D2S Editor Favs: Week of January 7, 2008

  Favorite Place to Sit & Work

Julian Chichester's mod take on the 19th century Library Chair is available in both polished fruitwood and drama-queen silverleaf finish.

  Favorite Way to Hide the Boob Tube

The VisionArt people are serious about hiding your flat-screen television. Create a custom picture frame, select artwork (many are signed-by-the-artist limited editions), and use your TV remote control to turn your set on and off as you always do -- only your canvas-based artwork automatically rolls up and away for tube viewing and rolls back down to conceal your screen when you switch off.

  Favorite Video

 

Charity Navigator put out a holiday gift-giving video on YouTube and their website, and it gives good ideas for charitable giving in the New Year. This website has excellent four-star scale ratings of over 5,000 charities and takes charities to task over efficiency (how much money they raise is really spent on the charitable purpose). Also, check out their list of Highest and Lowest-Rated Charities by Cause.

  Favorite House Pet

The Pfaltzgraff Circle of Kindness Cashel Blue Cow is a metal cow on wheels. Go figure! We think it will be perfect for holding spring flowers, don't you?

  Favorite Home Toy

Motorizing your window treatments can add some glitz and sizzle to any room and start you turning the corner to having a Smart or Wired Home. Need a basic article to help you get started thinking if motorized window treatments can work in your house -- and how they will benefit you? Here's one from Home Toys that we liked a lot.

  Favorite Kitchen

The Sheer Spherical Kitchen is a trip. This little bubble packs all the essential needed in any kitchen, from ceramic cooktop and sink to a pull-out table and cutlery storage. The hood/lighting top lifts up by remote control and lowers at the touch of  a button. When closed, it emits a groovy ambient light. Fun concept.

  Favorite Hot Classic Design

Belgian architect Victor Horta created the Hotel Tassel in  Brussels, an 1892 jewelbox hailed as the first architectural expression of Art Nouveau. Its tendril-like ironwork, both decorative and structurally important, became part of the nouveau vernacular; the term "Horta Line" was used to describe rich swirling lines.

  Favorite Explosive House

Hanrahan Meyers Architects developed a prefab house for clients in Easton, Pennsylvania. Its open form allows spectacular views of the Delaware River Valley, and we love the up-on-stilts design.

D2S Editor Favs: Week of December 31, 2007

   Favorite HAPPY NEW YEAR Recipe

Cupcake Recipes is a guilty pleasure blogsite from the UK, and these double-depth Lemon Cupcakes are perfect for decorating (they spell out Happy New Year) and can be filled with great fruit or cream fillings. Start out the new year on a splurgy note!

  Favorite Crying-Shame House

It's a crying shame that this 95-acre Starwood Ranch property in Aspen, CO belonging to Prince Bandar Bin Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz isn't more stunning architecturally. The staggering $135 million price tag should have purchased beautiful design, but it only managed to channel a supersized Motel 6. We think the 56,000-square-foot McMansion was not money well spent -- except, of course, for the snowmelt driveway.

  Old Favorite

You haven't lived until you've tried Booty's Brownies, a Traditional Southern Recipe. Unfortunately, they are no longer being made commercially, so we apologize for the tease! Happy New Year and many thanks to Atlanta's finest, Mr. Booty Long, for sending our Design2Share team some of the most delicious brownies ever. We have fallen in love with their fudgy goodness and are thoroughly addicted. 

  Favorite New Year's Day Bowl Game Equipment

How can you spend over $100,000 to get mind-blowing big-screen projection with top-of-the-line audiophile sound? Men's Journal has that package and other more economical recommendations for home theaters.

  Favorite World's Biggest Chair

There are other claims to world's largest chair, believe it or not, but we thought this Italian chair took the cake. The blogger claims this was not a photoshop job, and is homage to a local chairmaking operation.

  Favorite Expensive Appliance

The Victoria Arduino Venus Century Espresso Machine, limited edition for the company's 100th anniversary, runs just south of $20,000. The Pope was presented with the first one off the assembly line, and only 100 of these beauties were made.

   Favorite Redecorating Ideas

Go to Green Living Ideas for some of the best home remodeling tips, product recommendations, and alternatives to help you live greener and more environmently friendly. We loved their brilliant  Green Remodeling with Eco-Friendly Paint suggestions. This is the best way to redecorate in the New Year.

  Favorite Rug

We love the reissue of the Blue Marine rug that Eileen Gray originally made for her home on the sea in the south of France. Divine.