Sumner Design Studio

Check out this amazing cabinet hardware by New York based Darcy Miro.  It brings to mind bark, barnacles, and metal left underwater for ages.

I came across these pillows on a recent visit to West Elm:

The studded flange is something I’ve never seen before, and I think I like it.  Trim on pillows is often so fussy, I like that this is a little bit tough.  Also, the pillows are 24″ square, and for that I say thank you West Elm.  I’m so sick of skimpy little throw pillows.  Go big or go home.

I’m back…  Sorry I have been missing in action.  I just looked at my last post and was shocked to realize that it was a full month ago.  In my defense, I just moved into a new condo.  Have you moved lately?  It’s not fun, and it takes a lot more time than it should.  I will write some posts about my new place, but not until it’s photo-worthy, which may be a few months yet.

It’s December now, which means I can post all the Christmas decor I want to!  I’ll be back next week with more regular posts.  Until then, I leave you with this image from photographer Bruno Suet, via Desire to Inspire.  You know I love me some portraits – I’m loving the cardinal in the modern setting, flanked by the two red pendants.

My wife is a big fan of owls, and lately I’m noticing them everywhere.  Here are some of my favorites:

This little burrowing owl pillow is from Areaware.  I saw one of these owls (a real one, not a pillow) recently in Berkeley, and yes, they really are that cute.  They’re not purple, though.  I’ve posted about Roost products before, and they’re doing a lot of owl products right now:

Barn Owl Lamp

Look at this inquisitive fellow!

Owl candleholders from Z Galerie

So this post is a little late, but there’s still time to round up a few creepy home accessories…

Like this white ceramic owl from Z Galerie.  I love owls, but I have to admit that barn owls (which this guy appears to be) freak me out just a little bit.

I love these claw candlesticks, from perennial favorite source Jayson Home & Garden.  I would use these year round.  Jayson also offers this luxe bronze skulls:

But my favorite is Donghia Bell’Insetto fabric.  It’s not cheap, but it’s amazing:

Check out the black colorway:

I’d love to see this on a gilded Louis XV chair – creepy and beautiful!

Have you looked at Wisteria lately?  I have to admit that I forget about them, but they actually have some interesting things.  They also have some really bizarre things, like this series of drawings of soup tureens:

I’m not sure I understand what’s going on with these.  Why soup tureens?  Why now?  I do like the silver frames with the black mats.  They also have a whole series of these metal crowns:

I’m not sure what you do with these.  Live out your fantasy of being crowned Holy Roman Emperor?  This next one I actually think is pretty cool:

This is from a series of pillows with World War II military insignia on them.  Again, kind of weird, but interesting.

I’ve posted before about a web-based design your own pillow site, and today I stumbled across another.  I was browsing Jonathan Adler’s site, and saw that he now has a design your own section.  You can make your own pillows, area rugs, even tote bags.  Try it – but I’m warning you, it’s addictive!

Since I started the week by talking about candles, I thought I’d mention a favorite candle company, Modern Alchemy.

They have very unusual – and slightly sinister – scents like Opium Den, Dia de los Muertos, and Speakeasy (my personal favorite), not to mention a line inspired by the seven deadly sins.  They’re a little pricey (Urban Outfitters used to have a bargain version, does anyone know what happened to those?), but really unique and packaged in cool etched glass holders.  I also just stumbled across this two-year-old post from Habitually Chic that let me know that the company’s founder, Douglas Little, was the creator of one of my favorite spreads from the late, great House & Garden – check it out, you’ve never seen taxidermy put to such good use.

I have to admit, I’m a little bit addicted to candles.  Even if you’re just sitting at home watching TV, it’s amazing how much a couple of candles can enhance the atmosphere.  I was poking around the Z Galerie website and came across a couple of interesting candle holders:

I like the intricate cutouts on these, I think they would throw light in interesting patterns.  I also liked these:

They’re made of selenite, and look like they would provide a nice warm glow.  This last one is a little odd, but I kind of like it – it’s like something you’d find in a modern-day alchemist’s laboratory:

Is it wrong that I like these apothecary bath accessories?

They’re walking a fine line between cool and fugly.  I think I like them because they remind me of walking past the window of the Pharmacy Museum in New Orleans, which always had fascinating and slightly ominous displays.