Artist, Tatsuro Kiuchi

Tokyo based, Tatsuro Kiuchi's work has been seen in the New York Times, for Starbucks and various other editorial and advertising campaigns. His first picture book is called the "The Lotus Seed" and I find his imagination and use of color fantastic.

Next Stop, Central Station

The beauty of wood and found natural materials are hard to beat in my book, so when I found Central Station Original Interiors in North Carolina, I found happiness. Paul Delaisse is the owner and creator and although he's from Antwerp, Belgium, he's always on the road looking for new materials. The wood he finds inspires the pieces he offers, whether it's reclaimed teak, French Oak or Belgium Bluestone. I hope you admire these sculptural pieces as much as I do.

Finds at Urban Country

Urban Country Antiques is a go-to source for Southern California design lovers. These are just a few of the treasures you can find there.

Very bold African American Concentric Squares Work Clothes Quilt. Made from discarded work shirts by Eunice Taylor, Winston County, Alabama, Circa 1940.

African American abstract quilt. Attributed to Lucy Mooney Gees Bend, Alabama, Circa 1930-40. The Backing is made from 100 pound welfare sacks issued by the US Government.

1930's African American made double sided Memorial Quilt. Wonderful abstract wall hanging. Constructed from the work clothes of a loved one that had passed on. Also some strips of vintage ticking. Made by Annie Rogers, Creedmoor, NC Circa 1930. Late 19th Century collection of 7 early eel fishing gigs. All collected in the northeast by one person. Mostly hand forged iron. All on custom museum mounts.

American Early 20th Century colorful collection of vintage automobile and nautical air horns

Commune + Ace + Heath = THE COOLEST

Three super powers of design have come together at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs. The genius team of architects, interior designers and graphic artists at Commune designed the Ace in Palm Springs with Mid Century lines and bohemian desert flare. It's a compound of cool. In the gift shop there you can buy products from various artists that the Commune sells online as well as Heath Ceramics. Heath has recently opened their storefront within the famed San Francisco Ferry Building. Commune designed it as well as their L.A. store. I guess it's no surprise these like minds found each other and we're sooo glad they did.

The Commune designed spaces of the Ace Hotel & Swim Club

Heath at The Ferry Building in San Francisco

The gift shop at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club

Mother Earth & The Animals

Because yesterday was Earth Day I was reminded of one of my favorite photographers, Nick Brandt. His photos of animals are so beautiful. He has two exhibits coming up: April 21 - May 12 2010 at Source Photographic, Melbourne and July 7 - August 13 2010, Bernheimer Fine Arts, Munich.

Terrariums Forever

Terrariums are just getting cooler and cooler. Some of the best ways to recycle galss jars, bottles and bells are to add some plant life and enjoy.
The work of Paula Hayes as seen at the Marianne Boesky Gallery in NYC.

Create mini, glass-enclosed gardens with these elegant terrariums. With the lid closed and sunlight peering through, there’s no watering necessary.

Purchase a How-to Kit from NYC Gypsy on Etsy.
Add figures from GourdgeousGourdsPa's. He has everything from farmers to piglets.

Tassels for the Table

I love this idea from Lilje Holmens in Sweden to hang tassels above you table. We've all seen them on dressers, a door and occasionally from a chandelier, but it would be so fun to see a collection hanging from the ceiling in various colors and at various heights during a dinner party.

The Dish on Spoons

With Mother's Day around the corner I'm drawn to looking at silver and china - which are my own Mother's favorite things outside of her Cavalier King Charles, Bailey. When she spots a glorious find, my Mom has always said, "Tools seperate us from the animals." Quite right! I've focused on spoons, both old and repurposed and learned quite a bit. Collecting spoons seems like a little less intimidating of an area than others for those who might be considering a new hobby. Here's just a sample of what's out there.

Fun gifts for the gardener and more available at Monkeys Always Look.

From Strip of Metal to Finished Spoon: From left to right, these six stages show the principal steps followed by Early American silversmiths in spoonmaking. It started with the strip of rolled silver at the left. Next, shaping of the bowl and handle was started and continued through three stages. Then with a punch and die the bowl was "struck up" that is, made concave and the handle was given its proper curve. After this, the edges were smoothed with files and the spoon carefully polished with burnishing tools. This set of steps follows the design of a Paul Revere spoon made about 1770. Click here for more at Collector's Weekly.

Marrow Spoons & Scoops: Roasted bone marrow was considered a great delicacy in the Queen Anne period (1702-1714) , when meat was quite expensive. To accommodate the extraction of the marrow from the bone centers, silver spoons with a long narrow scoop at one end were used, the earliest on record c1690. These marrow spoons were quickly superseded by marrow scoops, which had a large scoop at one end, and small scoop at the other - suitable to differing widths of bone. Scoops were made only until the late 19th century. Although roasted bone marrow has gone out of style, there is a resurgence of interest with pot au feu, a now-fashionable main course dish using beef shanks, short ribs, and marrow bones - the marrow bones being passed at the table with warm bread. Those of you in the Southern United States can also employ marrow scoops in the enjoyment of the center of pork-chop bones, which we so love.

Magnificent pair of Arts and Crafts spoons by Sibyl Dunlop, one of the leading female practitioners of the Arts and Crafts movement. The spoons are in the shape and style of 16th century spoons, with fig shaped bowl, hexagonal stem and shaped finials. The spoons are cast, with hand hammered bowls, and have a cast finial that resembles a pineapple with scrolls on either side, resting on 3 rings. A furrow runs down the front end of the shaft of each spoon. These spoons are very good quality, with pleasing weight, lovely to hold and use. The hallmarks on both spoons are very clear, including the SD makers mark. Dunlop (1889-1968) was born in Scotland, trained as a jewellery designer in Brussels, and opened a shop in Kensington Street, London. She specialised in Arts and Crafts silver and jewellery, often naturalistic in style.

Considered Roman Britain, 4th century ADFound in Mildenhall, Suffolk. Three spoons have foliate decoration. Another three bear the only overt Christian symbols in the hoard, the Greek letters chi and rho, the first letters of Christ's name, flanked by alpha and omega (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, another symbol of Christ - 'I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last' (Revelation 1:8)). The remaining two spoons have personal names (Papittedo and Pascentia) with the word vivas ('may you live'), a good-luck formula frequently used in late-Roman times, often by Christians.

Spoons for the herb garden coutesy of Oh Joy!

This is a set of four silver teaspoons and a larger spoon made in Italy in the first half of 19th century.

Selections from The Country Trader Gallery

Stunning architectural models can be found at The Country Trader Gallery in Australia. This first shot is of a French birdcage with phenomenal fretwork and another of metal. They also have various plaster scale models of classical buildings. Beyond an incredible collection for sale, the Gallery offers interior design services and events to be held in their gorgeous setting.