Kohler's Numi Toilet "Does It All"

Irwin Weiner ASID - Global competition is normally a healthy trend as it tends to keep everyone innovating and on their toes. America's Kohler, the giant in home goods and bath and sink fixtures, has faced stiff competition from Japan's TOTO and its TOTO USA operation for bidet-functioning toilets that handle multiple tasks automatically for homeowners. Kohler's Numi toilet introduction in May 2011 launched Kohler firmly into the does-it-all toilet category, with a fully automatic toilet that opens up "for business," lights up when you're using it in the dark, sprinkles and dries off and warms your bum, heats your feet (yes!), and even plays music (yes?). It seems to do everything but serve snacks and motivate you while on diet, but that might well come in Numi v.2. And the remote control (shown here) means that you can accomplish your mission with the touch of a finger. The does-it-all-toilet war is on! Watch today's featured video as Kohler chief David Kohler introduces the Numi to the crowd at the KBIS show.
 

 

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Use Offbeat Accessories to Add Storytelling to Your Decor

Irwin Weiner ASID - I think it's fun to go into someone's home and hear stories about bits and bobs and oddities found on a coffee table or proudly displayed in a hutch. Unusual accessories bring interest into a home, and it's delightful to be able to trot out their provenance or past use ... or tie a story of how you discovered the piece into your guests' remarks - "We were antiquing in Osaka two years ago and came across this little shop near the main temple ...." So bottom line: sprinkle some unusual items into your decor; but leaven them in selectively as you don't want your home to come across as Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe. I've chosen a few oddities from 1st Dibs (always loaded with quirky, fun items), and you can click on each photo to learn more information about each piece.

Toy collectibles make the world go round ....

Can't go wrong with anything combining pheasants, wheat sheafs, and gargoyles ....

Not necessarily just for the birds ....

Beam me up, Scottie ....

Yes, I'm a garden gnome lover ....

Here, fishy, fishy ....

 

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Chic Industrial Salvage Decor from Trainspotters UK

Irwin Weiner ASID - The notion of reusing industrial products in your home is appealing to me on several levels. You're recycling and reusing something that has outlived its original use, and that's a good thing. You're adding a tech vibe to your decor, which will add some eclectic edge to your interior design scheme. And you're adding objects with interesting stories to tell - like the metal shelving in your kitchen (see above) which used to be British train car luggage racks. We found Trainspotters - a UK source for industrial salvage from the UK, former Eastern Bloc countries, and elsewhere - and dug up some real treasures. Click on each photo for more info.

Decommissioned NYC Walk/Don't Walk Traffic Signs

Double-Sided Czech Communist Clock

Polish Bulkhead Factory LightingCzech Factory Plan Chest with Bakelite Handles

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New Year's Finds at The Bright Group

 

Irwin Weiner ASID - I love shopping for clients at 200 Lex, the New York Design Center. We find it's more cutting edge than many other design centers around town or in the U.S. One of the shining stars in the NYDC is The Bright Group, an amalgam of wonderful home and commercial design resources in a single showroom. I've put some of my favorite items above and below, and you can click on each one for more specific information. 

Onox 55 Lights from Florian Schulz

Abbott Dining Table from Douglas Jennings Collection

Bijoux Pendant Light from Charles Loomis

Van Bed from Bright Chair Company

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