This fun design by Manuel Vivian makes fun of a classic table lamp by rendering it "bi-dimensional" (aka "two dimensional" last time I checked) with the feel of a stylized drawing.
This wonder of a padded double bed designed by Patricia Urquiola is actually a single piece that starts at the headboard - which can be inclined at various angles or made to lie flat - and then folds back on itself. In addition to supporting a variety of mattresses, its cover is fully removable, and happily, there are oodles of other options available in different colors & fabrics like leather to suit your every boudoir mood.
If a home is one's castle, it deserves a proper key. Inspired by the ornate details & magical appeal of skeleton keys she discovered as a child antiquing with her grandmother - by train or in her very large Cadillac (she was four foot ten inches tall and had to sit on a pillow to see over the steering wheel) - designer Michele' Lilley now makes ordinary keys extraordinary with her unusual keys to my castle line. "It was at the bottom of boxes at the end of the day I would find my treasures," reminisces Lilley. "I remember so clearly as a little girl looking through my box of skeleton keys, holding them and imagining the enchanting castle that they surely must have opened at some point in their existence (Although I must admit I was also quite sure that I was a princess stolen at birth.) Anyway, the keys fascinated me and I loved the whole idea of the beautiful places that they could take me…the secret doors that they could open."
In an era of mass-produced sameness and our use-it-and-toss-it mentality, these keys are a fun and charmingly quixotic antidote. "I remember once asking her why the keys that we used to open our doors now were so plain…not at all beautiful and certainly nothing like the enchanting keys that I kept in my jewelry box. Her response was so typical of her, she said 'honey, people throw away tiffany shades and beautiful china to read by bright lights and eat off paper…I’m afraid the magic of rare and wonderful things has faded'. Well I believe we need more rare and wonderful in this world…. I like china, I love tiffany’s and I want my special key to open the door to the most sacred place I know…my home, so I created my own magical keys."
There are currently 20 unique designs, with new ones being released each month at KeysToMyCastle.com.
Emerald, clover, grass...almost nothing is better than the color green at conjuring up cool & refreshing images of nature. So why not bring a little of this luscious hue into your wardrobe, home & and beauty regime? Since this is a season where color is a major style story, take advantage of the fashionably green riches that are on the market - in dresses, shoes, accessories, home decor, beauty products, and even soothing wallpaper for your computer screen.
Groovy green fashion, accessories & accoutrements to try:
malachite bracelet with a conflict-free rough diamond (proceeds go to
the Diamond Empowerment Fund to benefit underprivileged communities in
Africa) - SimmonsJewelryCo.com
My Fashion Life tests out Condé Nast's new online baby, Stylefinder.
Bag Snob interviews one of the most powerful figures in the fashion industry, Julie Gilhart of Barney's New York.
Papierblog wonders whether fashion is getting too violent, especially after the debut of Stella McCartney's line at Target in Australia.
Coquette loves the sleek look of dressed up bermuda shorts and gives her favorite picks.
ACCESSORIES, BAGS & SHOES:
eBelle5,the designer handbag blog, recommends
hitting the courts in style this spring with the designer Louis Vuitton
Damier Azur Badminton Set and Pouch.
The wonder of the $42,000 Louis Vuitton
Frankenbag...which has Fashiontribes wondering if it was inspired by
other handbags of horror?
StyleBakery.com finds the hottest handbags of the
season, from $13 cheap chic finds to $1300 splurges (and everything in
between)
Wrapped in peach-pink satin and midnight-black lace, Kristopher Dukes is sure these shoes are pure you.
Read the Stylehive interview with Jennifer Sarkilahti
for Odette NY jewelry who handcrafts elegant and pretty jewelry with an
artisan feel from wax carving and casting.
The Jewelry Weblog talks about the trend of jewelry as part of clothing. For example, this platinum and diamond jacket.
MEN'S FASHION:
Check out Fashiontribes Fellow for the checklist of the top 10 wardrobe must-have's for men this spring.
The salt pig has a future beyond the edges of the stove. Now it has given life to a twin pair of piglets, ready to do service at the table. Fill one with sea salt, the other with crushed pepper. via Stylehive.com.
like a cartoon cut-out of a lamp
(via Stylehive.com)
The stylish Sontu tea set makes tea more tasty
Live it up at the fantasy-decorated Baby Grand Hotel in Athens
