Grains are good for you

Gothic Twig and Song Birds Mirrors

The beauty and detail of the mirrors from Carvers Guild are unsurpassed and are very special to me because they are made in the United States. Owners Carl and Carol Canner have created an internationally renowned company that fosters old-world craftsmanship and champions exceptional design. In a time of burgeoning imports, Carvers’ Guild mirrors have been proudly Made in the USA since 1970.




Two beautiful art pieces from Steuben glass.


The birch branch wallpaper from Cole and Sons available at Rose and Radish has been a favorite of mine for a few years. I posted it last year when I wrote about this ghost table. Wood grain designs and faux bois
(fake wood) have been showing up a lot lately. I think it is because of our growing awareness of our beautiful Mother Earth and being more conscious of eco products and design.

Table and chairs from Thout.
Stump stools from a previous post. By Thout.



Wood grain rug. West Elm.



Tree linens from Modern Tots

Faux Bois Mirror from Koo de Kir




Faux bois chair from Mecox Gardens.


Several years ago when I was still in design school I saw a fine example of a faux bois chair in a shop in Newport. I would visit it periodically and couldn't get it out of my head. It was such a deal- $350.00. A steal really. Even then I knew it was worth 2 or 3 times that much. Of course you know how the story goes. Eventually someone bought it. It will forever remain in my heart one of those pieces I didn't buy and will always haunt me. The fact that I was very broke at the time, going to school full time and working and had no money for extras should ease my mind but I wanted that chair to still be there when I finally got enough money together to buy it. I have never seen another one even remotely similar and will remain one of those pieces that got away and have obtained royal status in my mind. I know you all have things you wish you had bought and didn't and haunt your dreams.
Send me your story and I'll print it here.
Faux bois console table from Crate and Barrel.

I have had this picture for a long while saving it for when I did a post on faux bois. I had made a note that is from Rituals Decor, a site I think is wonderful for all things rustic. (Great tramp art). Anyway I looked today for info on this table but it isn't there. I am sure someone bought it . Probably the same person who bought my chair. Ha ha. Anyway there are other mushroom tables out there but none as detailed as this. I wanted it for a corner of my future garden to have tea parties with my future female children. Sigh. Pieces like this are not in style or out of style with me. Some things are just special and wonderful and are always cherished. This table would be handed down to each generation with a favorite story. Faux bois is an art form that has been around for several hundred years and is a much sought after category from serious collectors according to Donald Tucker a Texas based artist and sculptor. For more information on Faux bois visit his site, Faux bois in concrete.

Campaign Chair

This chair was featured last month on Point, Click, Home and they tell us that Anthropologie worked with South African furniture makers to recreate the classic fold able, adaptable hardwood Roorkhee chair. It is an example of Anthropologie’s recent efforts to support South African artists and their creative community.
Campaign furniture is a type of furniture that was made for travel. Much of it was made for military campaigns and includes folding chairs and chests that could be easily unscrewed and packed. It was designed to be folded up, packed, and carried on the march, used by travelling armies since the time of Julius Caesar, and even earlier. With the rise and expansion of the British Empire in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, as British gentlemen came to dominate the army, government and commerce in colonies throughout the world, the finest British furniture makers produced for this new class of traveller some of the most stylish pieces of portable furniture ever made.

How to choose the right size area rug

Emma Gardner rugs are like a piece of art for your floor. Truly, she designs some of the most vibrant beautiful rugs I have ever seen. The rugs are certified by Care&Fair and Rugmark, organizations that work to end child labor in the carpet industry.
Buying area rugs for your home is a large purchase so shop around and take your time until you find the right ones. Make sure you can return them if they aren't the perfect fit and color for your room. Remember these rugs will last for many years and can be moved from room to room and house to house so buy the best quality rug you can afford and you'll enjoy it for a long time. If you buy a quality rug, with good care it should last longer than most anything in your home. Most rooms benefit greatly from the addition of an area rug. So many of us have large expanses of wood or ceramic flooring and an area rug provides warmth and comfort underfoot, sound absorption, floor surface protection and adds color to pull a room together. They can also hide unsightly flooring, such as worn hardwood or carpeting. Designs range from more traditional Persians and orientals solid color textures, fun shags, natural fiber, and bold modern art rugs. Rugs of varied sizes tend to go together best- same sized rugs tend to divide a room in halves but keep them in the same colors and design type-don't mix a bold oriental rug with a woven cotton rug.
How to choose the right size area rug for a room
Here are some hints to pick the right size rug for your home. These sizes are for references only- most rugs come in standard sizes and your rooms don't. The best look is to leave 18-36" of bare floor around the rug. If your room is small or an entry foyer or hallway then you can get away with less than 18" all the way down to around 8". For a dining room the rug should be large enough to pull out the chairs and have them still be on the rug. That's about 24" from the edge of the table out on all sides. Measure your table top. Add four feet to the width and length to find the minimum size of your dining room rug. For under a bed the rug should extend beyond the sides of the bed approx. 18" for a king and 12" for a full or twin. Of course you can go bigger but don't go any smaller-the rug will look undersized and skimpy.
For coffee tables typically a 4' x 6' or 6' x 9' area rug will work well. The size you should choose depends on the size of your coffee and should be large enough to accommodate all four legs of the table. For an entire room try to leave an equal amount of flooring exposed as a border on all sides-the rule of thumb is 18-36". If that is not possible, try and have the borders on parallel sides of the rug an equal size. If the front legs of the furniture are on the rug and the back legs are off the rug that is fine as long as the piece is stable- you may have to put furniture coasters under the back legs to raise them to the same height of the rug.
Hallway carpet runners should be about four inches narrower than the hall and 18-24" shorter. We always recommend using a rug pad under all rugs – this will help keep your rug in place and also save the life of your rug – rugs wear from the bottom not the top. The friction is on the bottom when being walked on and using a rug pad will help keep your rug in good condition and last for many years –
Rug material types
Wool —dye ability, durability, softness and clean ability make wool the superior fiber. Wool is the standard by which all other carpet fibers are measured. Pure wool has the following benefits:
It is warmer than acrylic
It is naturally fire resistant
It is less likely to pill than an acrylic, though the more advanced (and more expensive acrylics) are also less prone to piling
It will usually last longer and can handle soiling better
In general it rebounds to retain its shape better
Our choice - Wool.
Acrylics are being improved all the time, and they are now closer to wool in terms of feel and quality then ever before, but they are still a way behind. They are vibrant and colorful. One undesirable effect that acrylic suffers from, is the dreaded piling .
Acrylic has the following benefits:
Cost - most acrylic fibers are cheaper than wool.
It is moth proof and storage for an extended period of time will not need moth balls.
Acrylics suffer from the static electricity problem.
Most people are not allergic to acrylic.
Cotton — softer than wool but less durable. Available in a variety of colors. Most people are not allergic to cotton. Generally less expensive than wool.
Jute — the softest of all natural fibers. When exposed to direct sunlight, jute may fade or darken in color. Prolonged exposure to moisture will cause the fiber to disintegrate.
Sisal — stronger and more durable than any natural rug fiber and since sisal is static-free and colorfast, it makes it perfect for just about any area.

Etro

Etro began as a clothing design company in Spain in 1968. They started producing home furnishing fabrics in 1981 and the paisley motif soon became known as Etro's hallmark. Handbags, luggage, accessories for the home, duvets, quilts, frames, lamps, cache-pots, all carry the beautiful design of the Etro brand.

Paddywax

Excess packaging is starting to be a BIG pet peeve of mine. All the cardboard, tags, and plastic we throw out just to get to the item inside that is sometimes half the size of the box. I saw this line of candles at Paper Source at South Coast Plaza and I was impressed with their packaging. They use soy-based inks, hemp twine, and recycled paper. The chlorine-free paper pulp box is biodegradable in 3-6 months and is wrapped with a 100% post-industrial recycled paper label awarded FSC-certification. Each candle is poured with soy wax and natural fragrance oils. But the real test is the fragrance. No matter how eco-friendly the product, if a candle doesn't smell good then what is the point? You know how sometimes in a shop you'll see a candle with a wonderful name and a yummy sounding fragrance and then you pick it up and there is no smell? Not these candles. The fragrances are rosemary and citrus, Bergamot and Tobacco flower, Mandarin and Lavender , etc and they are strong and clear scents. They are available online and at shops around the country which are listed on their website. Paddywax.