D2S Editor Favs: Week of March 31, 2008

  Favorites from Our Mailbag

Kevin wrote to us that we might be interested in Brit Oliver Heath and his decorating video on The Power of Recycling. And guess what -- we loved its helpful tips and Oliver's winning way of selling us on going green around the house! Also visit the Recycle Now website for more great green tips and videos.

Tim tipped us off about Florida decorator Lorrie Browne's new website, and it's a honey -- My Design Secrets is loaded with great tips and resources that are interactive and fun to explore for each room in your home. Have fun!

We want to give a special mention of our readers Dr. Dean Kane, the world-famous Baltimore-based plastic surgeon, and his wife Lauri Kane and their upcoming double-sided art show to celebrate the Beauty of Women's Body Uniqueness. Dr. Dean's artwork will be shown (we love the Jim Dine-like large heart cast shown above and his huge relief castings of women's bodies and "floral fantasies"), sculpture by Lisa Lalor, and women of various ages and ethnic backgrounds modeling painted body art by artist Jen Seidel-Walsh.

For more information on this April 10th event and to RSVP -- you'll get a free cosmetic consultation and a discount off plastic surgery booked within 30 days of the event; so put this date on your calendars! -- visit Dr. Dean Kane's website. Also take  a look at Jen Seidel-Walsh's website to see her bodypainting video and portfolio.

  Favorite Great Decorating Idea

Fill your walls with art and photography from 20 x 200, a great website that showcases limited-edition art prints and photos in runs of 200, and each costs only $20. You can't miss with this site's wonderful art service.

  Favorite Eye-Catching Design Trend

We love the use of suzani -- silk thread Uzbeki embroidery -- in contemporary interiors. Adding beautiful handcrafted materials to everyday interiors is a great idea. Time to celebrate beautiful handwork! Anthropologie's Suzani Pillows are nifty and you'll love all the great resource ideas from the design blog Belle Vivir on suzani.

  Watch our resident designer Irwin Weiner ASID as he demonstrates a quick decorating tip with a suzani spread he bought in a recent trip to South Africa: How to Decorate with Suzani Embroidery

  Favorite Hot Green Resource

Check out JMX Bamboo, a wholesale supplier for green flooring and molding resources as well as furniture and kitchen items.

  Favorite Tell-Your-Friends Resource

You'll find every possible way to customize luxury bath towels, bedding, and fine linens at Casa Del Bianco on New York City's Lexington Avenue, near the Design District. These Italian artisans are tops in their craft, and they'll match any color, fabric, or detail in your decorating scheme with an excellent turnaround time. All the top designers know of this great resource -- and now you do, too!

  Favorite Hot Seat

We love two things about Anthropologie -- their new spring catalog is amazing and their selection of custom fabrics is fun and has a definite we-don't-care-what-you-think attitude at work. Their Antwerp Chair, here in a springy Bloom fabric, has good energy, and please check out the Craving Anthropologie blogspot to see the favorites of a true Anthropologie-aholic.

  Favorite Kitchen Decor

For those of you who would like to turn your kitchen into a chateau, this might be the way to go. Euro Cast Design offers a variety of cast travertine kitchen hoods, and they can be faux painted, stained, or left natural. The hoods are a nifty way to conceal overhead lights and blower systems, and they're much lighter than cast cement hoods.

D2S Editor Favs: Week of March 24, 2008

Happy Easter, Happy Spring to everyone!

  Favorite Kitchen Helper

Pierre Deux's Provencal Butcher Block is one of many interesting offerings in PD's Le Cordon Bleu line. It's definitely spiffy and of heirloom quality. We loved the attention to details, like the solid oak workspace, wrought-iron hardware, towel rings, and build-in holder that slices off plastic wrap and foil.

  Favorite Antiques, Antiques Book, and New Design2Share Spotlight Videos

We admire Alan Olswing, a Lambertville, NJ antique dealer, and his passion for collecting vintage Chia clay heads. Check out Alan's new book and watch our Design2Share video interviews with Alan and learn more about his fascinating collection (just click on the links below to view the vids):

1. Alan Olswing's Clay Chia Heads   
2. Clay Chia Heads Up Close & Personal
3. An Intro to Clay Chia Heads                                   
4. Alan Olswing on Clay Chia Heads

  Favorite Children's Furniture

This Chair and Table Set from iBride by Kobo is so cute and stylish -- and it's all made from reclaimed wood and recycled materials. Music to our ears.

  Favorite Pair

This pair of Jens Risom lounge chairs would look swingeroo in your pad. Check out our Bond & Bowery Presents column this week and learn more about Jens Risom in our By George! column interview with industry expert George Evans.

  Favorite Back-to-Nature Accessory

Creepy or cool? You be the judge, but we love this Louis Sicard workshop Cicada Wall Pocket that you can hang up and fill with sprays of lavender and baby's breath.

  Favorite TV Gizmos

Electronics lovers have relied on Crutchfield for their gizmo fixes, and the ones pictured above are quite fun. Mount the Polk Audio SurroundBar underneath your TV and it will fill your room with three-dimensional audio without the need to add rear speakers. The black and titanium models are shown, and they're easily easily connected to the TV without having to run wires all over the place. (The photo of the SurroundBar in the middle shows what it looks like with the grille removed.)

  Favorite Design Industry Research

Check out Design Journal's Weekly Top 40, their selections of furnishings and hot new decor  items available for custom specifications. Wow your clients -- and you can even sign up to get the Top 40 sent to you as a weekly email.