Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Where Our Trash Went...

We once had a friend who went environ-MENTAL on us all of the sudden--and quite forcefully at it.

Have you had one of those? You know, the kind that monitor your plastic bag usage? The kind that only let you use two squares of toilet paper at a time, and only if it's a number two? The kind that if you stay at his house, shower is limited to a minute and a half?

Well, it was no fun hanging out with someone like that, but reading this LA Times article makes us wonder if he does have a point. The article is about how trash is being disposed after it left our homes.

Some of the main points in the article:

1) The amount of waste we generated is enormous and permanent. More and more landfills are filling up and new spaces are needed.

2) We consume more alcohol and eat less healthy than we are willing to admit.

3) We waste a lot of food. 10% of garbage is edible food, and there is no discernible difference between the rich and the poor.

To read the entire article, click here.

It really makes you think about how much we consume and how much we waste, doesn't it?

Monday, December 21, 2009

Color Story: Black, Gold and White

We're just in the mood for something cheerful this time of year. Something that's a little unusual, a little daring, a little fun...
w about something in black, white and yellow? It's like, having some permanent sunshine-plus, it's a killer color-combination too. Very dramatic & glamorous.



Source: Armoire by Worlds Away, Rug by Surya, Chairs by Guildmaster,
Mirror by Bungalow 5, Pendant by Worlds Away,Pillow by Bliss Studio.

Design Xil Bathroom Furniture from Karol with Uncommon

Design Xil Bathroom Furniture
Design Xil Bathroom FurnitureDesign Xil Bathroom Furniture modern from Karol with Uncommon


Design Xil Bathroom Furniture
Design Xil Bathroom Furniture
Design Xil Bathroom Furniture modern

Modern architecture house ideas designs pictures

Modern architecture house ideas designs
Modern architecture house ideas designs
Modern architecture house designs pictures


Modern architecture house ideas designs
Modern architecture house ideas designs
Modern architecture house designs pictures

Classic living room design sofa

Classic living room design sofa
Classic living room design sofa
Classic living room design sofa pictures


Classic living room design sofa
Classic living room design sofa
Classic living room design sofa
Classic living room design sofa pictures

Indian Modern Contemporary Home Design

Indian Modern Contemporary Home Design
Indian Modern Contemporary Home Design

Indian Modern Contemporary Home Design photos



Indian Modern Contemporary Home Design
Indian Modern Contemporary Home Design

Indian Modern Contemporary Home Design pictures

Futura Cucine with Minimalist Kitchen design

Futura Cucine  with Minimalist Kitchen design
Futura Cucine  with Minimalist Kitchen design
Futura Cucine  with Minimalist Kitchen design
Minimalist Kitchen by Futura Cucine
Futura Cucine  with Minimalist Kitchen design

Futura Cucine with Minimalist Kitchen design pictures

Modern House Design Refined Circulation pictures

Modern House Design Refined Circulation
Modern House Design Refined Circulation pictures

Modern House Design Refined Circulation
Modern House Design Refined Circulation picture
Modern House Design Refined Circulation style

Prefab home architecture LoftCube Four pictures

Prefab home architecture LoftCube Four
Prefab home architecture LoftCube Four
Prefab home architecture LoftCube Four pictures

Romantic House Garden Luxury Design

Romantic House Garden Luxury Design
Romantic House Garden Luxury Design pictures

This garden allowance is affiliated to the band and advance abundantly draped arbors that allure users from amplitude to amplitude with absorbing architect that they created. Wrapped in a ample Victorian-era homes, garden-inspired adventurous is advised for ancestors living. Planting and again alluvion into a airy affection with a aggregate of Australian built-in and alien plants that are bendable carpeting aberrant about a ample cogitating pool. This esplanade is a abode that grows with the ancestors and can board all the bodies - as a ancestors as their friends. Esplanade consists of a alternation of abstracted apartment that serve the alive recreation, acquiescent ball and reflection. In beneath formalized allotment of the park, autumn backwoods Maples swept up through the grass in a garden style.

Romantic House Garden Luxury Design

Romantic House Garden Luxury Design

The alternative of this garden plants advisedly focused on the flora has a continued activity through the seasons and the able courage of blooming all year 'round. Roses blossom for six months of the year in the belted parterre page. The accomplished abstraction is to actualize a actual accustomed but at the aforementioned time alfresco the allowance neatness. Ample breezy barrier provides melancholia flowers and fruits as able-bodied as a faculty of privacy.

Romantic House Garden Luxury Design

Romantic House Garden Luxury Design pictures

Asian Kitchen Design Home and Pictures

Asian Kitchen Design Home

Pictures Asian Kitchen Design Home minimalist



Asian Kitchen Design Home
Pictures Asian Kitchen Design Home

Asian Kitchen Design Home

Pictures Asian Kitchen Design Home

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Quote of the Day

From the LA Times:

"There is quiet beauty in ordinary lives that are well-lived".

Custom Design Wardrobe

Jones Cornthwaite Wardrobe custom

Jones Cornthwaite Wardrobe custom



Custom Design Wardrobe
Custom Design Wardrobe

Building Tips Selecting Home and House Architecture

Before the construction of houses should be made a budget plan in advance, so that could be known from the beginning how much it costs to be incurred. With the Budget Plan made we can also plan from the beginning of various types of materials which will be used in building houses. Besides, the existence of our Budget Plan can adjust budget in accordance with the conditions of our bags and we choose the bias-type materials that will be used to build houses, so that the fruits of development could house more leverage. With our Budget Plan can determine or learn from scratch how much that would cost incurred for the implementation of housing construction.

House Architecture construction

And has a nice house, and according to the taste and lifestyle, of course, everyone desires. Such things can not be realized if we buy the "House So". Because buying "House So" means we use the concept of design houses and others. Not necessarily design the house according to the wishes and the style we have. Then how to get a dream house that became our dream? How to conceptualize, design, and build yourself a house. This requires the designer of the building (house architecture / design houses) that can transfer the ideas and desires into a building design. By choosing a house architecture / design house really good quality, the picture of a house that is ideal in our minds can become a reality.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Another Magazine Bites the Dust-Metropolitan Home Closing

The day started off beautifully. It was 75 degree, perfectly sunny, tank-top-and-flip-flop kinda weather.

Yes, if there is anything good you can say about Los Angeles, it's the weather.

So we had our latte, went to the park with our dog, went to the farmers market, and when we got home, the mail box was full of magazines. Really, can the day be any better?

But, nothing lasts forever. Our great day was ruined when we read that Metropolitan Home, one of the best modern decor magazines, is closing down. December would be its last issue.

Seriously, we just want to cry!

We wrote in a previous post about how all the great magazines are closing down-Gourmet, Domino, Blue Print, Southern Accents, InStyle Home, Cottage Living...Declining ad revenues are to blame. So is the Internet.

We don't know about you, but NOTHING on the Internet can substitute the feeling that you get when you open a fresh issue of glossy magazine full of amazing photography. Yes, there are tons of design blogs and all, but nothing can substitute the kind of awesome inspirations that professional designers can provide. Sure, we think it's great that Mary Sue did an awesome kitchen using Ikea, but we much rather see an amazing kitchen redesign on Met Home. Think about it, do you get more inspiration from someone say, Thomas Keller vs Rachel Ray?

Nuff said.

So here is a thought for the magazine/newspaper industry: How about charging for content? Yes, Robert Murdoch got a lot of heat for saying this, but it is a valid argument. The industry has to pay for its cost of business, and as their readers, it is our moral obligation to help sustain them. Instead of paying $15 for a two-year subscription, charge a little more. Have some free content on the web, but charge for premium content.

We are so used to the idea that everything has to be free for us to use it, but at the end, the cost of paying nothing is that we end up having nothing in return.

Like everything else in life.

UPDATE: Looks like the media establishments are starting to charge readers for their content. Check out this NY Times article for more..

Friday, December 18, 2009

Animal-themed Lamps from Barbara Cosgrove

We've been seeing a lot of animal-themed decor lately. Some are very tastefully done, lots are not...

We've always loved Barbara Cosgrove lamps. They take traditional styles and put a modern twist on them, and the overall effect is quite glamorous. We've seen them displayed in very upscale places like the SLS hotel in Beverly Hills and many five-star hotels in Vegas.

Here are some new animal-theme lamps that were introduced recently. They are not expensive at all (about $200-$400 per pair).



This pair of foo dogs lamps are MARVELOUS in person. It's one of our favorites.

This will be cute in a kid's room...
You can see the rest of the collection at Barbara Cosgrove or visit our modern lamps section.




Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Candice Olson Rugs for Surya

We love Candice Olson's TV show on HGTV. Her style is fresh and modern yet approachable. It's not like Kelly Wearstler's where things look amazing but then you think to yourself-- who has that kind of money and that kind of life?

Anyway, Candice Olson just did a collection of rugs for Surya and it very much reflects her aesthetics. They are not too expensive (about $1000 for a 8 x 10 or so, less, obviously,for smaller sizes...).

Here are some really pretty ones:






You can see the entire collection in our modern rug section or Surya's web site.