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I hold a very dear place in my heart for cupcakes. My own bergamot lavender cupcakes were a hit in the East Village when my friend Jodi of Sympathy for the Kettle would serve them up with frothy matcha lattes and endless pots of Ti Kuan Yin. Lately, I’ve had the growing desire to get back into the kitchen and bake up a storm (motherly instincts?)…
The kitchen is such a happy place in our house: full of anticipation, tempting aromas and (mostly) great results – thanks to head chef YZ. I’ve always had quite the weak spot for kitchen supplies but, with my klutzy husband breaking most of the japanese glassware and ceramic treasures of my past life, I realize that my attention should now turn to accessories of a less breakable nature. Already a big fan of beautiful wood objects, cutting boards are a great culinary object to focus on.
I’m not going to suggest I spend my weekends canning or preserving peaches — this isn’t that kind of blog — but I can’t help loving a classic glass jar. Forget the fussy, sticky, sweaty days of making marmalade. Jars are perfect for everyday storage around the kitchen, and for those of us without much cupboard or pantry space, they’re a great way to make the usually-hidden presentable. In fact, a neat row of jars filled with nuts or grains or pasta often adds a touch of dare-I-say rustic charm to a countertop.
As a design geek living with a music geek, I spend my days lost in an endless gaggle of wires: nests of audio-cables, tangled mouse-cords and — what the heck does this attach to!? Three cheers, then, for Pasadena-based design firm Bluelounge, who are single-handedly cutting through the technological gordian knot with a range of savvy clutter solutions…
Oh Santa! I almost forgive you for that flu you plagued YZ and I with this Xmas, what with all the juicy gifts you lugged down our chimney along with it. All in all, the 25th was a veritable indulge-fest, with everything on my list neatly wrapped in recycled paper under the tree…
The holidays are all about home, home-comings, and homeyness so why not give a gift that celebrates the abode? From the tiniest trinkets to the enormously extravagant to the quirky never-knew-I-needed-that shwag — the home is like one more child that can’t stop asking for something new. Here’s our 2010 gifting roundup — all in the spirit of adding a dose of whimsy and color to your home this season.
What is a tchotchke? I would say it’s an object that you just don’t need but, somehow, are drawn towards. In the world of flea markets, antique shops, Ebay, and strange gift-givers, it’s hard to avoid the constant barrage of doodads that are daring you to find room for them in your 4th floor railroad walk-up. As our little house has started filling up with bowls of Italian glass marbles, stacks of vintage flashcards, turn-of-the-century typewriters and so forth, I’m realizing that I must become more strict with my collection curating…
“Silver is the best material we have. And silver has this wonderful shine like moonlight…a light taken straight from a Danish summer’s night. When covered by dew, silver can look like magical mist.” — Georg Jensen
For ages now we’ve been singing the praises of powder-coated steel to anyone who would listen, and we love what Copenhagen-based designer Peter Johansen has been doing with this lightweight and flexible material…
Oooh, this lamp is too cute for words: perfect for a child’s room or just a corner of the house that needs a dab of personality. Meet Milk, a Daschund-shaped lamp by Wants and Needs that is sure to light up more than just a reading corner…
“Creatables is a company and network of engineers and designers that negotiate prices for industrial surplus materials from which we and our fellow designers develop nice consumer products. When you buy a Creatables product you reduce the effects of over-consumption and cast an important vote towards a sustainable development.”
While on today’s redecorating, de-stressing binge I stumbled across these breezy, ephemeral terrariums from Lítill. The delicate landscapes use some of Lo’s List’s favorite desert survivors — lithops, tillandsias, craspedias — all housed in hand-blown glass orbs…
I don’t know whether it’s the post-summer doldrums or just that it’s — ugh — Wednesday but I am feeling in a funk! My solution for such ruts is pretty reliable though: a good scrub of the house (mmm… Mrs. Meyers basil) and some heavy redecorating! What better way to give your digs a massive makeover than kicking your wallpaper up a notch with a made-to-order Minakani print?
We heart Areaware, the artist collective based in New York. And on their roster of crazy cool product designers is Ross Menuez, who’s been popping up on our radar time and again. Menuez loves any vehicle that can carry a graphic and he’s decorated clothing, bags, accessories, plush toys and pillows…
We’ll be the first to admit it. Blogging at Lo’s List, it’s sometimes easy to get carried away in the pursuit of the top ten next best things. It’s easy to get caught on the twin, sophisticated prongs of design & marketing. Luckily, just when we need it, a site like Kiosk Store will pop up on our radar and rebuke the faster-better-brighter habits of our industry.
