I thought that since today was Halloween, that I would post something slightly seasonal. These Rococo Plates from Chiasso are just dark enough to be perfect halloween decor, but modern enough to keep around for next year. This set includes two square serving plates, one 8″ and one 12″. Both black frosted glass plates are embellished with ornate silver rocco scrolls.

Available from Chiasso for $28.

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I wanted to talk a little more about the light in our bathroom. We splurged a little here, because we just couldn’t find something simple and affordable. In fact, compared to a lot of other choices, this was actually very affordable. The 2 squared light is a simple anodized aluminum housing for a T5 fluorescent bulb. It is (you guessed it) two inches by two inches, and available in several different lengths. We opted for the 50″ high output model. It cost us $229 shipped through our local Artemide dealer The Light Spot. We love that the aluminum will match our new bathroom window, and we love the look of it. The light quality of it is very nice, if mounted correctly. We tested out some mounting arrangements and found that when mounted up high, with the diffuser out the light quality was not very good. I was surprised because this is how it is shown with the 2 squared mirror. Luckily by turning it to face down the lighting improved dramatically.

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Our bathroom is long overdue for a little handy work. Last week I finally got a chance work on it a little. I mentioned previously that we had our mirror put in, but failed to mention it didn’t quite go as planned. The mirror was supposed to go all the way to the ceiling, but because of the walnut surround on the toilet, and the sink being mounted, it didn’t happen. They ended up having to make a field cut (and a crooked one at that) to get it maneuvered into place. This left us with a 12″ gap above the mirror that we had to fill. I ended up making a nice walnut detail that protrudes out similar to the toilet surround. It also gave us a nice place to mount our vanity light. Overall I think it turned out pretty nice.
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Although I had never heard of a Furoshiki Bag before I saw this, I was instantly enthralled by the design. According to wikipedia, a Furoshiki is a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth used for carrying things. This cotton bag is a slight spin on the old design. This origami like bag can be folded into several different positions, depending on what you need to carry. The handle attach to each other with magnets to hold things tight. If you get bored of the color, its reversible. It even folds up nice and small for when you aren’t carrying anything. Available in orange, yellow, blue and green.

Available from Compact Impact for $59.

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My sister tipped me off to this great section of Urban Outfitters website that is called DIY, which stands for Design it Yourself. They have quite a few nice things, but my favorite by far are the stencils. They have several different ones, watertower, cars, powerlines, sparrows (shown), deer, just to name a few. They show most of them being used on bags or shirts, but I think the best idea is to do wall stencils like this picture shows. For $10 and some spray paint, it makes a cheap way to spruce up that white wall.

Available at Urban Outfitters (online only) for $10

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Some time ago, I posted about an alternative diapering system called Baby G Diapers. Since then I have heard of a couple other alternative diaper systems. Fuzzi Bunz has been around since 99 and is a reusable diaper that uses three different layers. The first layer is a super soft polar fleece that keeps the baby dry by letting wetness pass through. Second is a waterproof outer layer, and third is a super absorbent microterry insert that fits between the other layers. What I like about them is there is nothing to throw away, its all washable, but sounds easier than the old school cloth diapers. They also come in a whole bunch of great colors. I don’t have any personal experience using them, but my sisters friend swears by them. Fuzzi Bunz was nice enough to send me a pair so I could check out the quality, and my wife and I were very impressed. When we get around to having kids, we would love to try them out.

Available online or near you for $17.95

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Dwell has some new pillows, and while they are not exactly the most modern in design, they do represent well a new emerging trend in design, Luxury. It seems as design looks to evolve, it frequently kicks back to designs of old. Point in case is modern design, once prominent in the 70’s, nearly abandoned, and now back. As the luxury look eases its way back into up and coming design, could we be seeing an end to the modern revival?

Dwell Flora Linen Pillows available from Design Public for $110

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I have to admit, these chairs totally remind me of gradeschool. Perhaps thats part of the charm. Designed over 40 years ago in 1962 by Robin Day, the polyside chair was part of the original modern revolution. Through the use of injection-molded plastic, colorful well designed furniture was able to be made at a price that allowed it to become accessible to the general public. Thanks to a sale at Design Within Reach, these sweet little stackables are even more accessible now.

Available at Design Within Reach for $39. Available in Blue, Red or Green.

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This is the last wall in our front room to drywall. I have been toying around with the idea of leaving the brick and original timbers exposed. The brick is the original adobe brick used for insulation. I think I would have to do something to make it a little more secure, I have seen exposed brick that has a thin layer of fiberglass over it to secure it and keep the dust down, so thats probably what I would do.

Ok, it was a little less than a year since we tore down the wall and ceiling of our bedroom. I can’t tell you how nice it is to finally have it all sheetrocked. I thought that it was going to be a horrendous experience, but thanks to a drywall lift, it wasn’t that bad at all. When it comes to taping and mudding though, I don’t want to even try. We are currently looking around for someone local that is cheap and good.
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