accessories - Seeing Design

Published July 2, 2008 by Anne Collins Howard

Fun Fourth of July Accessories

Sparklers are one my favorite part of the festivities and now in the shape of sweet little hearts, they win hands down. Above, heart sparkler, $8; CoxandCox.com

For today’s post I was thinking about doing a non-kitsch guide to Fourth of July entertaining, but why? If there was any time to break out the tchotchkes–it’s a backyard barbecue with friends and family.

4JulyAntTableclothHolder — Not only will these hand-painted ant tablecloth weights protect your tabletop setup from sudden breezes, but they may even scare away real bugs. Sold in set of 4, $7.95; PlowandHearth.com

And for the grand giggle . . . the BBQ fencing set. Keep your guests entertained and in-line with this "musketeer-style" two-pronged fork. And if it turns out to be a bit too kitsch for your sensibilities, it comes with a cardboard mask to conceal your identity. $20, FireBox.com

Have a happy Fourth of July weekend!

Etc Finds

accessories holidays

Published June 6, 2008 by Anne Collins Howard

The Anthology of “Editor’s Picks”

I got Wish magazine/catalogue , the W Hotels new fashion and decor catalogue, in the mail this morning. I had never heard of it but when I opened it I was pretty impressed. Impressed not so much by the novelty of the items but how well they did their homework. The offerings were essentially an anthology of every “Editors Pick” page from every home design magazine to come out in the past four years–from classics like the Kartell’s Louis Ghost Chair to the ever-trendy Golden Banana Bowl. As far as pricing goes, you would think the W would include a boutique-hotel-style markup, right? Amazing enough I did a little comparison shopping and the W Hotel Store had some of the lowest prices offered online! Worth checking out, even if it’s to catch up on all the old magazines you missed.

These stainless steel votives by Danish designer Marcus Vagnby for $59 were my favorite fresh find on the site. Love the pop of red and the shiny smooth surfaces makes me want to hold them.

Places

accessories shops

Published May 9, 2008 by Anne Collins Howard

The New Patchwork

When I think of patchwork, I think of my bedspread as a ten-year-old girl. I have plenty of fond memories of my elementary school years but my decorating sense is not one of them. I have since graduated from rag dolls and country quilts but the decor scene is looking to bring me back. The modern patchwork seems to be popping up in various forms and some of it is actually pretty great (I am in love with this Curio Glass Mirror from Fringe!).

This modern mix of patterns trimmed with flamingo silk dupioni on this Bliss Living floor pillow completely breaks the fuddy-duddy idea of patchwork.

With a simple decor scheme this Souk Chic rug by Flor could really set off a room.

This mirror is made of recycled tin by Architeques, a small New York company that only builds their decor from local scraps.

Maybe this patchwork trend is being sparked out of the green movement? Patchwork is built on the idea of piecing scrap materials together and there aren’t many practices greener than that. And be it green or not, if something looks green, it tends to look cool too.

Etc Finds

accessories design trends

Published April 8, 2008 by Anne Collins Howard

Mannequins as Home Accessories?

I have been noticing naked mannequins in every store I go to—and these aren’t clothing stores. Small wooden or wire mannequins are being sold as decorative objects through all the home decor manufacturers and I don’t really know how I feel about it. The bare and sometimes faceless dolls are kind of charming yet creepy at the same time. I suppose one or two could be sweet in a dressing area or funky fabulous in vintage-style living room—you think?