Housewarming party

As you all may know, Jo recently moved to a new apartment. Because she lives on the other side of the world and shipping to Australia is astronomical, I thought I'd have a little virtual housewarming party for her. There's all sorts of things a new place needs - like the perfect furniture and lighting and fabulous accessories to pull it all together. So Jo, happy housewarming, and here's a few things I picked up (virtually) for you on my internet travels. ENJOY!

So let's start with some important pieces - couches. Now I know you are in the process of painting your suite, and it's looking FAB. But where is Mickey the wonder dog going to chill out? I was thinking the Milo sofa from Anthropologie. And you're going to need a place to nap after all your hard work decorating your new place so I thought a daybed from Mondo Trasho would be super-functional.
You mentionned you can't find a Malm console table at Ikea so I found you a couple of options. I LOVE this Louis console table from Anthropologie. It's a tad more exciting than a Malm piece. There's also the fun West Elm chunky console table. (Oh, and did I forget to mention that at a virtual housewarming the stores will ACTUALLY ship outside of the U.S.?)
Now I think everyone needs that one piece of furniture that's really unexpected and eclectic to spice things up. So I found you this Nubian side table set from Surfing Cowboys. Half-naked-men side tables ought to work. I also think a screen is a must-have in case you have unexpected visitors and your place is a mess.Perfect to place in a corner and you can chuck the mess behind it. (Ok - maybe not this one for that purpose). Love the pattern of this Mondo Trasho room divider.
Now for some accessories. Gotta have an amazing light fixture over your dining table. So I found you the beauty below from Mondo Trasho. Retro fabulousness. Maybe I'll get one for me too. And for some mod graphic art I'll pick you up this Rita Letendre Original Silkscreen from Found Design. Figured it would match your new living room colour scheme.
Every girl needs some fun colourful accessories to brighten up a space. Now because we both love anything Chinoiserie flavoured, I thought some foo dogs were in order. And in turquoise, these couldn't be more perfect. I know the carpeting in your new place is, well, not so special (especially after the toilet incident) so how about a fun rug to cover it up with?
And last but not least, some "outdoorsy" items. First up is something to keep Mickey company in your new courtyard. I was thinking these limestone dog statues. And I know you don't drive but if you need to zip around to get to your favourite thrift stores in a hurry, you may need some transportation. So I thought you could fly down the sidewalks in this Ducati Brio 1960 motorscooter. There's even a little rack at the back to tie your new chair purchases to.

If anyone else has any virtual housewarming gifts they would like to give Jo, please leave a comment with links to your gift(s). What's a party with only one guest???

Little Gorgeous Things

My little sister just got back from a week in Cape Cod with her boyfriend and found a shop called Little Gorgeous Things that she thought I might want to post about. Something in this shop caught her eye....the furniture art of Johnny Swing. He uses all sorts of junk to make his pieces like glass jars, a footrest on a dentist’s chair, coinage and car windshields. The following are some of his wacky furniture...the first is his butterfly chair made from 1,500 half dollars and 7,000 welds. The second is his leather disc couch that utilizes remnants of Italian leather floor tiles (8,000 pieces of hardware). The third is his quarter chair made from approximately 1,200 quarters and the last is his tack chair, that he claims is so sturdy it's "hurricane-proof".

Thout (provoking) design

Thout has been featured on a few blogs but I seem to have missed them until I started reading my new copy of Canadian House and Home where they are featured. Being a Canadian firm, I had to give them a shout out, because of that fact and after checking out their website, I was so impressed at the creativity of this group.

"Based in Toronto, Upper Canada, Thout is a loose group of designers formed by Patrick Turner. Thout is named after the Turner family cabin, built in the 1900’s without running water or electricity. Thout is a place where needs are met with simplicity, clarity and honesty. Our products are created in the same way."

A useful wall tile for storing all sorts of odds and ends, like kitchen utensils.	A useful tile for storing everything from spices to fruit to condiments.
A useful tile for storing your utensils in a fun and space saving way.	This lamp is formed by a single cloth-sheathed cord wrapped around a skeleton.
This lamp is formed by a single cloth-sheathed cord threaded through a punctured frame.	A useful tile for hanging up all those coats that clutter your front door.
One of the coolest tables I've ever seen.	"Cedar stumps are made lighter when pierced with holes that look as though they could have been made by a giant worm. Holes can store beer, if required." This is quoted from the site, making it my favourite item here.

Tuft love

Rosali emailed me the other day with an interesting request:
"Lately, I've noticed that beautiful green tufted chairs and sofas have shown up regularly on your site. I'm a big fan of tufted furniture and have several pieces but none green. I think that a post with a grouping of those green tufted pieces would make many people (or at least me) stand back in awe."
Sounded like a pretty simple request. I think this photo was Rosali's inspiration:

Finola Inger

I too have a love for tuft, especially since purchasing a lime green tufted bench. It can make furniture that is drab and simple look glamorous. But after looking through TONS of photos, I couldn't find many green tufted pieces. As a result, I've added some photos that have beautiful tufted pieces that are other colours as well.

Judith Miller	Living Etc.
Edward Lobrano	Homes and Gardens
The Rug Company	Muriel Brandolini
Alison Spear	Art Rep Team
Oprah	Kenneth Brown
Sera of London	Jonathan Adler
Ifi	The Rug Company

Doin it

The Ellen van de Graaf Louis XV Carved Bed – "Doin it"

"A stunning c1890 Louis XV solid-walnut full-double bed with intricate carving to both head and footboards. The headboard is ornamented with a heavily carved Rococo crest embellished with flowers, with an embossed detail on the panel that is mirrored on the footboard. Ellen van de Graaf has layered a black lacquered high gloss finish and adorned the bed with intimate pornographic imagery in electric blue acrylic enamel."

The coolest bed ever, by Burke & Hazelden. I would give up a cat for this bed! (I adore the shape of the bed - and black? YEAH BABY. Pornographic images are simply a bonus.)