Splurge of the Week (Oct. 15 - 21)

This week's Splurge is an item I came across a few years ago while working as a residential interior designer, and I've been dreaming about it ever since. It is the .25 Bathtub by Waterworks.



It comes in Gloss White ($9,800) and Ivory ($9,900), and personally, I'm a huge fan of the Gloss White. With its smooth, delicate, and soft lines and curves, I find this to be a very sculptural piece. It looks like a perfectly pristine egg cracked in half, just waiting for you to fill its shell. Wouldn't you like to be its yoke? I would!

Toys, Toys, Toys!

Here's a post for all the mommies out there (or for people who buy gifts for children)!

Having just celebrated my little one's big 1st birthday, we have some new toys around our apartment that were given to her as gifts. She absolutely loved everything she received, but there was one company that I had never heard of that I wanted to point out to all the moms and dads (and grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) out there: Plan Toys. Their toys are made out of preservative-free wood and non-toxic paints, and they are absolutely adorable. Here are some highlights:

Oval Xylophone


Click Clack Tree


Baby Walker


Geometric Sorting Board


Pounding Bench


Truck Rider


Balancing Cactus


I found that the prices varied widely, so I would recommend searching for them on Google.

French Bull plastic dishes

This was a big weekend for us as my daughter turned one on Friday. A family member gave her some French Bull plates and cups, and I wanted to show you some of their products because I think they are fantastic. They are made of melamine (plastic) and are dishwasher safe (but not microwave safe).

Multi Dot (Four 8" diameter plates for $32)


Mosaic (Four 8" diameter plates for $32)


Vine (Four 11" diameter plates for $45)


Monster (set of 4 for $32)


Superheroes (also 4 for $32)



Besides plates, they also carry platters, containers, serving utensils, cups, flatware, and more. Here are some more of my favorites:

Ring Platter ($18)


Mosaic Round Platter ($25. How Missoni is this?)


Dial Platter ($25)


Kal Platter ($18)


Cut Stripe Salad Server Set ($15)


Mosaic Storage Container Set ($32)


Almost all of these can be found at Plum Party.

Aren't these fun? It's probably impossible to have a boring meal on these bad boys!

rug possibility

Choosing a rug or wall to wall carpet can be a difficult task? What color to go with? Will it show stains? How much will it cost to install?

FLOR modular floor tiles have come along at the right time to help all of us out. They are easy enough to install on your own, they come in a range of colors and styles, and if one of the 19.7" squares gets a stain, all you have to do is replace it.


So here are some of my favorite FLOR options:


Shirt Stripe (the colorway shown below isn't my favorite, so check out the Rugby Stripe version)




Tapete (I also love the turquoise and gris colorways)




Twiggy (like the other colorways too)




Zooty Tooth (it looks like the only colorway they have now is a brown and camel which could be beautiful in a library or office; I would probably put all the tiles down in the same direction so as not to have such a busy, dizzying effect)




Jigs Up (love it for a playroom or kids room)




Seeing Spots (I love this swiss cheese outdoor rug! Fun, fun, fun!)




Most of these are available in a number of colorways, and the prices vary depending on the collection. Also, the pricing is done by tile, so you really can order just what you need (but please get a few extra tiles just in case!)

Karim Rashid

Have you heard of Karim Rashid? Well, I think he is a design genius. That doesn't mean that I love everything he designs, but he certainly has an incredible eye and a very creative mind. Here are some of my favorites of his designs:

1. The Kant Stool for $250



I love the playfulness of this design - it's very Jetsons (as in George, remember him?). Also, the seat is independent of the base, and you can chose one of seven colors for the base and one of nine colors for the seat. Lots of possibilities here.


2. The Kone for $49



What is it, you ask? It's a little vacuum cleaner (along the lines of a Dust Buster). Have you ever seen a cooler looking vacuum? I know those Dysons are pretty cool, but you couldn't have one sitting in the corner of your living room as inconspicuously as you can with the Kone.


3. The Plomb Umbrella Stand for $225



I know, who has an umbrella stand in their house? Well, we do, but we keep it in our coat closet most of the time. But at 18" x 24" the Plomb can also be used as a flower pot when you're not in need of an umbrella stand. I love the somewhat amorphous blob shape of the Plomb - it's almost like a little dollop of Fluff.


I hope you all like Karim Rashid as much as I do (even if he may be a little too modern for you!).

Funny Bath Mat

I don't know why I got such a kick out of this Bricks bath mat, but I did:



It is probably the play on texture (hard, scratchy brick depicted on a soft, fluffy bath mat) that I love so much. For only $14.95 it can be yours.

(They also sell Brick bath and hand towels, but the "bricks" are much smaller and don't have the same impact.)

Lamps

I am picky about lamps. I don't know why, but I am. I feel like I'm always searching for something interesting and unique but not too funky. That's where the Spindle Lamp Base comes in:



I absolutely adore the kelly green color and the beautiful silhouette of this lamp, but for the faint of heart, it does also come in white. For $36 what more could you want?

The shade shown with this lamp is a bit much for me, but imagine how great it would look with a white high gloss drum shade? By the way, any lighting or shade store can probably get you whatever kind of shade you want, but one place I really like is Fogg Lighting in Portland, Maine. Their prices are much better than here in NYC, and they are incredibly helpful. (In the spirit of full disclosure, Fogg Lighting is owned by a relative, but everything I said is true! They really are wonderful, they have been in the shade business for years, and their prices are fantastic. Give them a try!)

Oh, and one more lamp I love for a child's room is the Wise Owl Base:



This is an incredible steal at only $24, and yet again, I am not too keen on the shade that it is shown with. Chose a shade color to match your child's room/nursery, and you'll be all set. (Again, those lovely people at Fogg Lighting can help you!) The lamp base is very Jonathan Adler-esque whose happy chic theory on design I love.