Bunching Table

After a long break in my blogging due to an incredibly hectic fall, I am back at the computer and thinking about furniture and design.   I miss it!!!

Marge Carson, Kallisto Bunching Table

While searching today for an unusual end table I came across this baby.   I like it! 

Something about it appeals to me.  Put a couple of these together in front an oversized sofa for a nice, earthy look.  Maybe combined with a wonderful linen sofa or sectional???

It feels good to be thinking design again.  More to come....   Missed you!

The Scalamandre Umbrella - Part II



From my last post, it is clear that I am smitten by the funky and fun Scalamandre Zebra Umbrella.  I love the fun zebra motif, the rich red color, and the heft and quality of the piece - it's just an all around winner in my book. 



Lisa Amiri - friend extraordinaire



Last night we held our ASID Ohio North Annual Meeting hosted by Marble & Granite Works.  It was an evening filled with wonderful food from Marigold Catering, yummy drinks, good networking, and warm friendship. 

Marble & Granite Works is a beautiful new showroom here in town - fyi!!

During the evening we held a Chinese Auction with donations from many of our local friends and Industry Partner with all proceeds going to benefit the ASID Foundation. 

Can you guess where this is headed...we had one of those wonderful Scalamandre Zebra Umbrella's as part of the auction.



And now for the part that let's me know exactly how lucky I am to be part of this local design community/family....

As I wandered around the tables perusing all the terrific items that we had for the auction, the umbrella kept calling to me and most of my tickets found their way into the umbrella ticket box.  I did put a few into the Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati ticket box - hubby is from Cincinnati after all. 



Fingers crossed...the ticket was pulled and...I didn't win.  Instead, my good friend and fellow designer, Lisa Amiri was the lucky recipient.  Yeah!  I knew it was going to a good home.  :)



Scalamandre Zebra Umbrella



And then my wonderful friend walked up to me with a big smile and a hug, and handed me the Scalamandre Zebra Umbrella.  "Happy Birthday, Sandy!"





Fantastic Scalamandre Zebra Print Umbrella



photo of Gino's, courtesy of the New York Times



I am in love with the Scalamandre Zebra Print Umbrella.  It's a wonderful, happy print and ... I think I just have to have one!!

After some research I have uncovered a bit of history about this Scalamandre pattern.  Story has it that the zebra print was first designed as a wall covering for Gino's Restaurant located in New York in the 1940's.  It went out of print over the years and was recently re-introduced into their line. 

The wall covering is available in five color ways; red, brown, yellow, green, and black.  I adore the red!

And now, the pattern has been made into a wonderful umbrella that's available in two sizes.  I had a peek at them in our local showroom.  The travel size is just right for me.

 

Scalamandre Zebra Print Umbrella

No sad rainy days with this little number protecting you.

UK Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo - Plants

image by Woetan

While checking one of my favorite blogs this morning, TileEnvy, I discovered a post on the Shanghai World Exposition 2010.  I love looking at these architectural feats.  Wonderful and engaging!  Wish I could be there.

What really caught my interest is the UK Pavilion by Thomas Heatherwick. It is fascinating to look at, but the story behind the design is what really engaged me.  It is based on seeds and the Kew Millennium Seed Bank in the UK.

I am beginning to think more and more about seeds and our dependence and connection to them.


I have hollyhocks in my garden that I grew from seeds given to me by my California  beach buddy, Patti.  I believe that they are from her grandfather's garden and she grew them from his seeds.  I love the connection and the variety; its pinkish red color is relly wonderful.  Every time I look at them I am reminded of my girlfriend and her family.  :)


Check out this video below for a peek at the UK Pavilion.





I would love to visit the Shanghai exhibit, but what I would love even more is to visit the Royal Botanical Garden, Kew.







What an amazing and ambitious undertaking!  The Millennium Seed Bank is working toward the goal of collecting and storing seeds to preserve 25% of the worlds plant species by 2020 (and on and on.)

Royal Botanical Garden, Kew

Millennium Seed Bank, UK

Osborne & Little -  Maharani

 

All this thinking about plants has made me search out a few Botanical Prints. Here is a Osborne & Little print that I think is great.

Scalamandre, Florentina

This Scalamandre print has been around for awhile but I still like it a lot. I used this in a wall covering for a client in their mud room and it was wonderful!

Enjoy your day!  Thanks for reading!

Fun Shower Curtain by Thomas Paul

I have a few strange quirks; one of my quirks is checking out bathrooms. 

I judge a place by its restroom/bathroom.

Clean and neat are of course important, but I want to see something wonderful that surprises me - tile, towels, lighting, wallcovering, cool fixtures, etc. 

It may be a little strange, but I have met others with this same system for  judging a place by the bath.

I like good, interesting design.  Restrooms or baths seem to be one of the locations, maybe because it's a somewhat private or secret spot, that affords the oportunity to surprise or delight guests.

Can you relate?

Restrooms can be kitchy in my book - that's okay.  Visit Pickle Bill's ladies room (lift the fig leaf for a surprise.)

Restroom at the Slanted Door

I love the unisex restroom at the Slanted Door on the Pier in San Francisco.  There are wonderful big chunks of wood incorporated as a shelf in each individual toilet room.

In my mind the restooms at Jackson Triggs winery in Niagara-On-The-Lake stand out   I love the long concrete trough sink (it doesn't hurt that there is a heavy fermenting grape smell wafting through the building.   ;)

While perusing on line this morning I happend upon this fun, funky graphic shower curtain by Thomas Paul.   (Great designer by the way.)

Just the thing to liven up a bathroom!

Go big or go home.  I love it!!!

Thomas Paul Octopus Shower Curtain from Design Public

Only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fun restooms.  I may have a new misssion...find the coolest restroom/bath. 

Or better still, design it!!