Marketplace: Beverage Dispensers for Summer Entertaining

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It seems to me that a good-looking beverage container is one of the most coveted items for summer entertaining. Here are two that I saw at Sablétine last week in Waterloo, Ontario.

beverage dispenser at Sablétine, photo by Jordana

beverage dispenser at Sablétine, photo by Jordana

Is a beverage dispenser like one of these on your summer shopping list? What would you fill it with?

metal beverage dispenser, $19.99, Target

vintage glass beverage dispenser, $24.99, Target

glass beverage dispenser, $20.79, Target

ceramic enamelware beverage dispenser, $197, Williams-Sonoma

water bottle beverage dispenser, $136, Williams-Sonoma

beverage dispenser, $121, Williams-Sonoma

beverage dispenser, $64, West Elm

Books: Blurb + Giveaway

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I have been raving to my friends about Blurb ever since I wrote my first book for my nephew’s second birthday. For that book, I illustrated pictures of fruit, scanned them to my computer, and then uploaded them to a Blurb template. I then wrote the vocabulary to match (in three languages of course – that’s my academic side coming through!), finalized a few details, and pressed publish. In a matter of weeks, my first Blurb book arrived in my mailbox and I spent quite a bit of time showing it off before I handed it over to my nephew.

a preview of my first Blurb book – a multilingual book about fruit

It probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise that I have since published a few other books for each of my nephew’s birthdays. I am pleased with how each of them has turned out (and I think my nephews are too) and Blurb has been an easy company to work with.

customizable copyright & dedication pages

sssshh…this one still hasn’t been opened…it’s for Reef’s second birthday next week

here are my nephews reading Duke’s third birthday book about shapes

While I have not made my books available to the public, this is definitely a possibility with Blurb and something to pursue if you have written something that you want to share with others. On the other hand, if you’re at a loss for words but you want to compile photos from your last vacation, then consider Blurb the place to do so. The company offers quite a few design options, page templates, and bounding possibilities.

Want to get started? Well, look no further! Blurb is offering one lucky reader a $35 promo code to use toward a Blurb book. To enter this giveaway simply leave a comment and tell us what type of Blurb book you would like to create. And do it quick – this contest ends on Thursday June 7th, 2012. Winner will be chosen at random.

Note: Contest is open to Canadian residents only.

Photos and books by Jordana.

The Friday Five: London Architecture

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The arrival of the sunny warm weather in the last few weeks has meant that I have been spending a lot more time outside. On my walks around the neighbourhood I have begun to really notice the amazing architectural features of the buildings around me. I have started to bring along my camera and I have been snapping away. With all the traveling I have done these last couple of months, it feels really good to shine the spotlight on some local gems for a change.

architectural details in London, Ontario

Photos by Jordana.

Event: International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF)

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The centerpiece of many design events taking place in NYC last week was the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (known as ICFF).

While oriented towards furniture retailers and “the trade” (aka interior designers and architects) the fair is open to the public for one of the four days.

This was my first year attending (for inspiration and potential new merchandise for Caviar20) and many design professionals I spoke with shared my enthusiasm for this year’s display.

While it was no surprise to see powerhouses like Vitra and Knoll, the strength of ICFF came from the small and medium sized studios that offer bespoke furniture or manufacture their own products (Grain, Rich Brilliant Willing, and Misewell are paradigms)

Strong American design was out in full force – earnest young talent creating work with great lines out of fine materials. Brooklyn-based studios were noticeably well-represented.

While some say ICFF lacks the avant-garde creativity found at the rival fair in Milan, there is a significant and consistent display of fresh, commercial, and livable furniture. Another surprise is how affordable many of the pieces are. If you’re looking for preposterously priced limited edition Ă  la Marc Newson you’re at the wrong fair.

Below is a selection of amazing white pieces I encountered. With the exception of two pieces – everything is priced below $750.

Rock Chair designed by Fredrik Färg

Grant side table by Gabriel Scott

Tiffin lunch kit by Sinclaire

Dakar chair by Skitsch

Hanging light by Lukas Peet

Fern table by Egg Collective

Sydney pendant by Mary Wallis

Delta V pendant by Rich Brilliant Willing

Lockwood chair by Misewell

Knot a bad seat

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After coming across my second knotty pouf, I decided it’s time I feature the thing. Surely we’re onto a trend here.

The knotted ottoman we have here today is a beautiful thing (isn’t it?) by Prague-based design studio Kumeko. Inspired by old techniques of weaving fabrics and baskets, the pouf comes in two sizes and are said to be outstandingly comfy. I really like the weave pattern we have here in the Kumeko but CB2 does a similar pouf (no white option, sadly- just black, blue or red) that is knitted with large ribs.

The fabric, knotty pouf is a really nice way to round out all those harsh modernist edges in otherwise very angular spaces and well, let’s face it, it offers up a backup place to sit for when there’s just no more room on that loveseat.

Knotty poufs by Kumeko