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!

little circus designs

gosh, last week just wore us out!

but we're back, and breaking out of the felt rut. i just love these prints from little circus designs.

little circus is madeline stamer. inspired by a childhood spent in the neighborhoods and nature of melbourne australia and an adolescence roaming the streets of melbourne's graffiti scene, stamer's art is keenly personal, yet very accessible. it also feels full of life, the natural world, folk art, vintage fabric, mexican culture.

here are a few of my favorites:

lucky fertile rooster
29200
a new work, fierce protectors
angel you can find more of her work on her website, or for purchase at modamuse.

Felt Friday: (Part 2) Random Roundup!

as always, etsy never disappoints! below are a few of the best felt products we found out there.

Yorktown Road: working out of northern california, this seller makes modern accessories for the home. the products are simple and charming and always pleasing to the eye (did we mention that the photography is superb?!).

this mini-runner would be great on a bookshelf or credenza : and these coasters (backed in repurposed leather) would provide a great pop of color to any room:
Papaver Vert: another west coaster! founder and artist patty benson knew from a young age (like 6!) that she wanted to create and to share her creations with the world. each piece is hand made from scratch using the old world and labor-intensive craftsmanship of hand felting wool from its semi-raw form. They are made from the softest of 100% merino wool, which makes them not only luxuriously soft but a renewable and eco-friendly material.

this plant holder would be perfect as a catch-all for your knick-knacks or for holding a leeeettle 3" potted plant: this pencil cup is 100% wool and has strips of black leather laced through grommets to create sections for your pencils and pens:

and these 2-square pillows are hand felted from 100% dyed Merino wool and feature a large filled square in the front and a smaller one on the back. they have a leather strip closure that can be tied in different ways: and finally that brings us to 0049. 0049 is svenja and anika, two germans working in australia with shared interests in fashion, graphic design and marketing. the business name is derived from the german international dialing code (+49) and is something unique to our “heimat” (home country) - kinda like their products!

this felt notebook cover is made with 100% wool and comes with a lined A5 notebook and an elastic to keep hold of all your treasures you carry around: these felt storage boxes are perfect for keeping your little treasures in place: and finally, these little cases can be used as a sunglasses case or a pencil pack! cute!

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.