House Things

A little pottery to kick off today’s Top Three Thursdays on Etsy, my favorite virtual department store. How cute is this mini bowl from Jill Rosenwald? At 6″ wide and 3″ high, it’s the perfect size for a dish of your favorite whatever — yogurt? ice cream? fresh fruit? And it’s dishwasher and microwave-safe so no reason not to use it all the time.  If you don’t need a bowl, or this color isn’t what you like, Jill has plenty of other beautiful items. Take a look. Price is $68.

How cool is this wire cage chandelier? The brainchild of Dylan Design, the light is made from industrial components. All the components are new and have been specially treated to give them a reclaimed vintage feel. Each light comes with 5′ cords so the light can be hung at any height. Also included are four “squirrel cage” Edison bulbs (40W). Price is $290.

Finally if you love Danish modern, you are going to swoon over these chairs, which look to be in mint condition. The set of four teak and oak chairs were designed by Danish designer Borge Mogensen in the ’50s. You can find them for $2,95 in at The Circa Modern. Buy them and invite Don Draper over for dinner.

Looking for a fun couple gift? Something for someone with a sense of humor? A coworker Secret Santa item? These fun coffee mugs from Nelson Studio caught my eye. The set is $38.50. They’ve got cute toothbrush holders too.

Mixing it up with patterns and prints is something I love to do. I’ve even reupholstered chairs in multiple patterns. It’s not surprising, then, that I found Pattern and Print alluring. They sell everything from scarves (beautiful!) and paper accessories to items for the home. Since this is a home decor blog, I’ll focus on those, but if you’re a scarfie (and I am for sure!), check them out — with your credit card far away so you’re not tempted.

Here are a few of the home goods that caught my eye. Which ones do you like?

Lambswool mini-blanket with vintage stripe, $125

Hand screen-printed pillow, $88

Large bowl by Jill Rosenwald, $175

Canvas hamper, $88

A vase of flowers is always a great way to perk up a room — or its owner for that matter! Who doesn’t feel better surrounded by flowers? These whimsical vases from Frances Palmer caught my eye recently. Each of her handmade pieces are deliberately asymmetrical, with quirky misaligned fluting. You can get her work in white earthenware, terra cotta for the garden or translucent high fire porcelain. Feast your eyes. They’re not inexpensive, but how lovely!

Which one is your favorite?

Japan vase, $175

Pewter vase, each sold separately, $225

Trapezoid vase, $250

I know, I know it’s not officially fall yet, but the allure of pumpkin and autumn decor is a pretty strong pull for me post-Labor Day so I offer up one teeny visual to get you inspired. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be at a dinner gathering or party that featured even just a couple  of these heirloom pumpkin-inspired plates/serving dishes from Williams Sonoma?

More importantly, though, I found these treasures at a terrific new (to me) website called Dot Coms for Moms. It’s basically a site that trolls the web for you, finding the best (in their minds obviously) stuff in the ethernet for everything from fashion and home decor to parenting and food. Definitely worth a look if you find the internet a tad overwhelming or want a community of moms. In the meantime, think pumpkin.  Prices for the various plates and tureens range from $19.95 to $83.95 for sets.

I know, I know it’s not officially fall yet, but the allure of pumpkin and autumn decor is a pretty strong pull for me post-Labor Day so I offer up one teeny visual to get you inspired. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be at a dinner gathering or party that featured even just a couple  of these heirloom pumpkin-inspired plates/serving dishes from Williams Sonoma?

More importantly, though, I found these treasures at a terrific new (to me) website called Dot Coms for Moms. It’s basically a site that trolls the web for you, finding the best (in their minds obviously) stuff in the ethernet for everything from fashion and home decor to parenting and food. Definitely worth a look if you find the internet a tad overwhelming or want a community of moms. In the meantime, think pumpkin.  Prices for the various plates and tureens range from $19.95 to $83.95 for sets.

I have a member of my family — okay two actually — who are map fiends and for whom these plates would be perfect. They’re from Uncommon Goods and feature different cities from around the world, including Rome, Chicago, New York etc. It would be a fun way to remember trips you’ve taken or just to get the conversation going, don’t you think? Each porcelain plate features the city’s downtown core printed on a black background. Key buildings are represented with red icons, while rivers and public spaces are shown in blue and green. It comes gift-boxed with a printed key. Added bonus? The manufacturer donates 15% of its proceeds from the sale of the New Orleans plate toward the recovery and rebuilding of 1300 acres of City Park that experienced serious damage to grounds, trees, infrastructure and facilities. Price is $50

This handmade ceramic vase with sgraffito drawing from Luster Wear caught my eye while trolling through Etsy‘s fabulousness to find goodies for you for Top Three Thursdays. I love its subtle color — I’ve been having kind of a purple and lavender thing recently — and the glaze, all of which is apparently created through multiple firings in the kiln. Food safe, although this seems more usable for flowers and arrangements in my view. Price is $250.

Up next is something that might be kind of fun. Are you a monogram person? People either fall into one category or the other I think. I’m personally not into, but if you are, you might like these lights from Amy Perch. Each ceramic light is a 5″ diameter white ceramic ball with perforated holes in any letter you like. They can also be ordered with a 15′ long cord with a plug and switch, or hardwired with a white ceramic canopy. They should be used with a 25, 40 or 60 watt candelabra bulb. Price is $120/

After realizing I had chosen two ceramic pieces, I decided to keep the motif in tact, choosing this lovely Walijenga ceramic serving bowl set from Sibbotery.  Walijenga is Swahili for painted, which certainly fits this uniquely patterned set. It includes one wide, shallow centerpiece dish and four smaller serving bowls. The glaze is off-white with a greyish/cornflower pattern on the outer rim. The large bowl measures 11 inches wide by 3.25 inches tall. The four (4) smaller serving bowls measure 8.25 inches wide by 2 inches tall. They’re all dishwasher and microwave safe. Price is $110.