Viva la Terra

My friend Leslie tipped me off to VivaTerra, an online purveyor of eco-friendly home products with style. VivaTerra (living earth) is dedicated to "living in harmony with nature" and feature products dedicated to sustainability, artisan craftsmanship and elegance. Some of my favorite designs from the site include:

Vintage Ruler Chair














Sol Cerveza Glasses













Root of the Earth Bowl

Daniel Boulud's Dream Kitchen

Featured beautifully in the September issue of Elle Decor (on page 126 and beyond) is the dream kitchen of Chef Daniel Boulud, realized by Bilotta Kitchens at the Kips Bay Decorator Show House in NYC this past April. Unfortunately, the gorgeous photos are not available online, so head to your local library or bookstore to peruse the magazine.

Luckily, I found a short 2-minute video of Chef Boulud in the staged kitchen explaining his inspiration. Some of the layout and storage solutions I found very to be very helpful, despite being way beyond my kitchen budget!

Cook for a Cure

I took a hiatus from blogging last week to visit my good friend Margaret in Tennessee who is fighting breast cancer at 30 years old. With the cause hitting so close to home and breast cancer awareness month approaching in October, I wanted to remind readers that KitchenAid has partnered with the Susan G. Komen for The Cure to offer a "pink collection" of cookware and accessories that support breast cancer.

Each pink product that is purchased and then registered at www.cookforthecure.com will generate a donation of up to $50 for the Komen organization. KitchenAid's "Cook for the Cure" program has raised over $6 million to date and gives passionate cooks a way to support the breast cancer movement. Think pink with these fun kitchen gadgets!

Nest for a Good Cause

As apple season approaches, why not consider this 3-D wall hanging to spruce up your kitchen or family room? The simple apple on a wall screams Magritte, don't you think? I found this online at Nest, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting women artists in developing countries by helping them create sustainable entrepreneurial businesses.

Nest has merged art, commerce and philanthropy on their shopping site. It features lovely clothing, accessories and housewares designed by micro-credit loan recipients who benefit from Nest and also by well-known designers eager to support the cause. As the organization says it best: "When you buy from Nest, you have not only have purchased a unique and beautiful item for yourself or your home, you have participated in a proven effort to better the lives of women all across the globe."

Shopping for a good cause has never been more original! Visit Nest's Home Collection today.

FD Featured on The Kitchn!

September is "Home Cooking Month" on The Kitchn, a spinoff from Apartment Therapy and one of my favorite food web sites out there. They have graciously featured my bibim bap entry from July and plugged Foodie Design. Thanks editors at The Kitchn!

Teatime Wallpaper

Tea for two, and for your wall? Yes. WIS Design, a new young design team from Stockholm created a whimsical yet nostalgic wallpaper pattern for the venerable wallpaper house Decor Maison.

You can start your own trompe l'oeil collection of rare and exotic teapots with this tea-inspired wallpaper! It is available in three colors: khaki (seen here), gray and blue. See the blue version "in situ" with the young Swedish designers having tea here.

Patisserie Ring

Petit four anyone? This adorable dessert is made of PVC and brass. It should be worn not eaten! The Chocolat De Rose Patisserie Ring by Tadaaki Wakamatsu is the latest addition to the designer's collection of dessert-inspired jewelry. Wakamatsu pays careful attention to detail and scale, creating authentic-looking desserts that inspire glances and gasps.

Check out more of Wakamatsu's sweet concoctions at the MoMA Design Store. Love this fresh blueberry bauble, too!