How To: Make a Knitted Pouf

I am totally going to make one of these.

Go here for step-by-step instructions. If you can knit and purl, it actually looks incredibly easy. And even though it requires 18 skeins of super-fat yarn plus stuffing, it'll still cost a heck of a lot less than the $800-$1,600 Flocks Poufs at DWR.

There's a smaller version, too.

(From Norway's Pickles blog -- don't worry, the instructions are in English -- via Tikoli's Twitter, via Craft, via CasaSugar.)

Objects of Lust: Bus Sign Wingback Chairs

The transit sign trend has finally made its way onto furniture: These leather wingback chairs from Sydney design company Davidmet Nicole have been upholstered with authentic vintage English and Australian bus scroll signs.

They're a mere £3,995 apiece (about $6,083) from London's Atelier Abigail Ahern (where the red turned-wood side table also pictured above is a relative bargain at £1,500, or about $2,284).

Objects of Lust: Patricia Urquiola Tropicalia Collection

If I had an estate on Santorini, I would buy a few dozen of these Tropicalia Chairs, designed by Patricia Urquiola for Italian company Moroso, to arrange on the all-white pool deck. And then my fabulous, jet-setting friends and I would lounge in them all day, sunning ourselves while the tanned and beautiful houseboy brought us tray after tray of canapés and cocktails.

Oh, to dream ...

Check out the entire collection right here.

Objects of Lust: Jayson Home & Garden Fantasy Shopping Spree

Sorry I am so, so late with this post today -- I have an awful flu complete with ear infection and ruptured eardrum, the pain of which made childbirth pale in comparison. Nick, bless his heart, got the kids off to school this morning so I could sleep until the absolutely unheard of hour of noon. (He is the best nurse, and his kindness and patience with me makes my crankiness and impatience during his own recent bout with this virus all the more unforgivable.)

Anyway, to distract myself from my clogged head, aching body, and hacking cough, I indulged in a little fantasy shopping spree at Chicago's sublime Jayson Home & Garden, putting together a virtual ladies' salon that's equal parts refined and romantic.

The elements, clockwise from top left: Caravan Chandelier, $1,295; Lotus Flower Dishes, $24 to $48 each; Antique Carved Mirror, $11,995; Barnard Lamp, $575; Vintage French Chair, $1,150; Cerise Pillow, $315; Frank Table, $3,695; Faux Zebra Hide Rug, $1,095; Amalfi Sofa, $2,316; Vintage Wooden Shoes, $295; Petrified Wood Table, $1,495; Moroccan Wedding Blanket, $795; and Factory Light Sculptures, $85 to $225 each

The grand total for my fantasy space? A mere $25,703. Le sigh ...

Etsy Find of the Day: Atelier Afra Poufs

Handmade in Istanbul, Turkey, these colorful poufs from Etsy seller Atelier Afra would provide fun and practical extra seating or an inviting place to throw up your feet. I especially love the crocheted, concentric-circle pattern on top.

Blue Pouf, $395

Pink Pouf, $395

Check out all of Atelier Afra's Etsy offerings right here.

Cool Stuff: New from Henry Road

Some brand-new lovelies from Los Angeles-based Henry Road (as with Lotus Bleu, I'm loving this foray into reupholstered vintage furniture):

Slipper Chair, $350

Pair of End Chairs in Patch, $1,400

Black Armchair, $1,400

Olde Sofa, $3,200

English Armchair, $880

Remnant Lampshades, $175 and up

Union Jack Pillow, $85

Fleur Grande Pillow in Purple, $90

Circles Grande Pillow in Purple and Koi Pillow in Indigo, $90 each

Garden Pillow in Ocean, $90

Ceramic Acorns, $12 for three

And with that, my imaginary shopping list grows ever longer ...

Objects of Lust: Revamped Vintage at Lotus Bleu

I'm positively drooling over the latest crop of reinvented vintage chairs from San Francisco boutique Lotus Bleu (earlier versions blogged here). The French/Vietnamese-flavored Hayes Valley shop takes pedigreed midcentury seating and updates it with vibrant and feminine fabrics, to gorgeous effect. Above: Slipper Chair, $1,550

Midcentury Sprung Rocker, $1,350

Reclining Lounge With Ottoman, $1,550

Vintage Armchair, $750

Rocker and Ottoman, $1,650

Wingback Lounge Chair, $2,450

Armchair, $750

Danish Armchair, $750

Danish Modern Armchair, $1,550

Granted, I'll probably never be in a position to drop $1,500 or more on a single chair, but these are inspiring me to take a fresh look at flea market furniture and fun fabrics. (In fact, Lotus Bleu can even reupholster that hand-me-down from Grandma for you in one of these amazing Robert Le Heros fabrics.)

See more of Lotus Bleu's updated vintage seating here -- and peruse the shop's other beautiful offerings here.

Cool Stuff: Sofa, So Good

I'm still on the hunt for a new sofa for our living room. Not that we have the cash to be buying major pieces of furniture right now, but hey -- that's never stopped me from looking and wanting before.

Almost all of the ones I have my eye on seem to share a few key traits: simple, relatively clean lines (though I am a sucker for a bit of button-tufting and perhaps a slight bohemian-louche vibe); tight backs; single-cushion seats; slim, sexy legs; and yummy gray velvet upholstery. My current faves: Long Snooze Sofa, above, from Ochre (No idea on the price, but I suspect it's steep.)

Jamie Dream Velvet Sofa, £2,075 (about $3,276) from Graham & Greene

Loring Sofa, $999 from Room + Board (I love the price and the look, but unfortunately this model wasn't that comfy when I tried it out in the store.)

Reese Sofa, $1,499 from Room + Board

Andre Sofa, $1,699 from Room + Board

Ditte Sofa, $3,498 from Anthropologie

Lampert Sofa, $2,950 from Jonathan Adler

Nell Sofa, $5,495 from Jayson Home & Garden (This one may just be my favorite -- but, ouch, that price!)

Wilshire Sofa, $2,950 from Williams Sonoma Home (This photo from the WSH website doesn't really do the couch justice; I've seen it in person and it's gorgeous.)

None of these has every single thing I want -- I'm lusting after a really deep sofa to curl up in, for instance, which seems to be hard to come by in a more tailored style. And none even has enough of my wish-list items while also being within the realm of financial possibility for us right now, so the search continues ...

By the way: Anyone out there know anything about having a sofa custom-made, or how much that costs? If so, please let me know!

eBay Find of the Day: French-Style Chairs

Ignore the tacky "Granny Glam" sofa in the background ... These velvet-upholstered, circa-1930s or '40s French-style armchairs are tres chic, non?

Current bid: $550 for the pair. (The auction ends Tuesday evening, October 28.)

Object of Lust: Jonathan Adler Lampert Sofa

I'm never, ever going to convince Nick to go for tufted velvety furniture (men!) -- but I think this Lampert Sofa, which I recently went nuts over at the San Francisco Jonathan Adler showroom, is pretty close to perfection.

Maybe you'll have better luck? If so, it's $2,950 right here.

Cool Stuff: Orla Kiely for Heals

London-based design darling Orla Kiely's brand-new furniture pieces for UK home furnishings chain Heal's have been making their way around the blogosphere over the last few days. And for good reason -- Kiely's femmed-up, midcentury-inspired chairs, tables, and sideboards are seriously cute.

Unfortunately, with the current exchange rate they're also seriously out of reach. The Cupboard at top, for instance is 1,395 pounds (or about $2,474), while the Dining Chair and Occasional Table above are 250 and 495 pounds ($443 and $878).

But I was clicking around on the Heal's site admiring them, anyway, when I saw that Kiely has also designed some great bedding, bath linens, and office storage items for the British retailer. And those wares, at least, are actually reasonably affordable:

Flower Blossom Print Bedding, 28 to 85 pounds ($50 to $151)

Large Storage Box, 40 pounds ($71)

Multi Stem Embroidered Towels, 6 to 26 pounds ($11 to $46)

Scribble Stem Print Bedding, 24 to 85 pounds ($43 to $151)

Sadly, Heal's won't ship outside of the UK. But maybe you have an extra-nice British friend who could post a packet off to you or smuggle over a bit of Orla goodness on his or her next visit? (Jo-Anne, David, and Amanda: Yes, I'm talking to you.)

Check out the entire Orla Kiely collection for Heal's right here.

Design Dilemma: We Need Furniture That Won't Make Our Living Room Too Dark and Heavy

More Ways to Waste Time reader Heather writes, "My fiance and I recently moved to Los Angeles, where I'm attending grad school. We scored a beautiful apartment in a 1928 building that has all the original fixtures and details. It was so gorgeous I almost didn't want to put anything in it -- except I did, and now I have a problem.

See, I bought this desk. It's a great desk, and it looks great in the living room. But now it needs a chair. As I discovered upon bringing the desk home, along with the TV cabinet below, the finish is very close to the finish of the window frames, beamed ceilings, and other woodwork. So to add a chair in a dark finish would be putting another piece of heavy-feeling furniture in a room that doesn't have much else (aside from a white sofa). I worry that the space is beginning to veer dangerously close to 'stodgy.'

Can you suggest a desk chair that will keep the vintage spirit of this room alive, or something that will liven up the place without looking, well, out of place? We're also agonizing over what to do about a bookcase. All of my books need to get off the floor!

I absolutely love this apartment, but it's got a very specific look and I'm not sure how to maintain that and still make it young and fun. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!"

First, Heather, the apartment is gorgeous! You totally lucked out on that one. Still, it's a tough nut to crack in terms of decorating.

Like you, I love vintage architecture -- and I especially love vintage homes that maintain their original features but are decorated with modern furnishings. But that dark stain on all the woodwork makes it a little tricky. In magazine spreads featuring modern interiors housed within classic spaces, all of the woodwork is usually painted the same chalky white or charcoal gray as the walls. I wouldn't recommend doing that here -- not just because you're renting, but because it disrespects the wonderful Spanish Colonial Revival architecture of your new home.

Top photo from Domino magazine; bottom photo from House to Home

The way I see it, you have two options for decorating in a way that will make the space feel younger and a bit more lively: Go with the old-world vibe of the place but take it in a sort of rich, bohemian, "souk-chic" direction -- using white and jewel-toned furnishings as a base and layering on lots of details like filigreed metal and exotically patterned textiles.

Photo from Point Click Home

Or go for contrast and keep everything but the woodwork light, bright, and a bit more modern -- which would provide a clean palette that lets the dramatic woodwork be the star of the show.

Your white couch is a great start for the light-and-bright option. Follow suit by swapping out the desk for a white one, painting it (if you don't think that would ruin the piece), or leaving it as is but partnering it with a light-colored chair. You could give a nod to the historic style of the room in a surprising way, for instance, by splurging on Philippe Starck's Louis Ghost Chair ($410 at Design Within Reach). It has a simplified Rococo form but is rendered in crystal clear plastic, so it won't add an ounce of visual weigh to the space.

Alternately, Restoration Hardware's Martine Chair in white linen ($495) has more unabashedly traditional styling, but the light upholstery keeps the look from getting too heavy and old-fashioned. For a less-expensive option, pick up a traditional-style occasional chair at a thrift store or garage sale and spray paint it glossy white.

As for a place to stash those books, you can't go wrong with IKEA's white Expedit Bookshelves ($199) in any kind of space -- modern or classic -- because they're simple, clean-lined, and affordable, but have tons of storage and display space.

Finish off the room with simple, creamy curtains (I love IKEA's Aina Curtain Panels, $50 a pair, in white or unbleached linen); a light-colored rug (a sisal, white flokati or felted shag, or even a graphic cowhide would be great); and possibly some streamlined modern light fixtures. (Just be sure to carefully disconnect and store the original ones you have now so you can reinstall them before you move out.)

Readers, any other thoughts on how Heather can honor the vintage architecture of her apartment without veering into the realm of heavy, dark decor -- as well as specific desk chair or bookcase suggestions? If so, please post a comment and share them!

(P.S. Have a Design Dilemma of your own? Send it in, along with a snapshot or two showing what you're dealing with, and I'll put it up here for a communal brainstorming session.)