Well, the New year is here and it's time for New Year resolutions.
I don't know whether you agree with Al Gore or not that Global Warming is a current concern and not a future concern like many people believe, but we can all do our bit to a sustainable living. Obviously living on a house boat and being in tune with nature is anot an option for city dwellers, so why not check the following websited for important tips of how to live a "green life".
www.nyc.gov/planyc2030
Mayor Bloomberg’s plaNYC for a Greener, Greater New York
www.alphaworkshops.org
Alpha Workshops
www.yayainc.com
Ya-Ya (Young Aspirations-Young Artists)
www.aidtoartisans.org
Aid to Artisans
www.fscus.org
Forest Stewardship Council
www.greendepot.com
green office supplies clearinghouse
Grass Pillow
These pillows reflect the familiar beauty found in nature’s shadows. They are hand silkscreened by Los Angeles artisans and have a beautiful modern look. They are made from 100% Belgian linen and are available in different colors. Size of these pillows ia 18 x 18.
Check out more here
These beautifull American game boards are reproductions of 19th-century, full of history and character. Use them as individual trays and let the quiet American folk art remind you of simpler times. Hang them all together and their rich, lively designs will bring a playful spirit to your wall.
Dimensions: 24"sq. x 3.5"h
Price: $59 each
Source: Wisteria.com
This is one of the first mass-produced Christmas cards -- dating back more than 160 years -- found among the extensive special collections of Bridwell Library at Southern Methodist University's Perkins School of Theology.The lithographed card caused a controversy in some quarters of Victorian English society when it was published in 1843 because it prominently features a child taking a sip from a glass of wine.Approximately 1,000 copies of the card were printed but only 10 have survived to modern times. Bridwell Library acquired its copy in 1982. The card was designed for Henry Cole by his friend, the English painter John Calcott Horsley (1808-1882). Cole wanted a ready-to-mail greeting card because he was too busy to engage in the traditional English custom of writing notes with Christmas and New Year's greetings to friends and family.Cole, who also wrote and published Christmas books, printed more cards than he needed so he sold the extra cards for one shilling each. Bridwell Library's card was signed by Cole and addressed to the engraver of the card, John Thompson (1785-1866).
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If you have books and have no space for a shelf this hang-up book holder from Chiasso.com is a perfect solution. It creates the illusion of a line of books hanging vertically, unsupported on the wall and is thus an invisible book shelf! It’s comprised of a simple aluminum bracket with a plastic comb that grips the cover and pages of paperbacks. Simply mount the bracket on your wall and attach your books for a modern, suspended display on the wall. Use two or a few to create your own floating library. Mounting hardware and instructions are included. Paperback books only. Holds up to 20 lbs.
orig: $448
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The set of three bowls , in three stackable sizes are from Chiasso.com. They are a fiesta of colors that add fun and coolness to the kitchen and dining room. They are useful and a sure way to serve and store with style. They are Dishwasher safe but too bad they cannot are not for use in microwaves. Also shown are the salad serving spoons from the same collection.
I love this space!
The Slipper Genie cleans the floor as you walk, with removable and washable chenille soles from stacknrack.com.
Hmmmm...I wonder how comfortable they are....
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Jason Miller's Superordinate 4 Antler chandelier
Resin Trophy lamp from Generate Design
As this is the season for giving and receiving gifts, here are a few ideas for gifts that you can give to small apartment dwellers. This Fold-up Sleeper Ottoman is perfect for those of us who face the space crunch. This double duty Ottoman can be unfolded to a double bed sleeper for those unexpected guests.
I also liked this Fish bowl bookends which can add decor to your apartment and can also function as a book end.
You want to go eco-friendly, then how about having your next drink in these goblets crafted from coconut shells? Well, you can drop them and they won't break. Check out more of coconut shell crafts Here
In a "mobile" and "handsfree set" world, do we have time to sit down and have a conversation with someone over the phone? well, this table will definitely make you want to sit. It is not really a table. It has a table portion to base your phone instrument while you sit by on the cushion. It is made of carved wood and colorful cushions. Truly beautiful Indian furniture
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Robin Wilson was one of the ten designers for the Esquire that designed the "ultimate bachelor pad" - the location at 111 Central Park North, a building developed by the Athena Group LLC .
The glass-sheathed building is supposed to bring a lot of hip "downtown" style to the historic Harlem neighborhood at Lenox Avenue. The outdoor space has two terraces, including a design by Robin Wilson sponsored by Rockport that is shown in the pictures. Going by her eco-friendly theme, Robin wilson designed a putting green, a pergola, petrified logs, an original designed recycled concrete bench (dyed black), a unique chair from Aspen and energy-efficient LED lighting, plus low-water plants in resin vessels. Check out the whole of this dreamy bachelor pad here. I am warning you guys, you may severly dislike your current living pad after viewing this....
Hillel Glazer hated shoveling snow, so he added an electrical heating element to a rubber doormat, to melt the snow so he wouldn’t have to shovel the mat. Now Mr. Glazer, 29, has a company called Heat Trak that makes mats up to 25 feet long for commercial sites. They plug into outdoor outlets and heat to 50 degrees above the ambient temperature, melting two inches of snow an hour, he said. Last month he introduced his first residential doormat (around $130), left, and stair mat (around $50). The new mats are sold at Hammacher Schlemmer (hammacher.com), Frontgate (frontgate.com) and Bed, Bath and Beyond (bedbathandbeyond.com); commercial mats are available from Heat Trak at (866) 766-9628 or heattrak.com.
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Don't want to celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah? How about celebrating Festivus with this photo fountain that can also display ornaments, greeting cards in addition to snapshots? Well, it is not made of aluminum but nickel and it certainly is not a pole, but it sure is more beautiful than the one Costanza is holding. I am sure, neither George nor Jerry will mind displaying this tree in their apartments.
Adam Kalkin is an architect and artist who is unveiling his Push Button House, a shipping container with motorized walls that unfold like an elaborate Murphy bed to reveal an unexpectedly muted interior with refined furnishings. one he says, "It works like a flower - you push a button and the thing transforms itself." "Mr. Kalkin is also using containers for humanitarian purposes, most notably a series of recreation centers for underprivileged children in Russia. Mr. Kalkin created the design pro bono for Natalia Vodianova, a fashion model whose charity, the Naked Heart Foundation, has raised $500,000 to build the first one next year in Nizhny Novgorod, Ms. Vodianova's hometown and Russia's third largest city, which has agreed to provide a 20-acre plot near the city center.Mr. KalkinPingry School in Martinsville, N.J. The idea was to create a safe, defensible space in the event of war or disaster while also providing a teaching tool. Each dwelling unit, capable of housing up to 40 people, is made up of eight containers stacked on two levels and positioned around a communal courtyard covered by a roof made with parachute fabric. Students are helping to build a prototype on campus. Source
Information on other projects by Adam Kalkin is at www.architectureandhygiene.com
These monogrammed Snow flurry stockings and tree skirt from West Elm are really cute. I can make sure of a white Christmas at least in my home :-)
These urban mirrors are dual functional. They add brightness to the room and also serve as modern art on the walls.
Check out these Snow flake home accessories from Chiasso. I love the snowflake ornaments and the snowflake runner and coasters.
The multi purpose step chests shown on the right are available in different drawer and door configurations for varied storage needs from Greenteadesign.com. Apparently, the step chest or Kaidan Dansu in Japanese has its origins in Japan. Some body there had the brilliant idea to make a staircase that will also function as storage. These are made of real hard wood and are quite sturdy. But I wish IKEA would come up with something similar and cheaper, so that I could use this as a room divider cum staircase for my adorable fat cat Farley. I could keep his food at the very top and he will get some exercise this way :-)
The dining table was bought from IKEA. I prefered a glass top to wooden. It has a shelf underneath to keep napkins or to keep some decorative items. The chairs were bought separately and were also form IKEA. Both the chairs and the table were really easy to assemble. After seeing my sister struggle to put her dining table together ( it was adjustible), I decided to go for an easier to put together but at the same time stylish piece.
The French Chef Salt n' pepper men were bought from Overstock.com.
I bought this photoscreen from Walmart by mistake. I was looking around for room dividers and I saw this on the Walmart website. It was categorized under room dividers, so without checking the dimensions I bought it. Only after I received it did I realize that it was so small. But I put unique greeting cards instead of photos and now it has become a decorative piece in the living room.
The Levitz sofa and the love seat were bought from Furniture.com on sale. They are 100% Italian leather. I absolutely adore this sofa. Although, they look bulky, they are very comfortable. I do not like firm sofas. They may look sleek and modern but they will not hug you when you sit on them. I always feel that this sofa embraces me when I sit on them.
When I was searching for a duvet cover, I wanted something in combination of blue/brown...sort of like sky & earth and I found this Inhabit Bedding Soak in Winter Sky duvet set on Pillowsandthrows.com. Although, I really liked the set, I think it was a bit too overpriced for just a duvet cover and two sham pillow covers. I had to buy the fitted and loose sheet in light blue separately from Walmart, it matched perfectly as shown in the picture in the right. It was just after I moved in, so everything was sort of messy :-(
I have a really small studio (Well more than half of New Yorkers have small studios). So I am always looking for multi-functional units. I was looking for a full length mirror but I didn't want it just for decorative purposes. I wanted some functionality. So when I found this Brennan Swivel mirror with mirror on one side and shelving on the other side on Overstock.com, I was thrilled to the core and I bought it. You can see a glimpse of it along with my adorable fat cat Farley in the picture below.
I really like this mirror. Not only is it beautiful, it also makes me look thin :-) I think Farley will agree with me as I have caught him staring at the mirror quite often.
