dining rooms.

if you could show up for dinner in any of these spaces which one would you choose? which one makes you feel most at home?










so i'm painting the interior of my house. it's a rental so i can't go too crazy but it was needing a facelift and paint is a relatively inexpensive way to spruce up spaces. our floor plan in our house is pretty open, the dining room/kitchen area spills right into the living area, with no wall or barrier. i've just hung a mini chandelier, all amber hanging glass beads and it looks fabulous. it got me to thinking and wondering about dining rooms, how much time we spend in them and how everyone sort of makes theirs very unique in their own comfortable way. ours is very comfortable and relaxed. perhaps i'll take pictures after the small but fun transformation is complete and post them sometime soon!

but for now i bring to you living etc.'s versions of terrific dining spaces. from bold, to stark, to fancy shmancy to completely relaxed and on the go types of spaces. great ideas to take from each and every one. is your dining space important to you? what have you done to make it your unique, interesting and comfortable space? enjoy!

pid.(personal interior design)

perfect attention grabber. "the object is a play with form and meaning, change of context, transformation and scale and the references and associations that come out of this. result is a decorative interior object that can be put on the ground or mounted on the wall. exotic and desirable the bear rug promises romantic intimacy in a subverted manner, but at the same time can also be understood as reference to a larger cultural and critical context (hunting trophy - man over nature, a nod to animal rights."



very curious and imaginative rugs!

jellyfish pendant. "this beautiful chandelier emits it´s light from the bendable bows. the lamps consists of 28 high effect LED´s built in to the chandelier itself. the light is then captured by the fiber sticks which works like lamps creating a soft and harmonious light."

"black fiber is an exclusively futuristic lamp made of fiber optics as it's light source. the shade of transparent fiber looks sparkling and airy."


perfect meditation spot.

hmmm...so many possibilities.

personal fire place designs, pleasing in form and design with or without fire going!


ok where do i possibly start. i was like a kid in a candy store my friends. a world crossed between the jetsons and fantasy island. well, you be the judge. while clicking around on pid's site, which is large by the way...(you might need to stop and eat something to keep going) i would say "oh that's neat, no wait, that's even more imaginative, not wait that is!" just pure fun and pure artistry as many of these products, by so many different companies and artists are one of a kind to be sure.

pid offers everything from personal fireplaces, fabulously different lighting of which i have a weakness, furniture, accessories to bedding. are you tired yet? :) head on over to pid for inspiration, to purchase or just admire their many products. allow time, you'll be addicted. enjoy!

dinah coops.

sustainable tablemats. "made from a locally produced stone-like material out of 100% recycled paper and non-petroleum based resin with a 1/32" thick cork backing. hand silk screened and coated with water based polyurethane and silicone for protection."

sustainable coasters. "a modern renewable version of traditional european slate coasters with surface designs inspired by found organic objects contrasted by abstract line work."

steely blue seed pod coasters.

single seed pod tablemat.

triple seed pod tablemat.

weathered leaf coasters.

large weathered leaf tablemat.

sea fan coasters.

sea fan branches tablemats.



"dinah coops is a seattle based designer creating modern, artful products inspired by nature and minimalism." whether for trays, candles or for hanging as art right on the wall or leaning on a mantle, dinah's designs lend themselves to any surface. it's funny because today i was talking with one of my customer's about how fun it is to define and decorate tabletops for family or guests. i mentioned that i collect different pieces of china and teacups, saucers etc. and that nothing in my cupboard matches. so when the table is set it is fun to pick a plate either by mood or color or design. how fun to add the element of her natural, organic designs under each plate or platter.

the first thing that caught my eye about dinah's designs was the minimalistic approach to her squares. i love that. i also love designs that wander off the page so to speak. they are not centered and framed but have movement. "currently, she is developing a line of home accessories that combines the elements of surface design, utility, and environmental sustainability." lucky for all of us. i have a feeling that dinah and her designs are one's to watch. enjoy!

currents of clay.

rashida ua bakari ferdinand. artist focus for this sunny monday. rashida lives and works as a visual artist in new orleans, has a varied and accomplished educational background and began working with clay "under the tutelage of winnie owens-hart, from whom she learned an ipetumodo nigerian coiling technique. with clay as her foundation ferdinand began to create anthropomorphic ceramic vessel forms as representations of spaces of spiritual containment." when i read that i understood that as designers we set out to accomplish much the same thing. each of rashida's pieces appears to have a feeling all it's own and welcomes space, enlightens space and offers a grounding of natural materials and an essence of bringing the outside inside...which i love. i see her art lending itself to a modern or rustic space. extremely versatile.

read more about rashida's art, her life, her goals and her contributions to life on her site, currents of clay. simply intriguing. enjoy!

wildflower organics.

serena drum chandelier. love the circular design.

driftwood candelabra. i love driftwood and i love candelabras. so why not both?

pipa bowl chandelier. reminds me of all of the great milk glass out there.

wine barrel chandelier. perfect over your glass of red.

bella notte linen sheets. dreamy.

bella notte silk velvet embroidered cases.

rivet dining table.

finger cuffs. very majestic rings.

mango ball end table.


wildflower organics, just featured in the march domino offers such a great eclectic variety of items. as i was clicking away on their site, i found myself lost in a world between "at west end" and "calvin klein home"...rustic, comfortable and worn meets stark, sleek and elegant. each page i went to i was surprised by the content, meaning that some of what i was looking at didn't seem like the style and look of what i'd looked at last. but how fun for me! located in austin, texas the store offers "high-end furniture, gorgeous accessories, unique gifts and a full line of natural bedding products." yes, their bedding is dreamy and certainly calls for you to climb right in. definitely the highlight of wildflower organics. focused on green before green was, well, vogue, owners cori and gunnar hedman "had environmental responsibility at the heart of their buying philosophy." lucky for us. head on over to wildflower organics for an abundance of items to ogle and possibly beautiful bedding for a terrific nights sleep.

modern way.

set of 4 huge wall panels. ok, i know what you're thinking. but take them out of this setting and plunk them into a residential setting in need of some punch or a commercial setting perhaps behind a bar, or along a hallway leading anywhere. reflective, shiny and fun.

beautiful set of italian vases. the color jumps out and is decadent.

while most of their lighting was a bit "mod" for me, this set of marboro lamps were intriguing.

one of my fav's so far. vintage lucite coffee table. oh the possibilities.

nickle plated dining table. i'm not a big "glass coffee or dining table" person but for the right client and in the right setting, this offers a clean streamlined spacial design.

lucite and mirror credenza. would reflect it's surroundings beautifully.

pair of mirrored cubes. strangely enough, in the right setting these would be fun.

asian modern table. custom colored for arthur alrod decorated home circa 1968.

incredible, delicate set of 4 italian dining chairs.

early 60's classic mid-century modern sofa and club chair in pristine vintage fabric.

need a little modern your way? well modern way has plenty. flipping through my latest domino mag (and apparently one of my last!) there was a great article by rita konig who explores along north palm canyon drive, popping into treasure troves of stores and splurging on hard to find, finds. modern way caught my eye as having "slightly weird california treasures", as rita put it. do any of these lovelies grab your eye or your credit card? wouldn't it be fun to roam around for a bit in a store such as this though? and for my fellow bloggers who grew up during some of these styles, a trip down memory lane. enjoy!