Whorange

DEAR WHORANGE: where to go for wallpaper

(above: nama rococo sixty-eight wallpaper in mellow orange)

dear whorange,

after teasing me with the expedit I-CANDY retro makeover, i need wallpaper suggestions.  until then, my ikea will be naked.  how will it ever make the pages of martha stewart magazine?

by the way, your hair looks fantastic today.

june bug jim

darling june bug,

keeping your ikea properly attired and camera-ready is the first step toward effective stage-parenting, recognition, and potential fame.  WHORANGE is here to help.

below are a few of my favorites for your furniture's consideration.

stay pretty,

tula

clockwise from top left:  family tree; feather; leaves; bindweed; waldots; orchid.  all from ferm living.

clockwise from top left:  navajo;  blackbird;  palm;  calvary.  all from cavern.

clockwise from top left:  aster space in chocolate mint;  flower petal in smores;  luxury in turquoise;  terminal in grasshopper;  kabloom in artichoke;  sakura in santa fe.  all from flavor paper.

MORE wallpaper including ECO-FRIENDLY and SCRATCH & SNIFF versions after the JUMP.

weekend event: vintage eames clinic at the eames office

the fabulous roz from the eames office contacted me regarding the first vintage eames clinic going down this saturday, may 17th.  check it out...

eames scholar and collector, daniel ostroff, will be holding court at the eames office ready to answer questions and give you the skinny on your eames furniture.  simply bring in your design, or detailed pictures of it, and daniel will provide authentication, dating, assessment, and history of your particular piece.

and get this...if your eames is particularly unique, the office may feature it on their website.  the plywood chair that you scored off of craigslist may be a star, baby!

also, copies of daniel's book "modern classic," about the eames fiberglass chair, will be for sale.  he will be signing and talking about the research that went into creating the book.  he will also describe ways to distinguish one eames vintage design from another.  (DAX vs. DAR -- do you know the difference?)

finally, check out daniel's "vintage eames" segment on the office's website.  he's got some fun stuff going on including "eames spotting," Q & A, and groovy downloadable eames brochures and vintage catalogs.

for more details on the event, click here.  or, email roz at roz@eamesoffice.com to make a 15 minute appointment with dan.

happy whoranging!

turn IKEA into I-CANDY: the expedit goes retro

i just threw down 199 bucks for the ikea expedit bookcase.  although it isn't the easiest thing to put together (helpful hint: use several 3-foot adjustable clamps!), the cubbies are simply to die for.

last week, i saw this retro makeover on apartment therapy and now i'm tempted to crank up the I-CANDY dial on my virgin expedit.

and it's easy, people.  1).  take some groovy wallpaper; 2).  pin it to the back of the bookcase; 3.  admire your work.

for more details, click here.

oh deer: carved wood animals by roost

living in los angeles, i don't get many opportunities to interact with nature.  luckily, roost makes a wooden menagerie of life-sized deer and feathered friends which will allow me to experience the great outdoors from the comfort of my own living room.

perhaps i'll pair them with the life-sized horse lamp or pig table, or group them together for a true nature channel experience.

creature comforts: the whiskas cat head bed

welcome to my office.

sitting by my window is the whiskas cat head bed.  i saw this craveable lounger online a year ago and had to have it.  after all, i want my cats to love me.

since the bed is completly sold out, not available in the US, and highly sought after, i had to get it via ebay UK.  yep, ebay UK, people.  i was whoranging hardcore, and when that happens, i will stop at nothing.

unfortunately, my cats, atticus and veruschka, were not impressed.   as with most cat beds, they much prefer the sleeping quarters of cardboard boxes, black coats, laptop keyboards, and in veruschka's case...our avocado, danish modern, living room chair...

so i went online to see who else owns a cat head bed.

as it turns out, the fabulous designers from the little friends of printmaking, melissa & JW, are proud owners.  but, it looks like their kitties prefer alternate sleeping digs, too...

damn, their cats are cute.  and how sweet is melissa & JW's pad?

NEXT, check out what happens when i force atticus into the cat head.  plus, see some successful cat head bedders after the JUMP.

shades of whorange: fabulous chairs on flickr

clockwise from top left:  occhio attento's dog on chair;  modern fred's mid-century mod;  ella since oxix's panton chair;   peminumkopi's orange chair;   anonymous;   modern fred's 60s pop art funiture.   

weekend event: poketo warehouse sale & new melamine plates

our friends at poketo recently announced that in addition to their fab limited edition artist wallets, messenger bags, and t-shirts, they are now dishing out craveable melamine plates.  similar to their current family of products,  the limited edition plates will feature original work from poketo's network of international artists.

first to plate are artists marco cibola (featured above), oksana badrak, ogi, and PCP.

in addition to celebrating the launch of the marvelous melamine, poketo is holding their first ever warehouse sale this saturday, may 10th, at their downtown LA digs.  prices range from 5-10 bucks AND the first 50 folks get a gift bag PLUS 10% off discounts.  doors open at 10:00 a.m., so lace up your roller skates and speed on down, darlings.

and that's not it.  there will be cupcakes in the house.  cupcakes, people!

affordable art, darling hosts, pretty plates, and a cupcake social...can you possibly think of a better way to get served?

for all the info on poketo's warehouse sale, click here, and to see MORE of the new melamine plates, take a peek after the JUMP.

whoranging with melissa moss at the hive gallery

over the weekend, i boogied on down to the hive gallery and studios in downtown LA for an evening of art, music, live painting, tetris playing, beverages, and pole dancing.  although i missed the pole dancing, i did catch a few sessions of live painting and tetris, and as i journeyed towards the back of the gallery, i came across an artist whom i've been whoranging after for over a year -- melissa moss.

i first discovered melissa through a post on design milk and more recently on poppy talk.  melissa's acrylic and gouache paintings on wood are absolutely beautiful and otherworldly, and her color palette is a craveable wonderland in itself.

so there i am, staring at melissa's collection of illustrated goodness, and hanging front and center is a print on wood called "tula."  not feeling the love isn't an option, people.  check it out...

steve felt the whorange and purchased it for me as a gift.  isn't he groovy?

to top it off, melissa is super cool.  she's funny, inspirational, and truly dedicated to her work.  i would have hung out with her all night long, but i eventually had to continue on my quest to find the beverages and pole dancing festivities.

melissa's artwork is available here and here.

MORE melissa moss art plus a PHOTO of melissa and me after the JUMP.

whoranging for mom: mother's day gift guide

(image via sunset flame).

with mother's day around the corner, i'd like to tip my tiara to the moms of the world.

i've throw together some groovy gift guides for these special ladies, whether they be darling mums, moms-to-be, earth mamas, or ladies that we're forced to call "mommie dearest."

yep, i've got them all in my life.

      

above:  1.  sunshine tea set (48.00);  2. perch bird feeder (84.00);  3. clean sole soaps (24.00); 4. perch campy planters (72.00);  5. aalto vase (55.00);   6. byzantine peacock earrings (65.00);  7.  polly george ceramics butterfly collection vase (145.00) (via product dose);  8. charley harper serving platter (35.00).

above:  1. nars nail color in "jungle red" (16.00);  2. guerlain eye brow pencils (28.00);  3.  neiman marcus zebra-striped handbag cake (220.00);  4. venfield zebra chair (14,500.00 per pair);  5. lanvin python kentucky tote (4,490.00);  6.  diva black ostrich console table (500.00);  7. satin hangers (10.95 for set of 3);  8. ruby and diamond ring (28,900.00);  9. giuseppe zanotti art deco jewel t-strap (875.00);  10. nars lipstick in "fire down below" (24.00).

above:  1. DwellStudio diaper tote gio (160.00);  2. pia wallen felt slippers (59.00);  3. kata golda aqua with pull toy patch brag book (48.00);  4.  blue/green candeloos (48.00);  5. storksak elizabeth diaper bag (275.00);  6. DwellStudio finger puppets (37.00 for set of five);  7. ralph rapson's rapid rocker (1475.00);  8.  mama mio boob tube (35.00).

above:  1. recycled glass teardrop bottle by esque (478.00);  2. organically grown bamboo curvy servers (12.00);  3. organic citrus lip balm by eminence (24.00);  4. organic cranberry pomegranate sugar scrub by eminence (48.00);  5.  eco-friendly amenity branch pillow (65.00);  6. eco-friendly cella puzzle (198.00);  7.  reusable envirosax bags (34.95);  8. organically grown bamboo bambu medium bowls  (17.00).

rex ray

simply put, the work of san francisco artist rex ray is sexy.  i'm talking collage, abstract, mid-century, resin sexy.

i first saw rex's artwork a few years ago at jonthan adler's shop in SF.  i was whoranging at the back of the store when i ran across two of rex's retro-futuristic, colorful resin panels.  now, i've seen high-gloss art before, but rex's art was high-gloss hot.  i wrote his name on the back of my hand so i wouldn't forget it (because i'm brilliant like that), and of course i forgot to make the hand-to-paper transfer, thus leading me to constantly wonder, "who was that mysterious man?"

luckily, the fabulous twenty twenty-one gave praise to rex's work recently, thus jogging my memory and making me one happy gal.  thanks, twenty twenty-one!

step it up with giuseppe zanotti

i know what you're thinking -- "these shoes are not very practical."

apparently, you're not 4' 11" like me.

(via the glamorous thombeau at FABULON).

toasting the confetti shelf system

while contemplating the tiles in a subway station, scandinavian designer per-ander allsten from the company dib realized the space between the tiles could be better utilized.  as a result, per created the confetti shelf system, which consists of 50 plastic colorful "bricks," a fiberboard backing, and a set of acrylic shelves.  the bricks simply push into the board and the shelves slide vertically or horizontally between the bricks.

the vibrant and versatile unit can be rearranged over and over again.  obsessive/compulsives beware!

poster boy: jason munn's small stakes

i have attended experimental music fests, theremin tributes to the beach boys, and drag queen "sound of music" sing-a-longs based solely upon the fact that i liked the show's poster.  good art has lured me to many music events and never once has it led me astray.

one graphic artist who always crafts a seductively lyrical and clever poster is oakland, california's jason munn.  i first learned of jason and his screen printing studio, the small stakes, a few years back through an article in bust magazine.   i've been a fan ever since.

jason's love of indie music and his meticulous screen printing work has resulted in an array of collectible posters for bands such as american analog set, the shins, low, and pedro the lion.  each poster captures a layer of the band's unique spirit and tells a simple yet hypnotic story.  case in point, the death cab for cutie hurricane katrina relief poster...

jason's pitch perfect artwork is available at the small stakes website.   the posters are affordable at only 25.00, but you have to grab your favs fast because they are printed in small runs and sell out quickly.

getting pretty is easy

getting pretty isn't just easy, it's pretty easy.

here's what you need:  a flower, some water, and a glass shaped like a bird.

if you're low on bird-shaped vessels, grab yourself a finch, dove, or chickadee at doe in san francisco.  i'll provide the flowers and you supply the water.  together, we'll make the world beautiful -- one fabulous and flowery finch at a time.

whorange of the week: the niagara cyclo-massager hand unit

this product may change my life.  potentially dangerous.  potentially delightful.  either way, i'm crowning it whorange of the week.

the vintage niagara cyclo-massager hand unit comes in its original sparkly blue suitcase (with key!) and contains an electric massage unit, instruction booklet, weight loss manual, and 2 suction cup-like attachments.

talk about a girl's best friend.

and, just in case you doubt the niagra's effectiveness, simply read the cover of the booklet.

'nuff said.  a tip of the tiara to you, vintage niagara cyclo-massager hand unit!

available at the always fabulous white elephant vintage.

wall mounted bottle openers by FluffyCo

thanks to these gorgeous, screen printed bottle openers, not only can i open a beer bottle on the fly, but i can look good while doing it.

i just may hang one in every room of my house.

handmade by fluffyco in san francisco.  available at the curiosity shoppe.

pretty protrusions: the branch series system at postfossil

as we all know, tall centerpieces run the risk of obstructing the view of our dinner guests.  depending upon whom we're dining with, this may not be a bad thing.  however, on the days when we wish to see our feasting friends from across the table, why not consider placing the centerpiece on the wall?

the swiss designers at postfossil devised a system to do just that.  the ingenious design functions as a branch holder, giving the impression of a tree growing out from the wall.

postfossil premiered their branch series that also includes the branch table and chair legs pictured above at the 2008 salone satellite.  the salone satellite is part of the world’s biggest industrial design event which takes place in milan.

super fancy.  super functional.  super fab!

(via yatzer)

bust magazine whoranges for flight of the conchords

bust magazine's annual "men we love" issue hit the stands this month, and who does it feature?  men we love, of course.  namely, new zealand’s “fourth most popular folk-rock duo” flight of the conchords.

pure magic, people.  jermaine and bret make rainbows and unicorns seem ordinary.  for a larger view, click here.

the fab mag features an interview exploring the dreamy duo's views on feminism, facial hair, and bret's figwit phenomenon.  ("figwit," by the way, was the name bestowed upon bret by fans when he played an elfin extra in lord of the rings.  his three seconds of screen time spawned numerous websites dedicated to the then unknown actor/musician).

in addition to jermaine and bret's dreamy pictorials (including a poolside speedo spread), bust spotlights other crush-worthy men such as the swoonable ira glass, the delectable david sedaris, and the darling elijah wood.

so lace up your skates and roll on down to the newsstand to pick yourself up an issue, or stay put and subscribe here. 

(images from bust's april/may '08 issue).

cupcake toppers by a. bel emporium

while cruising through etsy, i stumbled across these vintage-inspired cupcake toppers at a. bel emporium.

i believe these toppers possess the power to make even the driest red velvet feel like a million bucks.  in fact, they would work on just about anything -- from omelets to chicken stir fry.  the possibilities are endless.

pick yourself up a few here.  they're affordable, reusable, and the perfect way to say, "although this food may not taste good, it looks good."  and as we all know, as in life, looking good is over half of the battle.

babe gets served: pig table by moooi

the moooi pig table is the perfect companion to your horse lamp or rabbit lamp.  and, yes, it's lifesized, people.

hold the bacon.

painting pachyderms: elephant art of thailand

my good friend, nate, returned from his honeymoon in thailand with a really cool, abstract flower painting by an artist named "ood."  and get this, ood is an elephant.  an elephant, people.

nate even documented the artist at work.  check it out, plus more paintings and a VIDEO after the JUMP.

getting between the sheets with amenity

i few years ago, a person close to me who shall remain nameless, decided to begin purchasing eco-friendly fabrics.  some of the first few items to come home were a burlap sack-type duvet cover and a pair undyed hemp undies.  now, i'm all for ethically sound manufacturing and organic fabrics, but the eco-panties and zero thread count spread left me pondering...what meant more to me -- being green or getting laid?

luckily, the designers at amenity know how to put the big "o" in organic.  their offering of stylish, 400 thread count, 100% virgin cotton bedding, wall prints, and nursery goods are not only easy on the earth, but easy on the eyes.  all products are certified organic, locally-manufactured, and made with eco-friendly dyes and minimally-processed, natural fibers.

i don't know about you, but i'm feeling the love.  now, if only they made underwear...

get a little amenity in your life at their online store or design public.

rethink & reuse: art from found objects

in celebration of earth day, i'd like to thank the artists & crafters whose use found objects in their work.  together, they prove that one man's trash is another gal's whorange.

here are just a few of my favs:

above top:   "portrait" composed of found gloves & chair.  above bottom: "traffic"  composed of found plastics & metals.   both by paul villinski.

above top:  "trophy" composed of sewn found photographs & found text.  above bottom: "la caridad" composed of sewn found photographs, feathers, toothpicks, cardboard & book page.  both by lisa kokin.

above top: "sins and virtues plates." above bottom left to right:  "white stripes plate," "knob plate," and "flight of the conchords plate."  materials:  vintage plates & paint.  all by trixie delicious of vandalized vintage. 

above:  "genuine bows" by stephen johnson.  materials: second-hand ornaments.

happy earth day!

above:  mark ryden's the apology; allegory of the four elements; yoshi.

above: mark ryden's tree of mystery;  general sherman drawing and painting;  general sherman in my living room.

all works from mark ryden's tree show.

giving back to nature with megan bogonovich

on earth day, it's important to think about how we give back to our planet.

ceramicist megan bogonovich gives back by plunging her human subjects headfirst into the mysterious orifices of anemone-like objects, plants, and fungi.  i imagine nature's appetite is quite satisfied after these tantalizing treats.  suddenly, my meager composing and seed planting efforts pale in comparison.

to view more of megan's delightfully macabre and clever works, including her smaller animal/human/insect hybrids, visit her website and shop.  you'll be glad you did, and so will mother nature.

life in the garden of WHORANGE

in honor of earth day, i stumbled out into my garden this morning and took pictures of everything that was not dead.  considering that half of these plants started off in seed packets, i'd say life in the garden of WHORANGE isn't too shabby.

RIP daffodils, freesias, dill, and lemon verbena.

green cleaning tips & 10% off at twilite moon

i know that most things can be cleaned using white vinegar, baking soda, or lemons, but i always manage to dump the wrong ingredient on wine stains and am totally lost when it comes to removing stickers from plastic and glass containers.

luckily, the gals at my fav baby store, twilite moon, have compiled a list of home remedies to help us through the rough spots.  granted, the tips are primarily baby-based, but if the tips are safe enough for a baby, they're safe enough for the rest of us, right?

plus, in celebration of earth day, twilite moon is offering a 10% off all purchases with the coupon code EARTHDAY.  it's good until sunday, so get cracking.  if you whorange for pirate onesies, notNeutral furniture, or organic crib bedding, twilite moon is the place for you.

matte stephens at velocity art & design's lab series

first, we had trophy cupcakes and now there is yet another reason to whorange for seattle.  last week, one of my fav stores, velocity art and design, launched the lab -- a monthly meet up event for the northwestern design community.

the guest of honor was beloved artist matte stephens.  if you're not familiar with matte's playful, craveable, mid-century inspired illustrations, pay him a visit here and here, and pack some snacks because you'll be staying awhile.

in addition to his artwork, matte and his wife, vivienne, are devoted animal lovers.  together, they provide safe homes, food, and medical attention for stray animals in need.  their dedication to the winged and furry kingdom shines through in matte's work.  his art paints a rich and welcoming world that is foxy, owly, and jam-packed with birds who sing in groovy, spellbinding color palettes.

i have to admit, the sight of a fox in a grandpa sweater makes me weak in the knees.  and this little guy, i can't resist him...

to read a groovy review on the the lab event, check out mary t's report at shelterrific, which includes some fabulous pix such as this must have owl sculpture...

i repeat -- MUST.  HAVE.

cocktail hour at WHORANGE

after a long, stressful week, there's nothing i like better than slipping on a pretty dress, letting down my hair, and staring at refreshing cocktails on the internet.  i'm a frequenter of the hostess with the mostess recipe box, which offers a fine selection of sunset tropicals and umbrella libations.  let's face it, people.  i know how to party.

(clockwise from top left:  the tidal wave;  see-through sangria;  surfer girl;  molokai mike;  scorpion bowl;  basil grande).