What's the coolest way to extend the life of old Coca-Cola bottles? Well, transforming them into sparkling knobs that will surely prettify your cabinetry is my idea of creative. That's what TE-MA's been up to - a family owned and operated company in Woodstock, New York that designs and manufactures 90% of their products in-house. With these jewel-like handles, I feel like I've discovered a treasure trove of eco-goodness hidden deep in the Catskills.

I was in Los Angeles last week and went to the launch of Celebutantes, a book written by Amanda Goldberg and Ruthanna Khalighi Hopper.  It is a wonderfully entertaining flick through Oscar week for Lola Santisi, the daughter of an Oscar winning director who is working (she is trying to cure herself of career deficit disorder) for her unknown fashion designer friend, desperately trying to get one of his frocks onto the red carpet.  The book is a charm but then so is Amanda who is a friend of mine.  At her book launch she had the most wonderful sea green eyeshadow that made her eyes look like a pair of butterflies - note to self when in a little black dress and no jewelery - dress up the eyes.  AND THEN most chic of all she had immaculately manicured battleship grey nails - the colour: Stormy from Rescue in NY where they have a slew of amazing other colours, but the grey is really good.

Is it safe to judge an e-commerce site by its layout?  Sometimes I hesitate to go off the beaten web path, concerned over quality and customer service, but I think lots of decorating gold comes in not-so-slick packaging.  For instance check out this five-tier pyramid etagere (I finally learned how to make accents but then Typepad goes all Cyrillic on me!):

The photo is enough to make my eyes bleed -- three books and a tigerlily arrangement? Yikes.  But it's nearly six feet tall, made of black metal and has a perfect obelisk shape.  I also like the mini-ball feet and finial. I could see a pair of these filled with plants flanking a sofa on a screened porch or one in a living room with books.  Might be tempted to replace the glass shelves with shiny black plexi (or antiqued mirror if I had the $$).  "Sine assenbky recquired" makes me nervous, but it's 225 bucks and Yahoo's got their back, so why not take a chance? 

It's winter and by global mandate everyone is trying to conserve energy (or should be). That means turning our thermostats down. But for some (ok, me), being cold is an unbearable thought. So I am now attempting to warm myself without overheating the room and the rest of the inhabitants in it. I have turned to these chic throws from In2Green. Made using eco2cotton, their blankets are a result of a process that involves collecting pre-consumer (yes, I'd prefer post) fibers and clippings after the cut and sew process, sorting them by color and blending them into a cozy fluff. Pick your favorite pattern and color combo, and soon you won't even notice the chill around you…or at least you will tell yourself that.

So I've dumped the much-maligned the Elliot Sofa for one named Ross:

Crate & Barrel has sorta modernized this Syrie Maugham-esque Belgian beauty the boss recently bought for a client.  Here's what I like about it:

1. individual, down-filled cushions against a tight back that aren't boxed out

2.  a single long seat cushion, boxed but with no welt (piping)

3.  straight skirt with corner kick pleats

4.  neutral linen upholstery (though I'd go more ivory like this one, however impractical)

5. thin and relatively low arms

6.  eco-friendly construction!

And here's how I'd make it pop: take a wide, bright paisley throw and lay it down the center behind the back cushions but OVER the seat cushion and tucked underneath, so it doesn't cover the skirt at all. Basically a wide center stripe for ... wait for it ... graphic impact.  Oh and yes I know it's a good $1200 more expensive than anything at West Elm, but it looks and feels it!

We don't have to tell you that eco-friendly bedding that's also cute and stylish isn't always the easiest accessory to find. However, that's all about to change. Hitting shelves in cyberspace and your favorite local sustainable stores this month, is the premier collection from Plover Organic. Delivering a decidedly springy color palette (with low-impact, fiber reactive dyes), Plover takes its designs right from nature for a fresh, light line of bedding that will brighten up any bedroom. Fair Trade and 100% organic cotton (made from non-GMO seeds), the linens from Plover also make a light and airy addition to the planet.

I know I've been at this a while when the new issue arrives and I see things that remind me of previous posts.  Like the bamboo trellis pillow fabric on the cover I found back in September via Laura from The Scoop, available in chocolate from BuyFabrics.com ($8.95 a yard but probably not "green"?).  Or the gorgeous Janus et Cie open basket weave outdoor chair on page 76 ($2,007), remarkably similar to this one from SeaCrest Trading Company ($300 gets you the chair and ottoman!!).  This month I'm loving Mary Jane Pool's sleek white bed from les annees soixante-dix, like this one (minus the headboard) from Bo Concept or her awesome daybed ... squint and it could be from Ballard Designs:

$750 or $900 with a trundle.  With the money you save you can have an upholsterer make a down-filled buttoned cushion like Mary Jane's. 

Looking at Christian Rathbone's (doesn't the name scream couture?) modernistic rugs, there are no visual clues that they are paving the way for a more sustainable path. But indeed, the gorgeous designs emerge from humanely sheared wool that's hand-dyed and sun-dried without the use of chemicals, treatments or synthetics of any kind. The dyes are sourced naturally from things like pomegranate, oak, walnut, madder root, indigo and chamomile to create a rich, provocative palate. Adding a modernistic flair to Turkish traditional methods of production, C.R.'s carpets are as good for the conscious as they are for dressing up a room.

My no-longer-newylwed friend Allison and her husband are about to close on their first house, and although that makes me feel INCREDIBLY OLD, I was honored to give her some tips based on the pics she sent.  She also suggested I post pointers on styling bookcases to help with her new built-ins.  Good idea!  First, my list of pet peeves:
1.  Half-empty shelves.  So depressing!  Even if you're not a big reader (I'll admit it's taken me a month and a half to finish one novel), The Strand has thousands of dollar books with quirky covers to fill the empty space.
2.  Too much space above books: even if the shelves are filled lengthwise, a consistent 5+ inches above the titles looks awkward.
3.  No variation.  Hundreds of leather-bound volumes look beautiful, but row after row of basic hardcovers gets boring.  Try stacking books sideways to make a bookend and leave room for a favorite  vase, piece of sculpture, or framed snapshot.  Or pick a book with a funny or graphic cover and turn it to face front.
4. Big setbacks.  Pull those books and magazines and objects up to the edge!
Or I could just say FILL THE SPACE?  Here's my favorite bookcase -- surprise -- Miles' ebony with silver supports:

Some folks like to group by spine color (Antony Todd's shelves in an old Domino come to mind) or exact height order, which looks cool but takes maintenance.  Also bookcase lights make a big difference, as does hanging artwork on the actual shelf.  It's all about layers of style!  For more inspiration check out The Peak of Chic's post on who's reading what.

The other day at Bed Bath & Beyond I noticed they stopped carrying my favorite Greek key doormat.  Sacrilege! I do NOT support "Welcome" mats or cheeky ones that say "Go Home" or anything with a baroque metal border, ick.  So Google led me to a great site called DoorMatSource.com, et voila, my old Greek key:

It's made from heavy duty coir (coconut fiber) and costs $19.99.  This chocolate brown cane pattern from Ballard Desgins is more decorative but not cheesy:

On sale for $9.99!  Finally, for something a bit more industrial but just as chic, BB&B comes through with a chevron-y boot scraper for $19.99:

Hope everyone had a great Valentines Day! We were going to quit all this lovey dovey stuff, but when I arrived at my computer on Thursday I found a beautiful card from my very thoughtful husband. The card says, Owl (heart) You Forever. Yes I'm a sucker for owls and yes it is a really hip little piece of art, letter press printed on a piece of wood, but James has been with me long enough to know that the first thing I do when he gives me a card is turn it over to see if it has any eco-credentials. This one passed with flying colors. It is printed on sustainably harvested birch wood. Now that is true love. I'm enamored with Night Owl Paper Goods entire line of wooden cards.

When Deborah and I were in Paris the other week we stopped by Deyrolle, one of the most beautiful shops in Paris. It has been on the same premises since 1831, a shop selling taxidermy and curiosities. Two days after our visit a short circuit caused a terrible fire.

Louis Albert and Francoise de Broilly, who own Deyrolle, are friends of mine, and we hung out with them in these beautiful rooms just days before the fire. Their website shows images of the beautiful animals, birds and insects - many of which have been lost. If you have any beautiful examples of taxidermy that you would like to sell Deyrolle are looking to replenish their stock. There could not be a happier home for these animals. My thoughts are with Deyrolle and I am posting this blog with love and sympathy.

I got shot in San Francisco. At X21 or Sultana as it is called online. X21 is a crazy store on Valencia street, they have some pretty eccentric stock amongst which there is more normal things like these chairs. But the scale is often over the top so they have this thing where they shoot female shoppers with the items they are putting onto 1st Dibs, to give a sense of the size, and i got a staring role while i was in there.

By supporting job creation programs and women's empowerment groups, Be Sweet brings South African flair stateside, in an array of some of the most original objects we've ever encountered. Our undeniable favorites, though, are these incredibly unique felted pebbles and rocks. Made from 100% merino wool and hand constructed from start to finish with all natural materials, these rocks are a sweet way to bring a little outside in, without the hard edge. It is shocking how much the boulders resemble their geological relatives. In bringing these gorgeous home accents to a wider audience, Be Sweet helps community development, enables creativity with a conscience... and is paving the way for some really happy customers in the process.

I just found this Lucinda Mirror from J.C. Penney:

31" x 43" is a really good scale, especially for $169 (marked down from $359).  And up close the carving doesn't look half bad:

But the "distinctive antique silver leaf with beige wash" finish gives me pause.  I'd break out the flat white latex paint and a small brush, mix in some grey and beige painter's acrylics (no need to spend 20 bucks on a quart of each color), tape off the mirror sections and start blending and painting.  True water gilt or gilt gesso frames are beautiful; sprayed on pseudo-metallic ones aren't.  But chalky white is always chic!

Graham & Brown unveil an incredibly wide selection of gorgeous wallpapers while standing firm as self-proclaimed treehuggers. With the FSC stamp of approval, all of their products combine materials from sustainably-managed forests with recycled papers (on average, consisting of 50% renewable resources). It's worth noting that, though they only use non-acidic inks, and, while eco-friendlier options exist, they do operate a Waste-to-Energy Plant - meaning that, instead of releasing their effluents into the environment, they capture them on-site to be used for energy. G&B's extensive collection appeals to an array of design aesthetics, so you're sure to find the perfect roll to embellish any under-dressed wall.

This trip to london seemed to have a jewelry theme, I was taken to Jacqueline Rabun in Grosvenor Mews (just behind the Lanesborough Hotel - Hyde Park Corner). This is a rare treat, the store is set in old stables and the old stalls are very much part of this ravishing store. Jacqueline's jewelry is almost entirely made of either silver or gold, with a little splash of pave diamonds here and there. The feel is totally amoebic/organic and the contrast between the shining gold shapes and the grey of the shop - which smells richly of a geranium/lavender concoction, it is all totally chic. I loved my time here, a jewellers not only for women but for women to shop in.

London and more specifically Chelsea green: one of the most charming spots in the city and in recent years the small shops have become more and more desirable. Felt is one of the newer stores there, a jewelry boutique with prices from £20 to £3,000. I spent hours trying on and finally left with a necklace for £100, after trying on nearly all the vintage furs tucked at the back. I loved and wanted a piece by Pippa Small that requires a little saving and an emerald bead necklace that had just the right amount of sparkle and absolute magnificent colour.

I'm finding that stylish, inexpensive wallpapers are just too few and far between and my old standby paint tricks (wide stripes!) have their limits. Which brings me to fine art posters: so much graphic potential but so cheesy in a black metal frame.  Or any frame.  But why not paper an entire powder room (walls and ceiling), or walk-in closet, or kitchen backsplash, or IKEA wardrobe, with Rothkos?  Art.com turns up 151 choices:

No, I wouldn't do this with Matisses but why not Josef Albers?  Ellsworth Kelly?  Channel your inner abstract expressionist.  Many of these are under $25.  I wouldn't worry about lining up the color fields but by all means trim the white borders and all text!!

Thoughts on the new 'elliot' sofa from West Elm?

Overall I love the shape but wish the seat were buttoned or biscuited too, and this "stitched detail" tufting/buttoning hybrid is too postmodern for my taste. I tend toward the more traditional (traditionally 70s) Brocade Home version from an older post, but they don't make a full-length sofa with arms.  Elliot here is begging for some bright pillows and oh how I wish he came in chocolate brown cotton velvet.  Beige can be beautiful but 'clay' is the color of ... well, clay.

So what's the most YOU'd pay for a sofa? (Tacky question??)

These tables from Smart Furniture prove there IS truth in advertising:

Adjustable from drinks height to dining height -- very smart indeed -- they also come in five cheery colors (so black is technically a neutral but you get me).  My favorites are the lemon yellow and red, but my absolute fave part is the price, only $99 each.  That's nearly a third of what Conran's charges for these clear ones which DON'T adjust.

Here's a good deal from Target with no designer name attached (who is 'Isabelle de Borchgrave,' anyway??):

The Jackson Rectangular Bookcase in Black for $299.99.  Parsons-style anything will never go out of style, and this one gets the scale right -- chubby supports are a pet peeve of mine.  Plus it's ripe for tweaking:  my boss or his pal Markham Roberts would choose beautiful (but expert-requiring) faux horn, but why not tape off 8-inch sections and alternate solid neon or shades of grey?  These pieces are great for storage and display in any room, against a wall or as a room divider and I would definitely stack them, too.

This is something so incredibly exciting I just couldn't believe it when I clipped it from my copy of Australian Vogue Living (one of my absolute favourite magazines). I had no idea that Cecil Beaton had done a line of fabric and wallpaper designs. As yet they are not available in the States, but they are in London through a company called Beaudesert and are online. I really long to use the papers, have to try to find a spot that I haven't already covered in something. My particular favorites are Beaton Bouquet and Beaton Pansies -- take a look.