Cool Stuff: Clarissa Hulse Textiles

When we were in London this spring, I fell in love with textile designer Clarissa Hulse's dreamy products, which I spotted in chic U.K. home-decor shops like Heals and Aria.

Hulse makes gorgeous, ethereal lampshades, pillows, throws, wallpaper, and notebooks featuring delicate botanical silhouettes screen- or hand-printed onto colorful silk or linen backgrounds.

Granted, Hulse's designs are not cheap -- especially when you factor in the pounds-to-dollars exchange rate and overseas shipping. (Prices start at 15 pounds sterling -- roughly $30 -- for notebooks and go up to 395 pounds -- $790 -- for throws.) But they would literally make the room, so I think they're worthy of the splurge.

If your budget is tight (and whose isn't?), don't miss the Clarissa Hulse Sale Shop, with last season's stock discounted up to 75 percent. Sale pillows start at 17 pounds ($34); lampshades at 39 pounds ($78); and throws at 99 pounds ($198).

Some of the Clarissa Hulse designs I'm drooling over:

Top: Judas Tree/Sea Holly Reversible Cushion, 39 pounds ($78); middle: Dock Leaf Cushion, 69 pounds ($138); bottom: Twig & Anise Demi-Patchwork Cushion, 59 pounds ($118)

Top left: Judas Tree Shade, 65 pounds ($130); top right: Fireweed Shade, 89 pounds ($178); bottom left: Patchwork Shade, 199 pounds ($398); bottom right: Willow Herb Shade, 95 pounds ($190)

Above: Wingnut Tree Padded Throw, 215 pounds ($430)

Top left: Dragonfly Wallpaper; top right: Leaves Wallpaper; bottom left: Briar Wallpaper; bottom right: Wingnut Wallpaper, all 45 pounds ($90) per roll

Left: Ice/Orchid Notebook; center: Pewter/Aqua Notebook; right: Sweet Pea/Hot Pink Notebook, all 15 pounds ($30) each

Check out Clarissa Hulse's entire product line here.

(P.S. Stateside, Hulse's products are stocked at NYC's sublime ABC Carpet & Home. If anyone's aware of a U.S.-based online source, please let me know!)

eBay Find of the Day: Sunburst Clock

I'm totally digging the grooviness of vintage sunburst clocks and mirrors right now. I love the combination of teak and brass rays on this one, the fact that it takes an AA battery instead of having an ugly dangling cord like a lot of similar midcentury models, and especially the fact that it's an impressive 27 inches in diameter.

Current bid: $22. (Hurry -- the auction ends Monday afternoon.)

Trendspotting: Tree Art

That's Random: How "The Sopranos" Should Have Ended

Warning: It being "The Sopranos" and all, the clip contains language and images that are NSFW (or for those with especially delicate constitutions).

Ciao -- have a great weekend!

Book Giveaway!

I’m wrapping up an article on how to “Feng Shui Your Bedroom” for HGTV, and have a stack of feng shui books that I’ve been reading for reference.

Following the good feng shui practice of clearing the clutter and passing along the items you no longer need, I’d decided to give the books away to my blog readers -- and to get some food for thought for my next HGTV assignments at the same time.

(The titles I’m giving away include Feng Shui Your Life by Jayme Barrett, Feng Shui for Dummies by David Daniel Kennedy, The Western Guide to Feng Shui Room by Room by Terah Kathryn Collins, The Everything Feng Shui Book by Katina Z. Jones, and Feng Shui Dos & Taboos by Angi Ma Wong.)

Here’s the deal: I’m gathering ideas for a pair of HGTV articles on how to accessorize coffee tables and shelves. So email me a good-quality digital photo of a coffee table-scape, a floating shelf accessory arrangement, or a bookshelf vignette that you’ve done, along with a brief write-up of how you chose the accessories you did and how you came up with the arrangement (your first name and general location would be helpful as well). Deadline: Monday, June 25.

I’ll share five great ideas here on the blog (and possibly in the HGTV article as well) and send an almost brand-new feng shui book to each of the generous souls who contributed them.

Looking forward to seeing your design genius at work!

eBay Find of the Day: Vintage Suzani

You can't crack a design magazine these days, it seems, without seeing a Suzani -- usually draped oh-so-casually at the foot of a guest-room bed in the Hamptons summer home of a fashion designer or minor European aristocrat whose monthly interest income probably surpasses your annual salary. (They picked up the hand-embroidered silk textile years ago while on a Vogue photo shoot in the wilds of Uzbekistan, darling.)

If your trust fund doesn't allow for such international jaunts, consider turning (as I always do) to eBay. On any given day, you can find dozens of Uzbek merchants selling the traditional Persian ceremonial cloths on the site -- the vast majority for a mere fraction of the cost of a plane ticket to Tashkent.

This Suzani caught my eye with its striking red-and-black hues and graphic markings. It's a nice size (60 inches square) and would bring a bold shot of pattern, a rich dose of color, and a hint of moneyed bohemian flair to your home when employed as a bed coverlet, draped over the back of a couch, or used as upholstery for a chair or bench.

Current bid: $24.

(Note: When dealing with international sellers on eBay -- domestic ones, too, for that matter -- always check their feedback rating before bidding. Don't deal with anyone who doesn't have a well-established record on eBay and a history of satisfied buyers. Hint: If their rating is lower than your body temperature, don't bid. The vendor selling the Suzani above, for instance, has a positive-feedback rating of 99.8%.)

Cool Tool: Angie's List

Your "To Do" list of stuff to fix, maintain, touch up, rip out, replace, and remodel is a mile long. You know you need help, but don't know where to start. (After all, the last time you hired a handyman from the phone book, it was an unmitigated disaster.)

Where do you turn? To Angie's List.

Now available in 124 U.S. cities, the online service supplies member-generated ratings and reviews of local service people, including air-duct cleaners, wrought-iron fabricators, and more than 150 specialties in between.

Here's how it works: Angie's List members (who currently number half a million) submit more than 15,000 reports every month on the service people they've hired, rating them on everything from being on time to the fairness of their prices and the quality of their work to how good a job they did cleaning up after themselves. Each company is then given an overall grade based on members' experiences.

Say you need a plumber: Go to the search form and set your specifications (for instance, you want a plumbing company with an overall grade of "A" that's located within 10 miles of your home). Bingo! Angie's List pulls up any and all that meet your requirements. You then click on their names to see the average grade in five different categories (price, quality, responsiveness, punctuality, and professionalism), as well as how many reports the grades are based on.

If what you see looks good, keep clicking to read members' individual reviews of the company in question, as well as to check if there are any complaints against the company on file with the local Better Business Bureau -- and even to find out if there are discount coupons you can use if you hire them.

(Of course, once you do hire someone from the list, you'll be asked to fill out an easy online form detailing your experience with them. But consider completing this small chore good karma.)

The first year of Angie's List membership is free in many cities. In others, using the service will cost you around $50 annually. (Look at it this way: That's still cheaper than hiring someone to fix the job the last person you hired botched.)

Find out more about Angie's List here.

Cool Stuff: Pier 1 Ups the Hip Quotient

Have you visited a Pier 1 lately? I can't quite believe I'm saying this, but the fusty former "imports" retailer is looking pretty stylin' these days.

Jumping on the bandwagon with mass-market merchants like Target who are making a concerted effort to modernize and freshen up their home offerings, Pier 1 has dusted itself off for a bit of an overhaul. No longer a musty repository of all things global and faintly hippie, the store is showcasing new offerings with clean, modern shapes and fresh colors -- but that are still (for the most part) pleasingly affordable.

A sampling of some of my favorite new pieces:

Above: Top left: White Resin Buddha, $150; top right: Triple Glass Vases $15 and $20; bottom left: Square Lacquer Tray, $15; bottom right: Argenta Circles Bowl, $50

Top left: Smoke Blue Lamp, $125; top right: White Ceramic Lamp, $125; bottom: Etched Swirl Lamp, $125

Top left: Oval Aluminum Lamp, $125; top right: Kalista Lamp, $150; bottom left: Rectangle Lamp, $75; bottom right: Mesh Lamp, $90

Top left: Beveled Round Mirror, $113; top right: Stair Step Mirror, $175; bottom left: Metal Weaving Mirror, $125; bottom right: Silver Shine Mirror, $100

Left: Melamine Dinnerware, $3 to 5; right: Cerchi Dinnerware, $9 to $10

Left: Downtown Wall Panel, $150; center: Black Square Wall Panel, $60; right: Geometric Print Wall Panel, $100

Left: Wood & Metal Chest, $40; right: Recycled Paper Hamper, $80

Left: Orbit Chair, $69; center: Nance Armchair, $299; right: Easy Rattan Armless Chair, $200

Top left: Calmont Armchair, $599; top right: Rocco Rocking Armchair, $650; bottom: Rosedale Chaise Lounge, $950

Top left: Hylo Rug, $399; top right: Gingko Wool Rug, $250; bottom: Floral Dhurrie Rug, $299

Top left: Gray Slab Coffee Table, $250; top right: Gray Slab Console Table, $275; bottom left: Wharton End Table, $129; bottom right: Ryan Bow Coffee Table, $349

eBay Find of the Day: Mercury Glass Vase

Among my many, many decorating fetishes is mercury glass. I love its metallic hue combined with the high-gloss sheen of glass, and enjoy hunting it down in its many forms -- from "butler's balls" to bowls to vases. I'm convinced that a collection of mercury glass objects grouped together creates an instantly elegant tableaux that adds sophistication and sparkle to just about any space.

So imagine my delight when I spotted this huge vintage mercury glass handled vase on eBay. A stately 18 inches tall, it will command attention on a mantle, tabletop, or even placed on the floor and filled with tall flowering branches.

Seriously, folks -- grab this before I do.

Current bid: $50.

Cool Stuff (Literally): Fan-Tastic

The mercury's past 90 here today, and I'm pretty sure that I am slowly meltiiiinngggg ...

I've been holding out on getting a fan for awhile. (I tend to avoid purchasing items that are purely functional if I think they're ugly -- I'd rather do without than have to look at something I find displeasing.) But I think the time has finally come.

Lucky for me, these tropical-colored cuties from the Company Store are as pleasing to behold as I imagine they are to sit in front of on a sweltering day like today. At $75, they won't break the bank, either.

OK -- that does it. Must. Order. Now.

Cool Stuff: The MacBeth Collection

Who says storage can't be pretty? With the MacBeth Collection's bright buckets, bins, totes, and trays, your most mundane household supplies can be stored in style.

Just pick your receptacle (the company offers everything from mini votive holders to gigantic tubs), choose from the Collection's dozens of playful, candy-colored patterns, and decide if you want an optional monogram ($10) or icon ($5) added to your design.

Whether you keep Q-Tips, fresh flowers, iced brewskis, or even trash in yours, it'll bring a bit of girly summer style to your abode.

Vases, $35 to $62 each.

Tote along, $42.

Tubs, $30 to $75.

Trays, $30 to $68.

Pitcher, $70.

Waste baskets, $52 each.

Bins, $25 to $85 each.

Buckets, $12 to $50.

Mail pockets, $48 each.

Tool caddy, $48.

Etsy Find of the Day: BirdNerd Prints

Let's face it: You can't swing a stick on Etsy these days without hitting dozens of bird prints, each one more twee than the next. Somehow, though, Etsy seller BirdNerd's work stands apart from the flock (sorry, I couldn't resist ... ).

Sweet without being saccharine, witty, graphic, and vibrantly colorful, the Bay Area artist's collages are inspired by Art Nouveau forms, Eastern motifs, and of course her beloved birds, which she says have fascinated her since childhood.

Starting with a painted background, BirdNerd then layers on leaves and foliage shapes cut from wallpaper, origami, and other materials before adding birds created from layers of paper finished with ink and paint accents.

The best thing? At just $15 each, you can afford to buy several of BirdNerd's 8-by-10-inch archival prints to frame and hang as a series. (And for $80 to $135, you can snag an original.)

I found it impossible to choose just one print to feature, so here's a sampling of my BirdNerd favorites. Enjoy!

eBay Find of the Day: Faux Bamboo Table

Faux bamboo is hot right now -- it's an indispensable part of the whole "Hollywood Regency" look -- and this vintage table is the perfect way to add a dash of it to your decor. The coral-red hue is just the thing to subtly spice up a tired color scheme, too.

(By the way, the eBay seller, parishotel, is also the proprietress of San Francisco's sublime Paris Hotel Boutique, which specializes in "fabulous vintage one-of-a-kind pieces that celebrate the glitz and glamour of a bygone era" -- at prices far, far higher than this little beauty is currently going for. She's also the blogger behind the informative and lovely-to-look-at Paris Hotel Boutique Journal.)

Current bid: $20.

Cool Stuff: Patterned Window Film

Emma Jeffs' lovely window film made its way around the blogosphere awhile back, but until recently the product was only available in the United Kingdom. At last, some savvy online retailers (in this case, PureModern and 2Jane) have decided to make the ingenious window covering available to the U.S. market.

Available in six different patterns, including Adelphi (above), Moroccan Tile (right), and Orba (below), each roll is 39 inches long by 47 inches wide and costs $75.

Simply cut the translucent film to size and apply to window panes with water. The film peels off easily and without a sticky residue, and adds needed privacy and gorgeous pattern to windows without blocking light.

Since poor Nick is constantly complaining that his only view from the kitchen window (yes, my husband wears the apron in this family) is of our next-door neighbor's concrete driveway, I know exactly where our next roll is going. But the pretty film would also look great on an interior French door or even on a glass shower door.

What will you do with yours?

Etsy Find of the Day: Pie Bird Press

After all that black, I'm hungry for some happy, summery colors. Lucky for me, I just stumbled upon Pie Bird Press's Etsy shop, and now my color-jones is completely sated.

Pie Bird Press makes exuberantly colorful letterpress cards with a cheerful, retro vibe. In fact, they're almost too pretty to send off in the mail -- instead, I'd frame a grouping of the food-themed cards and hang them in the kitchen. (Pie Bird also makes some lovely cards with flower and foliage motifs.)

Even better? They're just $3.50 to $4.50 each.

Take a look here.

(Be sure to check out Pie Bird Press founder -- and fellow East Bay girl -- Hannah's eye-poppingly gorgeous blog, Printer & Piemaker, too.)

eBay Find of the Day: Sphere Chandelier

This vintage chandelier is a bit hard to categorize -- it's sort of Sputnik, but also sort of Seventies Fabulous.

Made in Italy by Gio Ponte's company FontanaArte, it's composed of smoked crystal squares radiating out from a chromed frame, giving the chandelier the look of a futuristic metal-and-glass dandelion.

Whatever you call it, there's no denying that it's way cool.

Current bid: $81.