Crystal:  Chair leg with hand-applied Swarovski crystals, painted tip in shiny platinum finish and polished brass logo. 13oz. 9.5″H x 2.5″D

Like CeCe i have a soft spot for Bling and so when a client brought House of Habit to my attention i was of course swept away by the beauty of their offerings especially their Crystal Leg. Habit creates decorative legs for furniture and some upholstery pcs as well. They run their shop out of Atlanta, Georgia and when i called to inquire about this beauty I was met with that southern hospitality that makes you just want to BUY, BUY, BUY!!! the story on this “not so little” jewel is that it along with a few of its’ siblings are made in Italy by the factory who makes some of the high end heals attached to the Italian greats like Prada… Actually, i have it on good authority that this leg was inspired in fact by one such shoe.

We just put this fixture up in St. Helena on Display. Eye Candy Galore!!

NY Times Article Link

What i love about magazines these days is the focus sections dedicated to different design elements. I of course pay special attention to the lighting sections… it’s always fun to see our vendors represented! In the November issue of Interior Design this super cool table lamp from Produzione Privata is shown. I remember receiving the new catalogue and being excited about the Bonne Nuit fixture which comes as both a pendant and a table lamp.  Composed of Transparent and Satin finished blown borosilicate glass this fixture plays off the idea of a cake tray. The satin glass top comes off the transparent base to reveal the “sweets” which in this case is the lamp.  The Bonne Nuit is not the first fixture by Produzione to “play” with the idea of the kitchen i’m also a huge fan of their Treforchette which uses a plate as a base and forks to hold up the Parchment shade.  Both fixtures are available for purchase at Lunaria, what a great gift idea for the lighting connoisseur with a humorous side.

So I’m beginning to notice a theme among the lighting fixtures that I share each week. Anything sparkly that resembles a piece of jewelry is pretty much guaranteed a spot on my weekly favorite blog post. With that…here is the Flut which is created in Italy, by a company called Italamp. It was inspired by an earring dripping with diamonds and it definitely gets that point across. This cluster of glass and crystal is incredibly stunning in person and it comes in two sizes. How about a couple of these little gems suspended over your kitchen island??

I love the Mi …. Specchio sconce by Marlo De Rosa more and more every time i see it. this Wall lamp takes the notion of celebrating the light bulb to a whole new level. Outfitted with a natural aluminum sheild, a dimmer and a double lighting source you can either have the light bulbs illuminated or have light coming from behind the sheild. The wires that hold the bulbs is of course fabric covered and comes either in the multicolor or in the grey cords (other colors available by request as special order).  and they come with the light bulbs too boot. i love the one with the spot on it!

Available at Lunaria for about $630 (depending on the rate of the euro) plus transport.

After a fixture arrived from Produzione Privata yesterday, I can now say I am a big fan. After taking a look at their website I found myself loving everything I saw. The line was founded in Italy by Michele De Lucchi, and started out as a craft-oriented production of experimental products sketched with pencil. You can see these quick sketches on their website where they are now used to identify each fixture in a very whimsical way.

The flora and fauna throughout the line is so charming and I am crazy about the silver and gold finishes available for the Murano blown glass fixtures (anything metallic or sparkly always gets me). Here are a few of my favorites:

ONE, TWO!

let me hear your voice!

on Friday Night a dear client of ours decided to throw me a party for my birthday and celebrate the completion of her home at the same time. So often we get caught up in the details and while you can see a job coming together the moment of completion is hard to capture and with that taking the time to be thanked goes by the wayside.  After years of doing this “job” i’ve gotten better at finding clients thanks in the joy which floods their face when something amazing is delivered or the relief that fills a clients eyes when all the sudden design decisions just make sense. I call it taking time to appreciate the little moments.

But then there are those great moments when you get the big thank you like i was gifted with on Friday or i can remember a few years back when another client threw a dinner party for all the people who had worked on their project. It’s those acts of kindness along with all the little moments that make my job so wonderful.  So if you have people in your life that are doing things for you, remember to thank them, they will really appreciate it!

To quote Terzani: “Light is a flower.”

Designed in Italy by Bruno Rainaldi for Terzani, the Orten’zia is a flower inspired fixture adorned with hand soldered, nickel-plated metal petals. This light sends bursts of shimmering light throughout the space it occupies and it comes in multiple fixture types including the suspension, wall or ceiling lamp, wall sconce and even a brilliant little portable table lamp with a rechargeable battery. The light and shadow created by this fixture is so unique and organic - it literally gives the effect of a garden on your walls. We have one illuminated in the front window of the St. Helena store…you’ve got to stop by and check it out.

I recently came across a lovely chair in Luxe magazine that I had to share with you all. The “Peacock” chair was designed this year by the New York designer Dror Benshetrit for Cappellini Studio and made from a single sheet of felt wrapped over a dark brown varnished metal base. I am currently in the middle of a little felt obsession (I’m getting creative with my gift giving this holiday season) so this chair immediately caught my eye. Most would only consider using felt for children’s crafts, but the material is soft with gentle edges and with a little imagination it can magically be transformed into something extraordinary (i.e. this chair and hopefully my holiday creations!).