Pretty Little Green Things

Archive for the ‘Accessories’ Category

I consider myself to be a reasonably creative person, but sometimes people’s ingenuity just amazes me.  Case in point Shanghai based Daishu Ma & Marc Nicolau.  This duo has created a very innovative type of packaging that is not just biodegradable but quite literally returns to the earth it came from.  The boxes are made of a combination of sand & sawdust and are perfect for small, precious gifts.  But what really attracted me is the experience of actually opening these boxes.  By snapping them open, you’re basically destroying the whole thing, which I think is quite an interesting comment.  Daishu & Marc are taking custom orders through their website for your special gift.

Sand package – before

This is where the sawdust comes from.  Very organic!

Sand package – after

Photos from Alien & Monkey

I was very sorry to miss Brimfield two weekends ago, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do my share of vintage sourcing on my own.  One of my favorite things about flea markets is the dishes.  In my dream house, I would have a huge kitchen with enough cabinet space for tons of antique dishes and a dining room big enough to use them all.  Sometimes though, vintage porcelain can look a bit dated.  Thankfully Sarah Cihat has taken those very same dishes and made them totally modern with her line of Rehabilitated Dishware.  This makeover goes a little beyond my expertise as a do-it-yourselfer, so I’m even more impressed that she can rescue vintage plates that I wouldn’t have even looked twice at and turn them into something I would definitely want on my table.  Now that’s the way to reuse!  Sarah also has a beautiful collection of porcelain  objects, vases and candleholders which are even more rockin’ so definitely take a look for yourself.

The before and after views.  I mean, the original pattern is oh so dainty and the end product is totally edgy and cool.

A few of my favorite designs

Photos from Sarah Cihat

Last fall I showed you a really cool model home at the W Hollywood Residences, a LEED Silver building in the heart of Los Angeles.  If you remember back, towards the bottom of the post, I included a picture of the master bathroom complete with a bunch of interesting wood branch hooks (If you don’t remember, what are you waiting for?  Go, refresh you memory here.  I’ll wait…  Okay, now you remember?  Great, let’s move on). At the time I had no idea where they were from but loved them.  Well I guess someone was looking out for me because the maker of these same hooks not only reached out to me, but left a comment on the blog.  So now that I know who made them, I wanted to make sure you did too.

Live Wire Farm is a family owned business out of Jacksonville, Vermont and the creator of not only those chic branch hooks, but a line of beautiful wood spoons, rings and candle holders.  In fact, the wood is where it all starts.  Live Wire Farm takes the scraps from firewood harvesting, pieces that would otherwise be thrown back into the woods, and repurposes them into usable products.  It goes without saying, but every spoon, hook or ring is handcrafted and totally unique.  Personally I have a bit of a weakness for wooden spoons, so this definitely going on my birthday wish list.  If you’re interested in buying anything, just fill out the contact form on Live Wire’s website.  Enjoy!

The hooks that started it all.  Beautiful, no?

What a great idea to use them as shelf brackets!

Birch candle holders

Rings!

Or napkin rings

Those beautiful spoons.  I could make a mean risotto with one of these.

Photos from Live Wire Farms

Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m a terrible gardner.  Every spring I pretend that this is the year I will get my act together and grow herbs in a box by the window.  It doesn’t usually happen, although in my defense, our apartment gets almost no direct sunlight (gotta love Manhattan) so growing plants is especially challenging.  Maybe if I had one of the sleek pots from Urban Nature, my plants and I might be a little bit more inspired to coexist.  I’m loving the modern shapes and finishes – they’re the perfect compliment to the organic shapes of the plants.  And best of all, they’re also eco-friendly.  Made from aluminum & steel from 80% recycled material, these planters are durable and made to last a lifetime.  They’re also powder coated (an eco-friendly finish) and heaven forbid if you ever did want to get rid of them, they’re also recyclable.  I don’t know about you, but I’m getting out the gardening trowel!

Photos from Urban Nature

I was at the New York Design Center last week and took the opportunity to wander through the brand new 1stdibs showroom on the 10th floor.  For those of you who don’t know what 1stdibs is, it’s an online shopping destination for one of a kind vintage pieces.  It started out as a way to connect the numerous antique furniture galleries to potential clients and has since transformed into a marvelous curated website of all things beautiful.  You can find anything from the aforementioned furniture to home accessories, jewelry and clothing, all of which is valuable and most of which is vintage.  1stdibs’ latest transition has been from an online shop to a real showroom full of real pieces.  Each gallery owner maintains their own booth, but patrons can come wander the aisles and see everything in person.  Such an important thing when the piece you’re buying is, say, $30,000.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the showroom.  I mean maintaining a website is one thing, but an enormous showroom full of one-of-a-kind furniture is quite another.  It looks like it’s not quite complete (they were painting the entry area), but there’s plenty of furniture to spend hours wandering and dreaming.  I took a few (okay, a lot) of pictures to show you what 1stdibs in person is all about.  Enjoy!

For me, there are a few retailers out there that absolutely define luxury.  One of the most understated and beautiful of those is D. Bryant Archie Textiles.  Her pillows and blankets are absolutely chic and always made of the finest wool, baby alpaca or linen sourced from around the world.  D. Bryant’s latest limited edition collection includes beautiful vintage fabrics from Morocco, Uzbekistan & Japan.  I took a ton of pictures at the AD Home Show so you could see a range of her products, and I’ve included some shots from her catalog as well.  As always you can purchase D’s products online or at a store near you.  And on Monday, her beautiful pillows will be featured on the Foundary where you’ll be able to purchase one for yourself at 50-60% off retail, so head over and sign up so you can get in on the sale!

I’m obsessed with this new limited edition sparkly pillow line, made from vintage fabrics.

Baby alpaca on the left and ikat on the right.

Here’s another sparkly vintage pillow with ikat & wool pillows behind.

An assortment of pillows from the AD Home Show.  The one in front is a vintage Japanese fabric.

This picture is from the online catalog.  Such beautiful colors and pattern.

Photos from D. Bryant Archie Textiles and Petra Boykoff

If you’re an interior designer, you probably have a library that’s exploding with beautiful fabric samples many of which are outdated, not needed anymore or out of stock.  Sometimes the manufacturers take these pieces back, but more often than not, it’s a bigger hassle for them to be returned, so they just sit in the library.  So what to do with this extra stock of fabrics?  I’m up to my neck in throw pillows so I’m ready for new ideas.  Decorative pillow designer, Kevin O’Brien, makes these super cute stuffed animals from his fabric cast-offs.  I’m not quite up to sewing my own toys, but seeing pictures of these products are inspiring all on their own.  I think this is the perfect way to recycle.

Photos from Kevin O’Brien Studio

I spent most of yesterday walking through the very crowded Architectural Digest Home Design Show at Pier 94.  I’ve attended the show for many years now and I have to say this was the best show I’ve seen in terms of quality of products and number of attendees. Maybe it’s due to the addition of Margaret Russell to AD (formerly the editor in chief of Elle Decor) or maybe it’s that projects have started to pick back up.  Whatever the reason you could feel the buzz and excitement in the air.  And the products and vendors I saw were absolutely the best of the best.  Of course I love looking at everything, but it’s always the eco-friendly or socially responsible products that really catch my eye.  Since this year’s show was so great and I found so many amazing things, I’m going to break my pics into two posts.  Check back tomorrow for more!

These are my top eco-friendly finds, in no particular order:

These gorgeous pillows come from D. Bryant Archie Textiles who also won an ASID Imagine Top Pick for her presentation.  Her wool blankets and pillows have always topped of my list of favorites and this award couldn’t have gone to a more deserving, talented and lovely person.  Her newest line made from metallic vintage fabric as shown in the two pictures on the right, is super chic.

This awesome little console table comes from Jeff Soderbergh, who if you remember, also made the beautiful reclaimed wood table featured in the 2010 House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year.  This new console is made from wood taken from the hull an antique schooner that was built in 1885.  I love the copper nailheads spotted all over the wood which gives it such character.  Jeff has plenty of this unique wood left so hopefully we’ll be seeing more pieces from him soon.

I’m really in love with these clocks from Palo Samko.  I’ve always known him as an incredibly talented furniture maker, so it’s great to see that he’s added accessories to his repertoire.  I would mind time passing by quickly if I had one of these clocks to stare at.

This gorgeous chandelier comes from Elizabeth Polish Design and it’s made entirely of paper (except for the framing of course).  I just love the organic feel of this fixture and I can only imagine the soft light it casts in a room.  Custom options are always available for any project.

How cool is this table from Studio Roeper?  I love the contrast of the salvaged bleached wood and the metallic faceted legs.

I have to say that my pictures don’t do any sort of justice to these stunning art installations from Moran/Brown.  They’re made of small copper tiles that have been heated so they change color into these vibrant shades you see here.  And all without any chemical processing.  You have to take a peek on their website at some of their larger pieces to really get an idea of what Moran/Brown can do.  I’m not sure I’d want Lady Gaga hanging on my wall, but you get the idea of their capabilities.

I’m always a fan of the industrial vintage look so I’m loving these light fixtures from Strawser & Smith who are based in Brooklyn.  Each one is made out of various industrial parts like chains, pipes and cogs.  The glass is also hand blown right here in New York.

And of course, I’m always a fan of the New Traditionalists and their elegant and tailored line of eco-friendly furniture.  They have a few gorgeous new finishes which was great to see in person.

I’m over at {me}longings today with a round-up of eco-chic totes and shopping bags.  Chanee from {me}longings was my very first guest blogger here at Pretty Little Green Things.  And fittingly, I was her first guest blogger.  It’s been wonderful to work with someone that has a similar style and ethos.  So head over to her blog for your daily green inspiration.

I found these really beautiful lampshades from Greener Abode in my inbox the other day and thought they were so artful and unique that I had to share.  Designed by Sarah Newman, DesignBark lampshades are not only colorful and fun, they’re also green.  The veneer comes from FSC certified suppliers and the patterns are screen printed with environmentally friendly pigments where possible.  And if you’re from the Brit side of the pond, your delivery is totally local.

You could definitely use these lampshades as art instead of (or in addition to!) hanging prints on your walls.  And because they’ll always have a lightbulb behind them, they glow!  I couldn’t decide which one I liked the best, so I just posted them all.  Enjoy!

Photos from Greener Abode