Brilliant, right? This acrylic shelf keeps books in sight, but out of the way. And it shows off their covers, because that's always the best way to judge a book. This shelf seems perfectly-suited for coffee-tables books (esp. if the coffee table constantly in use), cookbooks and offices. And, of course, the slim profile is ideal for apartment life.
This loft, featured in LoftLife magazine, caught my eye because it looks so happily lived in. I love that it's not too minimal or overly styled. So it may be surprising to learn that this loft belongs to a 'designer for the stars' Valerie Pasquiou, who works with folks like Ben Stiller and Sheryl Crow. Minimalish, boho and eclectic? Hmm, I can do that....
Celebrated Finnish designer Ilmari Tapiovaara crafted this hip rocking chair, and I love this coral color. It's also available in white or black. Definitely not grandma's rocker.
High: Cosmopolitan bar cart @ WS Home, $1,450
Satisfying your inner mix-master at a sleek bar cart can be a costly venture. The WS Home Cosmopolitan cart is a glam Regency Revival style that harks back to Paris in the '30s. The Duncan bar cart at Restoration Hardware has curving lines, with a strong Art Deco sensibility. Both are nickel-plated, with glass shelves and casters. And both look like they'd make a fine spot to concoct some memorable cocktails.
Low: Duncan bar cart @ Restoration Hardware, $549
Modern. Cheerful. Affordable.
What's that saying about one man's trash being another's treasure?
Century night stand @ cb2, $199
Prolific Spanish artist/designer Jaime Hayon designed these magical ceramic pieces for Lladró. His Fantasy Collection is one of dozens of other collections by Hayon, and they are all showcased on his site and all pretty amazing. But this one really stands out to me. It's playful, light and unexpected. And there's the tiniest suggestion -- enough to keep things interesting -- that it might have been veered into the disturbing.
A new take on sushi-to-go?
In combining these two different types of materials and building art objects from them, we noticed a huge imaginary leap. Some of the objects lost their original scale and began to look like huge objects; others showed funny discrepancies in the juxtapositions of heterogeneous objects
It's probably fairly simple to set up a terrarium, but fairly complicated to create one that looks genuinely picturesque. Enter Jeffrey James, a terrarium wizard who is willing to craft a gorgeous, made-to-order version just for you. You pick the vessels and plants, and he creates a one-of-kind terrariums. Or, if you don't mind getting your hands dirty, he'll put together a DIY kit to assemble yourself.
So if a house can look like music, this one is definitely the visual equivalent of a Flaming Lips song. Frontman Wayne Coyne's newly refurbished crib compound in Oklahoma was designed by Fitzsimmons Architects and it proves (yet again) why it's good to be a rock star.
These prints are something of an optical illusion. They have enough depth, layers and shadows to convince us they're 3-D, but in fact they're 2-D prints of the fun cut-out images created by artist Jayme McGowan. She also sells the original piece, but personally, I like the fake-out factor in this case. I suspect these would make people look. And then look again.
High: @ DWR, $4,328
It's obviously cheating to do a Hi+Lo on an classic and its knock-off. After all, the knock only exists to be a cheap version of the original. Chances are, Mies Van Der Rohe's iconic Barcelona chair has been copied often since it made its debut 1929. Forgeries are to be a expected for a chair that's considered to be a landmark Bauhaus piece and has its very own Wiki page.
That said, here's a good-looking, recession-friendly fake for those of us who aren't inclined to drop $4,000+ on a chair.
Low: Modern Reproductions, $599
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