotic but also retro, sort of like an 80s squiggle pattern.  The bench and pillow pictured are lovely but the price is a little, uh, foreign to me.  Plus ikats (especially silks) are often very narrow--sometimes only 15 inches wide--so I say make your own out of some inexpensive broadcloth and black fabric paint.  Cut a kitchen sponge into an oval, soak it in the paint, and press down hard to for a solid block (don't worry about it coming through the other side, just be sure to lay down some plastic first).  Stagger your dots about six inches apart, then go back with a small brush and extend some lines freehand for that zigzag effect.  Try a faux-ikat tablecloth runner or chair seats. 

I generally have a pretty full schedule these days and the multitude of things that I need to take care of on a daily basis sometimes leaves my head spinning, so much so that I forget a thing or two on the list (Fridays blog for example.. Sorry!) even with the aid of my iCal, my cell phone alarm, my moleskin datebook and a note to self on the back of my hand.In an effort to be more effective and more efficient in my day to day I've implemented yet another weapon to combat this problem and do it with high style. The Imbroglio Desk Calendar designed by French industrial designer Jean Pierre Vitrac in 1972 looks as good today as it did 35 years ago and the simple perpetual design with a magnetic cursor will help us all remember the date every day for many years to come.

In general I think switchplates and outlet covers should blend into the wall or baseboard (if you paint or paper a room, don't forget to do these too!), but I have a soft spot for the mirrored kind:
In a living room these could look a little Boca Raton grandmother, but in a small space I think they add some cheeky sparkle.  Arnev Products carries just about every shape and combination, starting at 10 bucks for a standard switchplate.  I used these (not the frosted as those are ooooogly) in my bathroom and it was so worth it, especially since I have a basic beveled mirror medicine cabinet and matching vanity light. I painted the walls in high gloss black for more reflection.  If you have the space (and positive body image), why not hang a big wall mirror in your bathroom? I'm thinking about doing so directly behind my medicine cabinet for that tunnel effect, and for help when I'm trimming my hair.
Detail shot from my "Scarface" bathroom:

I cannot wait to tell you about this new find (i have to credit my mum with the discovery) after lunch on sunday she put a selection of chocolates from a chocolatier called 'D', short for Demarquette, on the table, there was a small bowl of rather squooshy looking ones that she said were chocolate covered kumquats, i have always loathed these tiny and such bitter fruits but these were the most delicious things i had eaten since the salted caramel macaroon at Laduree. Your teeth sink into gooey sweet/bitter marmalady rindy deliciousness covered in thick, hard, dark chocolate. I mean they were the best - i ate 4 of them.

Now the bad news, this store is in london and they haven't got their international shipping sorted out yet. i promise that i will let you know as soon as they do, but i can't keep these sorts of secrets. And you know, it is always handy to have a really good chocolate shop in another city up your sleeve. Only last week a close girlfriend of mine was having a crisis that only a box of liquid salted caramels from L'artisan du Chocolat would have even begun to ease. Having good shops in other cities is very good for this reason - so long as you have friends there. Check out the L'arisan site anyway, their chocolates are fabulous and the passion fruit pearls are so pretty and delicous.

I have been beginning to think about moving, either selling in london and buying here or renting somewhere larger. Everytime i think of it i wonder how on earth to go about it, am filled with dread and settle back to whatever i was doing before. But last night i was given a great tip, it is the 1stdibs of the property world (i am afraid only in NYC) Streeteasy is a website that lists all properties on the market, you can even narrow your search down to the street that you want, and the best part is you don't have to leave your desk. You put in your price bracket, area and requirements and hit GO, then sift through the results.

Have you heard of this brand BoConcept?  From what I can tell it's the Danish version of IKEA, but slicker and more, er, high concept.  Some of their stuff looks straight out of Mickey Rourke's apartment in "9 1/2 Weeks" ...

Don't get me wrong, I like Japanese-y beds and low black credenzas, but it's all in the mix.  Which is why I'm glad they carry these dining chairs:

To me they look like a little like Mies van der Rohe's MR armchair, tubular steel and woven seat, but with a 60s base.  I would pair these with a white lacquer Parsons dining table or maybe a Saarinen tulip with a marble top.  $199 isn't too steep but I have one question:  do they swivel??

I know I'm supposed to leave the deal huntin' to Nick but every once in a while I find an awesome sale and I've just got to pass this one on to you ladies as a little Valentines Day gift. And if any of you guys are looking for a little something extra to buy your sweetheart to make up for just getting her the 1/4 pound heart box of See's Candy, well this is the place to do it. Creatures of Comfort online store is blowing out the last of the fall/winter 2006 collections at unbelievable savings (a very affordable up to 75% off) on great designers like Imitation of Christ, Rachel Comey, Karen Walker, Grey Ant, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Eley Kishimoto, etc, etc etc.. If you happen to live in LA then head down to the shop on Melrose with a big empty bag. If you happen to be in NY, there are deals to be had on finer men's apparel at Odin. Sorry, no online store yet, but I thought I'd try to be fair to the guys too. Thanks to Michelle for the Creatures tip. Hearts....

Department stores tend to scare me a little (childhood fear of escalators?), but Kim Ficaro's "biba revival" all but made me want to work at a perfume counter.  At Biba of course, in 1975. How cool was this store? So is every item on here, especially the whimsical round side table with tree branch base (current issue, page 31). But, just like that cashmere coat at Barneys, it's out of my budget.

I'm reminded of another awesome branch base table from Capitol Furnishings in New York:

At $3400 I could buy one ... if I moved into the box it came in.  So good thing this branchy-antler look is a trend right now.  And for trends I always turn to West Elm:

As a tall (52.5") candle holder I think this is a bit silly and awkward.  But what's great about West Elm is the simplicity of design and material -- lots of potential for the crafters among us -- and then there's the price ($69). I would saw through the resin right where that little middle branch ends (making as straight a cut as possible) and attach a 16" round top with epoxy to make a cute drinks table.  Maybe some black opaque plexi from Canal Plastics, and if you're really ambitious, you could copy the previous two and paint the branches gold or silver.  Do a messy job and it will look more "natural" ... you know what I mean!

I watched the Grammy Awards last night and had no idea what was in store when I turned on the TV. I mean I expected that Justin Timberlake would be there bringing sexy back but was in shock when I thought I heard that The Police were playing and bringing the 80's back, you see I only sort of half heard it the first time and so I waited for someone to repeat what I thought I had heard to confirm the very very good news. And since The Police were and are one of my favorite bands and it's been more than 20 years since they've played a big show and since I haven't seen them play for more than that 20 plus years I couldn't help but get a little excited by the news. It turns out that the performance is the kick-off to the beginning of a tour by the old boys.. and speaking of old boys, when Olivia (my prettier smells like rose petals half) heard they were playing she kind of sighed and shrugged it off because she really doesn't like Sting's bland brand of adult contemporary music, but when they started to play she remarked that Sting's voice sounded really great and also took note of his perfectly toned arms which look like they've been doing a lot of yoga for the past 20 years and it all made me think that maybe I should get tickets for us to go to one of their shows when they come through NY and it also made me think that I should maybe really start considering doing a little yoga myself. And what on earth does the fact that The Police are reuniting have to do with design and why isn't this blog entry somewhere else like I Guess I'm Floating? Well, I've long been talking about how the 80's will come back into design (and of course we've already seen the influence start to appear in the work of designer Jaime Hayon) and it only seems right that fashion and/in music lead the way. Now, keep your eyes peeled for for those bold saturated (lots of primary) colors. And I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of pink and grey combinations soon too, one of my favorite 80's pairings.

A little while ago I wrote about adding Rosewater to fresh orange juice and how delicous that was.  I got a comment from Nice Shoes about her lemonade recipe which she has just sent me and despite the out of season-ness of it, here it is: I squeeze fresh lemons and bring to a boil with honey and sugar (to fully incorporate the sugar). I like mostly honey and just enough sugar to make it not toooooo sour. Use that as your base, then when you're ready to serve, add a lot of ice, about a teaspoon of rose water to each glass and some crushed mint.  I can't wait to try it.  The other lemon drink that is a little more wintry is canarino, this is served in italy like an infusion at the end of a meal.  it is delicious and so good for you:  Peel the rind off one whole lemon (if you can try and get it in one spiral)  then pop it in a tea pot and pour boiling water over the top.   

I almost had a panic attack the other day when I came upon the same stretch of 38th Street and my favorite ribbon store, Hyman Hendler and Sons, was nowhere to be found.  Sure the name sounds a bit anatomical and this is the garment district, with a hundred trimming stores in a five block radius, but HH was the only place I knew that carried French grosgrain in every color.  And the most amazing stripes and velvets stacked floor to ceiling in ancient packaging.  Completely old world  -- it seemed like they'd found some ribbon warehouse that closed its doors around 1945. I had so many uses for this stuff, so many projects planned ("can this maypole be turned into a room?") ... what was I to do? ? ?

Turns out I just had to walk fifty feet because they'd moved down the block.  WHEW. This is just a snippet of their selection:

They have a quaint website but the new store is definitely worth a visit.  The smaller width French grosgrains are a little more expensive (around $2 a yard) because they're yarn-died cotton and rayon--cheaper ones feel like plastic in comparison.  You could use these to make a bulletin board or break out the glue gun and apply 3/4 inch ribbon to the insides of paneled doors.  Or if you have an inexpensive dust drop, glue some wider ribbon all along the hem to match your duvet.

One of my new favorite places in NY.. well, the world really.. is a little shop called Erie Basin located down towards the end of the long stretch of Van Brunt street in Red Hook, Brooklyn. I mention the long stretch because the first time I ventured to this impeccably curated store I saw three people walking down that long stretch of industrial street on a cold cold cold day and about ten minutes after I'd already begun looking at - and of course wanting - all the beautiful objects and jewels, in they walked. So.. having a car to make your way over there is definitely more appealing than that arduous walk, but that hasn't stopped anybody from making the pilgrimage to Russell Whitmore's new store which is mainly host to jewelry both new and antiquated. Lee Hale's thorn earrings and especially her Claw Candlesticks stand out from the crowd as does the leather work of Natalia Brilli. The collection of jewelry and objects that date from 19th and early 20th century are so well curated and work perfectly as companions to their newer counterparts. This jet anchor charm from the 1880's for instance sits quite well next to the more current jewelry of Giles and Brother. This is a must go to destination and if you need to do some grocery shopping, Fairway is just a few block further down the street. What goes better with a new set of candlesticks than a really good cheese plate? For extra added adventure to your trip take the water taxi from lower Manhattan. It pulls right up to Fairway on the Brooklyn side of the East River. Bon voyage!

This month is definitely about eating and there are so many good food blogs to hook into.  I'm Mad and I Eat is where I found these delicous Panettone puddings (deserts).  My kitchen is not much larger than my computer, so little cooking goes on in there.  I am convinced though that as soon as I have got my new sofa and a coffee table it is going to be back to my old London ways of entertaining many more than I have space for. 

Root vegetables are taking center stage on Orangette who has declared this the soupiest month and Food Blogga, the east coast girl living and eating in LA is worth checking out for her squash swang song (see below).  Who would have thought that such a dreary month could be so full of produce.

I've posted before on good lamps, but can we chat a little about lighting in general?  Let's. 

Do you have overhead lighting in your living areas?   What type of bulbs do you use?  Please go check. 100 Watt Halogens are too bright!   Maybe okay in a laundry room, but I've seen so many nice homes with  flush-mounts that could be used to light the Superdome.  It's cliche because it's true: overhead lighting is not flattering. It casts ugly shadows on your face.

If I could rewire my apartment every light source would operate on one switch with a mega-dimmer. I learned this from the bossman--little pools of light all over the room.  Table lamps, reading lamps, picture lights ... all with low-wattage PINK bulbs.  Very soft.  One great inexpesive trick are these uplights I found at Lamps Plus:

The first one is only $12.99!  I like to hide one or two on top of a bookcase, tall wardrobe or cabinet (remember to hide the extension cord, too).  And the House of Troy slant lights are so cool ($29.99)--wouldn't two look nice on a Chinese console table pointing up at a big modern painting?  The last light goes for the same price, already has a pink housing, and looks like a tulip crossed with a robot.  Charming!

Believe it or not, I really think pillows can make  a room.  And not along the