Tag: Home Decor

With a busy house that includes a crawling baby, two dogs, and a frisky cat, there’s all sorts ways that a lamp can get pulled off a desk. And though I do my best to keep cords out of the reach of hands and paws, I’m not always totally on top of it.

The Roly-Poly lamp was designed to Read more…

Word searches are big in our house right now. I have a second grader, and he is absolutely bananas over word searches. Thank goodness, because word searches allow my husband and I to have a relatively peaceful dinner and glass of wine when we’re out at a restaurant!

I’ve also read that word and number games, like word searches or Sudoku, can help the elderly keep their brains nimble. You know – minimize their senior moments?

So when I saw this Word Search clock, I really thought it was Read more…

In the guest room of our house, sitting high on the closet shelf, is a stack of LPs from the 1970s and 1980s.

For those of you who have no idea what an LP is, it’s a long-playing record. A big, unwieldy vinyl album. They’re not easily stored, nor are they easily played anymore!

But what was really cool about albums were their covers. Because they’re more than 4 times the size of a CD jewel case, the artwork was much more intricate and involved. Read more…

Do you think of the terms “environmental” or “green’ when you look at the concrete bench above?

I didn’t. I thought “gray concrete bench.” It doesn’t scream “eco-friendly” to me.

But guess what? These pieces by Urbis Design actually have the environment in mind. Urbis uses a glass-reinforced concrete that weaves glass fibers through the material, which means much less concrete is used in the manufacturing process for each piece. It also makes the concrete very strong and durable.

Less concrete means a lighter weight, which means less energy to make the product = also good for the environment. The furniture is fully recyclable after it has completed its life span, too.

Urbis makes three key pieces of outdoor furniture. The Aero bench, shown above, is a great architectural piece for the backyard, an urban condo’s patio or even a commercial outdoor setting.

For more of a sculptural design, take a look at the Shell Bench. It’s available with white or ash colored legs. I really like the open and relaxed feel of this bench.

Finally, Urbis makes the Orchid Table. It comes in white, slate and concrete gray. There are two finish options – smooth or stony. It makes for a dramatic yet simple statement in any modern outdoor setting.

 Urbis does not advertise its pricing for these pieces on its website. It only says price available “upon application.” I guess you’d better really be serious about wanting the information. You can view all of these outdoor pieces over at Urbis Design.

There are times that I dream of having a fabulous, luxe outdoor living area in our backyard. It would be a fully stocked, mack daddy place. I’d have a full size kitchen out there complete with warming drawers and a kegerator. I’d have a gigantic fireplace and a cool chandelier. I’d have a comfy lounging couch.

And I would have this Sundrop Day Bed.

Is this not the ultimate in outdoor furniture?

The Sundrop Day Bed has a frame made of durable aluminum and is covered in a resin rattan. The rattan is available in either pearl, or your choice of 6 custom colors. What’s cool about the synthetic rattan is that it holds up in the elements and is much easier to clean than natural rattan.

Measuring slightly larger than 7 feet square and a little over 8 feet tall, it has a quick-drying foam cushion and utilizes Sunbrella UV-protected fabric.

This daybed could look beautiful in any backyard, but I really picture it in a California or Arizona yard, but it could be that I’ve lived in both of those places and would have loved to lounge in a daybed like this during gorgeous weather.

A product this off-the-charts luxurious comes at a pretty hefty price. How does $7,875 sound? Yikes! Obviously, this is a daybed that is a gift for that something who has everything. Except for a daybed.

By the way, I’m not sure those throw pillows are included in the price!

The Sundrop Day Bed can be purchased through the Pure Modern website.

What’s the old saying…a place for everything, and everything in its place?

This is not how things roll at my house. We currently live by: everything is on the floor, even though it should be someplace else. (By the way, that “someplace else” is usually a plastic tub).

We just don’t ever seem to have the right storage solution for a particular item or set of items.

This 14+1 architectural shelving unit, designed by Takeshi Miyakawa, would get a lot of use in my house. It’s comprised of 15 boxes of different dimensions – each one perfect for storing a different type of item.

Six of the boxes slide in and out to create gaps for even more storage. Brilliant! Have you ever spent hours trying to cram a bunch of random stuff onto a bookshelf or storage unit? Sometimes, it’s like fitting a square peg into a round hole. For example, my daughter has tons of books that are too tall for her bookshelf. They usually end up on the floor.

This storage unit is a neat freak’s dream. I could spend a lot of time finding just the right item to store in each compartment.

The unit is made of bleached plywood and measures 59″ high by 21″ wide by 21″ deep – generously sized! It’s carried by Voos Furniture.

It’s also, er, generously priced? Carrying a price tag of a whopping $11,200, you had better plan to make use of each and every box.  Alternatively, it could be a great Christmas present for one of those people they feature on Hoarders.

Photo credit: Voos Furniture

The Hanging Lounge Chair is another item over at Pure Modern from their large collection of outdoor furniture.

This is sort of like a pappasan chair, only cooler, because a) it hangs,  b) you can use it outside, and c) it’s ultra-modern.

I like the idea of curling up in this chair on a nice day with a good book and hiding from my children!

The Hanging Lounge chair is made of polypropylene resin, which has the look of natural rattan, but is much more weather-resistant and easier to clean. The cushion is made of durable Sunbrella fabric, which is UV coated and colorfast as well. So this chair will stand up to the elements much better than natural rattan furniture will.

The chair is available in 5 different colors, and measures 45.5 inches long by 40.5 inches wide by 81.75 inches tall. This is a good sized chair. I imagine that even my husband, who measures up at 6’5″, could fit comfortably in it.

Be prepared for the price tag on this one, because this is one expensive chair. $3,280 for a hanging chair is a bit out of my budget, even if I could use it indoors. I think part of it is due to the synthetic, long-wearing fabrics and materials that are being used on the chair. You pay less for real rattan, but it’s not going to last that long, either.

Oh, and in case you wanted this item for outside of your Alaskan igloo or your Hawaiian tiki hut, sorry. This item only ships to the lower 48 states and Canada!

The Hanging Lounge chair can be purchased online at PureModern.

Mario.

He is like the 5th member of our 4-person family. My 7 year-old son is obsessed with him. If I let him, he’d play Mario video games all day, every day. I have to admit, I’ve started to think Mario is pretty cool myself. He has to be to have withstood the test of video game time. Think about the early versions of Mario Brothers video games – and he’s more popular than ever.

So when I saw this 8-Bit Video Game Crib Quilt, it really caught my eye.

The crib quilts are handmade and measure 36×36 inches. They have 100% cotton tops and polyester batting.

If there’s a gamer in your family, and a little babe in the house, this quilt is a perfect starter to get the little guy or girl on the way to their own future video game addiction! Hopefully, you’ve still got your old-school Atari or Nintendo system to give the kid a real appreciation for the classics.

Because these quilts are all about vintage video game characters.

The Frogger one is pretty cool. They also have designs for Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac-Man, Q-Bert, Dig Dug and more. Ah, the good old days when we actually had to use cartridges to play video games.

What’s also great about these crib quilts is that Geek Unique will customize the colors for you, if you wish. So no two quilts are exactly alike. Coordinate the colors to your baby geek’s room, or have Geek Unique choose a set of colors – it’s totally up to you.

8-Bit Video Game Crib Quilts are $55 and available for purchase at Geek Unique’s Etsy store.

I am up to my ears in cheap plastic tubs.

I have them everywhere in my house: my closet, the kitchen, the playroom, in my kid’s closets, holding Legos, Barbies, Littlest Pets, trading cards and more. I have them in every size and shape, from tiny ones storing hair accessories to giant ones holding huge magnetic toys.

While they serve a great purpose and are very functional, they are not much to look at. In fact, they’re downright unappealing.

That’s why these storage bins from Dwell Studio are terrific. They make organization and storage beautiful AND functional at the same time!

The Dwell Studio storage bins are square and come in two sizes – the small bin is 10x10x10 inches and the large storage bin is 15x17x15 inches. The bins are made of coated canvas so they’re super easy to clean. As a bonus they are phthalate free and PVC free, so you can rest easy that your stuff, and your family, aren’t being exposed to unsafe chemicals. They’ve got nice, sturdy handles so you can tote your things around the house easily as well – a feature plastic tubs don’t often have.

The Dwell Studio bins come in several different patterns to pick from. One of my favorites for a boys’ room is the Transportation design. I love the bright colors and the fun, yet unobstrusive pattern. It won’t clash with your existing room decor:

And for a girls’ room, I’m partial to this paper doll pattern. Again, it’ll work with just about anything you put it next to!

The large Dwell Studio storage bin is available for $80 and the small retails for $45. Or, you can buy the set of one large and one small bin for $115 at Dwell Studio.

I don’t know about you, but in certain rooms of my house, space gets tight. So I need to maximize the function of each item in the room: no waste allowed!

This Offi Bench Box with Pad is a really great multi-functional piece of furniture. It’s a bench! It’s a bookcase! It’s a storage unit! It’s movable! How cool is that?

Made of birch ply, this modern and sleek bench box meaures 15x44x22 inches without the casters. The casters are an optional item: if you don’t need them, you don’t have to have them! The seat on the Bench Box is wool upholstery and comes in gray and red- perfect for any decor.

I can think of about 12 different places in my house that this bench box would serve a great purpose. I could set it against the wall in our playroom to store toys or games, and then slide it out next to the play table when we need extra seating for the kiddos.

In the living room, I could take the casters off and use it as a standalone bookshelf. In my foyer, I could use this a place for folks to sit and take their shoes on and off. My son could use it in his room for an extra seat or video game storage. There are so many options!

The Offi Bench Box with Pad will be available for purchase in late July at Offi. It retails for $699 with the tube legs; it’s an extra $100 to get the casters. It’s not an inexpensive item, but its versatility may make up for the price tag!

When I walk into a place I’ve never been before, nothing catches my eye faster than the artwork. It really sets the tone of the whole room, and says something about the person who occupies it.

I tend to choose artwork that is a little bit different than the things you see in the typical American household. I’d rather my house not look exactly like everyone else’s.

This artwork from Constant Dreamer is just that – a little bit different, but also beautiful. Constant Dreamer takes fine art illustrations and converts them into giclees (digital prints). All the prints are created on museum quality archival cotton rag and have the feel of a true original.

Constant Dreamer Art has some really great prints to choose from. I’ll show you a few of my favorites here. What I like about these prints is that they’re suitable for a variety of places in your home. This one would be cute in a boy’s room – it’s a roughly 7×6 inch image printed on 8×11 inch paper with a white border:

For a kitchen, this teapot printed image measuring 9×7 inches is really cute. It would add a great pop of color to a neutral decor.

For a girls’ room, I love the whimsical feeling of this 9×7 inch ladybug print. It’s so delicate and airy.

You know what the best feature is about the Constant Dreamer Art prints? They’re only $20! So you can afford to buy several and either group them together in one room, or use in several different places in your house!

You can buy Constant Dreamer Art prints at their Etsy shop of the same name.

You can’t ignore the elephant in this room!

What kid doesn’t love an elephant? From Dumbo the movie to getting a chance to ride one at the circus, elephants seem to inspire a great fascination in kids. This Eames Elephant was originally designed by Charles Eames in the 1940s.

The original was made of wood and was meant to be used by children. Sadly, the item never made it to production. But now, the spirit of this whimsical piece has been revived by a company named Vitra, in a plastic version that is easy to care for and incredibly cute.

Available in five different colors, the Eames Elephant is that must-have piece for a children’s room. It can be used as a simple decor item in a baby nursery. Just think of the cute animal-themed nursery bedding available on the market – this would make a perfect complement!

Or in an older child’s bedroom that has brighter colors and maybe just needs a touch of humor – the Eames Elephant will finish the room off. Even in a playroom or basement, this elephant can serve as a toy or seating – kids can climb on it and sit right on Mr. Elephant’s back.

What’s even better? Because it’s made of plastic, you can take this toy outdoors and let the kids enjoy it there as well!

The Eames Elephant is roughly 16 inches wide by 31 inches deep by 16 inches high. It retails for $290 with free shipping to the continental United States. To find a retailer that sells the Eames Elephant, go to Vitra.

What is a Fatboy Junior, you ask?

It is not a cholesterol-laden frankfurter, or a small overweight child. Think of a cross between a beanbag and a body pillow, and you’ve got a Fatboy Junior. It’s a big, comfy, cozy cushion that is fun and versatile.

Fatboy Juniors are 40 inches by 50 inches and can be used by kiddos in a variety of ways. It can be propped up on its short end and formed into a chair. It can be laid flat as a little bed or reading mat. It can be rolled up and used as a backrest. Fatboys are way cool!

The Fatboy Junior is made of a coated-nylon fabric exterior that is super easy to clean, and the interior is made of expanded polystyrene packaging pieces. It comes in more than 10 colors, so there’s a hue to match every room.

I really want a Fatboy Junior. Actually, I’d like two of these for our playroom. I can see my kids hanging out on these to watch movies, play video games or use in fort-building on rainy days. These would not be a decor item that sat in the corner unused – that is for sure!

What I really like about the Fatboy Junior is that it could be used by children of any age – a toddler to a teenager could cozy up in one and read, sleep, do homework or chat on the phone.

Fatboy Juniors retail for $149 at Design Public. Right now, shipping is free on orders over $50, which would be a huge savings for a large, bulky item like this! I think $149 is a great price on an item that you can keep around for years and years to come.

If you like the concept of the Fatboy Junior, keep in mind that Fatboy has other great home items, like a Fatboy for grownups, hammocks, doggie beds and handbags.

I spend a lot of time in the day focusing on how to make my life simpler and easier – everything from my cooking to de-cluttering and everything in between. It crosses over into home decor, too – the simpler, the better! I’ve stopped buying heavy, bulky furniture and now enjoy cleaner lines and less “fussy” styles.

Pure Modern has a line of modern classic reproduction furniture that achieves that “simpler is better” philosophy. This reproduction line draws inspiration from modern classic designs, but is priced much more affordably.

This Tye bench, made of hardwood ash, is representative of the line. It’s clean and stylish and would look great in a contemporary room. I have several benches in my own house because they’re so versatile. Whether in a foyer as a place to put on your shoes, or in a kitchen for an easy seating option, benches are a great bang for your furniture dollar.

This particular bench comes in 3 different sizes (4, 5 or 6 feet in length and has a beautiful and airy open-slat design on the seat. I look at this bench and immediately think it belongs in a spa! If I had a big enough bathroom, I would definitely choose something like this to put there.

This would also look great in a contemporary kitchen or in an covered outdoor living area – it really has so many uses.

The Tye bench is priced between $365 and $505 depending upon size. Are they IKEA prices? No! But these items seem to be high-quality, well-designed pieces.

Pure Modern’s classic reproduction line includes other great basic pieces for the modern home. For example, you can get a Josephine wood chair in this eye-catching style:

or this Laurus end table with chrome frame and tempered glass table top:

If you really like contemporary design, this modern reproduction line is one you should definitely check out at Pure Modern.

It’s a table. No, it’s a shredder. No it’s just plain cool! This Papervore coffee table by Pigeontail Design helps to solve the problem of mounting junk mail. You know how it is – a piece of junk mail arrives and before you know it, that sucker has spawned a whole village of useless paper and you’re fighting them back with a stick. Unfortunately, they are winning.

Not any more! The design team at Pigeontail to the rescue with a table that devours printed leftovers.

Beware…plopping all that unwanted paper on your coffee table makes it mad. You wanna see what a mad coffee table can do? Check out this video to see the carnage:

The Papervore from Pigeontail Design on Vimeo.

(If you can’t see the video above, you can check it out here.)

No word on the pricing yet, but I want one!

Wall decals are not just for kids. Of course, when thinking of wall stickers, flowers, cars, honey bees, all sorts of child friendly designs come to mind. But, Wall Pops has a selection of wall stickers that are like wall paper for dummies (I mean that in a good way – installing wallpaper is terrible!).

Think stripes, squares and circles and then you can let your imagination run with how to add color to a room without spending a lot of money or (egads!) time painting. Take, for instance, this design with green and blue stripes in the bathroom. It’s very simple, very pleasing and yet it’s just a bunch of striped wall stickers. Pretty neat. To be honest, I could do without the color around the mirror, but that’s just me.

Wall Pops has many, many products, not just stripes, squares and circles. They have dry erase decals, cartoon characters from Disney (Buzz & Woody, Lightning McQueen, Cinderella et al) and Nickelodeon (Dora, Spongebob and friends), as well as birds and flowers, lipstick kisses…you name it!

I tend to be attracted to the more simple and abstract type of decals, but it seems as if there is something for everyone at Wall Pops if you’re looking for quick, easy ways to add color and drama to a room.

One disclaimer – no one at Smart Mom Picks has seen these stickers up close so we cannot attest to quality, ease of use or durability. We know, we should probably test out each and every product we tell you about, but then we’d spend all our time testing and have no time to write. And we like to share good finds when we discover them. However, if you happen to have used Wall Pops and know a little something about them first hand, please chime in and tell us!