day bed, any one?

i hate my sofa. as a bona fide homebody, i sit on it a lot, surrounded by manuscripts, periodicals, and all the rest of my daily ephemera, and it's just plain uncomfortable. and man, that's a bummer.

sofas are big purchases, and this one was my first adult purchase, a mere 5 years ago. i had it repaired once-not even 2 years ago-to address the terribly uneven wearing and sagging, but the problem has only worsened since then.

so lately i've had couches on my mind. with a relocation in this keen eye's near future, i can see the day i invest in a new sofa. this is great for a few reasons: my current sofa is not just unsupportive, it has ceased to fit well with my aesthetic; i won't have to take it with me when i move, nor feel bad about leaving it behind; i can spend a lot of time choosing my new perch!

i'm currently obsessed with the ubiquitous mid-century day bed, which comes in a range of prices, conditions, and configurations, as seen below.
the benchmark: the case study daybed designed to furnish the houses in the case study project, sponsored by john entenza. this original 1950s design is now manufactured by modernica.

i really like this contemporary design from design within reach, the twilight sleep sofa, designed by fleming busk. i do think, though, that it is better suited to a home office/spare room

then there is this daybed, which frequently appears on ebay with various upholsteries. this one isn't the most glorious, but the low price is right. i'd love to have one to reupholster.


and if vintage isn't your thing, then check our urban outfitters for this newly made version. i don't think it's quite as lovely, but it would do in a pinch!

Felt Friday: (Part 1) Random Round-up!

to finish up a week of felt, friday is all about the random round-up. one offs, one of a kinds, random finds. we'll do two parts - one focused across the web, the other just on etsy. there's a lot of amazing stuff out there.

carga bags: recycled felt bags hand assembled in buenos aries, using recycled industrial felt sourced in brazil.
brocade home's laser cut felt rugs: roost pebble felted rug from velocity art and design (seems like it would feel so nice on the toes!):colorful felt pebbles from branch home:chrysanthemum laser cut placemats: laptop cover: botanical table runner: cappelletti rug (another good one for the toes):

Felt Thursday: (Part 2) Kathryn Walter

part 2 of thursday is coming a little late - you'll have to excuse our tardiness, but we think this will be worth the wait.

next up: kathryn walters. a visual artist and designer, kathryn's interest in felt is inspired by a family connection to it going back four generations. in 1997, she began researching the material and published a book on it for the Textile Museum of Canada. she loves its sustainability as a renewable, recycled fiber -- in addition to its aesthetic value.

kathryn is also the founder of FELT, a company that specializes in industrial manufactured felts and is unique in its commitment to a material rather than a market.

her products are the epitome of modern style: durable, versatile, and eco-friendly.

briefcase:tote:

log tote (so cute!):
saving the best for last - the hanging pearl lamp: you can learn more about kathryn and FELT studio here.

Felt Thursday: (Part 1) Working Class Heroes

there are so many great artists out there working with felt. it seems i can't stop stumbling over them. so, thursday's gonna have to be a two part-er.

first up, working class heroes.
inspired by the era when things were actually made with attention to detail, working class heroes create high quality products from the best materials in their studio in vienna. one look at their felt and leather creations says it all.

this laptop wallet is made from 3mm grey german felt and finished with cotton herringbone. sleek!
this mousepad is sturdy and simple and looks great: and how about the ipod cases? love 'em. finally, who couldn't use a waterproof case for their moleskine? they all look so touchable!

you can find more about working class heroes at their website and get the goods on etsy.

Felt Wednesday: Etcetera Media

let's spice up the mid-week hump with etcetera media, a boston-based design studio founded in january 2005. husband and wife team chris grimley and kelly smith are collectively architects, interior, graphic, furniture, urban and textile designers.

their products are made of industrial felt imported from Germany - 100% wool, 3 mm thick (keeps those electronics safe!), and naturally water resistant. any fabric used is high end upholstery fabric by knoll - usually eco-friendly or recycled, ultra stain resistant, heavy duty and very durable.

this 6-pack wine rack would go perfectly with your josh jackus winepocket! - and it collapses flat for easy storage. coasters seem to be a common item in the felt world...but i won't argue. especially when they look as chunky and gorgeous as these dipped and stamped ones. just love the way the orange and grey work together.etcetera media also makes a great series of felt bags and cases. the stockholm is one of my favorites - and it comes in black, grey, olive, and red. and finally, check out these cute hearts made from the felt leftovers. lots of uses (they give you 10 right there), but i think they'd be great as a trivet or just tossed in a bowl. you can find out more about etcetera media (and shop) at their website or at their etsy shop.

Felt Tuesday: Josh Jakus

let's take a quick jaunt back to the US for tuesday's felt feature and talk about berkeley-based artist and designer, josh jakus. concerned with making experiential connections between form and function, most of josh's items are made from industrial pressed wool felt recovered from factory excess. easy on the eyes and the environment - can't beat that.

my favorite of his designs is the eggflat. the eggflat evolved out of an experiment in bending surfaces along seams. it folds flat for storage and unfurls to hold coins, keys, fruit, and other small treasures. also, individual units can be joined laterally to form a landscape of sorts. sneaky! another favorite is jakus' winepocket. the result of an exercise in reducing the amount of material and labor required to protect wine during transit, the winepocket stores flat then expands to fit most bottles. the opening also doubles as a handle. and finally, let's talk about the um bag. these are awesome. measuring as tall as a bottle of wine and as wide as a bundled-up Sunday Times, the um bag is comes in the standard grey pressed felt - but you can choose between four different designs and a blue, grey, green, or orange self-locking zipper. and check out how the bags unzip flat! and finally, we've got some coasters - remnants from making the circular handles for the um totes and winepockets. the coasters are linked by a single seam of heavy orange thread.
you can buy josh's creations on his website, or lots of web retailers, including one of our favorites, branch home.

Felt Monday: Pia Wallen

wow, it's out of control outside. i guess january is when winter really starts to settle in, when you start thinking that we might be in for the long haul. and it's when i start thinking of nothing but heavy wool blankets, pillows, mugs of tea, the couch, dvds.

and also felt.

i've been collecting links to my favorite felt-goods for a while now, and no week seems more appropriate than this chilly one, so for the next few days, it's gonna be felt-central around here.

first up: a selection of beautiful felt goods by swedish designer Pia Wallén. Pia has been desigining goods for over 20 years and often she looks to history for inspiration, combining tradition with fantasy, old with new. you'll also notice her use of traditional swedish materials, technique, and colors which, above all, reflect the northern climate she calls home.

some of my favorites:

these felt boxes are 100% wool and perfect for storage of slippers, magazines, toys or accessories.

these cute-as-a-button coasters are available in 6 different colors.

cozy wool slippers with anti-skid bottoms perfect for bummin' around the house while keeping the toes warm.

and finally, i have a feeling it's way out of my price range (4350 SEK sounds expensive), but oooh, this crux blanket looks so snuggly.

you can find more Pia Wallén goods right over here, including some absolutely stunning jewelry. check out this sterling silver, felt lined bracelet:

green blanket from sweetgeorgia.

sprout home!

we've talked about sprout home before, but not since they opened up their first nyc-based brick and mortar shop - we're overdue! so yesterday, suffering from a serious case of winter doldrums, this keen eye hauled herself all the way up to williamsburg (a serious feat of willpower when the G train is out of service), and checked out sprout home.

what a treat! there is something so welcoming about a well-edited, well-cared for garden shop in mid-winter. sprout home is like a little green beacon, beckoning you in from the grey, desolate, FRIGID williamsburg waterline.
even though the back patio was closed up for the season, the shop's interior was lovingly packed with all sorts of lush, green goods - not to mention pots and terrariums and vases and other little trinkets and accessories for the home. and, unusual for most nyc garden shops, i felt like everything was very fairly priced (i managed to escape with 5 items for only $30). i could have stayed forever (i think i spied a place under the counter where i could just camp out for a while), and will definitely be back.

i got these two pots for $5 a piece - and then repotted some rootbound cacti that i had sitting around the house.

i bought this neat little hanging glass orb for $12 (sorry for the shoddy shot)...

and these cute little air plants were only $3 each.

sprout home is located at 44 grand street in williamsburg, but if you're not in new york city, you can still shop online!

photo of sprout from platinumblondelife

nice mugs

it's really cold outside. realllly cold. no better time, then, to drink a big mug of hot tea.

but which mug shall i choose?

memo script green?

lined notebook?

ruled memo?

think it's gonna be graph paper.

all from the wonderful fishs eddy (having a big 25% off sale as we speak!)

knob

it hasn't yet been a month since we last posted - and we do have the holidays and a travel schedule to blame - but it is a bit embarassing that it's been so long since we've gotten in gear.

i guess the new year is an appropriate time to get going on a fresh start.

so then, take a look at these gorgeous (original) cabinet knobs i found while looking through a:t's house tour for mara and michael:
so pretty. if only the crummy built-in cabinetry in my kitchen actually had doors...i would totally spruce them up like that.

in any case, here are a few great spots to nab some vintage(-ish) drawer pulls:
* anthropologie
* restoration hardware
* house of antique hardware (these are pretty close!)
* ebay (of course)

ROAR.

is this old news? maybe. but from september thru february, kiosk is featuring lovely things from finland. including the above calendar (which i must have).

other favorites:this metal water kettle - because as you may know, finland has the highest coffee consumption in the world (fits quite well with this blog as of late).
also think this bottle and can opener set is beautiful. apparently found hanging on a piece of twine in every finnish sauna. i think i shall implement this at my local nysc.
this carpet beater is gorgeous. not that i have a carpet to beat...but i'd still buy it just to lean in the corner.

and finally...even the everyday objects are beautiful: chalk, licorice, mustard, soap, staples. ah! file labels!