barneys co-op denim

i'm not way into denim, but i do really like these shots from the latest barneys co-op denim mailer. likely, in part, because du juan is my favorite asian model.

catalogging

i've switched the majority of my bills and statements to electronic/paperless options. i reuse, recycle and reduce as much as possible. BUT one thing i can't give up is cancelling mail-order catalogs. there's nothing like kicking back on my couch or bed and leafing through catalogs for inspiration and/or actual finds.

the summer 2008 catalog from flor has a lot of fun styling. a whole range of home decor styles, from traditional to retro to contemporary, from country to urban. a couple images stood out to me though.

a super cute vintage bmw isetta set atop some garage flooring

i really like the clean linen slipcovers, as well as the size and shape of this loveseat

the fall 2008 catalog from garnet hill had some fun stuff too, but again, i most liked the background stuff, namely the barn doors behind this bed ensemble.

vivaterra's fall 2008 catalog had a bunch of fun products. a fern clock, some little succulent cubes, a few wall panels and large felt stones (which would be a nice alternative to dwr's poufs).

bottle shock

i don't know much about the movie bottle shock, except that it premiered last week and that it's about the history of wine in california, or something along those lines. but one thing i do know, is that their movie flyers are pretty spiffy. they can also double as a coaster and/or a guess-the-font game.

a giant among (micro)men

you might have seen these little people by slinkachu ...

and you might even have seen these vandalized snails by the same guy ...

but have you seen akiko ida and pierre javelle's minimiam work? ... a cute twist on food photography. too precious ... i chose this example in honor of the olympics

and incidentally, to celebrate the launch of his photo book, slinkachu is starting a contest at the end of this month in london to win a limited edition signed print or a digital camera

gualala-la-la-lah ...

we found ourselves in the small coastal town of gualala for a wedding over the weekend. it's about 3 hours up the coast from san francisco (a long but pretty drive up). anywho, we certainly didn't expect to find a design shop that would fit right into hayes valley or jackson square or fillmore st, but we did! ... placewares+lyndondesign

apparently, the couple (lu wendel lyndon and maynard hale lyndon) who runs the shop have a long design history. they met in 1971 at design research, left in 1973 to open their first placewares shop (later to open another 6 shops and a catalog business) and lyndondesignstudio to design products, married in 1980, and then closed up shop in 2004. they moved back to northern california and eventually decided to re-open a single location in gualala! glad they did.

lots of fun stuff but i was most drawn to their wide selection of tableware ... (clockwise, from top left) heath ceramics ... sara paloma ... mud australia (my favorite in the store - thin porcelain, glazed on the eating side, matte stone finish on the other) ... asa selection from germany ... soule studio (by local artist aleth soule) ... bee house teapots ... showroom finland tuisku bowl ...

they also carry a bunch of other fun stuff from iittala, alessi, marimekko, joseph joseph (like their chop 2 pot), h concept and more

and another fun fact ... the owners designed a totally neat house for themselves just minutes from the store. check out the cute photo tour

what a drag

while in union square for cb2, we decided to browse barneys as well and ... i stumbled across a pair of patent leather pumps that i wouldn't have given another look at online. they look much better in person ...

the nicole pump by yves saint laurent in patent leather with a really fun print, which looks like the shoe was painted in gray and then a dry paintbrush was dragged across it to reveal the white underneath. very cool.

however, with 4"-plus heels, i didn't bother trying them on. BUT! i just saw the same shoes at saks with a 3.25" heel! ... almost the same but definitely a little more squat (and/or practical)

these are still in the consideration phase though. however, if they were in a darker graphite shade of gray, they'd belong to my feet by the end of the week ...

cb2: san francisco

CB2 finally opened in SF last thursday (july 31st)! except i totally forgot about it until the next day. but once i did remember, i promptly left and headed over. on the south end of the same block as the regular crate & barrel, and right behind the apple store, is the newly opened CB2. and now for a quick little tour.

storefront on ellis st

cute geometric kickplates along the bottom of the storefront

the staircase on the right leading to the second floor: with the same geometric ironwork (appears to be raw metal rather than painted white) used for the risers, and tread planks that look like end grain cutting boards

a view from the second floor, looking through the beams down to the first floor

the second floor

and i have a confession. i actually went to the store twice over the weekend. but for a valid reason. i purchased the big dipper arc floor lamp, but since i wouldn't have been able to fit the box (about 4' x 2' x 1.5') into my car, i had to come back later in the weekend with a larger car. and on my second trip, i noticed that most everyone who bought smaller items carried them away in cute cb2 logo canvas totes. fun.