Bokja

I am infatuated. Very much adoring my new find...

As a self-diagnosed fabricaholic, I absolutely am enamored with the trend of covering one piece of furniture with multiple fabrics, and if they are brightly coloured, textured, handwoven, natural and global textiles, all the better. The sad truth is that the making of fabric in our own culture has been mechanized and plasticized to the point of nearly being tupperware. But there is a cultural connection to textiles around the world that goes back nearly as far back as man. The gathering, dying and weaving of these fibers went hand in hand with the telling and documentation of tribal stories. The tapestri of life can literally be traced back through history.

"We are mixers and matchers who like to upcycle fabrics, frames, and techniques in a sustainable and fascinating way. We are story-tellers. Every piece of fabric, color, thread, frill that goes into our pieces is a little word from a different part of the world that is chosen in an intuitive process." the team explained to GreekArchitect online magazine.

BOKJA is a Turkish word that describes the elaborate and detailed fabric created to cover a bride's dowry. Embroidered by the bride's relatives, this fabulously worked textile is meant to be a reminder of her past to be treasured in her new life as a married woman. Marrying vintage furniture with fabrics that are worked traditionally is the brainchild of Lebanese design team Huda Baroudi and Maria Hibri. Artisans are often enlisted with a mind to help women, with female prisoners and widowers being given a chance to support their families in an otherwise desperate situation.

What the world needs is a more beautiful way of looking at what we have to work with. We don't need more stuff, we need a way to revitalize what is already on hand, both in terms of things, and resources. A good dose of colour doesn't hurt either! It doesn't get much better really :)

Vintage Gorgeousness in Wood: Almond Hartzog

 It's not very often that I wish that I still had money. Swarovski encrusted masks aside, I'm not much of a "stuff" person. OK, that is not entirely true... I have a lot of stuff. But it is a lifetime acquisition type of stuff... not a rotating roster. I actually am more apt to collect other people's glorious junk from garage sales and thrift stores than anything else... and it is usually with the intent on using it in a photo shoot or similar type experience. That's it. I have theoretical experience based junk. And lots of it. Buuuuut.... there might just be room in my home for one or more of these things from Almond Hartzog's Gallery. (This would be the continuation of my unfortunately resurrected obsession with 1st Dibs. Ugh.)

The issue that I have is that I have always been mentally preparing for my forever home. As a renter, I am stuck with the irony that while I need to have "whatever works in this space right now" pieces, I also really want to be collecting what I really actually want for my future home. If only I could really really decide on just ONE style that I truly resonated with... I am getting closer all the time... LOL... sorta.

Hip Hip Hoopla

I am loving this series of photos and the hilarious captions that go with. It has been keeping me company for awhile now and I think I should share on the off chance that there are others who have yet to fall upon it. I think the world needs more bits of funny, don't you? About time this "Modern Life" obsession the design world and all its followers covet and portray are tossed about a bit, no?

It started with basic doodles: turtles, butterflies, and the like. Then, he began diagramming string theory and spouting principles of quantum physics. His parents were horrified.

(Photo: David Duncan Livingston; Dwell)

He had no intention of ever riding it, or even fixing it. But he decided from this moment forward, all visitors would enter to find him in exactly this position.
-SteveZ.

[vehicular cruelty]

(Photo: Gregg Segal; Dwell, October 2009)

Also this.

Over the Moon

I love this 'Havana' seating combo and 'Argyle' cube storage by Lunar Lounge Design. I tend to gravitate towards people from Winnipeg because they always seem to have a personality bordering on psychosis. In a good way. My ex, who was from there, used to say that it's because there is snow there for so long that if you are not creative you go stir crazy. Sounds like a good breeding ground for people destined for the arts. The guys of Lunar Lounge started their Canadian company with the same ideas of the obvious recognizable icons who created the furniture that inspires these designs- affordability and use of materials that are readily available. With the introduction of formaldehyde-free birch plywood and a decidedly lower price tag than you will pay for an Eames these days, Lunar Lounge may be the way to go.

I also like their Orbit chair which you can apparently get in clear, as well as their Eliptikal coffee table in blue. If you would like to see more, visit them on etsy here.

Photo Credits: Etsy Lunar Lounge Designs