Hmmm, I saw this in the UK at the Conran Shop and was intrigued. It's one of Dyson's latest gizmos, a self-cleaning dog grooming attachment for your vacuum that can tackle long and medium-haired dogs. The Groom Tool is now available online in Canada, so if you've got a 4-legged shedder in the house - though it won't work on our pup Spot since he's short haired - it might be something worth grabbing. Oh, and the video? It's a cute/gross look at why you might need one...
Oh, I do love that touch of vintage, so I hafta say that the new Olympus Pen E-P1 camera in white has 'my cup of tea' written all over it. The Pen line of cameras debuted back in 1959, making the latest digital version - available in silver and black, as well as the yum white tint - the grand old age of fifty. Apart from the fact that there's no more fumbling with film, the Pen now comes jammed with all the latest technological bells and whistles and includes a slew of Art Filters. Oh, and if you're going for it, you might as well go all the way and spring for the white leather neck strap (don't forget the matching body jacket) shown in the shot below. Click here for more info, and click here to watch a series of short films on the Pen anniversary.
As for the original Pens well, just take a boo at the first image, they were quite the hit in the late 50's through into the 60's and are now a prized collectible. Oh, and when I stumbled across that second shot I knew I had to include it, it's a scan from one of the original Pen manuals teaching you 'how to hold a camera' (found here).
It seems to me we're travelling backwards and forwards at the same time. Technology is moving miles ahead, yet fashion is dragging us back to the Eighties. And yes, interior trends are following along in kind with a big injection of lots of white, bright fluoro colour and hi-contrast pattern. Luckily it's way more sophisticated than living in a Wham video, lol, and much more on the Italian design group Memphis side of things. The snaps below are extra juicy and bright (loving the colour combos) and are all about the new Bluetooth headsets from Jawbone, which were initially designed by Yves Behar and have now been refreshed in these stunning shades. Following along, and for a bit more of that inspirational 80's vibe, is the crazy/cool Bulletproof video from Brit electro-pop duo, La Roux (currently on heavy rotation in our house). As I said, travelling backwards and forwards at the same time...
The iPhone is such an iconic design object that's marvellous to hold and play with, let alone place a call, but, does it's slick black finish really match 'you'? Urban Outfiitters have stepped in with a series of happy/edgy/cool artist designed skins to mash things up a little, and take the look beyond basic black. I've picked a couple of my faves below which totally have a decor vibe - Blue Willow by Colin Thompson which, yep, happily borrows from your Gran's china, and Bunny Blossom by Kozyndan totally feels like a vintage wallpaper (I see it working with a navy velvet sofa, pea green wingbacks, a glass waterfall coffee table and an oak herringbone floor - but that's just me...).
I've always been a fan of the laser-cut woodgrain vinyl floor mats by Arzu Firuz, especially after I had the chance to see them in person at last Fall's Maison&Objet design trade show in Paris. I love her work, since it picks up on influences from trad Turkish crafts and wittily re-interprets them in fresh and modern ways. But sadly, according to Arzu's retailer list (see here), no-one in Canada had picked up her de-lovely line - A shame since they're quite the showstopping pieces and, from what I can tell, they won't completely break the bank.
Now there's a bit of a glimmer of hope, since Ligne Roset recently released designs by Arzu named Azra; there's a rectangular rug, a floor runner, and a circular rug, all available in black vinyl. Take a look below to get the gist and pop in to the retailers in Edmonton, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto (click here for the list) for more info. And, for a taste or Arzu's current line - love that hand-cut plastic canvas panel - take a look at the last shot below.
I love a bit of Piero Fornasetti, the Milanese artist and designer who's iconic imagery still feels as bizarre and fascinating today as it did when his work first appeared on the scene back in the '50's. His most recognizable designs are of a woman's face (apparently a 19th century opera singer called Lina Cavalieri) which became a central theme in a collection called Tema & Variazioni. Over 350 of his designs were originally produced as plates; depicting her enigmatic face in a slew of different aspects - tattooed, swallowed by a crocodile, turned into a butterfly, and poking out her tongue.
Get hooked up with the gorgeous plates at Palazetti, check out the Fornasetti Collection of wallpaper from Cole & Son, visit Fornasetti directly for access to original vintage items, and shop AT Design Home for accessories and more. But the latest news is of a limited edition Blu-ray disc from Detour Designs that takes Tema & Variazioni and artfully animates it into a surreal 50 minute tour de force for your flatscreen (I can't think of a chic-er way to unwind).
Take a look below at the disc and a couple of screenshots, as well as some of Fornasetti's other work.
Heard back from Gretchen at Detour Design who let me in on the fact that, in addition to the one already released, there are two more limited edition Fornasetti Blu-rays coming down the line. Cool! And don't forget to take a boo at Detour's other ambient art titles on offer here.
Almost everyone I know has a close relationship with their cell phone, or moby as the Brits call it. Perhaps a bit of a love/hate one to be sure, but if you are going to carry around something all day every day (some people even sleep with theirs), then it might as well be beautifully designed and a pleasure to hold.
Below is the latest from LG, the second phone in their collaboration with trend-forward Italian fashion house Prada. It looks super swish to be sure (love the slide-out keyboard) but here's the kicker - There's a Bluetooth watch, the Prada Link, that pulls text messages and incoming call info from the phone and runs it right on the watch screen. And, rather than rifling through your jacket or bag trying to find your ringing phone, pressing a button on the watch allows you to swiftly cancel an unwanted call. Swanky, chic and hi-tech indeed. No word yet on when (and if) it might hop the pond and end up on the Canadian market.
Via Gizmodo
When it comes to cleaning I'm allowed to do one job - vacuuming - so I have quite the close personal relationship with our Dyson. I can never quite believe how much stuff it can pick up, even in our teensy temporary apartment (are we really that filthy, lol???). Ours is the DC23, a compact canister version that brilliantly fit in an under-counter cupboard in our old kitchen; gotta love that smart design.
Up next from Dyson is a new handheld called the D16 Animal that would be totally handy right about now (we're about to start Pug sitting). This smart rechargeable cookie is designed with a powerful motorized head to make merry with pet hair, and Harley the Pug, lawd love him, sheds like mad. The D16 Animal hits shelves on Nov 15th.
First off, thanks to the witty and well dressed folks behind Fashion File's cool blog for giving me a mention. Check it out for their behind-the-scenes insight on what's happening on the street and on the runway!
More on the fashion front - HP hooked up with designer Vivienne Tam on a swanky new Special Edition clutch-sized laptop that debuted in Tam's NY Fashion Week runway show. I'm loving the signature red case with it's funked-up floral motif (imagine it as wallpaper, mmm) that picks up on prints in the collection - definitely more chic than geek. The word is that you'll be able to get your well manicured hands on it in October.
So, I have to admit, while pulling together Style Scout for Saturday's National Post - all about the sudsy world of washers and dryers - I ended up shopping for our new laundry room. Sleek design, smarty-pants features, seductive colours and of course energy efficiency and water conservation all came in to play.
It really was love at first sight with the just launched GE Profile SmartDispense laundry pair. Their SmartDispense dishwasher had caught my eye a while back (read a TreeHugger review here) - and this new washer is just as jammy: it only needs to be topped-up with soap every 6 months. Add in Stain Inspector to take care of everything from grape juice to motor oil, and CleanSpeak, which lets the pair 'communicate' to seamlessly figure out how best to dry a load, and you have a winning combo. And finally, by switching out an old top loader for this Energy Star darling you'll save up to 14,000 gallons of water a year (that's like 3,000 showers). Need I say more?
Yesterday was a very bad day. I cracked my laptop screen (don't ask), had a very dodgy haircut that I had to 'fix' by hacking at it with a pair of kitchen scissors, and then discovered that a very lovely Kohler sink I needed for a kitchen reno was smashed and had to be replaced asap. Bad things definitely run in three's...
Luckily for me David is an IT superstar and managed to get everything off the old laptop and onto a storage drive, all the while with only a 2 inch square bit of screen that was still visible. So we hit Best Buy , where I was blown away - since I'm of course thinking 'design first' - by all the laptop colour and styling choices available. One with a swirly pattern was quickly dismissed, and then I was trying to wrap my head around the HP Special Edition Thrive in Dynamic Bronze (more of a coppery tone really) when something else caught my eye - It was the v. cool HP Special Edition Influx in Ceramic White (glossy white with a subtle pattern). No more boring old laptop for me, and of course I've promised not to break this one.
