GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAFY

. . . always fun to see collaborations, whether or chloë sevigny x opening ceremony or lanvin x h&m, and one that is especially fun is the recent six london & farfetch collaboration with six design bloggers, one of whom was alix from the cherry blossom girl, whose midnight blue satin sky-high mary janes, complete with dainty straps and crystal clasps, perfectly wrapped in elegant bows were a definite favourite . . .

. . . may always love the gilded, art-deco inspired f. scott fitzgerald covers best, but the new designs by coralie bickford-smith for the penguin hardback classics series are every bit as chic and ultra-stylish with their pared-down, graphic appeal, and of the many new designs, favourites include the elegant gold chains of jane austen's mansfield park and the pretty horses of charles dickens' hard times . . .


{images: via the terrier and the lobster}

. . . this morning's walk with the dog was already quite blustery, calling for a belted cardigan, a favourite combination at this time of year, and especially if the belt is beautifully and artfully knotted, as these from rilleau . . .

created out of necessity during the second world war, when metal production [along with petrol and sugar] was diverted to the war effort, causing the unavailability of metal buckles, [normally made of brass, nickel and iron or steel], these knotted belts also have no rivets or stitches, and each is cut freehand, without a pattern, and hand finished -- wouldn't they be lovely against pale pink cashmere?


{images: rilleau leather via n'est style; shown from top, the tapered belt & the knotted belt}

“Art has no end but its own perfection.”

Ceramics and home accessories designer Reiko Kaneko certainly has merged beautiful ceramics with a beautiful life. Born in Britain, Reiko spent her childhood in Japan, and continuously draws on influences from both British and Japanese cultures, blending the two in the pieces she creates.







Having studied Arts and Design at Central St. Martin's College, Reiko specializes in ceramic design and supplies bone china design. In 2007, she established a design studio in London’s East End, where she creates the most exquisite home accessories and fine bone china tableware -- gorgeous pieces like her renowned boat, which was first launched at the famed Maison & Objet show in Paris earlier this year.







Featured on the pages of publications such as Vogue Living, Elle Decor and Marie Claire to name a few, Reiko has become one of the top designers in ceramics today.



This week, she imparts her:

. . . if you have been reading for a while, you will remember the wonderfully dramatic and startlingly lovely table center-piece of clear wine bottles flickering with candlelight, utterly perfect for lingering dinner parties that last long into the night . . . and here, along the very same elegantly eco-chic lines, hand-cut carafes & matching tumblers, fashioned and polished from wine bottles into wonderful works of art . . .





{design w/conscience: tran­Sglass®, designed by studio tord boontje and emma woffenden & available at artecnica}

. . . quite smitten with these streamlined and beautifully elegant wooden laptop cases with leather lining -- a wonderful combination of natural elements and technology, and a perfect mix of rustic and modern . . .

{p.s.} & speaking of wood: decals

{images: rainer spehl via laissezfaire}

. . . can hardly contain the excitement for this week's glamorous give-away: the award winning, iconic, and always classic herman miller eames chair from boston-based csn stores, a wonderful resource of over 200 online stores with over 1 million products, carrying everything from champagne flutes and four-poster beds to weekend carryalls {prefer this filson duffle}, and, of course, a perfect selection of herman miller eames pieces . . .

". . . designers charles and ray eames established their long and legendary relationship with herman miller in 1946 with their boldly original molded plywood chairs; the aesthetic integrity, enduring charm, and comfort of the chairs earned them recognition from time magazine as the best design of the 20th century; time called the design 'something elegant, light and comfortable. much copied but never bettered.'"

. . . and for the impossibly exciting news: one very charmed reader will win a choice between:

the stunningly elegant Herman Miller ® Eames ® DCW - Molded Plywood Dining Chair with Wood Legs - DCW {$629.00 USD}


or the iconic Herman Miller ® Eames ® LCW - Molded Plywood Lounge Chair with Wood Legs - LCW {$679.00 USD} available in light ash, walnut, or natural cherry

. . . a little obsessed with the walter lamb armchair -- the original 1940s collection came about as a result of experimentation with bronze and copper tubing salvaged from sunken naval ships, and while the modern version is made of waterproof bronze, it's much too lovely to keep outside . . . and no shelf could possibly be complete without a set of stunning pink quartz and gold bookends -- hardly a more beautiful colour combination and so luxuriously elegant . . .

{also:} more gold -- pretty dishes & a coffee table

{p.s.} weekend wishes + links to follow, and still catching up on comments -- thanks so much for the lovely thoughts here xo

{images: design within reach & eduardo garza, discovered via lonny; layout via nicole}

. . . p's mother has a beautiful cut crystal decanter collection displayed in their formal living room and have always loved the way they glimmer and add such elegance, and so was much delighted to discover another use for them -- decanterlights, by british designer lee broom, are pendant light fixtures created from vintage crystal decanters sourced from antique markets and vintage shops and available in a natural clear crystal or polished gold -- aren't they lovely?

{p.s.} more stylish eco chic inspiration:

cushions | cork | wine bottle centrepieces

{images: lee broom via moco loco}

. . . must confess am not much of a bicycle girl {petrified of the traffic and would most likely try to ride in heels}, but after coming across this pretty city bicycle in the most spectacular shade of smokey violet, suddenly dreaming of careening down side-streets with reckless abandon . . .

{bicycle design by note + abici, discovered via design*sponge}

. . . shall never fall out of love with antique cut crystal decanters, but have become quite smitten with a beautifully modern design series of kitchen tools that includes a water carafe and wine decanter with turned oak stoppers -- the series, a collaboration between stokkeaustad and frost produkt, is also a wallpaper design awards 2010 winner

{stokkeaustad and frost produkt via design shimmer}

{two lovely things:} a stylishly eco-friendly weekend bag made of completely recyclable water- and tear-proof paper, and a delicately beautiful dolce & gabbana white lace top perfect for sunny spring mornings . . .

{images: 1 - travel bag design by saskia & stefan diez via design shimmer; 2 - rosie tupper via a glamorous little side project}

Hope you find some time to relax and lie about this weekend . . . it's getting colder and after all the Christmas shopping is complete, cozy and indoors by candlelight or the fire, or wrapped up with your favourite person in monogrammed linens is the best place to be . . .

Have a beautiful, beautiful weekend, everyone!

xo

{lots of lovely things at the side project:}
* an incredible dress made entirely of the pages of telephone books

* vintage paolo roversi
* more carla
* beautiful photography by jacques dequeker
* black lace & pink ruffles

{images: 1 - layfayette house via domino december/january 2009; 2 - nate berkus}

Came across a beautiful post about Poul Henningsen 's Artichoke Lamp by Leticia Blanco in Spain, on her Spanish/English blog, Vintage & Chic.

{images from vintage & chic: top - photography by Richard Powers, original image has been cropped; bottom - Tampa Airport via xvm on flickr}

. . . quite taken with interior designer Suzy Hoodless' Contemporary Lodge in Scotland, a perfect combination of modern and rustic, and then there's the view . . .

After last summer's trip to Edinburgh and Glasgow, and a haunting {and terribly romantic} boat ride on the loch in Inverness, have been drawn to the compelling beauty of Scotland as if under a spell . . .

{all images www.suzyhoodless.com}

See also this post at A Merry Mishap.