Author: <span>Anne Collins Howard</span>

WingardYellowLampThis Kenneth Wingard lamp is a shortcut to good decorating. The bold pattern and color pack such punch, you don’t have to think so hard about accessorizing the rest of the room. Some simple fabrics, streamlined furniture, and a touch of yellow in a pillow or a rug are all you need to give the area attitude. That’s the plan for my next blank room, but if your space has already maxed out its palette the Truffeau lamp is also available in a nonchalant white. 

Truffeau lamp, large, $340; small, $260; KennethWingard.com

Finds

Blog_image

In the house I grew up in, plates hung like paintings. My mom was an obsessive collector of blue and white china; nearly every wall was plastered with Willow and Canton. They framed the doorways, were lined up above the windows and were grouped above the dressers. Their beauty stemmed from a strength in numbers, but these Ibride trays need no such crutch. The trays’ portraits are so expressive that they surpass serving-platter status to become true artwork. The image is transferred onto the wood surface and then laminated, giving it a high gloss finish and a heat-resistant durability. The decorative cutout rim is like a built-in frame ready to be hung. I have to buy these for my mother.

(above, from left to right) Louise, Tara, Liu, Zem, $95; available at Environment 337: e337.com.

Finds

When it comes to greeting cards, Im a blank-sheet-of-paper kind of girl. But recently, I came across these gorgeous graphic flower cards by Artecnica, and my ways may change for good. Each two-inch hexagon greeting card is layered with near psychedelic-patterned petals, which eventually open to reveal a tightly-packed series of stamens and, at long last, the greeting. Folded pieces of paper are so conventional! Besides a singing telegram, I really cant think of a better way to say “Happy Birthday,” “Thank You,” or “I Love You.” Artecnica also has blank greeting cards, so even if you want to write your own note, you dont have to skimp on great design.

Bloom Card, $6;  VelocityArtandDesign.com

Finds