Etsy Find of the Day: Kindling Accessories

Are you in a fall frame of mind yet? I'm trying, really I am -- but with the mercury hovering in the mid-80s here, it's not easy. We did take the kids to a pumpkin patch last weekend, but the whole notion of Halloween decorating and fall decor feels a little ridiculous when you're wearing shorts and flip-flops and mopping sweat off you brow. (I swear, between this absurd weather and the potential results in the upcoming election, Vancouver is looking better and better ... )

Anyway, I am at least attempting to get into a more autumnal mood at home. I don't tend to like things that are too seasonal or theme-y, but am drawn to more natural accents at this time of year -- simple branches, twigs with small clusters of berries, bowls filled with tiny white pumpkins, and acorns, pine cones, and fallen leaves collected on neighborhood walks.

These rustic pieces from aptly named Etsy seller Kindling are right up my alley: Simple, natural, and lovely. Above: Twig Picture Holder, $25

Small Stump Planter, $40

Wood Candle Holders, $40 per pair

Check out Kindling's Etsy shop right here.

Object of Lust: David Wiseman Branch Chandelier

Just for the record: When I win the lottery, I'm going to hire David Wiseman to come to my house and turn it into a magically lit enchanted forest.

OK, glad we're clear on that.

(Via cribcandy.)

Cool Stuff: Michael Niederberger's Branch Series

Designed by Michael Niederberger of Switzerland, these branch holders make it appear as if a tree is growing straight out of your wall.

I doubt flowering branches would survive very long displayed this way without water, but wouldn't it make an incredible decoration for a party or a springtime brunch with friends? The rest of the time, you could use non-flowering branches -- my local flower market sells lichen-dotted oak branches that last forever, for instance -- or even realistic-looking faux blooms.

Niederberger has also designed coordinating tables and chairs that "absorb" branches, which then act as legs. It's a unique way to bring the outdoors in, and to meld super-modern design with rustic materials.

I'm not sure if or where the Branch Series is available for sale at this point, but you can read more about it here.

eBay Find of the Day: Vintage Demijohn

How psyched are you for spring? I am so psyched. I want to fill the house with blooming branches to herald the coming season.

Wouldn't this be the perfect vessel for those gorgeous forsythia or quince blossoms? The vintage green-glass demijohn bottle, originally used for fermenting wine, measures an impressive 25.5 inches tall and 56 inches in circumference and has presence in spades.

Fill it with spring-blooming branches for forcing -- as shown here on Habitually Chic -- and use it as a dramatic centerpiece, set it on a console table in front of a large mirror for an elegant vignette, or place it on the floor next to the fireplace or in an empty corner and buy the tallest branches you can for a striking vertical focal point.

Current bid: $50

Objects of Lust: Tree Rugs

More goodies -- these ones warm up those cold winter floors -- to feed my tree-branch fetish. Above: Flash Chaumont Lounge Rug from HZL, $1,475 to $3,275 at 2Modern

Rue Oberkampf Lounge Rug, $1,475 to $3,275 (this reminds me a bit of Marimekko's Tuuli pattern)

Night Frost Lounge Rug, $1,825 to $3,995

Lustworthy as the Swedish-designed HZL handtufted New Zealand wool rugs are, they're not exactly in our price range right now. Here's a more affordable option:

Sleepy Hollow Rug, $299 to $499 at CB2

Objects of Lust: David Wiseman Designs

Yesterday, Grace Bonney of the amazing design*sponge featured this Collage Chandelier by David Wiseman as part of her great chandelier guide.

Being the lighting junkie and branch fetishist that I am, my jaw pretty much landed on the floor when I saw it. So of course I clicked through to Wiseman's site to ogle more of his creations. And then I had to mop up the drool from my keyboard.

All I can say is, holy moly -- this guy makes some gorgeous stuff, in every medium from bronze to crystal to plastic.

Take a look:

Bronze Branches and Porcelain Blossoms, available by custom order through Arp in Los Angeles

Bronze Vase

Ceiling Installation at the Cooper-Hewitt

Ceramic and Bronze Pomegranate, $920 from the Shop at Cooper-Hewitt

Rock Vase with Moss

Private Residence Ceiling Installation

Wall Forest

Deer Hat Hangers, $160 each from Figments

The Los Angeles-based designer is obscenely young (maybe 26?), a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, has been featured in a spate of prestigious publications -- from The New York Times to Elle Decor -- and was chosen for inclusion in the most recent Design Triennial at the Cooper-Hewitt.

Many of Wiseman's designs are custom, which I'm pretty sure puts them in the price category of "Don't. Even. Ask." (But if you dare, email the designer directly for info.) We can still look, though, right?

Breathtaking stuff. My hat is off to you, young Mr. Wiseman.

Etsy Find of the Day: Porcelain Branches

Lovely as wall art or as a creative alternative to standard coat hooks and key-ring holders, these porcelain branches by Etsy seller Guy Michael Davis mount directly to the wall with attached screws.

The starter kit shown at top, with perching sparrow included, is available for $90 right here.

Extension kits are available by special order for a more complex installation, as shown above and below. For additional info and to see other examples of Davis' work, check out his blog.

Cool Stuff: Not-Just-for-the-Nursery Mobiles

Who says mobiles are only for babies' rooms?

I can picture Helen Ige's winsome walnut-veneer Birds of a Feather mobile hung over a grouping of potted plants at the kitchen window, or gently twirling in the breeze in a serene adult bedroom, too.

Bonus: It comes in a frame that doubles as a stencil, so you can repeat the birds-and-branches motif on a wall or a textile.

The mobile is $65 here.