balancing act

really cool video of a very cool product
sold at areaware

the chicest cup holder

Please meet the chicest cup holder on the planet.

A creation of petit h (yes, h as in Hermes, see my previous post), designed by leather craftsman and saddler Michael Orain.

When you look at it vertical on the cup, it's the exact same shape as the traditional Hermes craftsmen and saddlers apron and when you tilt the cup horizontal, it's the saddle, another iconic silhouette for Hermes. So everyday with your coffee (starbucks included), you have the whole history of Hermes in your hand. How powerful is that?

... and YES you can actually own one soon: they will be available at the petit h sale in the Hermes Madison store between Nov 2nd and 23rd 2011 and on Hermes.com (10/3 to 10/23).

I have to start drinking coffee now!!

sort of coal

I haven't been that excited about a product in a long time... especially as I'm getting more and more disgusted by consumerism in general.
I discovered this water purifier bottle (on the table of some very good friends of mine) that makes you want to ditch your old BRITA - even though that wouldn't be very environment friendly - and its disposable filters full of plastic and cheap coal...
This is a whole different level, the coal is in the bottle, the design is impeccable.
There's a whole philosophy behind the products from SORT OF COAL, read about it on their website. It's just the most inspiring company I've heard of in a long long time.

>> the bottle with the piece of coal is 68 euros + shipping from Denmark (35 euros to the US). A lot more irresistible products on their website...

I'm in love!

hugo the wild boar

His name is Hugo and he's the result of a collaboration between 2 of my favorites: Aeraware and Monocle designed by David Weeks.
Limited edition: 100 only, available online (110£)

David Weeks for Areaware

Hard to choose one !
From $25 to $110 at Areaware

be-poles paper goods

be-poles is the graphic agency in Paris who worked with MERCI on their brilliant visual identity. Check out my blog about MERCI and see their blog for more photos. They have a great approach they call ecographik about graphics and environment. They've designed a few great items for them as well - and you can find more on their website.

above, my MERCI paper bag (4 euros in the store) I use as a paper basket in my office in NY. I told you I'd be talking about MERCI a lot!!

wasara paper tableware

I discovered WASARA at MERCI (see post on my favorite store in Paris here).
These are one time use paper tableware made out of a mix of reed pulp, bamboo, and bagasse (sugarcane waste) which is usually discarded in the sugar making process.
It's super-eco friendly, and the soft feel and Japanese aesthetic are irresistible. the website's images to explain the concept are great

check it out here

a few products I love

all images above from the wasara website

merci, merci!

I just discovered my new favorite store in Paris, created early June by the former owners of French kids top brand Bonpoint, Marie-France & Bernard Cohen, this store is 200% pure pleasure. You can literaly spend the whole afternoon there.
You'll find there a Christian Tortu flower shop, a perfume lab by Annick Goutal, fashion (YSL, APC, Isabel Marrant, Stella Mc Cartney, Marni, Paul & Joe) for women, men and kids, a "mercerie" (fabrics, zippers, buttons), amazing bedings, super great furniture vintage/roots to ultramodern, and great great home decor + accessories, an ice cream cart, a cafeteria with home baked goods, and a library/cafe where you can sit and sip something - you can also leave with the second hand books as they're all for sale. All of this in an amazing space.
The best part is that part of the profit margin goes to charities in Madagascar.

From the outside + the perfume lab

the 2nd floor - mostly home decor and the kid's section
+ the cool changing rooms from the 1st floor (fashion)

The rez-de-jardin (downstairs) with the cafeteria,
the small home accessories and lighting.
My favorite item on that floor? Probably the black and white
woven electric cords they sell by the yard...
My sister got me 2 yards for my birthday,
I can't wait to find the use for it.

The cafe/library

The books are sorted by subjects, you can just read
or buy them for 5, 10 or 20 euros depending on the color
of the sticker on its back.


I'll probably blog separately about specific finds from there. A real gold mine!!
MERCI - 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais - 75011 Paris

learning about sustainable living

Ever dreamed of building a solar oven, an air conditioner, a refrigerator, a wind generator or a lemon battery?
This brilliant little house can teach you (and maybe your 12+ year old kid/cousin/nephew) the basics of alternative energy and sustainable living. Plenty of little experiments to heat the house with the sun's energy, using evaporation for cooling, cook with the sun, using wind energy, etc. Great gift.
Sold at uncommon goods for $90

highlighter portrait

I thought it was so smart I almost* bought one... These are the lyrics of these hip hop legends with their "highlighter style" portraits. There's a small STABILO highlighter in the back.
Sorry the images aren't great, I couldn't find any that gave it justice. The green portrait isn't the best... the yellow one was, if you go there.
Reed Space 151 orchard st in nyc (212) 253 0588 ($36)

* no offense to the designer for the "almost", I just don't wear tee-shirts

neo-paris

The new Parisian attitude: twisted classics, a pinch of modernity, a bit of humour noir... and still very Paris [vé-ree pah-ree]!
1- who else than Chanel?
2- "Je t'aime" lamp - Fleux (275 euros)
3- chimpanzee chandelier - Fleux (175 euros)
4- baccarat Black Angel tall glass, designed by Philippe Starck - Neiman Marcus ($510) {found on Toast and Tables}
5- riedel black crystal blind tasting wine glass - Tiffany ($60) {found on Toast and Tables}
6- poplin cotton necklace with a silvered brass chain - Arty Dandy ( 69 Euros)
7- hand made broche by Marianne Batlle - Arty Dandy (125 euros)
8- trompe l'oeil cardboard stool - Fleux (39 euros)
9- showtime double poltrona sofa - the future perfect ($9,920)
10- greatest find of the day: biblioteca shelving by Matt Car, mahogani and lacquer- the future perfect ($550)
11- smoke collection from Maarteen Baas - moss this piece has sold but there are others still available (price upon request), I just had to place it here.
12- deluxe plastic cutlery set - rose and radish ($27)
13- who can escape the oxfords this year? these are Rag&bone (the most comfy on the market) - eluxury ($237 on sale!)
14- zeppelin S1 suspension light by Marcel Wanders - moss ($3,512)
15- front design table pig - Fleux ( 1,495 euros) or Unica Home ($2,277)
16- still life serie from Klein and Reid - kleinreid.com

get a character

I love these salvaged characters from this brilliant company in Finland: characters. They were once part of a store front, and were re-cycled with led lights.
I want one!! (between 120 and 400 euros, all one of a kind)

discovered on Toxel.com.

the future of magazines

This is the very near future of books and magazines (for real).
This one is still B&W but soon we'll have many versions to pick from ($359 on amazon.com)
I'm not sure about not turning pages, but that will definitely save some trees!

white with a splash

Could a bathroom be more chic?
LOVE the "tambo" sink, in synthetic resin designed by Sergio Rochas ADORE the white version of the "pan" faucets by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba or "tara" by Dornbracht (amazing in black as well, but that didn't match the title of the post!)

paint by pixel

A new product from Urban Outfitters: paint by pixel ($20). I haven't tried it but it's tempting...

baby black

Black is the new baby blue!
It's getting easier to find cool design for babies.
1 - bloombaby black fresco loft high chair - modern nursery $499, yoyamart $500
2 - bloom coco lounger - yoyamart $350
3 - cat cat cat - yoyamart $23
4 - alphabet zoo re-stik - blik $35
5 - stokke classic tripp trapp high chair - modern nursery $250
6 - baby top havaianas - havaianas $19
7 - yoyamart chalkboard-magnetic paint - yoyamart $35 a quart (12.5 sqf)
8 - vitra panton junior - inhabit $153
9 - monte design ninna nanna bassinet - yoyamart $395

worksite inspired

Maybe I spent too much time in my father's workshop, but I LOVE the industrial look, especially mixed with clean and polished...
I love #1 for how simple it is, and I always had a crush on worksite lamps like #2 (cleaned up version). #3 is the most brilliant radiator I've ever seen: you can leave it hung like that or drag part of it where you're hanging out for extra heat!! love love love.
Most of these could be cool DIY projects, especially if you have the same thrill as me walking down the plumbing isle of Home Depot!

1 - tap hanger from junktion starting at 100 euros
2 - work lamp from Form us with love - ScandinavianDesignCenter ($132.98)
3 - Ciussai radiator from Ad Hoc - world style design (1,520 euros)
4 - Seen in the April issue ELLE decoration - supermarket cart painted glossy white (DIY)
5 - light plumbing from Claus Bjerre, ed. Danish Crafts (75 euros at Home autour du monde in Paris)
6 - towel hanger from junktion
7 - Medito wall lamp - made in design (68 euros)
8 - chanukah lamp from junktion

1, 3, 4, 5 seen in the april 09 issue of Elle Decoration
Home autour du monde 8 rue des francs bourgeois, Paris 3eme 01 42 77 06 08

spring palette

I'm usually not a big fan of the color green, especially in home decor, but this palette in the French Elle Decoration stopped me, and so did this kitchen in the Elle Deco UK (both april 09 issues).

If you like it, here's a little selection of kitchen stuff to get you started!

1- Imperial treillis wall covering from Schumacher
2- E27 pendant lamp - Scandinavian center ($63.30)
3- Picco Lucci - Conrad shop ($16)
4- Unison Larch Moss table linen - Design Public ($40-$98)
5- Jensen bowl set - ScandinavianDesignCenter ($36)
6- Deluxe - moss ($120 for 16 pces)
7- Aval Aalto dual color vase - moss ($215)
8- Marc Newson's Dom Perignon champagne cooler - moss
9- Carribean Blue Le Creuset French ovens - sur la table ($184.95-$269.95)
10- Pantone mugs - Heliotrope ($11.95 ea)
11- Hook up wall Hook - Conrad Shop ($4.50)
12- Lizz Chair - Conrad Shop ($285)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This post reminds me of these shots I did for Tozai Home, a few years back:
click on the image to see more of my work!

hello lomo!

I love love love my digital cameras, including my iphone for more low-tech looking images, but right now I'm absolutely craving a lomographic camera. These "toy" cameras that allow you to control close to nothing, with their very limited settings (click here for more info). They've been around for many years, but they're exploding right now.
I wish it had just magically come to me and that I was the first to share it with the world but no, it's already a huge phenomenon, and the Moma store, Urban Outfitters and Colette in Paris already caught the wave, they all carry the Holga, the fish eye or the Diane F, and many fun accessories...
Here's a mini gallery of lomo images:

Here's a short ad with the golden rules: the main one "don't think, just shoot"



To get your own: Momastore, Lomographic Society, Urban Outfitters, Colette. Starting at $59.
I'm still debating whether to get a Holga or a Diane F, I'll keep you posted maybe with a little gallery of images...

Look: I used a Holga as a prop 2 years ago for a Two's Company shoot. Maybe I did catch the wave early after all!

photography: Arthur Belebeau

Thonet N14

Thonet chair number 14, hands down the most seated-on chair in Paris!
The French ELLE decoration gave it a spread in its April's issue (great issue by the way) showing also how it still inspires designers.
I love the MUJI version (2009) for its simplicity.
Also love the "Dan" as the Scandinavian cousin, and the fluo plexi "prosthesis" because the seat is the first thing to go on the originals and it's always hard to replace and look good, at least this one is not "trying" to be like the original.
I wanted to show the IKEA version in recycled plastic OGLA but for some reason it's not on their website anymore...

Images above from the French ELLE decoration April 09 issue, except for black and white which shows how it was packed: six pieces of wood, two circles, two sticks and a couple of arches - held together by 10 screws and two nuts. The first example of green industrial design. Ikea before Ikea.

Below is a sample of Pablo Reinoso's Number-14-inspired work: