New Find: Eboniste!

I have to give a little shout out to my mom for today's post because she brought Eboniste to my attention. Eboniste is a manufacture and retail group based in the U.S. that carries seating, tables, lighting, and accessories.

I am especially fond of the Jacqui collection of tables designed by Bungalow 5, including the coffee table (below):



I adore the yellow (and green and orange), but if you need something less flashy or bright, it also comes in black, brown, white, and a deep cherry red. It measures 40" wide x 22" deep x 16" high, and it costs $595 (not too terrible for such a great-looking coffee table...).

Happy hunting!

Wall Art

Hi all. Sorry it has been a few days, but we've been sick again (shocker!). I'm amazed at how often my little one gets sick - she really is the stereotypical toddler!

Anyway, tonight as I was cleaning up all of the book's in P's room (she likes to take each one off of the book shelf), I realized that her walls are a bit bare. She has her new fantastic kitchen, but the walls are pretty empty.

Then I came across this alphabet poster at MadebyGirl.com:



They come in three sizes and range in price from $50 - $130, and there are a number of different color choices for your child.

I love the colors, the personalization, but also the usefulness. Could you want anything more in a work of art for your child?

Happiness in a Cup

While checking out Sprout Home's website I came across this Lotus Cup, and I think it is absolutely beautiful:


The vibrant colors are so cheerful and the floral design just screams spring! The Lotus Cup is hand painted in India and is actually tin (that's why, sadly, you will never see it in our home - my darling hubby hates drinking out of metal). I've got to say, I've always loved Indian art so my taste is consistent.

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot: it's $12.50.

Perch! Lighting

Perch! is a Brooklyn-based store and all of their products are made in Brooklyn and are environmentally-friendly. I love their Zooey Mini Chandelier:



It comes in 7 colors


and each of the 4 ceramic balls is 4" in diameter. Each piece is made to order and costs $480 (I know, not exactly a bargain!).

Safe Bottles!

There has been a lot of talk recently about bisphenol A, or BPA, and how dangerous it can be for everyone, especially infants. So take a look at the wee-go bottles by Babylife:


As you can see, it comes in 6 colors and costs $18 for one 9 oz. glass bottle (the funky 100% non-toxic sleeve is included). I never thought I'd consider buying glass bottles for my next child, but with the health concerns and this adorable design, I may be convinced to switch!

Purify Your Air

Happy Earth Day, friends!

To be honest, I have done nothing today to celebrate Earth Day (except I did spend some lovely time in the park with P this morning, does that count?), so I thought I'd post a little something in honor of today.

Tons of researchers say that the air in our homes may be worse than the air outside (due to the chemicals in our cleaning products, paints, furniture, carpets, cabinets, etc.), so why not buy a plant to help purify the air in your home?



Azaleas remove formaldehyde from the air, and you'd be horrified to know how much formaldehyde there may be in your home. So go ahead! Go out and buy yourself a lovely azalea plant, and breathe in the pure air of your home.

photo source

Clock Time!

Today it's time for a design classic that I adore:



The Sunflower Clock, designed by George Nelson in the 1950s, is so graphic and striking that it would serve as a clock and a piece of artwork...two for the price of one! At $1,015 this is definitely an investment, but certainly a classic never to lose its timeless (ha ha - no pun intended) appeal. Available at Design Within Reach.

Need some Art?

Then check out the Etsy shop of Treetop Studio. For only $18, you can buy yourself one of these whimsical gocco prints:

Butterfly Garden Print 2, 8" x 10" (only 1 in stock!)


If the butterfly is a little too sweet for you, how about a hummingbird?

Hummingbird Garden Print 2, 8" x 10" (also, just 1 in stock)

Hooray for TubTrugs!

I am in the organizing mood these days, probably because our toddler's toys need a home where she can find them but where we don't have to look at them all day long. There are so many options out there, but one of my favorites are TubTrugs.




Shown above are the Medium Tubtrug and the Shallow Tubtrug, just two of the six sizes that TubTrugs come in. Also, they come in 14 colors and can be used for practically anything. I would love a neat arrangement of medium TubTrugs for all of my daughter's knick-knacks, although I don't know exactly where this neat arrangement would go. In addition to toy storage, they can also be used for laundry, cleaning, and gardening. You could also put all of your odds and ends for the beach in the small one. A shallow TubTrug could be used as a kiddie pool, mini sandbox, or a bed for a pet.

Oh, and I almost forgot: they are incredibly reasonably priced (all are less than $20).

Throw with Style

I've been looking for a throw for our living room for a while now because I am fed up with trying to snuggle up to my scratchy yoga blanket while relaxing on the sofa. I saw the Pom Pom Throw by Calypso Home in a photo in Cookie magazine recently, and I love its playfulness.



It costs $50 (not terribly expensive), and comes in 8 incredible colors (Deco is shown above).

For a much less expensive option, check out the IKEA Polarvide Throw which is only $3.99 (yes, 3 dollars and 99 cents!):


The Polarvide only comes in 5 colors, including black and white, but it is cozy because it is fleece.

Kitchen for Baby

P isn't really a baby anymore seeing as she can walk, talk, run, etc., but she's still my baby. Anyway, we were getting a little bored with our toys, so I decided to buy her a play kitchen. (I still can't believe I'm going to allow this thing in our apartment, but I know it will provide hours or entertainment, so it will be worth it.)

So say hello to the new member of our family:



The KidKraft Large Kitchen should be arriving any day now, and I'm excited to see how P reacts. I did lots of research on play kitchens, and this one seemed to be a great option because it's all wood, isn't made in China with lead paints, and has enough bells and whistles but doesn't actually make any noise. Plus, at only 16" deep and 42" tall and wide, it hopefully will not take up her entire room.

Wish us luck...

Spring Cleaning

Ok, the cleaning I was doing today was not so much due to the spring-like weather as it was due to my daughter's stomach bug (yuck! poor baby...), so I was inspired to post some favorite cleaning supplies that also have a decent design to them.

O-Cel-O no scratch sponges available at Target for $2.99 for a 2 pack:


Williams Sonoma 9" Long Microfiber Cleaning Mitt for $7.00:


Method Go Naked Wipes ($4.00; biodegradable, no dyes or perfumes):


Caldrea Countertop Cleanser in Watercress Wild Lily Scent for $8.00:



In order to keep your home smelling nice in between cleanings, try these:

Alora Ambiance Reed Diffuser in Isola (the Bimbi scent is lovely for a child's room) for $80! (expensive, I know, but it should last between 4 - 6 months)


Votivo Candle in Red Currant (one of my absolute favorites!) for $25 (should last 50 - 60 hours):



I know that design isn't the top priority when it comes to cleaning supplies, but if you have to do it, why not enjoy it a little bit, right?

Dining Chair Fabric

The fabric that we're planning on using to reupholster our dining chairs arrived, and I love it:



I ordered it online from Sew Mama Sew, and I can't get over how cute the whole site is (I adore the graphics and overall design). Anyway, the fabric was only $9.00 per yard, so we ordered enough to cover more than four cushions just in case someone spills. I can't wait to get started on this little project. I hope it works out!

Lighting

Habitat has an incredible chandelier, called the Akiko, for sale:


photo source

At 399 euros it is certainly expensive, but I'm sure some crafy diy-er could come up with some way to use ping pong balls and create a much less expensive knock-off. If only I were that handy...

Inspirational Interior

Hey gang.

As I was browsing through Apartment Therapy's post today, I came across this living room which I love:



Of course, the Eames shell chair jumps out at me immediately, but I also love the warmth and brightness of the space. It is open and clean, and the credenza that the television is sitting on is stunning. The wall of photographs/art is arranged beautifully and the colors of the frames work perfectly with the space. I could see myself lounging there.

Speaking of flowers...

I saw this Tord Boontje Garland table lamp in the most recent MoMA Store catalogue, and I love the whimsy design:


It is $165 (or $148.50 for members), and extra garlands can be purchased to make a larger shade. Also, it is turned on, off, and dimmed by simply tapping the base. If only it were on a clapper!

Don't be Ranunculus!

One of my favorite blogs, Apartment Therapy, had a post today about some gorgeous ranunculuses (what is the plural of ranunculus? ranunculae? ranunculuss?) that I had to share with you because they are my favorite flower:



For your viewing pleasure, here are a few more photos of these incredible little flowers:


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I really need to go to California (where this photo was taken)!

source

Dining Chairs

We made a trip out to IKEA yesterday, and we found some dining chairs:



I know what you're thinking. These chairs are nothing special, I agree. But they are incredibly comfortable, and finding something that my hubby and I could agree on was a bit of a challenge. They were $79.99 each which is somewhat expensive for IKEA, but much less expensive than other chairs we'd found.

We're going to do a little work on them. We're going to paint them and reupholster them in a fun fabric, so hopefully they will look better soon. I'll be sure to keep you updated on the whole process, seeing as I've never painted or reupholtered furniture myself before. This could be interesting, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Our New Kitchen!

Hooray! Our kitchen is finished. After only four weeks, everything is complete and almost everything is back in the cabinets. I couldn't wait to show your some photos to see what you think:

View into the kitchen:



View to the right as you enter:


what was once dead space is now a clever niche





View to the left as you enter:




view of the built-in wine/alcohol storage:



Close-up of the floor tile:



Close-up of the backsplash tile:

with the under-cabinet lights on, giving a warm glow


with the under-cabinet lights off, to show you the subtlety in the colors



Close-up of the faucet:



Close-up of the range:



Semi close-up of the refrigerator:



No frills light fixture:


Resources:

Refrigerator - Liebherr 24" wide, bottom freezer with ice maker (we love ice!)
Range - Bosch
Dishwasher - GE Profile
Countertops - Caesarstone in Eggshell
Backsplash tile - glass tiles from Ann Sacks
Floor Tile - ceramic tile from Ann Sacks
Cabinets - IKEA
Faucet - Danze
Cabinet Hardware - Restoration Hardware
Paint - Benjamin Moore 'Apparition' (#860, I think!)
Light fixture - Home Depot

New Dining Chairs

We're on the verge of selling our Mies Van Der Rohe dining chairs:



because little P can't sit on them, we knock our knees into the legs all of the time, and P has now started climbing up on them. For a not so huge apartment, we need chairs that require less space.

I'll show you some possibilities later.

Dream Shell Chair

Now that we're back in our apartment and our kitchen is almost done, I am back in action.

Here is my latest desire:




It is the Eames-style Shell Rocker Chair from Modernica, and I absolutely adore it. I love the fiberglass shell chairs that the Eames' designed back in the 1960s and I've been drooling over them for quite some time now. It comes in 16 different seat options (colors) and 4 different base options (wood and metal), and it costs about $350. Not going to break the bank, but certainly not a steal. How fabulous will this look in our living room across from our new sofa?