Every once in a while I come across a furniture design that is so simple and brilliant that all I can think is “Why didn’t I think of that?”. The Urban Lounge is one of those pieces. It was designed by Scott Collins who is apparently a seamster, carpenter, musician and designer all in one. He has done some great work, but I think that this is one of his best pieces. This is his first in what will be a whole series of outdoor furniture. It doesn’t sound like anyone is producing this piece yet, but someone definitely should. via

When I first ran across Tracy Melton’s Tree Ring paintings, I was instantly drawn to their beautiful colors and, of course, unusual ‘canvases’. The wood comes from dead Elm trees which Tracy cuts down himself with a chainsaw. The pieces are then sanded and clear coated three times to accentuate the wood. Using acrylic, Tracy then paints the bold, colored rings, followed by another clear coat. Each painting is hollowed out from behind for easy hanging and signed and dated by the artist. Available in sets of 3.

Can you just imagine an entire wall covered with these?? What a conversation piece THAT would be! Definitely gives me some ideas…

Tree Ring Paintings | Set of 3: $35 – $55.

Eric Pfeiffer is one of my favorite designers. He always manages to design attractive and functional objects that aren’t exorbitantly priced. The pricing on these lamps has just gotten a little bit better. The cupstack, vee and zig zag lamps are all hand blown and have a wonderful simple geometric styling. I noticed that over at Design Public they are on sale for $79 each (regular $99). Each lamp sits approximately one foot tall and when turned on has a nice soft glow. These little lamps could be just the thing to add the finishing touch to your room.
Available at Design Public for $79.

The Wilton Pool House by Hariri & Hariri Architecture is truly something to behold. I think if I were the lucky owner, I’d take up temporary residency here for the whole summer. I’d never leave!

Project Description:
This 1200 square feet structure was designed as a minimalist sculpture in the landscape. It is part of a 3.5 acre property in Connecticut. The architecture of the pool house hovers over a 48′x20′ pool like a vessel in the water. On the North there is a spa and an outdoor/ indoor shower, and on the south there is a roofed veranda acting as an indoor/ outdoor dinning area with a large opening on the wall framing the landscape beyond. The area around the pool becomes a sunken courtyard paved in Travertine with steps and walls of stone.

The interior of this pool house contains a living/ entertainment room, kitchen and bar area, simple bathroom and variety of terraces and decks. It is enclosed by series of metal and glass sliding panels that would allow the structure to be transparent and open up towards the outside. A wall of green mosaic tiles cover the wet areas (both inside and out side showers) and becomes part of the main composition of the facade bringing color and tactility to the place. The main frame and the ceiling of the structure are in Ipe Wood and make the place warm, nautical and sculptural at the same time. The wood floors stretch out from the interior hovering over the pool and becoming a deck for reflecting or simply sitting around and putting your toes in the water.

See more at www.haririandhariri.com.

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Joseph Eichler may be one of the most well known Mid-Century Modern residential architects developers. In the 50’s and 60’s he was fortunate enough to design and build whole neighborhoods in California. I must admit when it comes to Eichler I’m pretty ignorant, but I’m looking to change that. Next month for my Fiesta Movement mission I’ll be heading to California for a weekend to look at Eichler homes, and hopefully take some good pictures and video. Before I go I need your help!

What are some good websites to learn more about Eichler?

If I could only go to one neighborhood, which one should it be?

Saw these chairs and HAD to share.  Weaving Wood is part of the Nest furniture series from designer Rush Pleansuk of Thailand. Made from a combination of Teak and Ash, these chairs employ the talents of skilled craftsmen in a small workshop in Bangkok. Truly something to behold. Can you imagine the funky marks this must leave behind after a while, though? A small price to pay, really.

Check out the rest of Rush’s impressive portfolio here.

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Automoblox have been around for a couple of years now, and have won plenty of design awards. Our two year old is a huge car fan and we recently picked up our first automoblox for him to play with. I was a little concerned it would be a bit over his head, but besides the one lost wheel it has been a huge success. I’ve been extremely impressed with it as well. Great attention to detail, good quality and an affordable price. They have several new styles with some more aggressive styling and complete with front splitter, side skirts, rear diffusers and BBS styled wheels. All that extra style for the same great price.

Available from Automoblox for $12.

The Stage House is a sublimely minimal ‘weekend home’ with a distinct Japanese aesthetic. Every element of the house has such a sense of balanced energy. I especially love the way it relates to the surrounding landscape, its profile nothing but a dark sliver amongst the trees. Completed in 2007, the Stage House is the creation of Japanese architecture firm TNA.

Check out more of their work at tna-arch.com.

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EQ3 is one of those sleeper brands. No one ever seems to really talk about their products, but they continue to make clean, affordable, modern pieces. One of their latest offerings is this glass JOUR Bowl with a funky orange bird-in-the-nest design. The white glass provides a nice contrast to the orange and the slightly squared shape ads some good visual interest. Unfortunately it’s so new that they don’t even list the size of it. Whether it’s thimble sized or bathtub sized, pricing starts at $12.

JOUR Bowl new from EQ3 for $12.

Moduture is an up-and-coming furniture design line headed by the talented husband and wife duo Brady and Charlotte Wilkinson. Charlotte will be unveiling her new collection at this week’s CA Boom Design Show, June 26 – 28. Though the collection is small (only three pieces so far), it is loaded with options: a bookcase with movable slats, a coffee table that transforms into a puzzle table, and a stackable cabinet with interchangeable covers! All her pieces are beautiful and have a certain timelessness that I think will appeal to a lot of different modern design lovers. If you’re in California this weekend, be sure to stop by and check out Moduture in person. As an added bonus, Charlotte is offering a discount code for CA Boom tickets: enter code “MOD” to receive $4 off your ticket price.
All photos by Jessica Peterson

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