I am completely devastated by the news that Michelle Kaufmann Designs has been forced to shut down. I have long been an admirer of her inspired and innovative interpretations of the prefab home ever since I experienced her Glidehouse that was installed at the National Building Museum.

Her modern prefab home designs stood out as examples of sustainable home building, generating 50-70%  less waste than in standard construction, taking into consideration the orientation of the home to minimize heating and cooling costs, incorporating eco-friendly materials ranging from bamboo flooring to recycled Click to continue »

Who: Designed by Rebecca Asquith; Wellington, New Zealand,

What: Nautilus Pendant Light

Where: Y Lighting, $660, Natural only (Red Stained, Red Mahogany and Yellow Stained  not available), 11″W X 18″H

Why: Such a well executed take on a timeless design, the nautilus–1 million years and counting.  For those with a weakness for marine inspired designs,  the Nautilus Pendant is sure to be a favorite. And the unique design is a welcome reprieve from a market saturated with paper lanterns….. Overlapping strips of plantation grown Australian Hoop Pine Plywood are banded together to create the outer shell of the nautilus. Only when lit are the signature orange stripes of the Nautilus are revealed.

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Who: Melissa Joy Manning (MJM) – Oakland, CA

What: 3/4″ x 1 1/4″ Twisted Oval Hoop

Where: MJM.com, $65 for sterling silver, $275 for 14k gold

Why: Hoops will never go out of style, nonetheless, it is quite refreshing to see a update on an old classic, rather a more ladylike version of the hoop.  The delicately crafted twist is hammered to wafer thinness resulting in a more polished look than the standard hoop and can easily be dressed up or down. Each earring is hand made of 100% recycled metals, so no two are the same, but that just makes them all the more intriguing.

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