Over and Out

Photo by the amazing girlhula

I'm tired tired tired today and my mousing arm is literally numb, so I'm cutting out a bit early to ice the arm, relax, and get a jump start on this last hurrah of summer.

Have a wonderful long holiday weekend, everyone, and I'll see you back here Tuesday morning!

Cool Stuff: Norm 06 Puzzle Lights

So pretty ...

These Norm 06 Puzzle Lights from Danish design firm Normann Copenhagen are made from pieces of flat-packed, nonflammable white plastic that you put together like a puzzle.

They measure 33 inches in diameter and are $118 each at Feel More Human.

Objects of Lust: Lisa Fontanarosa Strikes Again

More jaw-dropping gorgeousness from artist/designer representative Lisa Fontanarosa. (Does this woman know how to pick 'em or what?)

Doily Drapes and Cameo Pillow by Michaela Scherrer

Handwoven Curtains by Bonita Ahuja

Wall Hanging and Pillows by Adam and Viktoria

I'm terrified to even inquire about how much these cost. But hey, I can look, right?

Click here to see the entire Lisa Fontanarosa collection -- and be prepared to drool.

More eBay Finds

(RSS users, you know the drill.)

Cool Stuff: Gold Lipped Dishes

I've blogged Up in the Air Somewhere (aka the ceramic and paper-maché creations of Chicago's Susan Dwyer) before, but couldn't resist showing you this lovely trio of gold-lipped dishes featured on her brand-new website.

Like so many of Dwyer's products, they combine a delicate, ethereal quality with an organic earthiness -- and these add just the slightest touch of bling to the mix as well.

(Dwyer's gold-bottom dish, on the other hand, cranks up the bling but remains more pretty and subtle than over-the-top.)

The dishes are $12 to $52 a piece right here.

Etsy Find of the Day: DizzyDezign Tea Towels

Cheerful, retro-inspired tea towels from Etsy seller DizzyDezign (aka South African textile designer Colleen Roberts):

Spring Green Tea Towel

Citrus Retro Floral Tea Towel

Lime Retro Floral Tea Towel

Citrus Stencil Floral Tea Towel

Lime Stencil Floral Tea Towel

Citrus Spring Tea Towel

The handmade towels are just $10 each right here.

PhotoRsquared ad

The Artful Home: Rex Ray at Urban Outfitters

Most of you know by now how I feel about Urban Outfitters and its occasional propensity for "borrowing" others' designs. But I also have to give the company props for handpicking great up-and-coming and established artists and making their work available in a really affordable way.

The latest artist to get the UO treatment is San Francisco's Rex Ray, whose wildly colorful "Strigosa" has been digitally transferred onto an 18-by-24-inch stretched canvas that can be yours for just $50.

Of course, I'd love nothing better than to one day own a Rex Ray original (which typically sell for several hundred to several thousand dollars apiece). But right now, this is probably the only way that a Ray canvas is going to end up on my wall.

Check it out right here.

Cool Stuff: Artist Series Shoes at Olio United

To help celebrate its first anniversary, Portland eco-boutique Olio United recently asked nine great local artists to customize pairs of TOMS Shoes.

The participating artists -- Amy Ruppel, Jill Bliss, Trish Grantham, Yellena James (those are her contributions, above), Ryan Rubnis, Katie Kulper, Aaron James, Erik Railton, and Max Erdenberger -- have each hand-painted several pairs of TOMS. The resulting wearable pieces of art will be auctioned off at Olio's anniversary party on Friday, August 29, from 7 to 10 p.m. The proceeds are earmarked for Transitions Cambodia, a not-for-profit that helps sex trafficking survivors from the Asian nation.

Click here for more information on the event -- and here to see the shoes for sale in Olio's webshop.

Deal of the Day: 10% Off Lighting at Hip Haven

Retro-mod retailer Hip Haven is offering 10 percent off of its midcentury style lighting now through August 31. Though they're inspired by the classic light fixtures of yesteryear, many of these lights would look great in a modern setting as well.

Globe Pendants from $40

Spun Metal Lighting from $45

Modwire Lighting from $95

To take advantage of the savings, enter coupon code AUGUSTSALE at checkout. (Bonus: If you're really stocking up and spend $1,200 or more, you'll get a one of Hip Haven's classic Tall Bullet Planters, worth $160, with your purchase.)

Hip Haven ad

House Voyeur: Midcentury Cool in Oakland

Today’s House Voyeur takes us to the Oakland, California home of bookseller and graphic designer Dave Cuzner. I first became acquainted with Dave via his blog, grain edit, which focuses on the best in midcentury modern art and graphic design and features great interviews with the likes of artist Matte Stephens and illustrator and designer Bo Lundberg. I had a sneaking suspicion that Dave’s home would be equally retro-cool -- and I wasn’t disappointed.

Here, Dave takes us on a virtual tour:

"I share my home with my wife, Liz, and our 2-year-old cat, Twig. We live in a townhouse in Oakland that was designed by Ron Kappe, son of L.A.-based modern architect and SCI-Arc founder Raymond Kappe. The architecture draws from a mix of East Bay craftsman and California modern styles.

I work from home, so it was important to have a place that I could be excited about living and working in. I’m in the house most of the day, so having a pleasant environment to work in makes it more bearable.

I’m very much attracted to the midcentury modern aesthetic, and our home reflects that. The design of that period often has the perfect balance of function and form. I like minimal, clean design, and tend to stay away from things that are overly ornamental.

My favorite things about our home are the giant window walls and the cathedral ceiling. Since our place is relatively small (about 1,250 square feet), the open floor plan, high ceilings, and large windows help create the illusion that it’s much more spacious than it really is. I also really like our deck. It’s great for lounging after a long day and enjoying a few drinks.

I found most of our furniture on craigslist. The Bubble Lamp suspended from our living room ceiling was designed by George Nelson for Herman Miller. Directly below sits a Case Study daybed. My favorite find was our orange Eames rocker, which I bought for $45. We have several Eames chairs, but that one is my favorite.

My one piece of advice to others looking to decorate their homes is to buy quality furniture. It might cost more up front, but it will be worth it in the long run. Furniture that is built well will often retain its value and last a long time. Some of our Eames chairs, for instance, are over 40 years old and still look great. On the other hand, we’re lucky if we can get two to three years out of some of the things we’ve bought from IKEA.

eBay is another great source for quality vintage items. One of my favorite eBay finds was this blue ceramic bird. It has a slot on the top and a cork on the bottom so you can use it as a ‘birdy bank.’ I don’t know much about it other than that it was made in Italy and is 1 of 300.

This small, graphic tray is from Japan, and was most likely made in the late 1960s or early 1970s. I also really like this El Producto cigar album. It was designed by Paul Rand. Now, I just need to fill it with some cigars!

In the hallway we have a buck 65 poster designed by the Small Studio in France and a Julia Rothman print.

I love to be surrounded by books and art while I work, so I made sure the walls were decorated with posters and that shelves with books were within reaching distance. In my office, I have a posters by Templin Brink Design, the Small Stakes, Hersk, and Olivetti. The rare design books and vintage children's books in my library often end up on my blog, grain edit."

Thanks so much for sharing your great place with us, Dave!

P.S. Want to see more? Click here for a peek inside other readers' homes.

More eBay Finds: School Daze

School starts for us this week -- hallelujah!

(RSS users, click here to see my latest eBay picks.)

eBay Find of the Day: Vitra Algue

Created to great acclaim in 2004 by French design duo Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec for Vitra, these interconnectible plastic algae-like blooms can be used to create an unusual and textural room divider, window hanging, or decorative element.

Twenty-five of them will make up a airy web of about a square yard. Sets of 50 normally retail for $210 from online merchants such as Design Public and Unica Home.

Here's your chance to grab one (or actually two, which is how many sets the eBay seller has available) in green for less than half-price.

Buy It Now for $102, plus worldwide shipping from the U.K.

Shameless Plug: Guest Post on decor8

Oh, and a big, big thank you to blogger extraordinaire Holly Becker of decor8, who asked me to join the small army of guest bloggers who are pitching in while she and her husband, Thorsten, get settled in their new apartment in Germany.

My post on some of my favorite artists and artisans, shops, places to go, and things to eat in my adopted hometown of Oakland, California, just went up. Check it out right here.

Thanks again to Holly and a warm welcome to any decor8 readers visiting here for the first time!

OK, now we really are leaving for the beach ... ;-)

Good Reads: Tracey Falk in Home Magazine

Hi everyone -- just popping in quickly here before we head out to Stinson Beach for the day to offer a huge congrats to former More Ways to Waste Time House Voyeur tour guide Tracey Falk, whose lovely home-office nook is featured in the new (and perhaps last?) issue of Home magazine.

Photo from Home magazine

Check out the article right here -- and see the rest of Tracey's amazingly creative and drool-worthy Vancouver, British Columbia apartment here.

Photo by Tracey Falk

I'll be back on Monday morning with lots of new posts (including another great House Voyeur tour). Thanks so much for standing by while I took a much-needed breather this week!