Cool Stuff: West Elm Bridge Tables

I'm kind of over West Elm -- all that wenge-colored wood, all those boxy upholstered pieces, the whole "modern/rustic/ethnic" thing ... But there are occasional exceptions to my growing apathy about the store's trademark look.

Like these Bridge Side ($179) and Coffee ($299) tables, especially together. I really like the contrast of smooth white lacquer with a silkscreened jacaranda-leaf motif and the earthy, striated sungkai wood. Yes, please.

Double Take: Abaca and Random Lights

I've been harboring a thing for Dutch designer Bertjan Pot's Random Light forever. I want one for our dining room so bad it hurts, but the price -- more than $1,500 for the large size -- has stopped me.

So last night while I was leafing through the latest West Elm catalog (I know I said no more chain stores, but I was only looking ... ), my heart skipped a beat when I saw the company's new Abaca Pendant. It's a little bit similar, no? (And West Elm is certainly no stranger to design knockoffs.)

Let's compare:

West Elm Abaca Pendant, $79 to $129

Moooi Random Light: small, $660, and medium, $860, at Design Within Reach; large, $1,505, at YLighting

To my eye, the ethereal, delicate, and almost-translucent epoxy and fiberglass Random Light has much more drama and presence. West Elm's banana-fiber version is earthier, chunkier, and not nearly as graceful. The smaller size (the West Elm pendants range from about 9 to 16 inches in diameter, compared to the Random Light's 20 to 43 inches) also creates far less impact.

But when you consider the savings -- almost $600 to more than $1,350 -- the trade-offs might not be so hard to swallow.

What do you think?

Good Reads: Trends That Are "So Over"

All photos by Raeanne Giovanni-Inoue for The New York Times

There's an interesting piece in today's New York Times on the big decorating trends of 2007 that are due for demise -- at least according to prominent designers like David Netto and Celerie Kemble, tastemaking editors like Domino's Deborah Needleman and Metropolitan Home's Donna Warner, and the doyenne of design bloggers herself, design*sponge's Grace Bonney.

One of the most intriguing reasons given for certain trends playing themselves out is the so-called "democratization of design." With the proliferation of companies such as CB2, West Elm, and even Design Within Reach interpreting high-end modern design for the masses -- and so many design bloggers out there writing about them -- these designs are destined to lose their exclusive cache.

Though the statement comes off sounding pretty snooty (I mean, if just anyone can be savvy to -- and possibly even afford -- things like baroque mirrors and geometric rugs, then of course those things are no longer desirable), the author does have a point. When we all see the same thing over and over again, of course we're bound to grow weary of it -- no matter how fresh the concept may have seemed at first. Even good ideas, like eco-friendly products, eventually inspire design fatigue when everyone jumps on the bandwagon, writer Penelope Green asserts.

Among the decorating fads on their way out?

Antlers

David Hicks-influenced design (that means you, Jonathan Adler)

Suzanis

Cowhide rugs

Flatscreens over the fireplace

Ironic takes on "Hunting Lodge Chic"

Over-the-top Baroque Modern and Hollywood Regency style

"Green" products like bamboo sheets

Check out Ms. Green's article right here -- then tell me what you think: Do all of these trends deserve to be relegated to the design dustbin? Are design blogs and the burgeoning interest in design among the hoi polloi (that would be me and you, people) causing trends to cycle in and out ever faster?

Post a comment and let me know.

Object of Lust: Walnut and Chrome Desk

Nick and I have been on the hunt for a diminutive desk to tuck into a corner of our dining room.

We'll set up the laptop with that wireless connection Nick has been promising me forever (hint, hint, honey ... ), and it'll be a place for the kids to use the computer under our watchful eye and for me to be able to hang out with the family while I work, rather than always being stuck in my basement office.

Anyway, I've been leaning toward West Elm's petite white lacquer Parsons desk, above ($299). But then this morning, while I was sipping my coffee and just soaking in all the beauty on the U.K.'s Graham & Green site, I spotted this baby:

My pulse instantly quickened as I registered the beautifully grained walnut-veneer top and the uber-glam chrome legs. It's perfect -- so sleek and sophisticated, so not "office-y," so ... unattainable.

At 330 pounds (about $660), it's not obscenely priced for something that I think I'd hang onto forever. But given that shipping within the U.K. runs as much as $520, I shudder to think what international shipping might amount to. I did a little Internet sleuthing and discovered that the manufacturer is also based in the U.K., which unfortunately seems to be the extent of their distribution.

Then, remembering that Williams Sonoma Home has some pieces with a similar vibe, I clicked on over there, where I discovered the similarly swanky Monroe desk, above. Sadly, though, at $2,200, it's even more out of our price range than the desk from Graham & Green.

Does anyone know where I might find the Graham & Green desk -- or something similar -- in the U.S., for less than a king's ransom?

If so, please let me know -- because I am in love.

Low to High: Sunburst Mirrors

Sunburst mirrors are showing up all over the place lately. (Are they part of Becky's "Trendy Objects Drinking Game" over on Hatch? If not, they should be.) And for good reason -- they add instant drama, a touch of sophisticated swank, and undeniable fabulousness to your space.

But like many pieces of popular decor, there are literally dozens of variations available at a startling array of price points: everything from relatively small and spare versions that you can find at your local mall store to substantial, pristine antiques that will set you back several thousand dollars.

Let's take a look at the options and weigh their relative merits:

West Elm Convex Star Mirror, $49: This is definitely affordable and has a clean, modern sensibility -- but it seems a bit small (it's not quite two feet across), spindly, and sad compared to the others here.

Solare Mirror from Ballard Designs, $119: A nice size (three feet in diameter) at a great price.

Z Gallerie Prague Mirror, $139: A simplified contemporary take on the sunburst shape, this is well-priced and has presence -- but also strikes me as a bit generic.

Starburst Mirror from Crate & Barrel, $199: This 30-inch model alludes to the metal wall sculptures that were popular in the Sixties and Seventies, and I like the combo of brass and steel.

Cyrus Mirror from Horchow, $220: Another contemporary variation on the classic sunburst shape; it's a bit too childlike for my taste, though -- something about it makes me want to draw a happy face in the middle, like a child's sketch of the sun.

Linen Source Sunburst Mirror, $229: Great size (it's more than three feet in diameter) with a glam style that nods to the vintage versions; the mottled faux finish worries me a bit, though.

Vega Mirror from Ballard Designs, $229: In my opinion, this is the modern sunburst that comes closest to emulating the gilded antique models; plus, at nearly four feet in diameter, it's a good deal for the size.

Gold Sunburst Mirror from eBay Store Highgatehome, $234: Compare this to the strikingly similar (but much more expensive) mirror from Biggs Powell, below; personally, though, I'm not quite ready for the return of gold decor.

Kenneth Wingard Sunburst Mirror from CSN Lighting, $349: Aside from West Elm's, this sparkling model is probably the best fit for a really modern room; I like how it mimics the form of midcentury teak sunburst clocks, too.

Howard Elliot Rio de Janeiro Mirror, $420: The shape of this mirror is a close match for the vintage originals, but that bright bronze finish kind of scares me (there is, after all, a very fine line between fabulous and tacky).

French 1950s Brass Convex Sunburst Mirror from Biggs Powell, $1,300: Wonderful form and sterling provenance, but the cheapskate in me would probably opt instead for the Highgatehome knock-off, above, for about a fifth the price.

Circa-1930 French Gilded Mirror from Lebreton-Laurence, $2,700: Super-swanky, to be sure -- but ouch, that price; at 26 inches, it's a little on the small side, too.

French 1940s Gilded Sunburst Mirror from Barley Twist, $2,800: You can't get more glam than Forties French decor, and I love how the sun's rays alternate between long and short; still, that price is more than I bring home in a month.

Circa-1970 Mexican Sunburst Mirror from Douglas Rosin, $8,000: Yowza -- if I ever win the lottery, this five-foot-plus baby is all mine.

Which is your favorite?

(Photo at top from British Homes & Gardens magazine.)

House in Progress: Breakfast Room Redux

Although I promised when I started this blog to "chronicle the process of making my family's house a home," I realize that I've been totally slacking on the House in Progress posts.

Mostly that's because everything has been in such a perpetual state of un-doneness around here that I didn't have much to show off. (Case in point: We still haven't repainted the pink bathroom.) That, and because Nick and I aren't totally satisfied with the rooms that we "finished" shortly after moving in last year, and have plans to repaint and rearrange a few of them.

But finally, one small area is coming together: Our little breakfast nook off the kitchen. It's a charming room with a bay window, two built-in china cupboards that are original to our circa-1939 home, a little arched entryway, and a peaked roof.

But as you can see from these "before" pictures we took when the house was for sale, the room was painted a dull beige, had ugly metal blinds hanging in the pretty divided-light casement windows, and sported a rather hideous copper and brass light fixture.

We repainted (with Benjamin Moore's Soft Fern) and took the blinds down right away, and I hung some cream-and-lavender ticking-striped cafe curtains that I had made up from a Restoration Hardware shower curtain. (I hated to cover up half of the lovely windows, but the room faces the street and has a southern exposure, so we needed to add something for a little privacy and shelter from the blazing sun while we sit at the table.)

Then we moved in our beloved retro formica dinette set, which had added such color and personality to our old kitchen. Unfortunately, the dinette set just wasn't right for this space, and it took forever to find something else. (The set is for sale on craigslist right now, if any of you locals are interested.)

We finally settled on a white parsons table from West Elm, and after a fruitless search for affordable wooden faux bamboo chairs, I ended up bidding on this set of metal patio chairs on eBay. (They just came back from the auto body shop today, where I had them powder coated in high-gloss white.)

Same with light fixtures. The one we ultimately went with (the new 15-inch Leran pendant from IKEA) is the third we've installed -- but I think the third time is the charm.

We also hung some vintage botanical prints (purchased very inexpensively on eBay and matted and framed in simple, stock-sized white mats and black frames that we bought at Aaron Bros. during one of their regular "buy one frame, get the second for 1 cent" sales). In retrospect, though, maybe we should have gone with white frames ...

And I set out my collection of purple sun glass and lavender transferware, assembled over the years from garage and estate sales, flea markets, and eBay.

Lastly, because the table needed a little something, but I wanted to keep it simple, I grabbed a metal tray I snagged for $2 last year at the Oakland Museum's White Elephant Sale and filled it with moss balls ordered from Schusters of Texas.

Still to do:

* Replace the dull, grayish brown vinyl floor with some colorful Marmoleum.

* Hang some of my collection of lavender transferware on the wall around the big window. (I think I'm also going to spring for the "Wanker" platter from Etsy seller trixie delicious that I blogged the other day, just to keep the mood in the room light and not make the vintage-plates-on-the-wall thing seem too straightforwardly traditional.)

* Get some chair cushions and new cafe curtains made up using more vibrant fabric, since the ticking stripe doesn't really "pop." Maybe the Amy Butler Lime Star Paisley pattern, below. (Any of you real or armchair designers out there have other fabric suggestions? If so, I'd love to see 'em.)

Anyway, one room (almost) down, eight more to go!

eBay Find of the Day: Bertoia Chair

A modern classic.

Designed by Harry Bertoia for Knoll in 1952, the iconic Bertoia Side Chair is constructed of powder-coated wire formed into a metal filigree that sits atop a steel frame. Today, the proliferation of licensed reproductions from companies like Design Within Reach (which run hundreds of dollars) and knockoffs (like West Elm's Wire Mesh Chair) prove that the appeal of this simple but striking seating endures.

Want the real thing without spending a bundle? Check out this original up for auction on eBay.

Current bid: $10.

Trendspotting: Are Horns the New Antlers?

Remember how, a couple of years ago, deer antlers started popping up all over design magazines -- usually striking a surprisingly rustic, primitive note in an otherwise sleek and sophisticated interior? I’m starting to notice the same thing happening with animal horns.

Often culled from Vietnamese water buffalo (though African antelope and domestic cow horns make occasional appearances as well), these products tend to be labeled “cruelty-free” and “eco-friendly” because the animals aren’t killed for their horns. Rather, the horns are harvested after the animal dies (or is slaughtered for meat or other byproducts), as part of a “nothing is wasted” philosophy. I guess whether that’s truly cruelty-free is a bit subjective -- as is the lure of having a bunch of dead bovine bits laying around your home.

Still, there’s no denying that the material itself is beautiful and lends a dramatic, earthy touch to a super-luxe, sleek minimalist, or “organic modern” space.

A look at some of the “horn décor” on the market now:

Tyrol Horn Centerpiece, $125, from Plantation Home

Mombasa Pencil Cup, $23, from See Jane Work

Mombasa Desk Tray, $70

Horn Bath Accessories, $25 to $45, from Williams Sonoma Home

Horn Tray, $34, from the Well Dressed Home

Plantation Organic Horn Bowl Set, $95

Roost Horn Bowl Set, $125

Plantation Brushed Horn Bowl, $95

Horn Boxes, $75 to $165, from Vivre

Vivre Horn Frames, $30 and $45

Horn Frames, $16 and $29, from West Elm

Plantation Italian Horn Candleholder, $195

Plantation Set of Three Italian Horn Candleholders, $1,695

Plantation Horn Sconce, $995

Roost Horn Lamp, $429, from Velocity

Vintage Horn Lamp, $980, from 1stdibs

Horn Lamp, $425, from Semplice

Plantation Italian Horn Desk Lamp, $1,195

Plantation Italian Single Horn Lamp, $1,695

Plantation Framed Italian Horn Lamp, $1,995

Well Dressed Home Horn Objet, $165

Plantation Long Horn Statue, $395

Plantation Kudu Antelope Horn Statues, $995 each

Plantation Italian Horn Table, $1,400

Plantation Italian Horn Nesting Tables, $5,995 for a set of three

What do you think -- elegant “safari chic,” or just kind of icky? I can't quite decide -- but I do sincerely hope that "hoof decor" isn't next.

(Photos at top: Kim Christie for Canadian House & Home, May 2007; Jan Cevcik, NaturePhoto-CZ; Rick Brazil for Amy Levine Interior Design)