Who: Heath Ceramics – Sausalito, CA

What: House Numbers, Neutra & Eames

Where: Heath Ceramics – $45/each

Why We Love It: Heath Ceramics has been enjoying a renaissance since the reigns were passed on to Robin Petravic and Catherine Bailey in 2003. They revitalized the collection without comprising on classic style, quality or integrity of the original Heath Ceramics founded by Edith Heath in 1948. Her iconic Coupe collection of dinnerware hasn’t changed, it’s all still made in the US, in the same factory, with the same methods and techniques by the same hands who have been firing, glazing and molding Edith’s ceramics for decades and creating a timeless product. They still use clay bodies that require only one firing as opposed to the more typical two firings, which is a much more economical and energy efficient way to go.

To reinvigorate the brand the new owners have made Click to continue »

Who: IMAKE Studios – Brooklyn, NY

What: Dreamweave Ottoman

Where: IMAKE Studios – $1200 -$2400, available in 3 sizes.

Why We Love It: Perhaps it was because we had been on our feet all day at the Architectural Digest Home Show, but more likely we were mesmerized by the intoxicating fabrics and shape of the ottomans, but it felt like we were sitting on a cloud.

Upholstered in 100% silk handwoven by women in the villages of the Northeastern State of Assam in India, the Pure Eri III Fabric is our absolute favorite. It is so soft it feels like it could melt in your hands; the texture is so rich with the relaxed weave of a linen and the varied color of natural fibers. The effect is a luxe but loose fabric with movement and lustre; celebrating the natural beauty of silk.

The silk worms who spin these silks are considered ‘wild,’ meaning that the worms live outside not in a mill, and because of this the silk is much stronger and more durable then domesticated mulberry silk.

The ottoman itself has smooth, languid curves, that draw you in with their gentle slope drooping gradually towards the ground. The shape is based on the forms of an Indian percussion instrument called the Tabla.

Who: Cerno – Laguna Beach, California

What: Silva Table Lamp

Where: YLighting – $382.50

Why We Love It: Lately we’ve been obsessed with LED lighting especially with the scheduled retirement of the incandescent in 2012 and our love/hate of the CFL. LEDs are clearly superior in terms of energy efficiency and flexibility of design, but since its such a young market the options have been limited so we were excited to learn about the Silva Table Lamp from Cerno.

Cerno’s LED lights balance innovative technology, traditional materials, and contemporary design. The Silva is blends art and science with a wood combination of a wood and metal base bringing a warmth to it feeling less overtly futuristic than most of the LEDs on the market. The base is made of CNC cut wood which cuts down on waste during the manufacturing process and has a unique tri-leg base. The heat sink detail on the top combines form and function allowing heat to dissipate more efficiently while adding a visually appealing and unexpected element.

Available in lacquered Baltic birch plywood, oiled walnut, or black lacquer with choice of white polymer, beech wood veneer, ebony wood veneer or white linen shade.

Made in California.

Who: Fuccillo – White Rock, BC

What: Freezer Compost Bin

Where: Generate – $59

Why We Love It: This is pure genius and one of those products where we say, “why didn’t I think of that?” Now there are no more excuses to not compost – odor, mess and fruit fly invasions can be completely avoided with this made-for-the-freezer compost bin. Just chuck all your organic waste into the bin and stash it in the freezer until you are ready to empty it. And you won’t have to worry about the icky mess of emptying your compost bucket, just push the flexible bottom and the ice-cubed scraps pop-out the top. Click to continue »

Who: k Studio – Grand Rapids, MI

What: Personalized Pillow

Where: k Studios -$134 -$152

Why We Love It: Is it impossible to get your family together for a simple family photo? k Studios makes it easy for you with their customizable family pillows. Simple sort through their selection of line drawn characters to find the likeness of your family and you’ve got a new family heirloom – they’ve even got a spot for Rover and Scooby (our beloved cat). Love this idea for the family room and kids rooms too, so they’ll know family is near. Also check out the couple series for any sweethearts on your holiday list.

Designed my mother and daughter design duo, Mary and Shelly Klein, each pillow is made in house using sustainable fabrics like organic cotton, recycled wool and hemp. Each figure is hand-stitched.

Who: DenHaus – Seattle, WA

What: BowHaus Dog Den

Where: DenHaus – $599

Why We Love It: So, we don’t have any pets, but we kind of want one of these pet crates for an end table. In fact, the first time we saw the BowHaus, we actually thought that’s what it was, simply a funky and modern side table with clever storage space. We now understand that that storage space is a cozy pad for discerning pets.

Traditional pet crates are sooo depressing and a blight on any room (apologies to all those pet owners out there with crates…) no matter how you try to disguise them. Thankfully there is DenHaus and their collection of designer pet crates to make Fido’s bed a more integral part of your home be it as bedside table, coffee table, or side table. And they are particularly advantageous for apartment owners where space is tight and dual functionality is key. It’s just a wonder it took this long for someone to readdress the design and give them new life. Click to continue »

Who: FUZ – Berkeley, CA

What: UM Shoulder Bag

Where: Amazon
– $135 with your choice of blue, grey, green, orange or pink zippers (free shipping on orders over $50)

Why We Love It: We have long been fans of FUZ felt collection and had the chance to meet designer and felt-lover Josh Jakus, along with his new collection of home goods a couple of years ago at the ICFF show. Suffice to say this feature is looong overdue, perhaps because we have been coveting these sustainable, chic and totally practical felt bags all for ourselves…. apologies.

Love the blend of the soft, heather grey felt with brightly colored zippers that magically unzip in such a way that the bag can lie completely flat making it beyond perfect for travel. We often struggle with the dilemma of wanting to bring two purses on our travels to maximize outfit coordination, but being unable to fit two in our carry-on so inenvitably one boxy purse gets edited out. But this pack-flat bag is genius! Problem solved.

We are also big proponents of pale, heather grey felts, and were particularly  impressed by the sustainability of the felt by FUZ. They use an industrial grade felt made out of pressed wool felt from factory excess fiber often from the production of men’s wool suits that is soft yet rugged. The manufacturing process itself is pretty green too; machine cut to avoid waste, minimizing energy consumption and working with local craftsmen to hand sew each piece.

Who: Plaid Doctrine – Seattle Washington

What: Laptop Tote

Where: Plaid Doctrine – $479 in Red Houndstooth, Blue Houndstooth or Grey Stripe. (Bonus, for those in the greater Seattle area, you’ll get free ground shipping on all orders.

Why We Love It: With a handful of trips coming up, a functional and fashionable laptop bag is certainly on our list of must-haves, and this houndstooth tote from Suzanne Park of new label Plaid Doctrine has definitely moved to the top of that list. Designed for serious travel in mind the bag comes complete with plenty of storage space, wheelie cart sleeve, thick leather straps and patterns that make it a stand out in a sea of generic black laptop bags. We love love the blue and brown houndstooth – and it seems so does everyone else, this style is constantly on backorder! Click to continue »

Who: Balanced Designs – Providence, RI

What: Peacock, Shade Check & Bird’s Feet Eco-friendly Fabrics

Where: Balanced Design – $120/yard, 3 yard minimum

Why We Love It: Oooh so fun! The Balanced Design fabric collection has arrived! We caught a sneak peak at ICFF ’10, where the collection was, literally, hot off of the presses – arriving just in time for the on-call upholsterer to work his magic before they were shipped off for the show. Modern, unique and fun, eco-friendly upholstery fabrics are not easy to come by, so we were thrilled to learn of designer eco-designer, Melinda Cox’s new undertaking. Click to continue »

Who: Rocky Mountain Hardware – Hailey, ID

What: Tube Cabinet Pulls & Rail Cabinet Pulls

Where: Boston Decorative Hardware – Tube $80 for 6″ handle, sizes range up to 18″; Rail $41-$250 depending on size. Or call for a local retailer near you.

Why We Love It: Recently, we were on a mission to find eco-friendly hardware for a kitchen renovation and had a hard time finding a ‘green’ option. Luckily we stumbled upon Rocky Mountain Hardware at GreenBuild. They’ve got an immense collection of bronze hardware from faucets to house numbers (love these!) to latches to cabinet hardware to door hardware. Their designs have an old world charm with a modern sophistication. Great for a kitchen or bath or home that skirts the old and new. Click to continue »