Fly on the Wall

B+N Industries is in the business of making walls come to life. Their Iconic Panels are a whimsical approach to style. The panels can be painted, illuminated with colorful light - the possibilities are endless. And to boot Iconic Panels are also available with LEED-qualified, fire-rated, or water-resistant cores. Pictured below is Carnaby and Chinoiserie.

Here are a few other options from Inhabitat, Wall Flats . They are made from 100% bamboo pulp, meaning no trees were harmed in the making of this product. How refresing, a sustainable wallcovering that is free of chemicals and will not be a burden to the environment at the end of it's lifecycle, since the tiles are 100% bio-degradable.

Now here is my favorite wall application Sculptural Panels from modularArts®. This relief sculptural wall art is made of a cementious mineral composite that is virtually fire resistant and free of formaldehyde (no harmfull off-gassing). Professional installation should be left up to a drywall contractor. Pictured below is Vortex Bloom by Lora Leonard and Dune - from The Seagate Hotel in Delray Beach, Florida .

modularArts® now offers their sculptural wall tiles in a smaller size for smaller scale projects. These 16" square tiles can be painted and are designed for tighter areas. They may be more appropriate for a residential application. My only comment is this...please, oh please don't over use these tiles. We don't need to repeat the mistake our parents made with faux wood paneling in the 70's! Visit the modularArts® on-line store here.

Tag Sale Heaven

My daughter and I set out early Saturday morning to run a few quick errands and we happened upon three tag sales. They were side-by-side, nestled in the middle of a small historic block close to downtown. The dew was still fresh on the soft shaded grass as we took our first step onto the lawn. For a moment I wished for a Caramel Macchiato...that is until I needed both hands to hold all of the treasures we found.

An oversized oyster shell filled with giant sea sculptures ($10.00), a mercury glass planter [or my intended use: a champagne bucket] ($1.00), a glass hurricane vase ($2.00), three cloisonne enamel fish ($3.00), a heart on a black satin necklace ($1.00), three white bud vases ($1.00 - a hard bargain driven by my 8 year old daughter) and a 500 piece Thomas Kinkade (Norman Rockwell-ish) christmas puzzle ($.50). Most are pictured below:

If you can't get out to the tag sale nearest you then you must head on over to One Kings Lane for their new Saturday morning Tag Sales. You will find many a deal from great designers. Either way you do it, have fun "Sailing"!

Sui Inspired

I am so totally loving these looks from the Anna Sui Spring 2010 Ready-to-Wear Collection. The mixing of the blue jewel tones is brilliant in more ways than one. Feel free to drool a bit more over here at the Anna Sui website (did I mention that I "heart" this website?).

Celebrating Earth Day and Earth Month

Happy Earth Day!

In Celebration of Earth Month Treehugger.com has announced the 2010 Best of Green Awards. With over 200 awards in 8 categories I am impressed with how much progress has been made with sustainability. Here are a few of my favorites from the list of winners.

Best Fixture: Roca W + W

"It stands for "Washbasin + Water Closet" and is designed for Roca by Gabriele and Oscar Buratti and it makes so much sense: integrating a toilet and washbasin together so that the grey water from one goes into the other. Unlike the cold water taps built into the top of toilet tanks that we have seen before, this is designed to look good and work practically; one is not leaning over the toilet to get at the basin. The grey water is filtered before going to the toilet, and the unit is smart enough to add water if there isn't enough in the tank." "Proof that even in the bathroom, green can be beautiful."

Best Shelter Mag: Sanctuary

"Most magazines about sustainable design are not beautiful. Most design magazines cover sustainable design to a degree (at least Dwell and Azure do) but do not focus on green designs exclusively."

"Australia's Sanctuary is different. It's motto is "Sustainable Living with Style" and that is all that it shows. Editors Verity Campbell and Michael Day show so much beautiful stuff -- stunningly photographed and presented -- that I just want to pack up and move to Australia. "

"Sanctuary is a mag with a mission: It is published by the non-profit Alternative Technology Association with the mandate to make sustainability sexy, and it succeeds -- modern design never looked so good and worked so well. The magazine's website is full of excerpts and info, but the magazine is a joy to hold."

Best Modern Prefab More Than 150 SF: Clayton i-house

"The grand dream of those promoting green modern prefab is that it will do for housing what IKEA did for furniture: make good modern design popular, affordable and available to everyone. When the i-house was released we wondered if it was showbait or if Clayton Homes was really offering a sustainable, efficient, and comfortable machine for green living. The jury is still out. But when Warren Buffett, who purchased Clayton Homes in 2003, and Clayton take on green modern prefab, you know they are going to give it the time and money that it needs. It is a breakthrough for the industry."

Best Design Website: Mocoloco

"The morning ritual in the design blog world is to check out Dezeen and Designboom, up a few hours ahead of EST. Inhabitat is fastest off the mark. Cliff at Fast Company is tireless."

"But Mocoloco is different. Harry Wakefield and his crew do not sit still and just do what worked for them in the past, but push the medium. Their recent redesign probably cost them a lot of readers, but I can't wait to see it on an iPad. Mocoloco is not reacting to the changes in our world, but anticipating them."

"★ Reader's Choice: Unhappy Hipsters
[Editor's note: The Readers' Choice for design website was a blowout, Unhappy Hipsters received more than 1,100 votes, more than ten times the second-place choice."

I want to thank Treehugger for creating this great list Awarding Excellence in Sustainability. BRAVO! All images and copy are courtesy of Treehugger.com.

April eDesign

Here it is! My eDesign for this lovely month of April. This design hits close to home for me as this is my design for the Master Bathroom in my home. I want a very neutral scheme, something that can accommodate a change in accent color without modifiying any of the fixed elements. I'm thinking bright yellow or deep turquoise with graphite for the accent colors and a neutral wall color, perhaps a very pale ivory to make the white elements pop.

1. Godmorgon Vanity and Brakiven vanity top from IKEA

2. Price Pfister Vega 4" Single Control Centerset Faucets from Bed, Bath & Beyond

3. Kaska Turkish Wood Grain Ceramic Floor Tile - Northwest Series from Build Direct

4. Jonathan Adler Parker Collection Nickel Pendant Light from Lamps Plus

5. Sparkle Chrome 6" wide Crystal Bathroom Light from Lamps Plus

6. Slow closing toilet seat from Home Depot

7. White Metro beveled subway wall tile from Tile Shop.com

8. Basketweave Honed Contempo White Stone tile from Daltile

My master bathroom is rather small however two elements make it appear larger than it really is; 1) the ceiling is vaulted on an angle and 2) there is an extra two feet (2') at the foot of the tub, accommodating a seat in the shower.

Currently, there is knockdown drywall texture on the walls which, will be replaced with a slick finish. The floor tiles are a ceramic mexican with large grout joints. Wood grain ceramic floor tiles will replace the existing tiles.

I have always envisioned a double sink in this space but since space is at a premium I have to get creative. I really like the double-ish sink offered by Ikea. It features a single vessel that is twice as wide as a standard bowl with accommodations for two faucets. My favorite part about the vanity are the two large drawers, which will bring things out and forward. Being short on storage I find that easy access to everything in a vanity is imparative.

As far as wall tile are concerned, I am thinking of removing one row of the existing tile in the shower and replacing it with a few rows of beveled edge subway tiles. I plan on placing the basketweave stone tiles as a backsplash to the vanity.

Here is a mirror I am considering, I think the reflection of the contemporary light fixture would be beautiful. From zGallerie

This is a Wall Sconce!

I LOVE this Jonathan Adler wall sconce from Lamps Plus. The cermaic Giraffe is available facing right or left, includes a white linen rolled edge shade and is 25 1/4" tall. I imagine a pair of these guys in a nursery facing eachother maybe flanking a fun mirror.

I think switching the white shade with a black one would be very stimiulating for little brains. Priced at $159.91 each.

Gifts to Measure

Looking for a great hostess gift? Well leave it to Paper Source to keep rolling-out the unique and affordable gifts. Yes...I'm aware that Paper Source is best known for well... their fine paper. But I can't get over the wide variety of fun gifts they sell (whomever is doing their buying really has a keen eye for the divine).

So whether it's a hostess gift or a teacher gift you want then look no further. Check out this clever Matrushka Measuring Cup Set from Paper Source. Affordably priced at $13.95 they are smart as they stack inside of eachother and they are made of food safe plastic. Also, the tops and bottoms are marked with their cup size and have flat surfaces so the cups don't fall over. The 6 piece set includes: 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4 and 1 measuring cups.


Too adorable! I'm ordering up a few sets as we speak!

Glam Loungers

Now that the chilly days of winter have past and warmer Spring days are approaching I am looking forward to soaking up the sun and taking late afternoon dips in the pool. Time to spruce up the back yard.

I think a couple of chaise lounge chairs and a new umbrella are in order. My all time favorite chaise is a double-seat adjustable lounger. I'm not sure what I would enjoy more, sharing it with my sweetie or having all the space to myself (I picture a tray on the seat next to me holding my iced tea, magazine and phone).

Now all I need to do is find the right shade. There are lots of options - from shade sails to umbrellas and trellises to tiki huts. So I am saving that for a separate post. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite outdoor loungers.

Special Priced at $1,350.00 from Williams Sonoma Home

$1,145 from Restoration Hardware

$169.95 from Seventh Avenue

Sale Priced $125.75 from Back Yard City.com

This one is my favorite. I feel you get your best bang for your buck with this $125.75 lounger. It is wood, adjustable and it has a slide out drink tray. Also the wheels and handle at the foot of the lounger make moving a cinch.

Style and Design by Kelly Wearstler

Loving these interiors by Kelly Wearstler. While I think my style and taste are quite different, I can't help be be drawn to her designs. For me it is like being at the Smithsonian Art Museum and being completely smitten with a stunning painting by Picasso. The scale, use of color and blending of styles truly personifies Glam.