a tea set that I suspect my mother will disapprove of

What do you think? I just bought this set on Etsy. The best part about it? It's super baby pink. The second best thing about it? The seller said it's Haviland, Danish mid-century modern, but it looked art deco to me, so I did a bit of research and yup! it's marked Johann Haviland, Bavaria, which means that it can only have been produced between 1907-1924.

Now I have to tell my mother that I bought a pink tea set. She's going to wrinkle her nose gingerly and wish me well. She's a Norwegian from Montana stock, loves Sir Edmund Hillary, Martha Ballard, and other stoic heroes, and wears jeans and a bit of vintage Marimekko. She likes whites, and woods, and blues, and the occasional red. Not into Bauhaus pastels. And that's where she and I lovingly agree to differ.

ysl, safari, and a gold-splattered plate

urban flea made a mini-gift guide for those of us who like our dark, rugged, woody, Yves Saint Laurent safari aesthetic splattered with gold... I particularly like these fine looking plates from bailey doesn't bark.

See here for UF's adventures in gilding a slate-grey sideboard. Inspiring.

Image of YSL's former home via Vanity Fair.

scandinavian ceramics in black and white

Madly Gorgeous Catherina Kippel Work Exhibit A:

(from Blås & Knåda)


Madly Gorgeous Catherina Kippel Work Exhibit B:

(from Design House Stockholm)

pattern: oversized dots and oblongs in silky neutrals

o . O o . O o . o O . 0 0o O o . o O0 oblongs

Joy's nantaka joy line is out and it's too delicious....! (image via d*s). was so inspired, i had to show a sample of other gorgeous oval and oblong patterns in textiles and ceramics.

Embroidered tambourine fabric by Minä perhonen via photos from IdN spotted on Elly's site.


brooch by scottish artist Ann Little.


"Martini" runner by madeline weinrib

beloved Arabia: Finland giraffes found here.

what about: a crisp black and white room ... with accents of emerald ceramics?

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Click to enlarge.

(So much fun to create style trays for fantasy rooms, no??)


* * Black & white kitchen via marie claire maison. gorgeous ceramic tile, "Taste of Water," from Giaretta, via Boulenger.

* * From collage... garden stool from Mecox Gardens; lamp from Marie Christophe; carpet from Madeline Weinrib; "Vega" watch from Nixon; Varenne chair from Casamidy.

can't get enough of: antique stoneware bottles

Hooray! it's my birthday! so i've chosen one of my Favorite Things to spotlight today, purely for inspiration's sake: British stoneware bottles. Love these so much. I grew up with my grandmother collecting Dundee marmalade jars and storing paintbrushes and pens in them, so they have a special place in my heart.





Images courtesy of (from top); dianemariet's flickr stream; colonel blink's flickr stream (images 2 and 4); willow and stone, a UK company; and, my favorite, Rattibo's flickr stream-- check out her "antique" tag. Gorgeous photos of a small child clutching large stoneware jars.)

Oversized ceramic rings from Johanna Ojanen

Johanna Ojanen is a ceramicist whose workshop Pot Viapori is located on the tiny (yet oft-visited) island called Suomenlinna, off the coast of Helsinki. She sells her pieces in a boutique on the island. I loved the organic, graphic quality of these large, almost 'anti-cocktail' cocktail rings-- very simple, clean, and beautiful. They come in white, clay, and black. Her website is in Finnish, so you might prefer to find out more about her via email, at potviapori@viapori.fi

animal sculptures from hiandlomodern.com

for coffee tables, bookcases, bedside tables, office desks....
lion and cub.


herd of arabia zebras.



seibel fish bookends, below. (love these!)

danish stone chicken!






these and other wonderful, sweet, quirky pieces can be found at hiandlomodern's page of "fish and animal" objets.