You won't want to let go...

There are so many different options in handrails. There are many different factors that come into deciding on what kind of handrail to use in a staircase... the style of the house, the shape of the staircase, the flooring choise, literally everything that surrounds it.

Spinneybeck is one of the world's leading and largest suppliers of upholstery leather, based in NY. I have found some amazing products on their website. Not only do they have some amazing choices in leather colors and textures, they have designed some very cool products using their leather. There are leather rugs, leather tiles in a variety of shapes and sizes, wall panels that can be stitched or quilted, and the product i'm going to focus on is the leather handrail option.

There are so many color options. I would love the look of a dark chocolate color leather railing, or even a lime green textured leather railing could look great in the right setting. I just love home many different options there are...

One thing I really like about the idea of leather wrapping a staircase or balcony railing is that it can add a bit of texture and design to a very modern, clean-lined room. I've found some staircases (below) that I think would benefit from a leather handrail. 

 

Have a look at their website: www.spinneybeck.com to see the many other options and colors in their range.

Thinking of my dog...

What is worse then walking into a gorgeous house, perfectly designed and in the corner you see a silly dog bed embroidered with the pup's name on it. Just picture it... horrible.

It's hard to find a really nice dog bed that fits into a house. The last thing you want is to invite friends over and all they talk about is your grotesque dog bed, instead of a gorgeous piece of art on the wall. 

It can be tricky styling out a house while keeping pets in mind, especially dogs and cats with all their accessories they come with. The idea of a dog bed is not to take away from the room, but to add something subtly to the design.

When I researched some dog beds, here were some of the options I found online.

Online with Harrods.com, The only bed they show on their website is:

 What do you think? Really Harrods... I think you can do better then that!

Here are a few others I found along my way... (*If you actually like any of these, feel free to click on the picture and it will take you to the site where I found them*)

This looks like something maybe Paris Hilton would like for her pup... oh wait, doesn't she own a micro-pig now? This would definitely suit a little micro-pig.

That bed fits perfectly... outside where no one can see it!

 This little chaise dog bed was part of the Top 10 Best Dog Beds - By The Independent..... wow... and it's from IKEA....

 Yes, it's faux leather... pink... and quilted... 

Don't be confused, you are still looking at dog beds. Yes, this is a dog bed...literally.  

When I first saw this bed I thought it was a joke. But no, there is an actual website selling thos dog bed, and not only in this pink color but also the option of lavender. Sorry if anyone is interested, as the website says it's sold out.

As a dog owner myself, I am frustrated with the options out there for my pooch. I want something that is going to be comfortable for him, yet not take away from the room where it is. Even if the bed is in a side room, you don't want it to look out of place from the rest of the house. I find that a lot of my clients have the same problem.

Here are a few of the really great beds I found

The Dog Pod

The Ellipse Dog Bed

These dog beds are from Glenn Ross of Vurv Design (www.vurv.ca). He makes each one to order, and when you order you have a choice of 5 different veneers (black walnut, bamboo, maple, cherry, douglas fir). These beds would look gorgeous and blend into a room, rather than being a loud and ugly statement piece.

Another of my favorites is from Mungo & Maud, a London-based store in Belgravia. They make some really gorgeous products, but on the idea of dog beds, this has to be the best from their range.

It's made from handwoven Italian leather. What a piece! It comes in either dark chocolate, tan or white. This bed would enhance any room and not take away from it. It's simple, yet gorgeous.

 I think any pup would be happy to have a nap in this little bed.

The last dog bed I found, I really like. It would fit perfectly in a really modern home with lots of windows and glass around. The makers at www.wowbow.com know what they're doing with dog beds.

The Mija dog bed is not only simple and practical, it is a piece that would be an asset to a design. I highly suggest taking a look at their website:

http://www.wowbow.co.uk/products/prod1b.html

Have a look at all the different options of color for the plexiglass and all the colors for the cushions. They have photos of every option so you really know what you're ordering. And if you're going to order one of these fabulous dog beds, why not order a matching dining table!

Home 2012

Last week I found myself at the Home 2012/Top Drawer exhibition in Earls Court. There were some really great new products and some familiar items as well. Here are a few of my favorites...

Munton & Corbett : Tableware Reborn

Love what this company is all about and I think the glasses would make a great gift, as well as a cool look on a kitchen shelf.

http://www.muntonandcorbett.com/





Design Instinct
http://www.designinstinct.co.uk/

Not only are these shades super artsy and creative but they are also eco-friendly! They are made from polypropylene plastic which is 100% recyclable.
Here are a couple of my favorites from their line:

Showroom Finland

www.showroomfinland.fi

My favorite piece of theirs was the cardboard furniture. Doesn't sound very exciting, but if you saw it in person it looks really great. And it's stronger then you would expect (I sat on the little kiddie chair and it didn't break!)

I love it for a play room or kids room. How fun would it be to make them into an art project and let your little one scribble colors all over them?

We love to display our books

A shelf :
A flat, usually rectangular structure composed of a rigid material, such as wood, glass, or metal, fixed at right angles to a wall or other vertical surface and used to hold or store objects.


That's the common dictionary definition of a shelf... well, I say that needs to be updated!

Check out these amazing innovative shelves I've found.

How fun are these "picture frame" shelves! They'd be great with some old vintage books stacked inside and some candles. I also love the idea of finding some real picture frames of the same style and staggering them around the bookshelves.

(http://www.grahamandgreen.co.uk/baroque-bookshelves-1832)

Although this bookshelf is not in production yet, I think it's a really quirky idea.

I could see this working in an office or work studio, and it could look really great with one of my past finds that I blogged about, the French furniture company that creates chairs and lighting in the shape of letters and quotation marks (http://jz360design.blogspot.com/2011/10/french-furniture-not-like-you-imagined.html).

What a great partnership that would make!

(http://www.estudiobreder.com/index_flash.php)

What can I say about this, except that I love it!

To me, it's not just a bookshelf, it's a piece of art.

I like that each shelf has a colored panel, which means it can look just as great without a ton of books! And you can choose your color you want as well!

(http://www.contraforma.com/en/shelf-quad-oblong.html)

This Bookworm shelf by Ron Arad is such an innovative design, and I love that he didn't create it to be only one shape, but rather it can be made into ANY shape you want. This is great, not only for books, but in a child's room to hold toys, or in a bedroom to hold little trinkets.(http://www.heals.co.uk/shelving+storage/kartell-bookworm-11-bookend-bookshelf-by-ron-arad/invt/814818)

I would love to see this floating bookshelf along an entire wall. That would make an impression!

Or, purely for decoration purposes, just one horizontal row by the ceiling with some colorful books on them would give the room an artsy feel.

(http://www.das-rote-paket.de/en/products_shop_area/detail/21-0-30.floating_shelf_salkim.html)

My Mood

As my mood changes throughout the day, month, or year, I want to channel that mood into a room. Seomdays I feel like a fresh modern feeling room, and other days I can feel like a warm and traditional feeling room.

Some quick fixes to a mood change could be swapping your pillows around, or have some extra pillowcases handy (some traditional, some funky), and swap according to your mood. Grab your favorite cashmere blanket and drape it over your sofa. Changing out pictures in frames and adding some fun books to your shelves and coffee table can change up a room instantly (and can perk up your mood!). It can make a room feel new and exciting again!

One of the funnest things to do is create a mood bored. You can put your mood and energy onto paper, and no matter what you're imagining, you can find the furniture, paint, pillows, lighting, everything, to match your mood.

Here's a bit of what I was feeling this afternoon:

A bathtub sofa...

When you're in the bathtub, do you ever just want to sit there for ages and read a good book with a glass of wine... I do. It's an amazing feeling isn't it? So who thought of turning a bathtub into a chaise lounge that we can sit on any time of the day!

The people at http://www.reestore.com/ created this amazing piece of furniture.

It's a great unique piece that can fit into various styles. Max McMurdo, the founder of reestore, is ingenious. He takes old home products and turns them into inovative and exciting conversation starting pieces.

And this piece reminds me of one of my favorite movies and one of my favorite women of all time, miss Audrey Hepburn (aka Holly Golightly) in Breakfast at Tiffanys...

French furniture... not like you imagined!

I want to design a bar so that I can use these pieces to their full potential.

Picture these pieces in a really funky bar... Or maybe even in a car showroom, say BMW or VW. I can picture it.

They're vibrant enough to make a statement in a modern sharp-edged room, but modern enough to keep the style throughout.

Their website has some great inspiration and they're happy to work with a client that needs customization (ex: company logo).

Check out their floor lamp collection that covers 20 punctuation remarks, so great.

Another plus point is that the company cares about sustainability with the materials they use and the manufacturing of the pieces. They use European certified sustainable wood, and the products are made in France.

http://www.tabisso.com/products.html