Kitchen
If you’ve ever been an allergy sufferer or lived with one or witnessed one trying to walk from one side of a park to the other you probably know that the whole thing is just a miserable cross to bear. Although I don’t seem to be allergic to a damned thing, my little sidekick of ten years, Goobie the Cat, was pretty much deathly allergic to it all…
The Dutch really know how to pinch a penny — something I learned over and over from my mother growing up. Sometimes the philosophy doesn’t work (ie. having to sport knock-off Converse All Stars from Payless during the painful years of junior high) but other times hits it on the nose: like these adorable polka dot- and garland-clad vintage plates, pitchers and other kitchenwares by Nina Invorm. The buck doesn’t stop there: check out her brighter-than-a-rainbow blog for eye candy galore!
Just right for springtime, Alessi’s whimsical line, A di Alessi, is full of impeccable housewares that balance function with fun. Although their website is a royal nuisance to browse, the plethora of goodies, from plant-like toilet brushes (so much less depressing) to the perfect kitty bowl for Goobie the Cat, are sure to brighten up so many of those daily dreary to-dos!
Totally in love with these stippled porcelain wares from Robert Siegel’s Etsy store! The small selection of hand-thrown and hand-painted polka-dotted vases, mugs, plates, and bowls are a downright bargain and a great addition to any spirited kitchen. After a year-long residency at the Sanbao Ceramic Art Institute in Jingdezhen, China, the ceramicist moved back to Philadelphia where he set up his studio and…
Who doesn’t like rope!? From worn, dirty-white sailing rope to neon mountain climbing rope to… baker’s twine. Red baker’s twine is pretty common, I actually finagled some out of the Something Sweet Bakery on First Ave…
I run an anti-paper napkin/towel house and am always on the lookout for fun napkins and dishcloths to add to our kitchen collection. This series from La Cerise sur le Gâteau, a blossoming little boutique operating out of Paris, has all the charm of the French country balanced out with neon, pop culture graphics: perfect for the booming crop of savvy, stylish city-dwelling chefs!
Just wanted to post a little OTOTO update (check out the intro post here!) – since their latest product, the Tea Sub tea steeper, is LOL genius. Get the kitchen trinket here for approx. €10 or head over to OTOTO to check out the Tel Avivi design house’s full inventory! Don’t know where to buy loose-leaf tea? Check out my good friend Jodi’s amazing online mega-teahouse, Sympathy for the Kettle! Try the Harlequin Blend (Label designed by yours truly »pat pat«) – a smooth black tea with blackberries, elderberries and nettle leaf.
OTOTO Store
Levontin Street #7
Tel Aviv, 65111
Israel
Well, YZ and I finally crumbled under the pressure of all those Football Sunday flatscreen commercials and got ourselves a fancy-pants television. So, in celebration of the new gadget, we curled up in front of Juzo Itami’s Tampopo (タンポポ) last night with stomachs growling the whole way through. If you haven’t yet seen the 1985 noodle western about a truck-driving “cowboy” who stumbles upon a young widow’s ramen shop and orchestrates the reopening of all restaurant reopenings, rent it and make sure there’s something tasty in the fridge. This film is serious foodie porn. Of course I couldn’t ignore the stunning soup bowls used throughout the film and set out to find comparable pieces on the interwebs… If you’re willing to drop some serious cash, there’s a wealth of intricately-painted antique Japanese bowls out there. Two good sites to browse for the precious stuff are…
1Nel's Pack of Dogs Bookshelf & Bench$413
2Penguin Classics with Cover Illustrations by Coralie Bickford-Smith$14
3My Wonderful World of Fashion by Nina Chakrabarti$13.5
4Studio Smeets Design Lili Lite Bookshelf Lamp€99
5Harry Allen Rollerstop Bookend$95
6Folk & Flora Pattern Books and Notecard Set by Reprodepot$44
7Zelco Itty Bitty Book Light$35
8Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller$29
9Pictorial Webster's$23
10i3’s Help! Bookmarks – Set of 5$19
1Eding:Post’s Picnica Bunny Bag$27
2Angharad Mclaren’s Recycled Climbing-Rope Mat£68
3Singgih Kartono Magno Sustainable Radio$200
4Freitag F74 Bob Bag$300
5Esque Studio's Recycled Glass Slump Vases$285
6Handmade Bird Calls by Sweet Bella$36
7Bamboosk8’s 100% Bamboo Skateboard Decks$45
8De Paper Bag By Jos Vandermeulen$20
9The TransNeomatic Bowl by Fernando and Humberto Campana$89
10Recycled Bike-Chain Bottle Openers by Resource Revival$14
More quirky flights of fancy out of Israel by way of Reddish Design Studio – a hop and a skip south of Tel Aviv in the city of Sitriya. Naama Steinbock and Idan Friedman certainly aren’t afraid of breaking the norm with their work, which is inspired by everything from Yakuza tattoos to embroidery. Some of my favorites are the picnic skirt – allowing for picnicing anytime, anywhere, the Yakuza furniture collection – tattooed from tabletop to foot, the bird bread board – great for you or place it by the window for your feathered friends, and the bath & beyond chair – ‘nuf said.
OTOTO, founded by Israeli design duo Ori Saidi and Daniel Gassner in 2002, focuses on simple & bright objects that expertly blend the utilitarian with the totally cute. Curvy snails creep out of their shells to reveal measuring tapes and what looks to be a teetering tower of porcelain teacups is in fact a quirky single flower vase. Treat yourself to one of these doo-dads at their site or visit the store in Tel Aviv…