Put A Cork In It

New Years Eve came and went without much of a fuss from me, but certainly in merry festivities far and wide, corks were popping and bubbles pouring. I may uncork a bottle of wine now and again, but my true obsession with this ultra-sustainable material lies in its myriad other home uses beyond beverage sealing, from decorative surfaces to functional bowls. Here's a few of my earth-friendly favorites.


100% natural cork fabric Adjust-A-Bowls come in medium and large sizes and are available through Branch Home.


Vitra's Cork Stool C from Design Within Reach.


Recycled Cork Mosaic Tiles made from cork beverage topper industry waste are durable, sustainable, and naturally antimicrobial (tiles shown are from Habitus).


Recycled cork Float Pendants by Benjamin Hubert.


The pricey but handsome mildew-resistant Cork Bath Collection from Labrazel Home.


Small chips of metallic cork make up this unique wallpaper, found on My Two Designers.


This sleek, modern kitchen with cork flooring strikes the perfect contrast.


Michael Roger Straw's Cork Sleeve for Apple's 15" MacBook, from Amazon.

Monday Color: Indigo & Khaki

I recently received the new Spring 2012 Serena & Lily catalog, a brand I've long admired since back when they were only peddling bedding. The pages felt like a journey around the world, with colorful palettes from bold to serene, indicative of a company that has really come of age. I pulled the inspiration for today's Monday Color Combination from this relaxed, eclectic bedroom, featuring the toned down nautical vibe of Indigo & Khaki, with lots of white of course.



From the dip-dyed curtains, to the pieced-denim wall-hanging, to the chevron patterned rug, blue tones take center stage without overpowering. The upholstered Fillmore Bed plays the perfect supporting role in the versatile White/Putty Jaipur fabric, a less contrasty pairing than your standard blue and white palette. Read on to see how this combination works in any room, harnessing any style.



























An eclectic boys room with rustic wood paneled walls, pops of apple green and cheery red, boldly striped bedding, all grounded by a blue and khaki palette (from Decor Pad).

Spotted on Lisa Sherry Interieurs blog, the linen colored upholstered chair and light wood plays beautifully off the deeply saturated indigo walls in this bedroom.

A Nantucket living room designed by Frank Roop featuring a sea of blue hues with a sandy colored jute rug anchoring the nautical look and a tiny infusion of bright green stripes to keep it all light-hearted (from House Beautiful).

A traditional blue and white country feel in this living room gets even more informal with the infusion of khaki the rug delivers.

Another Serena & Lily-styled room emphasizing, how they always have, that a nursery can be sophisticated and baby-friendly at the same time.

Safavieh's Alba Rug in Indigo & Sand, designed by Thomas O'Brien.

West Elm's Organic Cotton Pintuck Duvet Cover in Steel Blue

Kelly Wearstler's Sea Urchin fabric for Lee Jofa.

Unionmade Doane Utility Notebook against a dark khaki headboard.

Coyuchi's hand embroidered linen Radiant Roman Key Pillow is available in two enticing colorways: all-indigo scheme or a light khaki linen with just a touch of blue.

The timeless 1950's Windsor Love Seat dipped in blue, available from Anthropologie.

Two examples from the fashion world showing the versatility of indigo and khaki, from its bohemian, utilitarian personality to its chic, urban adaptability.

Friday the 13th - Superstitions as Decorations

Friday the 13th is here and since I'm not very superstitious myself, I've decided to celebrate the most common folkloric phobias and anecdotes from the bad luck black cats are supposed to bring to the good fortune of horseshoes. With a whopping three Friday the 13th's falling in the 2012 calendar, maybe I should consider being a little less flippant and a little more cautious this year. (Knock on wood, that is.)


A whole wall of intentionally broken mirror from Living Etc, via Aw Snips.


Two of the many brilliant umbrella art installations by Crooked Brains.


From a post on Elements at Home featuring intriguing ways to decorate with ladders, some safely against the wall, some just beckoning to be walked underneath like this one.


Tempt fate every day with the Sigg Black Cat Silhouette Water Bottle.


The aged concrete floors of this Toronto, CA auto repair shop converted into a relaxed modern home leaves plenty of floor cracks over which to step, but I think these are of the lucky kind. (Design by Levitt Goodman Architects, found on Plastolux.)


Put this symbol of good fortune to good use. (Authentic Used Horseshoe Triple Hook from Trailwood Western Store.)

Monday Color: Lavender & Ivory

I found my inspiration for today's Monday Color post in the recent Elle Decor spread featuring Hilary Swank's Manhattan apartment designed by Mark Zeff. Her living room is awash in accents of stony lavender against an ivory back-drop of boxy Calvin Klein sofas and a massive putty colored area rug. Plus one wall is clad in planks of reclaimed barn wood! **swoon** The overall effect is serene and airy, yet earthy and grounded, marking the beginning of my love affair with this sophisticated lavender and ivory combination.

























Images above:

1. A shot of Hilary Swank's living room with art and accent pillows in an ethereal lavender.

2. A darker lavender upholstered bench pops against an ivory bed and grasscloth walls (from Decor Pad).

3. From Design Shuffle, via Dream to Life, I love the infusion of color these plummy lavender chairs bring to the bone-colored walls of this dining room.

4. An ivory bed is surrounded by grayish lavender walls and touches of peach and violet throughout the room to create this restful master bedroom retreat, designed by the team at my former company re:place.

5. Pale beige walls and all-neutral furnishings are a design staple allowing allowing the addition of virtually any accent hue. In this room, a pale lavender Ikat accent pillow is the simple show piece of color, found on Real Simple.

6. Another Decor Pad find, this masculine lavender pairs well with wood tones, a mustard headboard and off-white walls. I love the vintage science chart but am not so certain I'd want to sleep beneath a bee hive!

7. From a Happy Color Combinations post on House Beautiful, this eclectic living room adds chartreuse and gold to the lavender and ivory mix. Happy indeed!

8. Anthropologie's Le Versha Chair in Plum.

9. Selati, a zebra print chenille from Osborne & Little.

10. New Hope Plum, a profusion of purple hues in an abstract painting by Randy Hibberd, available through Z Gallerie.

11. Nourison's Parallels Rug in Lavender, available from Rugs Direct.

12. The Lulu Nursery Collection from Serena & Lily.

Etsy Love: Flux Glass

Quite appropriately, my son and I created our New Years Intentions this year while listening to Michael Jackson's Man In the Mirror. He requested "MJ" and Man In the Mirror is hands down my favorite one of his singles, so on it went. We giggled at our cheesiness but sang along at the tops of our lungs anyway.

A few days later I was on the hunt for unique eco-friendly mirrors for a client, mindful of the approaching Saturday Etsy Love feature I'd be needing to post today, and I stumbled upon Flux Glass. All the uniquely shaped mirrors are handmade by Dennis Smith in Asheville North Carolina from upcycled mirrors. As a designer, I got particularly excited about the infinite custom options that are available. Have a look (pun intended) for yourself....


Best for those with a soft spot for California or Texas, or other interestingly-shaped states, these hand-cut, lead bordered accent mirrors would be perfect as part of a large collage wall with other beloved memorabilia or tucked in a little nook on their own. The suppressed West Coast girl in me loves the California State Wall Mirror best of all.




The Pair of Flying Bird Wall Mirrors are lovingly hand-crafted with the same upcycled mirror surrounded by lead and backed with a hanging wire, although they look just as lovely resting on a floating shelf like in the second photo above.


I love vintage signage and have amassed a nice little collection of the letter "R" which hangs above my son's dresser. (His name is Ryder, for those of you who don't know.) If I was the flashier type, I'd add the sparkle of a single mirrored letter like Flux Glass's Custom Letter Wall Mirrors to the collection.

The Dish on Eco-Sponges

Ever since my friend Lizzy turned me onto them, I've been buying Twist sponges for all my cleaning needs. I like their power and their style; yes, a design enthusiast like me can't stand to have a neon green sponge in her light blue and white kitchen. And yes, I'm aware that I have a problem.



The upside of a seemingly impractical white sponge is that when it stops rinsing back to white after about two months, I know it probably needs to be pitched. Reports show that most Americans do not toss their sponges often enough, causing the spread of many virus and bacteria infections. So I can justify my design snobbishness because it is probably keeping us a bit safer too!

I stock up on them every so often at Sustainable NYC in the East Village, but it's not very practical to have such brand loyalty when that brand is a high-traffic 26-mile drive away. Luckily, Twist also has an online store now.

And perhaps even more conveniently, eco-friendly sponges have hit mainstream shelves now too. There are more options than ever, but Scotch Brite's Greener Clean line of eco-friendly sponges has me pretty impressed, from material, to life cycle, to efficacy, and of course the aesthetically pleasing neutral color. If you don't find them in your grocery store, Amazon seems to have the full line as well.



Here's what reviewer Danielle Liss had to say on Buy-Her.

"Greener Clean Soap Loaded Scrubbers

The soap pads are made from recycled plastic bottles. You know that 12 oz. plastic water bottle that you recycled? It has enough fibers to make approximately 6 scrubbers. The soap is biodegradable and phosphorus free. 100% recycled packaging.

GRADE: Works really well on the broiler pan, which is a popular item in our house for cooking salmon.

Greener Clean Natural Fiber Non-Scratch Sponge

Made from 100% natural materials. This is the replacement for my green and yellow sponge.

GRADE: Just as awesome and my green and yellow sponge. It also passed the Brian test. My husband doesn’t care if things are eco-friendly. He wants it to work without any additional effort. He liked it.

Greener Clean Natural Fiber Scour Pad

Made from 100% natural materials. The scrubbing fibers are made from 50% natural agave. The pads are large, so I cut them into smaller strips (I have freaky small child hands) and got about six strips from the two pads.

GRADE: FANTASTIC. These took off burned off stains from glass baking dishes that I thought were never going to come off. I am a fan for life.

Greener Clean Biodegradable Absorbent Sponge

Made from 100% natural materials. Reusable and long-lasting.

GRADE: Very handy. Super absorbent. A good alternative to paper towels. Especially if you have to clean up spills from hairless cats that like to knock over cups of water. (Is this a problem that only I have?) Much easier than using rags.

Greener Clean Biodegradable Expanding Soft Sponge

Made from 100% natural materials. Expands when wet.

GRADE: Very similar to the biodegradable absorbent sponge; however, it is expandable. Two thin sponges fit into very little packaging. I like the idea that I can get two sponges with a lot less waste."

It's About Time!

I have decided that my 6 year old is ready to wake himself up in the morning, so it's alarm clock shopping time!! Of course I want to find something adorable that fits the style of his room, while effectively getting him to jump out of bed right on time. I personally use my blackberry's alarm although most mornings my eyes open wide long before it goes off. But this will be a new discipline for him, so it must again be effective but not agonizingly painful. Here are a few of the cute and practical options I'm considering:


Retro and youthful:
Talking Animal Alarm Clocks from Land of Nod (Green Frog, Orange Cat, Blue Dog each with their corresponding animal sounds).


Gentle and sweet:
Early Bird Alarm Clock from Perpetual Kid.


Modern and Minimalist:
Neewer Modern White Wood USB Cube Alarm Clock from Amazon.


The educational multi-tasker:
Teach Me Time Alarm Clock from Inventive Parents.


Combining my son's love of soccer and Legos:
Lego Kids Soccer Stadium Alarm Clock available at Toy Country.


Toning the Lego theme down a bit:
Digital Lego Alarm Clock/Radio in Yellow from Target.