Etsy Find: Felt Storage Baskets

Made from high-quality, ultra-thick and sturdy industrial felt, these handy baskets from The Felt Store are great for containing clutter. Use them to hold your bedside or living room reading stash, yarn and other craft supplies, desk accessories, or even bread or fruit on the dinner table. Above: Large Felt Storage Basket With Handles, $90

Gray Felt Table Basket, $15

Lined Felt Table Baskets, $25 each

Medium Storage Baskets, $65 each

Check out all of The Felt Store's Etsy offerings right here.

Etsy Find of the Day: Reya Veltman

Yummy felted goodness from Etsy seller Reyart (aka Geleen, Netherlands-based maker-of-things Reya Veltman). Above: The Naturals Felted Pebbles, $16 for four

Contour Lines Handfelted Bowl, $55

HeartFelt, $30

Brown Felted Bowl, $55

Snowdrops Sculpture, $55

Handfelted Placemats, $50 for two

Brown and Blue Felted Vessel, $50

Loki Birds, $45 for two

Check out all of Reyart's Etsy offerings right here -- and see more of Veltman's handmade creations (including painting, illustration, and photography) here.

Etsy Find of the Day: FilzFelt Floor Mats

Much as I love pattern, I've been shying away from strong pattern on the floor after having had to craigslist one too many nice rugs that simply didn't work with the ever-changing decor in our rooms. (I told you I have design ADD.)

My new strategy is to opt for simplicity in the larger elements in our home, like flooring and furniture, so that I can go wild with color and pattern in easier and less-pricey-to-change things like pillows, artwork, and accessories.

So these simple, earthy felt floormats from Etsy seller FilzFelt (aka Boston designers Kelly Smith and Traci Roloff) are especially appealing. (Plus, you know how I love felt.)

They're made from high-quality German industrial wool felt, come in 6-by-9-foot ($405), 4-by-6-foot ($180), and 2-by-3-foot ($50) sizes, and are available in an array of Pantone-matched hues.

FilzFelt also has a great selection of simple, modern placemats and coasters, pillows, and felt by the yard.

Check out all of Smith and Roloff's Etsy offerings right here -- and see more of their designs here.

Cool Stuff: Cushlab Felt Cushions

I got a sweet note the other day from a reader in England named Rebecca Barton, asking if it would be OK for her to post a link to my blog on a UK-based design forum. (By the way, the answer to that question is always an emphatic "Yes!")

Like many of us, Rebecca has an email signature that includes a link to her own website. (Be warned: I will always, always click on those.) So when I saw hers I couldn't resist taking a quick look, and here's what I found:

Touchably tactile felt loop cushions made with tone-on-tone or contrasting colors. The pillows are available as (roughly) 18- or 20-inch squares or 18-by-24-inch rectangles.

And I especially love these felt faux bois cushions, which depict woodgrain in a variety of fun, not-found-in-nature hues.

The pillows cost 65 to 80 pounds sterling (about $130 to $160) apiece. Each is handmade to order, and Rebecca will even consider custom sizes and color combinations. I wish I could scoop up a bunch of these (damn the weak dollar!). But for now, I'll have to be content admiring them from afar.

Check out more of Rebecca's charming cushions right here.

Cool Stuff: Felt at Lotus Bleu

Despite the sunny skies and warm temperatures we're enjoying here in Northern California, my autumnal obsession with the deliciously soft and cozy textiles made from felted wool is still going strong ...

Luckily, San Francisco's Lotus Bleu has just come into a lovely collection of felted pillows, rugs, and other home accessories in gorgeously vibrant spring shades. The handmade, fair-trade, vegetable-dyed textiles come courtesy of Muskhane, a small concern founded by a French couple living and working in Kathmandu, Nepal. Muskhane uses the natural fibers and traditional weaving techniques employed in the remote Himalayas, but "brings a modern, graphic approach to these age-old crafts."

Take a look at the results:

Quilted felt baskets, $55 to $85

Decorative felt balls, $26

Felt hot pads and coasters, $16 to $18

Felt pillows, $78

Long felt runners, $285

Round felt rugs, $100 to $175

Check out all of the great French-Asian fusion designs at Lotus Bleu.

Etsy Find of the Day: Union Jack Pillows

Anarchy on the sofa.

These felt Union Jack pillows come in a rainbow of poppy, punky hues and measure about 16 by 16 inches. They're $38 each from London-based Etsy seller Karen Hilton Designs.

Cool Stuff: Molo Design Softlight

I've blogged Molo Design's ingenious kraft paper Softseating before, and now the Vancouver company is applying the same flexible, malleable honeycomb concept to lighting -- to beautiful effect.

Molo Softlights are still in development, but will come in several sizes and shapes. I'll let you know as soon as they're available for purchase.

See all of Molo Design's clever creations -- which include Softseating, Softwall, Softblocks, and the gorgeous new Felt Rocks, below -- right here.

Trendspotting: Laser-Cut Felt

Lately I've been noticing more and more products -- from tableware to lighting and flooring -- created from laser-cut felt.

It's such an interesting juxtaposition: The fuzzy, woolly, wintry felt gives weight, warmth, and earthiness to the delicate, even ethereal laser-cut designs.

Take a look:

Chrysanthemum Placemat, $42 for a set of six from Venucci

Snowflake Coasters, 12 pounds sterling (about $24) for four, and Little Doily Placemat, 16 pounds ($32), from Donna Wilson

Gabrielle Lewin Flowers Placemats, $32 for four, and Coasters, $10 for four, from the MoMA Store

Lacey Felt Placemat, $4 at Crate & Barrel

Sweat Pea Table Runner, 25 AUD (about $22), Black Tussie Mussie Table Runner, 35 AUD ($30), Sweat Pea Placemat, 7 AUD ($6), and Coaster, 4 AUD ($3.50), all by Venucci, available at Hart & Heim

Bouquet Placemats, $35 each from Out of Gray

Cappelletti Vintage Cushions, Sconcigli Cushion, and Lotus Throw from Illu Stration by Mary-Ann Williams

Sconcigli Pendant, Xolo Pendant, Bloom Light Chain, and Oak Leaves Pendant from Illu Stration by Mary-Ann Williams

Mixko Delight Light Shade, $161 at Rose and Radish

Laser Cut Felt Rug, $199 to $499, from Brocade Home

Cappelletti Rug from Illu Stration by Mary-Ann Williams

Doily Rug, 440 pounds sterling (about $880) from Donna Wilson

Wool Wall and Room Divider Panels from Bev Hisey