What's that smell?

Scratch and sniff wallpaper? Two concerns: (1) Does all that scratching and sniffing leave a mark? and (2) What happens when the scent of bananas and cherries starts to fade away? Are you left with the aroma of rotting ambrosia salad?

Other than that, I'm totally digging this tutti frutti wallpaper from Flavor Paper. Also available in tasty banana and cherry scents at (gasp) $450 a roll.

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2001: A Dining Odyssey

These orbit bowls from San Francisco design collective Miam.Miam look like something that Jane Fonda would have used for holding her soylent green in "Barbarella," which means I must own them immediately!

[I know, I know. I'm mixing movie metaphors and running a gratuitous Jane Fonda photo. And it's only Monday. Yikes]

In addition to the futuristic serving bowls, Miam.Miam also makes these stylish, stacking mushroom bowls. They're available at Black Ink in five different sizes from $6 to $30. Great, now I totally have the theme song from "Barbarella" stuck in my head.

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Ferm handle on design

If prints and patterns make you absolutely giddy — I know I'm not alone here — you'll love Ferm Living's quirky wallpaper selection. Yes, wallpaper. But not the checkered and cutesy paper that used to hang in your grandma's cupboard. Ferm's wallpaper is affordable art:

[Pod person? Ribbed wallpaper, $95/roll]

Also lovely:

[Proud as a peacock? Feather wallpaper, $85/roll]

Ferm means clever in Danish — and you'd be clever to cover your walls with these graphical prints.

If you can't commit to wallpaper, or if you're just a wishy-washy person in general, Ferm also has wall stickers. (As much fun as your My Little Pony decals of old, except all grown-up!) The stickers make any surface pop and are easy to remove whenever the whim strikes:

[Whooo's wall looks trendy? Owl wall sticker, $50]

Unsure of your sticking abilities? Ferm has a "how-to" video on applying the wall decals on its website.

See? Your house feels instantly cooler!

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Say hello to the couture pillow

I am a complete whore when it comes to throw pillows. I have a window seat in my living room that has become a shrine to my pillow collection. I'm fairly convinced that a well-designed pillow is your living room's best friend. You can change the look of a room fairly easily, and usually for a minimum investment.

That is until now.

Designer Kevin Corn, who spent six years at Ralph Lauren designing the interior of Polo stores, has introduced a line of pillows made from vintage fabrics. These are limited edition, hand-made pillows that are produced in extremely limited quanities (four or less of each). Here's the part that stings. The price is $425 each. The pillows are available at from Corn's website.

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Martha Stewart rules your world

Seriously, is there anything that Martha Stewart can't do? She was mean to me on the phone last year, and for some reason, I still love her. Maybe it is because she was mean to me on the phone that I still love her. OK, I'm continuing this conversation with Dr. Kaplan when I'm back in Boston next week.

What I'm trying to say is that I'm here at the High Point furniture market, and Martha has introduced her sixth collection of furniture with Bernhardt, and it's quite lovely. It's called Dunemere, and it's very cottage-y and light. This bench isn't a great example, but you get the idea. The collection is light, lots of soft shades of sand and dune grass.

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Greetings from Furnitureland, USA

I'm spending the week at the mammoth International Furniture Market at High Point, North Carolina, a curious place where furniture makers converge twice a year to show their new lines. It is litererally acres of furniture in mammoth buildings. Some of it good, some of it downright disturbing.

Now for some bad news. A big trend for 2008: Global influence. For some reason a bunch of furniture makers think you're craving high end furniture that looks like it came from Pier 1 Imports. OK, maybe you are, but I'm certainly not. But, if you dig the bedding ensemble above, it's from Company C. I was under the impression that Company C was an all-lady band from the 1980's that sang the tune "Fascinated," but I guess these gals are making furniture as well.

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The full Mackie

[do you know where you're going to Diana? Do you like the things that Bob Mackie is showing you? Diana Ross in a Bob Mackie dress from "Mahogany."]

I had a story in today's Style section about designer Bob Mackie and his furniture line. Unfortunately, there wasn't room in print for the entire interview. But there is here. Check the extended entry to read Bob's resposes in all their glory.. here's a tease:

Do you feel like the nickname Sultan of Sequins was unfair?

Mackie: Oh, you had to bring that up! I had all these funny titles in the 1970's. Someone gave me a T-shirt with all of them listed down the front one time. They were so silly. I was doing all those variety shows and all those nightclub acts. Dressing Diana Ross and big personalities. It wasn't about fashion, it was about enhancing their image on the stage. It's what the audience wanted to see when they walk on stage. It's not always about what I like, but I thought that it works for the performer, then I'll do it. It's really like working as a costume designer, and you're designing a character in a play. If they see Carol Channing, they want to see her covered in diamonds.

Some of the announcements that come out of the mammoth International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, N.C., such as Martha Stewart or Todd Oldham creating new lines of home furnishings, make perfect sense. Others, such as Donald Trump or the Olsen Twins dabbling in furniture design, do not. One of the surprise celebrity furniture designer success stories to emerge from the market is Bob Mackie. Yes, the same Bob Mackie who designed Cher's most outrageous ensembles. This week, he introduces his third collection of furniture for American Drew at High Point. - CHRISTOPHER MUTHER

Before this collaboration, had you ever attempted to design furniture?
Not really. I had a lot of opinions and that's about it. But design is design. It's all about form, shape, and scale. Before you know it, you're talking about the same things. Whether it's a gown or a bed.

When you first approached designing furniture, did you sit down and sketch a bit like it was fashion?
In fashion that's exactly the way that I do it. But with furniture, we have these long meetings about what we want the furniture to look like, and we start drawing, and then draw some more. During the last meeting, the designers came here, and we went through all of my embroideries. All of our inlays in the furniture came directly off of the couture clothes, which was just amazing to me. We have one table that I'm just crazy about. It's all inlaid pheasant feathers coming out of a circle of black granite in the center.
It's funny you mention the feather inlay, because I was going to ask if there was ever a temptation for you to design furniture with feathers and rhinestones.
Rhinestones, no! And the feathers, I was showing [American Drew designers] some things of mine, and that particular feather just wanted to be inlaid because of the different shades.

Do you look at the furniture hardware like jewelry?
All the hardware, and all the pulls, we definitely treat them like they are jewelry. It’s like designing the finest pieces to accompany the clothes. That is such an important thing. When you have a dresser with 18 knobs on it, they had better be good.

How does furniture compare to couture when it comes to satisfying your desire to create?
It's a whole different thing. Like when you're designing for the stage, or for couture. You usually know who's going to wear it when it becomes that price level. This is for someone's home, and chances are I don't know who's going to be using it and living with it. You just hope the right person will be putting it in the right setting.

I guess there's only so much of that you can control.
And they can only watch so much HGTV. Hopefully they'll get some of the messages. Not that they're all that great sometimes.

I think maybe it's time for a Bob Mackie show on HGTV.
I'd rather eat glass than do one of those. Are you kidding? Do someone's house? The only thing worse would be to do makeovers on women. like Tim Gunn is doing. I can't think of anything I'd rather not do in life than one of those.

Your designs are most often associated with Cher and Carol Burnett. What were some of your favorite pieces that you designed for them?
That's so hard. I did 300 shows with Carol. How can you have a favorite? With Carol, I'd dress her pretty in the beginning of the show so she'd look like the lovely lady who was coming into your house. From there, she could be in one grotesque outfit after another depending on the character. I thought 'That poor woman.' If she doesn't come out looking nice in the beginning, she might never get a chance to look like the lovely lady she is. As far as Cher goes, it was one sight spectacle after another. That's what they were watching for. Unfortunately, people began to think that I only designed dresses with
belly buttons.

That must have been challenging to be stereotyped that way as a designer.
It was frustrating., because everybody puts you into a niche. Later on down the line I started doing collector Barbie dolls. And I had younger people come up to me and say "I didn't know you did clothes. I thought you just did Barbie dolls."

Do you feel like the nickname Sultan of Sequins was unfair?
Oh, you had to bring that up! I had all these funny titles in the 1970's. Someone gave me a T-shirt with all of them listed down the front one time. They were so silly. I was doing all those variety shows and all those nightclub acts. Dressing Diana Ross and all those personalities. It wasn't about fashion, it was about enhancing their image on the stage. It's what that audience wanted to see when they walk on stage. It's not always about what I like, but I thought that it works for the performer, I’ll do it. It's really like working as a costume designer, and you're designing a character in a play. If they see Carol Channing, they want to see her covered in diamonds.


Is there one woman you can say who you enjoy designing for most?
There are so many different ones. It was crazy fun because we did so much work in such a sort amount of time. I loved doing Carol Burnett because we did things that made people laugh. It's all about visual entertainment value.

My sister and I used to fall over laughing when it Carol Burnett played Nora Desmond, or the aged Snow White.
Wow, you remember the aged Snow White, 10 years later. They almost didn't do that sketch. It was such a terrible sketch. I said 'Please, don't throw it out' You're going to get laughs.’ And today people still remember it.

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Lofty ambitions

The new issue of Metropolitan Home has a spread on the South Boston Loft of business execs Bill Sweat and Donna Morris. They enlisted Frank Roop to design an elegant, subdued space. Roop custom designed every upholstered piece in the loft. These are Eric Roth's pics from the spread. Just a bit of aspirational eye candy to start the week.

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O Christmas Tree

I know I've already vented about pushing the seasons. But Wednesday, Neiman Marcus in Boston was putting up its holiday tree!

Two workers were busy hanging up ornaments.

I reminded them that it is still technically summer. They just shook their heads.

Now I guess we'll be stuck with the holiday soundtrack. Bah humbug!

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Knock on wood

Night Owl Paper Goods has introduced a line of eco-friendly wood postcards (yes, wood). It's like mailing your buddies a small work of art -- for $5.50 (plus 26 cents postage). You can get them here.

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Coming soon: Bob's Your Uncle

placemats by Bob's Your Uncle

One of the things I enjoy most about New York is wandering from neighborhood to neighhood and coming across small, but tastefully stocked shops filled with interesting bric-a-brac. Happily. it's a trend that appears to be picking up in Boston as well. The South End is already there, and it looks like the Seaport District/Fort Point Chanel is showing signs of life.

plate by Bob's Your Uncle

A Boston company called Bob's Your Uncle (it's a British expression that means everything is fine) is opening a store in the Seaport District later this fall. According to owner Martin Yeeles, the store will be located on Chanel Center Street in Fort Point, near a new Flour bakery and new restaurants from Barbara Lynch.

tray by Thomas Paul

plates by Thomas Paul

pillows by Dwell Baby

He and his wife will be stocking Thomas Paul melamine plates, Mud ceramics, and Dwell baby bibs and toys. Look for a late Oct./ early Nov. opening.

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Jonathan Adler to the rescue

Well, sort of.

The famed potter and designer (by the way, who else wants to move into his hotel?) is donating 10 percent of all sales from Aug. 22 to Aug. 31 to victims of the Peruvian earthquake. You can buy from his web site or at his stores. The closest JA store to Boston is New York City. Many of Adler's pieces are produced by Peruvian potters, and this is his way of helping out.

I realize this won't help the Peruvians, but it will help me a great deal if Adler agreed to never say "See you later, decorator" again.

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More from the NY Interntaional Gift Fair...

These plates from notNeutral are educational, sort of. Once you've finished dinner, you can study maps of cities such as Dubai, Washington DC, and New Orleans.

Mostly, however, they just look extemely fetching. It would be nice to see a Boston plate in this batch (hint, hint).

Poketo, which collaborates with artists to make wallets and T-shirts, introduced a collaboration with Tokyo-based artist PCP on these melamine plates. It looks like granny's china attended a hip-hop festival and got a grafitti makeover.

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Stuck up

Also spotted yesterday at the New York International Gift Fair, these giant stickers, pardon, pieces of wall art, from a new company called Butch & Harold. Sisters Michele and Ariane Gold made the 25-by-25-inch images that can be stuck to walls without damaging paint or plaster. You can even peel them and stick them somewhere else when you have had enough of a dog in your den.

According to Michele, the idea behind Butch & Harold was to create wall art that was already framed and could be easily hung in urban apartments without damaging walls. There are six designs (more are coming soon), and they sell for $50 and $55.

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Stop and shop

Thank you, Gov. Patrick, for another weekend of tax-free retail therapy. Like most people, I end up spending more than I save. But I'm a sucker for the illusion of a bargain, so I'll be out there with the rest of you.

If you're looking to help the state's economy spend your hard-earned cash, here are a few of my favorite home good stores and goodies that I've seen in my recent travels. Remember, keep it under $2,500, or else the state will come calling for its five percent.

::::Hudson::::

I walked by last night and spotted an amazing octopus pillow in the window. I couldn't find it on the website, but there are very cool items, such as these feed bag pillows.
::::Abodeon::::

My love for the Porter Square shop is legendary, but I can't help myself because it carries an ideal mix of well-designed new home products and mid-century vintage pieces. I'm further won over by the fact that the store also sells old records (swoon).

As you can see, the web site is in developement, but I've posted pics of the style of goods I've seen there.

::::West Elm::::
Yes, I know it's a chain and kind of predictable. But, I'm still in a honeymoon phase with West Elm in Boston, and I dig their take on modern furniture. It's all relatively inexpensive. (the sofa below is $799).

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What are you doing next weekend?

Yes, I know you've barely had a chance to spray on your Neutrogena self-tanning spritzer for this weekend's round of beach parties, let alone think about next weekend's festivities.

[pin by Fusion Ethos Fashion]

However, David Sakowski at Magpie in Somerville has given me a heads-up for an event next weekend, an eco-friendly craft fair for all you recycling Rhodas out there.

"It's going to be an eco-friendly themed fair with all crafts made from recycled or re-purposed materials," he says.

[skirt by Lazer Beanz]

[pillows by skullknocker]

There will be more than 25 crafters participating, along with environmental organizations such as Groundwork Somerville, who will be educating on how you can be green.

The eco-fair will also feature hands-on recrafting tables where you can make your own disco ball from discarded CDs (woo-hoo!).

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Attack of the woodland creatures!

Last week I wrote a story for the Style section about fuzzy woodland creatures such as deer, squirrels, and rabbits invading fashion and homegoods. There wasn't room to fit all the goodies that I found in print, so here are two more of my favorite products featuring fashionable animals:

The Elusive Chocolate Moose by Andy Gonsalves

The sweet side of nature, Gonsalves's pun on nature and dessert shows up on this T-shirt from Threadless. The design is available on T's for men, women, kids, plus hoodies and onesies. $17 to $40 at threadless.com.

Deer pillow by Andrew Sebastian

The Los Angeles designer captures these sweet animals canoodling on a blue or brown backdrop. $55 at modnest.com

If you're interested in reading the entire story, click on the extended entry.

Last year was for the birds. So many birds, in fact, that the worlds of fashion and home goods were beginning to resemble Trafalgar Square or San Juan Capistrano. The flocks of birds have begun to migrate away from skirts, jewelry, and pillows. Good news for Tippi Hedren, bad news for those who paid big bucks for the birds-on-the-telephone wire rug for their entry way. With the birds out of the picture, a new invasion is underway: Woodland creatures. Deer, squirrels, raccoons, bunnies, and other forest vermin are now showing up everywhere from hipster crafts to fine housewares.
CHRISTOPHER MUTHER

Onesie by Ferdinand -- Created by Diane Toepfer for her boutique Ferdinand in Portland, ME, this rocking squirrel appears on a onesie, plus T's for kids and adults. Other woodland creatures depicted in Ferdinand fashion include a deer playing the accordion and a bear canoodling with a sea captain. The onesie is $15, ferdinand.com or 207-761-2151.

Squirrel tray by Ibride -- Created by a trio of French relatives, Ibride (it translates to "hybrid" in French) creates pieces that can be used for decorating or utility. The squirrel tray features nostalgic rococo details, but the aquamarine hue and overly-eager squirrel are playfully modern. $59 from Velocity, velocityartanddesign.com or 866-781-9494.

Owl drawing by Patch NYC -- Cambridge artist Don Carney's intricate pen-and-ink drawings resemble carefully carved woodblock prints. He sells the original art in vintage frames found at flea markets and tag sales. According to Carney, the antique frames help to inspire his drawings. $1,200 at Louis Boston, louisboston.com or 617-262-6100.

Fox pillow by Eleanor Grosch -- An artist who began drawing animals long before the current woodland creature craze, Grosch's pillows look like something Charley Harper would have made if he was involved in the Williamsburg DIY craft movement. $26 at Urban Outfitters, or 800-282-2200.

Hedgehog print by Foxy & Winston -- British illustrator Jane Buck's depiction of hedgehogs frolicking in the woods are printed as wall art in a limited edition run of 200 (it can also be found on greeting cards). They come framed in poplar with plexiglass. $75 at foxyandwinston.etsy.com. Cards are $4.50 and available at foxyandwinston.com.

Woods canvas stretched print by Amenity Home -- The textiles company introduces its nursery line this fall with a line of deer, bunny, and turtle-adorned decor.. Designers and nature lovers Nicole Chiala and Kristina de Corpo strove to create products that would appeal to both kids and their design-savvy parents. $99 at amenityhome.com or 213-624-7309.

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Summertime, and the shopping is easy

Summer clothing sales are definitely past peak, however, this seems to be a good time to catch seasonal sales for home goods. Diseño in the South End starts a summer sale tomorrow on furniture floor models, plus rugs, textiles, gift items and home accessories.

And as part of First Fridays, there will be live jazz and wines from Chile and Argentina in the store this Friday night. I've always said that drinking and shopping is a dangerous combination.

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The smell of summer

The humidity has me (and my hair) wishing I was summering elsewhere... or that I was in a position to be summering at all. I envy people who can toss around the word summering without getting a raised eyebrow.

To help indulge my fantasy of being able to use summer as a verb, posh French candle maker Diptyque is releasing three new scents in August. The scents are based on the 1960's travel journals of Diptyque founder Desmond Knox-Leet, who was captivated by Mediterranean scents. So I'll be traveling via fragrance.

The three are Maquis (a shrub that grew near Knox-Leet's childhood home in the South of France), wild fennel, and coriander. These scents are not at all perfumey, so get those visions of Yankee Candle out of your head. They'll sell at for $55 each at Diptyque on Newbury Street.

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Mmmmm Marimekko

It's a good day when I can walk through the mall and see Marimekko designs available to the masses. Crate and Barrel is currently carrying bed and bath linens featuring the Finnish design company's minimalist prints.

Hark, the "Himmeli" bed linens:

And a little shower something, something I bought for my home:

In classic C and B style, these designs are devoid of color -- but some brightly colored accent pillows would really make the bed linens pop, no?

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Shopping green, part deux

A home store for folks looking to build or renovate with eco-friendly materials opens tomorrow in Braintree, and for those who don't want to travel that far, its owner is promising he'll soon open outposts in Cambridge and Newton.

Builder Robert Botelho Jr. says he came up with the concept for his store GreenSource when a client wanted eco-friendly roofing on his home. One store told Bothelho that they didn't carry recycled roofing. As it turns out, they carried the product, but were completely unaware that it was eco-friendly.

Botelho spent six months researching companies to make sure that their products were green, and also to ensure that manufacturing techniques were environmentally friendly.

The store carries products such as cork tiles from Capri Cork, Ice Stone countertops made of recycled glass and concrete, and recycled glass tiles from Sandhill industries. Somewhere Al Gore is smiling.

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Shopping green

[photos by Marcelo Vinces]

I had been meaning to check out Greenward, a new eco-friendly store in Porter Square run by Scott Walker and Simone Alpen, since it opened this spring. The store sells everything from jewelry to cleaning products. All the products sold in Greenward are made from recycled goods, sustainable materials, or are biodegradable. Both Alpern and Walker have impressive credentials. Alpern is one of the organizers of annual indie hipster craft fair Bizarre Bazaar, and Walker was a singer with the Walker Brothers whose big hit was "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" an urban planner and cycling enthusiast.

This is how the pair sums up their retail philosophy:
Eco-modern Goods: At Greenward, we sell eco-modern goods. As we define it, an eco-modern product is always elegantly designed, attractive, and functional.

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When a door is no longer a door

A new store called Studio Verticale opened this week in Boston, selling furniture that converts walls, doors, and closets into designer storage. It is referred to as "vertical furniture," but these are essentially very modern doors, wall partitions, closet systems, and walk-in wardrobes.

The 4,000-square-foot store features high-end European brands such as
Longhi, Gruppo Feg, and Casali (translation: It's super posh).

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dutch treat

My buddies at Lekker just sent me spam (is it spam if it's wanted?) that they are having a big sale beginning tomorrow-- up to 75 percent off.

When I go to Lekker, I always check out Aunt Sadie's around the corner (18 Union Park). I'm not a big candle person, but it's a great store for browsing. I once picked up a 1950's telephone there that was imported from South America and rewired to work in current phone jacks.

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higher ed decor

I resent when stores start pushing the back-to-school goods in the middle of the summer -- c'mon, let those kids keep slacking. The Container Store is pulling this trick, but they're offering a discount, so I'll allow it.

On Saturday night from 6:30 to 8:30, college students get 20 percent off at the Container Store in Natick. The sale takes place on Sunday from 6:30 to 8:30 in Chestnut Hill. You need to present your college ID for access to the private event. It will also be helpful if you have mom or dad's credit card.

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Flor-ed by Martha

Martha Stewart has lent her name to some questionable projects (hellooo, Kmart), but her latest partnership gets the official Stylephile thumbs up. She has partnered with Flor, the company that makes movable tiles of carpet that can be arranged into floor rugs. The Martha Stewart Floor Designs will be available beginning July 16. But I have a sneak peak of the Martha styles here.

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Glow little lawn chair

Douglas Homer, who adapts furniture in very smart new ways, is introducing an Adirondack chair that glows in the dark. No more drunken spills at dark parties for you. The chair, called AfterGlow, is made of recycled milk jugs and treated with a special paint so it glows for two hours after the sun goes down.

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Feeling squirrelly?

I always manage to unearth amazing, must-have (at least for a fleeting moment), kitschy household accessories at Black Ink in Harvard Square. Irreverent wedding cards? Check. Squishy, pastel laptop cases? Check.

A few weeks ago, I found the ultimate kitchen conversation piece there: a metallic, squirrel-shaped nut cracker. Put the nut in its jaws, pull the tail, and voila, shelled walnut!

(Also sold online at bayvillagestore.com)

I don't really eat nuts -- except for the pre-cracked, mixed kind from Trader Joe's -- but the next time I need a Yankee Swap gift, I'm making a beeline for this silver rodent.

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Out of Africa

Apologies for the blog overload. I'm still catching up from my New York trip to the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (and just wait until you see some of the finds from the National Stationary Show, which I'll post soon).

One of my favorite booths at the furniture fair was a New York gallery called Amaridian which showed a collection from African designers.

These rocks are made from felt, and they look quite real. You can buy them as cushions, or you can buy a rug which is several small felt pebbles joined together.

These bug shelves look like hot red wire shelves from a distance, but up close it's like that scene with the flies from "The Exorcist," only with beetles, and not as creepy.

Finally, these cup floor lamps from Gregor Jenkin Studios look like nothing special at first glance, but look closer, and the lamp is hosting its own tea party.

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Seated style

Because I know you're craving a more recaps from the massive International Contemporary Furniture Fair, here are some additional pics of chairs that I wrote about in today's Style & Arts section.

The pop art vinyl-coated Plastic Fantastic chairs from Studio JSPR were surprisingly comfortable (and chic!).

Douglas Homer told me that both Oprah and Uma have his Hairy Bertoia chairs (it's a Letterman joke waiting to happen, no?)

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Cardboard walls?

Mio, a Philadelphia company that creates environmentally-friendly products such as textured wall panels and felt capsule light fixtures, introduced the Nomad Architectual System at the furniture fair this week (sorry, I'm tired of typing out ICFF every time). It's a series of cardboard pieces that can be built into any configuration to make room dividers or walls.

I think it looks fantastic, and it would be great for kids, but I can't decide how practical this would be for home. Would it look cool, or just cheap (or, maybe both)?

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Local color

I'm still at the International Contemporary Furniture in New York (hey, there's a lot to see here). Today I went looking for Boston designers who are showing at ICFF. It's slim pickings. Shouldn't there be a huge creative design community in Boston producing furniture and other accessories?

I did find a Berkshires-based company called Nama Rococo that makes hybrid wallpaper/artwork. It's sold in two-foot-by-three-foot rectangles, so you could paste it to a board or canvas, or directly use it to paper a wall. The papers are silkscreened, and in some cases, designs are handpainted over the silkscreening.

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The stylish tot

Monday at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York, and for some strange reason (lack of sleep?) I'm drawn to children's bedding. L.A.-based Amenity is showing a new nursery line that will be released this fall. Like all their textiles, it feels a bit 1970s. What I like about this bedding is that it's designed to appeal to adults, not just kids.

If kids are exposed to good design at a young age, instead of, say, Sponge Bob sheets, perhaps they'll blossom into little Karim Rashids? Boodalee is created by graphic designer Jeanice Skaril, and my only complaint is that they don't make these in sizes larger than twin.

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The British wallpaper invasion

After a day of looking at displays at the International Contemporary Furniture Show in NYC, I'm convinced that not only are the British more charming, they also design cooler wallpaper. Check out these designs from London designer Erica Wakerly.

My favorite British wallpaper design is DeBorah Bowness. She collects objects, photographs them in groupings, and then transfers her work to silkscreen to make wallpaper. She even signs each roll like a work of art.

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Have I stayed too long at the fair?

It's the end of my first full day at the International Contemporary Furniture Festival in New York, and aside from feeling like a glassy-eyed zombie, I'm also feeling inspired. Lots of amazing new furniture introductions. (This is where retailers go to find the latest and greatest in modern design)..

This caught my eye when I walked in.. it's called Gaze, a hybrid multi-seat lounge/gazebo.. The photo is no great shakes, but you get the idea. I could easily see kicking back with a mojito in this. It's made by Jane Hamley Wells.

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Clean sweep!

I confess that I've always had Dyson envy. Not that I'm a fan of vacuuming, or housework of any kind, but those Dyson vacuum cleaners look like something out of a robot autopsy. I recently had a chance to test out the new Dyson Stowaway. It's Dyson's version of a canister vacuum that promises not to lose suction.

My motivation for trying it was primarily that it resembles R2D2's illegitimate half brother. I would have been impressed if it suctioned a cotton ball (well, what do you expect? it's stylephile, not housekeepingphile).

I tested the Stowaway in my den, where my 15-year-old cat is losing the last of his fur on every surface. This vacuum looked great as it sucked up my balding cat's fur from the rug and the loveseat. If I'm going to be seen with a vacuum in my hand, it might as well be this one.

Oh yeah, it also did a fantastic job cleaning, if you're into that kind of thing. But I hate to think of little illegitimate R2D2 getting dirty.

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Adventures in art (and shopping), pt. 2

OK, one more quickly. The SoWa (it pains me to type that, but not as much as Ladder District) Art Walk is happening this weekend. As you know, that stretch of the South End also has some home stores worth checking out. Lekker is taking another 50 percent off its sale merchadise to draw in customers who will be foaming at the mouth to spend some cash this weekend. Happy shopping, kids.

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Sit and sip

I'm getting ready to visit the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in NYC this weekend (where I'll be blogging regularly, please tune in my lovelies), so I'm in a nesting kind of mood. Although I can't decide if I'd want to nest my home with this. Ok, who am I kidding. Of course I would.

It's the Veuve Clicquot Loveseat by Karim Rashid. For $10,000, you can have a comfy pink spot to sip the bubbly. Chances are I'll see Rashid this weekend. Shall I put in an order for you?

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Adventures in art

I'd rather read about buying art in the latest issue of Dwell than actually get off the sofa and do it. Let's just say my place has a few too many blank walls and leave it at that. But lately, I've bought a few pieces by an artist named Matte Stephens, who is almost as obsessed with birds as I am.

I sort of dig the 1960s feel of his art.

The originals are fairly reasonable. Most are small, around $200. You can also buy prints for $35 on Etsy.com. Paintings and prints are sold on Etsy and Velocity (velocityartanddesign.com).

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