March Design Favorites
Goodbye, Booty
We were just informed by our co-founder Gordon that one of our favorite Design2Share readers passed away in January. Booty Long, from Atlanta, sent us the most amazing brownies around Christmas, starting back in December 2007, and we will not only miss his treats but also miss his lovely emails, spritely wit, and gentle ways.
Spring Favorites
We rub our hands and think, Goodie-Goodie, when we receive the new Digging Dog Nursery catalog each spring! If you don't know about this small family-run brick-and-mortar and catalog nursery business in Albion, CA, then you should. The Digging Dogs are landscape designers and nursery experts, and they have tried-and-true garden performers as well as many new varieties that excel for easy care, long blooming periods, year-round interest, and great versatility. Some of their varieties are exotic wonders that we've never heard of (okay, we're more interiors oriented here at D2S, but we've been known to dig around outside a lot). Perhaps the best thing we can say about Digging Dog is that their orders are shipped so beautifully, so carefully, and so impressively; we were blown away by our shipment last year and the high quality of their plants. We can't wait to see what we planted come up again in our garden.
So what are the folks at Design2Share going to be ordering for Digging Dog Nursery this year? We haven't quite figured that out yet, but we're definitely going to order some vines. We love interesting vines, and we were once told to expect them to start out slow, then really take off (they first "sleep," then they "creep," and then they "leap"). We're going to order Durandii and Niobe Clematis, Humulus (the Golden Hops Vine), the unusual Climbing Evergreen Hydrangea, the Schizophragma (what a cool name for the Japanese Hydrangea Vine), and the Vitis Coignetiae (Crimson Glory Vine).
Looks Vintage, But It's New
Mid-century modern furniture is the hottest style out there, but it's often hard to find a bed that coordinates with the rest of your pad. Here's a great Custom-Made Rosewood Platform Bed we found on Bond & Bowery, a great online resource for antiques and fine art.
We love having a source that offers this impressive style of custom-made bed. It’s often difficult to find the “right” period mid-century bed in King, Cal King, or Queen; the older sizes of beds were on a smaller scale and seldom other than just Full size. Another great feature is one can have this bed in teak, rosewood (shown here), or walnut.
This bed fits a specific need, to have something new and well made that works with vintage pieces. It’s of the best quality, and is based upon a period design with added variation, like the wood surround which beautifully frames the entire piece. It’s an “antique of tomorrow,” so why not get exactly what you’re looking for? Today's homeowner is practical; we love our bigger beds, and you just can't find today's popular sizes in true vintage pieces.
These custom beds can anchor a small bedroom extremely well, adding self-contained storage with the built-in nightstand/dressers. You can also use the beds in a massive master bedroom space, allowing the bed to take on a more sculptural effect in the room.
These beds come from Bond and Bowery dealer Silica Three of North Hollywood, California. It’s a great bed design with a low headboard, leaving plenty of room for an important large piece of art or a mirror to hang above the bed. It’s certainly a bed that would be difficult to get out of in the morning!
$1.5 Million Home on Wheels
If you're looking for a little home away from home - and one that costs a pretty penny more than where you're currently living - look no further than the German-built Volkner Mobil "Performance" RV. It will cost you in excess of $1.5 million.
First built in 2007, this is a full-size luxury motorhome and one of the largest built anywhere. It's central-mount car carrier (imagine that!) is the crowning touch of this amazing RV. The manufacturer got its start as a trailer and mega-truck equipment builder, so it was a breeze for them to design a tray strong enough to hold an auto and tuck it into the RV's insides. There are several specific cars that can fit, but we don't think it will have room enough for your family's mini-van, so put that out of your mind! The garage panel extends to the side, allowing the vehicle to be driven aboard, then retracts and rises up into the underbelly of the RV.
How about a few more extras? We like the retractable tiled patio which will make you a smash hit in the trailer park and give everyone a cozy spot for outdoor entertaining. This diesel motorhome also treats you like a rockstar with your own appointments indoors. How about these amenities: flat-screen TVs, heated marble floors, and a host of household appliances (you just put in your order and all will be custom made to your tastes, lifestyle, and family needs. Enjoy the photos below for a quick tour outside and inside the truly amazing Volkner Mobil "Performance" RV.
