August Design Favorites

How-to Project of the Month

We enjoy the DIY videos produced by the Howcast folks, and some of them are absolutely hilarious! This one gives some simple, commonsense advice in applying the tips and principles of feng shui to enhancing your bedroom. You spend much of your life in bed, so why not optimize the energy in this part of your home?

Back to School Specials

Here are two great ways to hit the books in style. We're loving the Ptolomeo rotating bookcase, designed by Bruno Rainaldi for Opinion Ciatti (top photo) and available online at The Conran Shop. Each shelf is great for books or storage boxes and other goodies.

The Nureyev (bottom photo) is Roderick Vos's fab freestanding bookcase design for the wonderful Dutch design firm Linteloo. With either of these stylish furniture options, you won't need to use the floor for your files or sacrifice wall space to built-in bookshelves.

Sleepy-Time Pal

Your child will drift off to sleep in style with cloud b's Twilight Sea Turtle. It eases a child's fear of the dark by projecting stars onto the bedroom ceiling, with a softly illuminated shell that makes this little fellow a soothing nighttime buddy. So sweet.

Country Roads, Take Me Home

We recently went on the Tenth Annual Barns of Distinction Tour for the Bucks County Audubon Society (PA) and greatly admired the Trunnel Hyll Farm brought back to life by Sean Tracy and his great Bucks County TimberCraft craftsmen. The original 1850s barn had its timbers cleaned and restored at Sean's shop, then taken to the site, where it's been reassembled and converted into a custom barn home. The original 1820s settler's cabin studio, once hand-crafted by a Virginia preacher who used it to conduct weddings, makes a wonderful guest house on the property, too.

Tabletop Head Turners

The Hybrid everyday flatware service from Gourmet Settings is an award-winning set by Boym Partners with a straight/twisted and square/round mixed-up heritage, a nice breaking of the rules that make everything so matchy-matchy.

This lovely Limoges Porcelain leaf pattern dish is from Siecle Paris.

Drink hearty from the delicately painted Parrots of Paradise Mug from Lynn Chase Designs.

 

The creamer, coffeepot, and presentation plate are exquisite elegant everyday dining examples of one of our favorite placesettings, Caraibes from Philippe Deshoulieres France (distributed in the U.S. by BIA Cordon Bleu).