moroccan moment

the embroidery of these moroccan wedding blankets are exquisite..... the handcrafted wool rugs are painstakenly beaded with hundreds of sequins by artisans in berber villages. i would love to have one draped from the wall or as a bedspread. 

[via parisparfait | mymarrakesh ]

also in serious need of some moroccan candle holders or a birdcage/lantern. the effect packs a punch !

luminara italy

luminara is an italian-based lighting design company that produces beautiful work inspired by the '60s and 70's. 

  vo

voodoo ceiling lamp

pasha

shine suspended

gio suspension 18 lamp

via  [spencerinteriors] | luminara

medusateam

the works of spanish studio medusateam are full of sexy, colorful graphics. their breadth of work covers prints, animation, and illustration...... their showreel especially makes me want to go back to doing animation and graphic design. i've been away too long from the adobe creative suite and 3dmax!! 

chair in space

obsessed with this ad from toshiba! a danish modern chair was released up to space by helium balloon with a videocamera as "armchair viewing, redefined." this is particularly amusing because i had once bought the same type and color of chair on e-bay which i had to return upon receipt because the leg was broken. 

the chair took 83 minutes to reach almost an altitude of 100,000 feet and 24 minutes to fall back to earth after the balloon broke. pretty amazing...

[via]

distrikt hotel preview

distrikt hotel has a fun concept supported with colorful montages of each neighborhood in nyc. set to open up in early spring, it has spun itself as a boutique hotel set to capture and celebrate each of the neighborhoods or "worlds" that define new york through its design and service.

lets hope they amp up the hotel rooms.......agree that the rooms are nice but not as eclectic as i would've thought. it would be hilarious to see what a williamsburg room would have....... red flannel bedspread, sneaker dirt-smearing kit, american smokes pack, deer head or antler reference.... hahaha love the picture below.

also, if there is a times square type, they should consider putting their toiletries in a complimentary fanny pack. along with having queen-sized i love NY duvet covers. just saying..

[hotelchatter - rooms at the distrikt]

 

DIY projects for the winter

soo i've been obsessing about artwork lately decorate my home and on a budget:

1. book page wreath

i'm thinking of making 2 wreaths, a 18 inch and a 12 inch to hang on my exposed red brick wall:

[living with lindsay]

2. knot trivet 

after a coat of paint or waterproofing, could make nice dish coasters....

[designsponge - trivet]

3. twined wine bottle/beer bottle vases

a way to recycle all those bottles lying around--

[real simple - gorgeous thanksgiving tables for less than $50]

4. woven burlap runner

a way to re-use all the burlap fabric i originally bought for my nonexistent curtain...

[willowdecor]

5. toilet paper roll wall art 

easy way to decorate a wall!

[designsponge - toilet paper roll art]

6. sea shell glass ornaments

[a to z]

to be continued!

franco pecchioli ceramic tiles

franco pecchioli's has a stunning array of ceramic tiles rich in color and patina. my particular favorite line is the la vita della seta- i love the texture of the ceramic glaze mixed with veins of gold and think it would make a great backdrop or focal point in a lobby or spa. 

the colors of la via del bosco and del lustro are equally mesmerizing...

   

.... though that copper green bathroom, reminds me a little of the ian shrager's 40 bond st residence....hmmm match made in heaven??  

[40 bond st....hmm...]

[ trendir]

[pecchioliceramica]

jason miller's phat pad

WOW. what a total makeover: jason miller's 70's-inspired pad is delicious in concept and style. with only a $5000 budget, he opted for a landscape of carpeted platforms for seating in lieu of a traditional living room setup. the upholstered headboard hides the fireplace and also provides a nice focal point. 

the linear black masking tape pattern on the refrigerator looks great and also easy to DIY.

a glimpse into the bedroom and his famous antler chandelier.

before....huge transformation!!

[an ode to 70's style living - nytimes]

PF chang expands to mexico and middle east

"To educate Mexicans about the particular brand of Chinese food that P.F. Chang's serves, it hired an open truck last month to drive around Mexico City with a massive statue of a horse and models dressed as terra-cotta warriors who handed out Chinese takeout boxes filled with chocolate fortune cookies."

[PF Changs tries to woo diners -times magazine]

 when the owner of ruth's chris' steak house decides to pitch an americanized chinese food brand into foreign soils and "educate" its customers, i see in the future: many mexicans who visit china getting really pissed because their meals do not end in chocolate fortunes like at that muy authentico restaurant back home. or chinese people disliking it because 1. why is everything deep fried 2. what the hell is sichuan flatbread and 3. why is it so much more expensive than my 4 dollar lunch? whoops! LOL...

drifting away.....

my recent obsessions mostly involve the seaside: driftwood, shells and sea urchin textures, antique mercury glass:

driftwood 

i love the weathered look of sea-bleached driftwood or stones with edges that have been smoothed out by the waves. so what better than to harness it as furniture or art? bleu nature is a french-based company i recently discovered, that produces very sleek driftwood and nature-inspired furniture and lighting:

kisime driftwood side table - the driftwood is held in place carefully by strings with acrylic poured slowly into the square mold...

savons kontinuum soap - a pebble-encased soap bar..

siqiniq pebble chandelier - love how the holes were carved through the pebble..

iqqiq driftwood lamp.....very whimsical

antique mercury glass and eglomise glass

i recently went to a fashion event at The Gates bar that had 10-20 of these beautiful mercury glass hurricane vases grouped on a fireside mantle- beautiful effect. 

i might have to buy a few of them myself.....

3 for $58 from farmhouse...

tall mercury glass vase [via target]

not quite antique glass but still very beautiful and similar in effect - hand blown willow grouse by finnish artist olva toikka [via arbitare]

antique mirrored table from sarlo [1stdibs]

coco antique mercury mirror with coco strips 

[via ochre]

minimalnectar

teenage hormones and feuille de chou

UHH CAN we say raging teenage hormones for the latest harry potter movie? i almost forgot to feel sad that dumbledore died because all i remembered for the first half of it was awkward sexual tension. though i guess that is the point, to show teen wizards can be just as prepubescent as we were back in the day. 

but i digress- during this movie i happened to notice that in one of the scenes in the main hall, there was a tapestry style on one of the walls that i recently learned the name of: feuille de chou [cabbage leaf]. this was a copy of the "Captive Unicorn", a Flemish 15th century tapestry at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. feuille de chou tapestries usually depicted a dense tangling of green foliage with animals or mythological creatures among it. 

"These tapestries are known as feuilles de choux or feuilles d'aristoloche although the name 'cabbage leaf verdure' is incorrect as they are usually meant to represent monumental acanthus or bearsbreech. Large leaf verdure tapestries introduced a three-dimensional and naturalistic appearance that was reinforced by the inclusion of naturalistic birds and occasionally mythological animals and rarely by human figures. The predominant vision was of untamed nature uninterrupted by man, an image at once fascinating and even possibly emblematic of an innocent, prelapsarian state, but also threatening because of its seemingly uncontrolled nature." - Christie's Auction House

reclining back...

when i was growing up, my family and i always chose to sit on this ratty but comfortable brown sofa that had come even before my birth. it was the type that you sank into and never wanted to leave, but never wanted to show anyone because it looked so worn and disheveled. we became so attached over these 20+ years to this sofa that we refused to replace it for a newer, more presentable looking model, even as the cushions became sagged and worn, the corners rubbed off, with its inner steel skeleton poking out. finally, after i graduated from college my mother was finally ready to part with it. but i still think of that sofa every time i come home, because lounging on the new firmer, scratchier one still hasn't been the same.

for my new apartment in the east village, i bought a year-old bloomingdales microsuede sofa off of craigslist in spirit of the sofa i grew up with. oooooh except this one comes with cool bronze nailhead details at the base of the sofa.

if i had a biggger budget though [and apt for that matter], a few items i would definitely keep in mind....

ZOMG.  Se London's Peace of Mind lounge chair. i would love to put this in my living room or the next hotel our office works on to be graced with such sumptuous reclining. Maybe add a small table on the side, cozy it up in the corner of a library or reading den?

frigerio italy's bess lounge chair and reclining sofa....

f

casamilano home zoe black chairs.. would make casual but elegant dining chairs.

baxter zed pouf for my nonexistent walk-in closet. thought: "welcome to my boudoir where there is a fur throw carelessly thrown over my plush leather pouf and a tray of assorted cheeses. would you like to have a glass of wine?  come lounge in my dressing chamber while i slip into my lingerie".

~[minimalnectar]