Hostess gifts from Uncommon Goods

One of the things I love about my job (and blogging!) is that I often come across brands, sites, and sources that I may not otherwise encounter.  I shop a lot for clients and search high and low for the perfect items, but also, interesting and cool brands contact me to write about them here.

Do you know about uncommon goods?  They are a brand with such a great story!  It all started in 1999 when the founder visited a museum craft show.  Over time, he realized that there were beautiful, unique goods out there as well as a growing audience for such items, but no great way to connect the artisans and the people who wanted their wares.  Uncommon goods was born to fill that niche.

Oh, and as a bonus?  They are pretty awesome in their business philosophy, with a focus on sustainability, a positive workplace, and giving.  (When you make a purchase they will donate $1 to a good cause--they've donated hundreds of thousands to the charities they support.)  Read all about their mission and sustainability measures here--I swear, it's pretty interesting.

I love a company that gives me warm fuzzies, but at the end of the day, if I don't like what you are actually selling me, I'm not coming back.  So I was DELIGHTED to find that uncommon goods truly has products I haven't seen anywhere else, and I love that you also get a little peek at the artist who created them.  In fact, I'm working my way through my own Christmas list, with perfect presents for my kids, mother-in-law, and even my hard-to-shop for husband.

I'll have to keep those picks secret for a few weeks, but I did want to give you some ideas from the uncommon goods collection.

This time of year, we all go to a lot of parties, and I've been thinking about housewarming gifts.

For hostess and housewarming gifts, I like three main categories:

Special versions of ordinary things
I think it's important not to give a gift that forces any real design decisions on the recipient.  So I try to keep gifts either small, disposable, or offer items that can be stashed in a drawer when not it use.  I love the crochet dishtowels (top right)--a perfect example of something that people don't usually think about, made special.

The "on the rocks glasses" are another great example-- a set of four small items, a visual "joke" and conversation starter, but small enough that most people should have the space to add them to their collection.

The fruit bowl (bottom left) is also stashable, and I love that it reconfigures, giving the recipient the chance to put their own spin on it.

Adventurous and/or artisan consumables
More interesting than the standard bottle of wine, a food treat is a great option since it gets used up.  Unless you know the recipient's tastes well, I love the food version of "special versions of ordinary things"--spicy syrup, apple brandy mustard, a raw honeycomb.  Bottled items are especially good because the host doesn't need to figure out what to do with them--they just go right into the pantry.

Another fun idea is a game that makes better use of what's already in the kitchen--like the "mixology dice" that allow you to create new and fun cocktails right out of the liquor cabinet.

Anything personalized
I love a gift that is personalized without being too personal. You know?  Uncommon goods has dishtowels for every state as well as major cities, countries, and colleges.  A fun way to connect to your host's heritage or current hometown.  There are also adorable personalized family mugs and a beautiful illustrated family tree.  If you want to know the companies politics in a snapshot, take a look at their example--a gorgeous biracial family (and pets included, too).

For diret links to any of the items above, go here.

And for more housewarming gift ideas, go here.

Now please excuse me--I have to decide whether my niece would prefer her unicorn horn in silver or rainbow.

Big Art

Filling a large wall can be tricky--you generally need either a lot of small pieces, a pair of large pieces, or one REALLY big work to make a statement.  Problem is, all of those strategies add up, money-wise.

I was recently looking for wall-defining art for my brother and sister-in-law, and came across a number of pieces not right for them but that I felt I couldn't pass without comment.

All of these are extra large (at least one side over 5'), and all $1000 or under.  Obviously $1000 is still plenty of dough, but it's really not a lot for a wall-sized artwork that will make your space.

Melodie Allegre, folie a deux, acrylic and ink on canvas

Tijana Lukovic, untitled, oil on canvas, Belgium

Claire Elizabeth Jackson, Resham Singh Sandhu, High Sheriff of Leicester 2011, Oil on Canvas, United Kingdom

(you know I would want this for my dining room if I didn't already have Nai Nai)

Raj Yadav, The Mask, Oil, India

Alecs Heiduschka, Totem 2, acrylic on canvas, Germany

We're thinking about letting the girls have their own rooms--and some of the design schemes would leave me with a big wall to fill.  Keeping my eye on these!

Hope your holiday weekend was refreshing!

Ladders are not just for climbing

Sometimes you need to fill a vertical space, for balance or to divide a room.

The Sapien bookcase can dot his well (or just a plain old stack of books).  I used one in my dad's room:

Art can be another way to do this, like the stack of frames I used in my dining room.

(The curtains and tree don't hurt, either).

Another great strategy is the decorative ladder.  I re-did a master bedroom where they already owned one--I just moved it and added blankets for softness.

I've been stumbling upon more and more of these ladders around the interwebs.

Amber Interiors, above and below

Design sponge, above and below

I recently came across these gorgeous ladders, but they're a bit spendy.

Bloak ladder

So I rounded up some options and better price points for you.  There are plenty of options out there in all styles: modern, bohemian, rustic.  Something for everyone!

For sources, go here and click through to the individual websites.

What do you think: would you ever use a ladder in your decor?

I'm Looking For: Fully Upholstered Dining Chairs

Dining rooms can get pretty "heavy" pretty quickly.  The prominent pieces in the room--table, buffet or hutch--tend to be wood.  Throw in two dozen chair legs, and that's a lot of "hard" elements.

Slipcovers are an option, of course, but that look can be pretty casual and/or traditional, not to mention a bit heavy itself.  In order to minimize the number of wood finishes in a room, I have been drawn lately to fully-upholstered dining chairs.  You retain the leggy quality while keeping your elements to a minimum: one fabric, all over.

Here are some favorites, in several styles and a wide range of price points.

From top: leather, elegant, modern, and classic parsons.  something for everybody!

For sources, click here and click through.

Mirror Madness from an unexpected source

You know who is killing it with interesting yet reasonably priced mirrors in all styles?

Pier 1.

After falling for the black and white octagonal(ish) mirror from One Kings Lane in my powder room design, I thought, what else is out there at or below this price point ($200)?  Folks, I only needed to make one retail stop to round up a dozen mirrors under $200 (many under $150).  I threw in lucky number 13--the peacock mirror--even though it clocks in at $234 on sale.

Check 'em all out here.  There are 109 to choose from--these were just my favorites.

Sun. Burst.

Amber over at Amber Interior Design has a fun blog series called Trends I Aint Mad At.  I put sunbursts squarely in that category.  Yes, they are "trending now," but they are so classic, and for good reason.  They are available in all shapes, sizes, styles, and price points (or you can make your own), work in any room of the house, and bring an often much-needed round shape to a room that can easily get filled with rectangles.

Witness.

Bedrooms:

Living Spaces:

Lonny

House Beautiful

Lonny

Jamie Meares

Eating spaces:

Bathrooms:

And entryways!

Design Dump

I rest my case.

All hail the might sunburst!

A surprising source is killing it

Do you know Grandin Road?

It's one of those random home catalogs that shows up without you asking and seems to come every other week.  You always page through it, maybe fold down a page or two, but never order a thing.

Except.

Check out these little chests (all here)!

Dahlia Chest, $349, also in Indigo

Harper Chest, $379

Kira Chest, $349

Medeira Chest, $399, also comes in bright yellow and kelly green

Marco Chest, $399

Olivia Chest, $699

I'm a big fan of using small-scale bachelor chests in place of nightstands to balance the scale of the bed and add storage to a bedroom.  These could be great options for that use, and are priced like a nightstand.  (Of course, the quality of chests at this price point is in question--don't expect them to last the rest of your life.)

Now...which one should I put in a design board, just for fun?

Round up: Trunks!

Yesterday I launched a new series, "8 Ways" and showed you 8 different ways to use an old trunk.

Today I wound up some of the best, readily-available trunks on the market.

Rustic, wicker and steamer:

Sources, here.

Cube, Plaid, and Asian-inspired

Sources, here.

Of course, the best trunks are vintage, antique, or one of a kind.  I've spotted plenty of those around lately, too.  Here are three favorites:

(top two: H&B Gallery; bottom, Wabi Sabi Shop)

Are you convinced?

Do you like this new feature?

Happy, happy weekend!

Get the Look: Patchwork

It's always interesting to see the way elements that have been around forever come in and out of favor, and get re-interpreted, whether in the way they are made or the way they are used.

While perusing my new Kathryn Ireland book from my birthday wish list, I noticed her use of patchwork, a trend I had been noticing sort of out of the corner of my eye.

When I went looking for it, I was amazes at how many patchwork products are available right now.

Get the look:

Chair: Anthropologie, Quilt: ebay, Chandelier: Urban Outfitters

Mirror: Pier 1, Pillow: Shop Latitude, Screen: Pier 1

Pillow: Kathryn Ireland, Chair: nuLoom, Pouf: Pier 1

Rug: kilim.com, Chair: rugs usa

Chair, Chandelier: West Elm

Pouf: anthropologie, Rug: ABC Carpet

Chair: Zinc Door, artwork: Urban Outfitters, Chair: vive decor

Rug: Pier 1, Armoire: West Elm, bedding: Crate and Barrel, pouf: World Market

In addition to the straight-up patchwork offerings, I like the application of the patchwork concept to furniture like the armoire shown from West Elm, where each drawer and cabinet is treated to a different wood tone, or the colorful chandelier from Urban Outfitters, where the color is applied by area. 

I also came across these chairs from anthropologie, which take the concept of patchwork but abstract it.  Rather than pieces actually patched together, they created a screenprint of layered or patched pieces--in this case, photographs and drawings.

What do you think: would you use patchwork in a room?  Would you go old-fashioned or new-fangled?

Loving lately: midcentury inspired lamps

sources

I have been looking at A LOT of lamps lately, and if nothing else, it is reminding me of my penchant for the mid-century thing.  Particularly in ceramic (though wood is nice, too), I love the long, graceful necks and the slightly funky proportion.

Today it's making me thing of Naomi's reveal of her one-room-challenge "bachelor pad" over at Design Manifest.  Check it out, and check out all the bloggers who participated in Linda's brain child.  amazing how fast 6 weeks went...even though I was not actually playing along!

New Wool Flatweaves

What do all of these flatwoven wool rugs have in common?

They are from Ikea!

That's right: perhaps inspired by the wild runaway success of their black and white broken stripe dhurrie, the Ikea folks are at it again.  I saw a number of these in person today, and out of context would never have guessed the source.  (Well, maybe not never.)  Most are good sized (around 5x8 or around 8x10), and all are under $300.

I personally love all the classic stripe options.  Surprise, surprise.

Have you stumbled upon any great finds lately?