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.

Patio Set for $199

The retro-inspired Orbit outdoor lounger set is on sale at Crate and Barrel for $199! Summer's barely here and we're already marking down patio furniture? Sounds good to me.

Via Crib Candy.

A Tale of Boat Living in NYC: 79th Street Boat Basin

I listen to NPR quite a bit. And I found myself stuck in the car this afternoon in what they call, "a driveway moment," unable to stop listening to a captivating story about house boats in New York City.

The story describes a 50+ -year-old community of live-on boats in the Hudson, where quirky artists, lay-abouts, businessmen, and famous authors (Mario Puzo was once an resident) have lived side-by-side. Residents describe it as an urban village where everybody knows everybody and you're likely to pass a dead body or save a suicidal man in a tux on your way back from the store.

I was most interested in the boat of an artist, described as a cross between an opium den and a Turkish brothel. The images this story paints in your mind more than make up for the lack of accompanying photos.

Take a listen here.

UPDATE: That's the 79th St. Boat Basin, not 57th St. Thanks to Daniel Weiss for the great piece and e-mailing with the correction.

Anais Nin's Hideaway at Silverlake

The LA Times site currently has some lovely photos of Anais Nin's Silverlake 1-bedroom hideaway. The author, famous for her erotic writings and diaries, had just the sort of immaculate and femininely exotic tastes you might expect (especially if you've seen Henry and June).





I am fascinated by this photo of her desk (right). I love the little portrait and the fish sculpture. It has personality but looks clean and minimal.

In the main room of her home, the combination of lavender, fuchsia, blue, gold and brown is so subtle. The decor gains life, femininity and movement from the color, while maintaining a zen-like sense of peace and neutrality.

What a beautiful place to be inspired.

Via Apartment Therapy LA.

Plus Appetizer Plate

Crackers + Dip.
Pita + Hummus.

This porcelain "plus shape" appetizer set is adorable.

$10.99 at Grounded.

Stackable Planters = Living Space Divider

These stackable planters look like aged terracotta, but they're actually made from composite (and light at 15.4 lbs).

Line them up to create a modern railing that looks like something you'd find on a European side-street. Or stack them for a stunning sculpture.

Tuttisuperterra planter, $295.

Via Better Living Through Design.

FLOR for Outdoor

FLOR has some bold outdoor flooring options ready to go for summer.

A modular take on the classic synthetic putt-putt green. Green Acres, $3.71 per sqft.

Swiss cheese anyone? Seeing Spots in Tabby Cat, $.46 per sqft.

Cut it Out in Hummingbird, $4.46 per sqft.

Dinnerware from Driade Kosmo

I saw some gorgeous dinnerware from Driade Kosmo in In Style magazine. I went to the site to see what else they had, and fell in love. Here are a few of my favorite collections:


There's something charming about a salad bowl with legs. Victoria, designed by Oscar Tusquets.

I love the simple symmetry of these pieces from the Bazaar collection.

Oh so Bohemian. Von by Bořek Šĭpek.

Ikea does Brocade Home

Ikea is taking a slight detour from their ultra-simple clean lines with these two pieces (Bedside table, $99, and mirrored chest, $249) from the Hemnes collection.

With decorating tastes leaning towards the ornate, it makes sense for a company like Ikea to embrace Brocade Home's boiled-down takes on the classics, like the Silhouette side table (below), to which Ikea's Hemnes bedside table bares a more than passing resemblance.

A Literal Modern Roost: Chickens in Manhattan

This NY Times article about a Co-op turned chicken coop in Manhattan is a funny and endearing look at a most unusual pair of pets.

The Giovannini family raises two chicks, Chirp and Cheep, into hens in the confines of an apartment. As it turns out, chickens are smarter and more endearing than we thought.

Via Apartment Therapy.

The Paintings of Andy Kehoe

Andy Kehoe's paintings portray the frightening and the uncertain as mundane. This is something you can appreciate when you look at the headlines each morning.

The palettes are monochromatic and the monsters look bored with their evil. It's quite an interesting juxtaposition.

The style and subject matter remind me of Where the Wild Things Are. Just darker and more grown-up.

The pieces on the site that had listed prices were under $1000. That seems like a good deal for something original and thought provoking.

Shown here:

"Shameful Deed Falls Silent," (left) sold.
"Shelter of Beauty," (right) sold.
"Myth Rises from the Dead Beast," (below) $900.

Photos from Tillman's Roadhouse in Dallas

Tillman's Roadhouse is a restaurant I have only seen on the internet, though I have it on good authority that the food is excellent. It certainly looks good on the site. But I am most impressed with the amazing decor. This place is truly "Cabin Chic."

Ultimate Gaming Chair: Recycled Playstation

Technology keeps changing. You can't blink without opening your eyes to find your latest gadget obsolete. But don't feel bad for your out-dated Playstation. It may be resetting itself as a sleek, modern chair.

The "Reese" is made from recycled Playstation consoles and looks surprisingly chic. It will be available for purchase this fall at PLI and Sprout.


Via BuzzFeed.

PSA: Call 811 Before You Dig

If you have a digging project in mind for the summer, the folks over at the Common Ground Alliance want to remind you to call 811 first. 811 is the new national number to help you locate any pesky gas and water lines before your new deck becomes your new federal disaster area.

I don't think the folks at the CGA can do much about Fido, but they can offer you advice about everything from shrubs to trees to moats. Find out more on their site.

Thanks to Matt N. for the e-mail heads-up.

A Little Real Estate Voyeurism

There's an interesting article in the NY Times about the things people leave behind when they move out. Mostly we're talking a roll of toilet paper or a half eaten jar of mustard. But there are some rather deviant and sort of disgusting items that people are leaving behind (false teeth, handcuffs, a bottle of Valium).

Note to the height challenged: check the top shelf of the closet before you leave.

Via Apartment Therapy.

Mesmerizing: Photos by Lehnert & Landrock

I saw these images on My Marrakesh yesterday and was literally mesmerized. The images of these exotic turn-of-the-20th-century women in Tunisia just blew my mind. They were taken by Rudolph Lehnert, a Czech photographer who fell in love with Tunisia.

Maryam was lucky enough to purchase a few of the prints in an Egyptian bookstore she beautifully described as full of, "dusty, strange books for dusty, strange people."

I immediately began a search online for copies of the prints. I've had limited success so far, though I will continue to look. But I found a few authentic lithographs here for reasonable prices.

I am having trouble finding more information on Lehnert and Landrock themselves. Wikipedia had no entry. Other sites had photos, but no information on the men (man) who took them. If anyone knows of a good resource on this topic, please let me know.

UPDATE: Maryam may be able to purchase some new prints of Lehnert's photos on her next trip to Egypt. If so, she will try to place them up for sale on her blog. Hooray Maryam!