Outfits as Art

This display at Fusion Home Fashion would make a great art installation in a bedroom. And it's practical too. More about how to make your own on Shak in Style.

Mushroom Forest Tables

I love this Mushroom Forest table from Design Public. It's like a mod fairy tale as an end table. It was designed by Thomas Wold and is available in two sizes (larger size shown).

Chinese Lattice Wallaper

I love the geometric busyness of "Chinese Lattice" from Bob Collins. I had to look at the top photo a few times before I was 100% convinced this is wall paper. It almost creates an optical illusion.

The images are from House Beautiful's June issue. You can order the paper at 1-800-282-9971.

Trends: Bicycles in Design

Bicycles are really quite beautiful. They're simple, good exercise, easy on the planet, and look spiffy on everything from wallpaper to ceramics.




From top left,
Flower Pedal wallpaper, Crescent, acrylic on paper by Taliah Lempert.



Left, the Links spice dish set from Modnest. Each piece features a stylized bicycle component.

Below, Recycled Bicycle Chain Bowl from Elsewares, a poster from the ArtCrank poster show.

Bye Bye to Bitter Garlic

Raw garlic can have a bitter flavor. Especially if you have the bulb for awhile. This can be an issue when you serve a dish that needs a delicate dose of raw garlic, like hummus or herbed olive oil for dipping.

I read recently that the bitter taste can be prevented by simply taking the green shoot out of the center of the garlic clove before chopping.

To remove the shoot, simply peel the clove and slice it length-wise. Locate and remove the light green shoot from each side of the sliced clove and prepare your dish.