Back from Istanbul, Stories to Follow

We just got back from 18 days in Istanbul, where we were attending a wedding (some of the celebrations pictured left).

I'm planning to type up some of our travel tales this weekend. I'll post them to the blog for anyone who's interested.

Equestrian Prints

I am always a sucker for equestrian anything. Loafers with decorative bits, worn leather boots, and the drawings in this room from the 2006 Hampton Island Showcase.

The equestrian prints on the far wall are by Yana Dimitrova.

Via Another Shade of Grey.

DIY: Reglaze Thrift-Store Plates

Learn to reglaze thrift store plates with silhouettes, no kiln required, from Red Hot and Green.

Via Black White Bliss.

Things to do in Istanbul when it's 100 Degrees

Yesterday and today have been two of the hottest days in Istanbul for the last 30 years. There was even talk of closing offices today because it will be 100 degrees Fahrenheit. For comparison, the highs are usually in the upper 80s, so most homes don't need air conditioners and don't have them. So what to do when it's too hot to do anything?

Luckily for those of us who know only a little Turkish, there are many American movies playing in English in air conditioned theaters. So I've now seen Hoax and Oceans' 13. We've also been to some lovely cafes, including Leb-i Derya in Taksim (this photo is the view from their dining room).

But tomorrow will be a better day. The high is predicted to be 87. Hooray.

Faux Ceiling Beams

This image from last Fall's Zara Home catalog is still one of my favorites. I love their rustic take on modern furnishings. You can't see the ceiling here, but I imagine it to have rough timber beams against a white plaster. I think a big dose of natural wood can add a lot of warmth to a white space while preserving the minimalism.

Of course wood beams could be a great addition to the high ceilings in any modern living space. But they're expensive and hard to install. Luckily, my brother just sent me a great link to a site that sells faux wood beams. They look very real. Well, at least they look real from a distance. And when they're on the ceiling, how close are you going to get?

These beams are made from casts of real wood beams, so they have realistic tool marks and grain patterns. You can get beams starting at $170. Check out some design ideas here.

PS- this site has some annoying narration audio playing on the home page and main product pages, so turn your sound down.

Breakfast by the Bosporus: Menemen

Yesterday, we went to a cafe on the Bosporus to eat breakfast. We got a table against the marble railing, looking out over the water to the the other side of the city.

We ordered a very typical Turkish breakfast called menemen. It's a modified scrambled egg, mixed with tomatoes and peppers and served in a metal pan.


Menemen Recipe:
2 small tomatoes
1 small green bell pepper
1 spicy green pepper (such as a Hungarian wax pepper)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4-5 eggs

Peel and cube tomatoes. Then dice the other ingredients. Sautee in small pre-heated skillet with olive oil until slightly wilted. The peppers should still have some crunch.

Over low heat crack eggs into the skillet and scramble in the skillet cooking until eggs are fairly firm but the entire dish is slightly moist due to the vegetable juices.

Serve with a white, French-style bread.

Istanbul and Zara Home

We're spending the next few weeks in Istanbul visiting family and friends and attending a wedding.

The weather here is beautiful, about 90 degrees during the day and 70 degrees at night. And other than a puny mosquito (at least by Texas standards) that keeps tentatively buzzing by my ear, I have not a care.

I've already had the chance to do a little shopping. I was finally able to see Zara Home first hand. You can read more about my shopping experience on Shak in Style.

I'll be updating whenever I get the chance with photos and stories from Istanbul.

This is the view from our balcony in Tarabya. During prayer time, you can hear the calls of three different mosques mingling together and surprisingly harmonious.

Le Beanock Hammock

Doesn't this look idyllic? It's a hammock crossed with a beanbag. Get the details over at Apartment Therapy LA.

Dallas Shaw

Art from the Dirty Pop collection by Dallas Shaw. The big signature is very cool.

See more of her work here.

Via Turquoise.

HZL by Henzel Rugs

My friend Jeff tipped me off to the HZL by Henzel Web site a few days ago. It features beautiful modern rug designs with a heavy pop influence. I especially like the cross shape, which was available for all of the designs I viewed.

The rugs are quite reasonably priced, ranging from $595 for a 66" x 66" cross rug to $2099 for a 98" x 98" square.

Shown here, Surf (left) and Golden Surface (below).

Bongenre Melamine Dinnerware

Poolside and picnic dining are getting a little dose of elegance thanks to Bongenre. The company manufactures gorgeous dinnerware patterns in Melamine for very reasonable prices.

Winchester Mandala Hot, 4 places settings for $90.

Wilde's Sun, 4 12" dinnerplates for $45.

Louis Rouge, 4 12" plates for $44.

Bone Screen from White on White

White on White, purveyor of extremely reasonably priced Mod furnishings, has this very cool Bone Screen on sale for $300. Unfortunately, it's only available for local pick-up.

Updated Grandfather Clock

The Grandpa Clock from Generate is a working 2-D version of the grandfather clock. The clock is printed on canvas and supported by a wood frame that contains a clock movement and antique-style clock hands. It's stylish, easy to move and doesn't require any winding.

$79 at Generate.

Via BLTD.

Dope Dormat

This doormat is awesome.

The Fo' Shizzle doormat, $19.99 from What on Earth.

Via Style Hive.

Turkish Tiles from Ann Sacks

Ann Sacks now has a line of beautiful Iznik tiles . The designs are true to Turkish tradition, filled with deep blues, aqua, forest green, and red. The patterns are bold, especially on a large scale. But they're right in keeping with the new bold wallpaper prints.

Recently, Elle Decor used what looks like Turkish tile in their Morroccan Fantasy room for DIFFA (shown below). It is really stunning.

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.