Glass Installations by Steffen Dam

Danish artist Steffen Dam started his career as an industrial glass-maker who became increasingly enamored with the 'flaws' of glass, such as unwanted air bubbles, fissures, ash marks, soot and similar errors.

It inspired him to start creating these amazing glass blocks and displays, which started, he explains in his artist's statement by 'making glass all "wrong" in an attempt to capture the good in the bad. Out of these experiments came the Fossils, Plants and other objects - like frozen extracts of chaos to be watched undisturbed.'


These pieces, which are entirely made by manipulating standard glass flaws -- resemble pseudo-specimens of sea creatures, plants, cells and biopsy slides to create what is best-described (by the folks at Cool Hunting) as an otherworldly biology lab. Dam's work can be seen at the Heller Gallery in Manhattan.
[via Design Therapy]

BoBo Intriguing Objects

I'm completely smitten with the antique furniture at BoBo Intriguing Objects. Take the storage cabinet above. Complete with wax rust drawers and a vintage finish, this makes for a great-looking storage center. Sadly, at nearly $8,000, it's way out of my price range.

Still, I love these pieces. The pharmacy rack shown below is based on 18th century French design, while the rough-hewn and massive brickmaker's table seats 14. If I happened to win the lottery, I'd start spending it on this stuff.
@ Paris Market & Brocante

Bookbook Hardback Sleeves for MacBooks

It's just a matter of time before we're all toting around spankin' new iPads or similar gadgets. I'm all for progress, but I'll miss the look and feel of a tattered, dusty and beloved book. This hardback sleeve, currently made to house MacBooks, can help ease the pain. Bookbook designed this clever case, which they describe like this:

Slip your Mac inside the velvety soft, padded interior. Zip it closed and your baby is nestled between two tough, rigid leather hardback covers for a solid level of impact absorbing protection. The rigid spine serves as crush protection for an additional line of defense. BookBook creates a hardback book structure that safeguards your MacBook like few other cases can.

@ Bookbook, $79

Hi+Lo: Vintage-Style Metal Headboards

High: Boho Iron Headboard @ Sundance, $1,895/queen

I'm sure that on close inspection, it's easy to see that the Boho iron bed frame has details that set it apart from its inexpensive counterpart. For one thing, it's wrought iron with a two-tone brass/black finish. The Bonita frame, by contrast, is made from foundry-poured aluminum with a copper finish. The Boho bed has shell castings which adorn a crossbar, while the Bonita has some detailing (jaguars? flowers?) that's nearly impossible to make out in from these photos.

Still, both have a old-world, 'found-in-the-attic' charm. And both make me want to put on flannel pjs, snuggle under a heavy homemade quilt and revisit fairy tales, because I always imagined that Little Red Riding Hood or Goldilocks' three bears had beds that looked exactly like these.

Low: Bonita Metal Headboard @ Amazon, $224/queen

Typeface/Text Wall Decals

Wall decals are such a mixed bag. Some make a room look downright incredible, while others... don't. I'm pretty sure these text/typeface decals from StickHOME/Harmonie-Interieure can do wonders for a wall. These, which are sold in Europe, are highly customizable; you pick the size and color -- and of course, the message.
@ Harmonie-Interieure, 69€ to 129€ (about $100-$200, with shipping)

Office Clips as Wall Hooks

Check out these creatively wall hooks masquerading as paper clips. They are sized to hold handbags, winter gear and the assorted clutter that always seems to wind up near the entry way. And they've got a fun, modern sense of style that would look cool in kitchens, offices, cubicles and closets.
@ Chiasso, $18-$38

The Bouquet Chair, 3 Ways

This lovely and delicate explosion of an armchair is one of my all-time favorite chairs, but it's hard to imagine how such an extreme (and extremely poetic) look might work in various rooms. Enter Marie Claire Maison, which recently showcased the Bouquet swivel armchair, designed by Tokujin Yoshioka for Moroso, in three very different rooms.
These include a chic, urban black and white salon, a feminine, Japanese-influenced room and a spare 'Cabinet of Natural Curiosities' study. I love features like these. They help us envision how a singular and fabulous design might translate into many different looks. And, like a great piece of art, this chair looks amazing in nearly any room.
@ Unica Home, $9,888

Ty DIY Shower Curtain

Skylines. Octopi. Monsters.
These are just a few quick ideas that popped to mind as possible ways I might design my own shower curtain. But, as you can see from some ideas above, anything -- from slogans to laundry lines -- look pretty cool. It could also be a fun way to keep kids from drawing on the walls.
The Ty curtain comes with a permanent marker that lets you customize your own design. It's made from eco-friendly, white #2 plastic shower curtain. The material ensure that it won't off-gas in your home, and it's more likely to resist mold and mildew. It's also recyclable, when (and if) you're ready to part with your masterpiece.
@ Blue Ribbon General Store, $33

Arbres a Moustaches Wall Decal by Inga Sempé

Mustaches + wall decals?
It was only a matter of time before these two hot trends came together. But this fun mustache tree, by French designer by Inga Sempe, is a fun (and temporary) way to combine the two design favorites. Now you can plant your very own mustache tree on any wall that needs to be, um, dressed up in a slightly surrealistic manner.
@ Urban Outfitters, $158

Around the Clock

Sometimes, maybe it is worth it to try and reinvent the wheel -- or at least the clock-face. This analog clock design, Anthony Dickens, makes it quite easy to tell time (it's quarter to 11:00) in a wholly original way.
@ Unica Home, $22

Martin the Mule Computer Desk by Ibride

Is this a beast of burden for the 21st century?

Ibride, a French company known for its kooky, zoomorphic take on design, has just come out with this life-size mule/computer desk/secretary.

It's made from high pressure laminate with a brushed brown finish, and has four drawers and is designed to contain a flat-screen desktop computer. It comes equipped with lighting and internet connections and can also hold books, CDs, office supplies and pretty much anything else that fits on its hardworking frame.

I might not want Martin to come live in my house, but I'd love to see a herd of Martins on a cubicle farm.
@ Made in Design, £2,879

Mast Humidifier

Finding a decent humidifier during winter can be pretty much impossible. Typically, they are bulky, unattractive blobs that disperse more bacteria than moisture. And then there's the funny, stale smell that they inevitably spread throughout the house.

But we may soon have a (much, much) better option. Johnny, over at Spoon & Tamago, recently showcased a new all-wood, no electricity humidifier called Mast. He describes it like this:

An exquisite creation of pure Hinoki (Japanese Cypress), recently designed by Shin Okada and crafted by Masuya Koubou. Known for its high-quality timber, rot-resistant qualities and lemony scent, the thinly sliced Hinoki mast absorbs water from the hull and diffuses it, and its intrinsic aroma, into the room.

Right now, they're only available in Japan for about $60, but I hope they'll be available in the U.S. soon.

America's Best-Selling Rugs

The folks at Country Living surveyed leading retailers about their best-selling rugs, and here are the results. Most are in neutral color palettes, but I'm happily surprised to see that a few daring choices rank as the best-seller. For example, the bold, red flower rug is Pier One's top-selling rug. And the stripes from IKEA's Kajsa are both lively and neutral. Personally, my favorite is the black, white and red dhurri from Wisteria, but then I like cotton flat weave rugs and strong black & white graphics.
Rug details @ Country Living.

Anatomica Dishware

This wonderful/creepy dishware set, designed by Lisa Turner, is not exactly what we'd like to see under an otherwise appetizing meal. But artfully displayed in a kitchen? Absolutely.
@ TableArt, from $28

Hi + Lo: Glass Link Chandeliers

High: Giogali Chandelier @ DWR, $2,100

The first two chandeliers may look identical, but investing in a genuine Giogali Chandelier is very different from buying a look-alike. That's because the real thing was designed by Italian architect Angelo Mangiarotti in 1967 and it's made with handblown Murano glass. It's considered a classic, and vintage pieces can fetch upwards of $3,500 at an auction.

However, if collecting and re-selling antiques isn't really your thing (which probably the case for 99.9 percent of us), the Links Chandelier offers the same flexibility as its counterpart. It's customize-able, as you can hang the links in an length or pattern you like. There's also a new rectangular-shaped version now available at West Elm, even though the links are fixed in position.

Low: Glass Links Chandelier @ Z Gallerie, $299

Low: Glass Link Chandelier @ West Elm, $299

Nest Eggs

True, your 401K probably earns a bit more interest than these ceramic nest eggs. But it's probably nowhere near as charming. The artist uses stoneware slip and high fires them without glaze to achieve this subtle, buff color. And, like your 401K, early withdrawals are discouraged. In this case, the penalty is that you have to crack open the egg.
@ Mudpuppy, $20