Sourcing: Made Goods

Made Goods has some pretty amazing home accents with a big nod to nature.  Trays, shagreen boxes, lamps, stools, tables, mirrors, baskets, objets.  This would be a great source for those pieces that give the finishing touch to a room.  Those less than practical treat yo'self pieces.  Here are a few that stood out to me on a quick trip through the site (which has great, clean product photography, by the way).  All images from www.madegoods.com.

1. Tanek Stool - that is a little Japanese stool CAST IN RESIN!  2.  Adrian Mirror - handmade to look like barnacles and hand painted.  Nature never goes out of style.  3.  Raylan Basket  4.  Tekla Faux Coral Objet - love the color.  5.  Arron Lamp - that base is formed out of metallized rocks.  6.  Cobus Stool - gaps in the wood have been filled with resin and small mirrored squares.  Love the juxtaposition of natural and man-made in this piece.

Deborah Needleman: The Perfectly Imperfect Home

Amen, Billy Baldwin.  An image from Deborah Needleman's book, The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well. Image from Amazon.com.  

Today I found out about about a talk that will be given by Deborah Needleman (former editor-in-chief of Domino magazine) on February 2nd at ABC Carpet and Home.  Naturally I decided to attend, and then I started reading up on her and saw that she put out a book last October called The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well.  The title really struck a chord with me - I always judge interiors by my initial gut reaction, and the thing that affects that reaction most is whether the room or home is inviting or not.  Do I want to go plop down on that deep, cushy sofa that actually looks like people have sat on it before, or is the room barren and stark white with little soft material to provide comfort?  Does the room tell me anything about the people who live there, or were things just chosen and put into place because they "look good"?

As I was looking around, I found an article that Needleman wrote in WSJ in conjunction with the release of her book (it's actually excerpted from the book) in which she lists "10 Odd, Yet Essential, Elements of Style."  I agree with her on all ten of these essentials - as I was reading along I found myself mentally checking off all of the ones that are in place in our apartment.

See her list and snapshots of my home's embodiment of these elements after the jump.  How does your place stack up?  Do you agree with Deborah's elements?

Read on after the jump...

Skultuna

Skultuna is a Swedish firm that produced high quality silver and brass objects.  Here is one object that I am definitely coveting:

Belle brass jewelry holder.  It's only a matter of time until my wedding ring gets stolen in the night by my cat.  This would help to keep it safe.  The top part also comes off to store other small objects inside.  Designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune.

I poked around their website for a bit and discovered that they produce lots of great gift-worthy items.  A couple of standouts after the jump...

Fun digital phone with retro styling.  By John Lewis.

well, i just loved the way this whole page looked so I scanned it all in.  I always love shades of white with natural wood tones.  I particularly love the mirror, pendant light, and flask.

Do you know what that is?  Soap!
http://www.savons-gemme.com/

Ladies and Gentlemen Studios

Sourcing: Plaster pieces by Stephen Antonson

Plaster works by Stephen Antonson.

Objects of desire: House Beautiful April 2011

 Carved bone lobster.

Reclaimed Apothecary Matchstick Bottle

Pewter crocodile stapler

 

Fornasetti home scents

Mantel clocks

My favorites from Living Etc's selection of mantel clocks:

1.  Brompton, by Newgate Clocks (lots of other great ones, too!)

2.  Suspend, by Umbra.

 3.  Acero, by Michael Siney.

Abby Modell

 

These faceted glass votive holders by Abby Modell are so juicy, I want to take a bite.