Since the handle of a jug helps us when we pour liquid, the Spanish design studio GR Lab created a attachment that perfectly fits the universal coil of any plastic bottle. Plus it adds a touch of color to your table. I like the fact that it is a simple way to reuse the plastic bottles. When we think about it, we could reuse plastic bottles to serve fresh lemonade or ice tea.

I read on Inhabitat that the Aqua Jar for Balvi was launched at last month’s Valencia Design Week. It is not yet on the Web site of Balvi. The Web site of GR Lab is more than sparse on information. This is all the information I could find of this new product.

+ Via Inhabitat

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I guess that a lot of college students will ask this toaster as a housewarming gift. I totally understand the appeal. You know by now that I love bringing color into my home. It is not the first time that Bodum introduced color in an unusual but tasteful way.

The Bistro Toasters is not just a pretty thing. It has nice features that would be appreciated by moms and dads. The 900-watt Bistro 2-slice Toaster is made of stainless steel that is cover with a heat-resistant rubber exterior. It is safer. The little fingers cannot be burned by touching the toaster. It is also easier to clean. No more worries about finger marks on the toaster. Cool features are a defrost mode and a cancel button.

Writing this post makes me want to change my 15-year old toaster. I would like a red one to repeat the bright red center of my kitchen cabinets.

Bistro Flatbed Toasters by Bodum

The Flatbed toaster is something that I never seen before. It will be soon available. I read that it is:

• Great for Bagels, Croissants, Baguettes & More
• Toasts one side and defrosts four traditional slices of bread at once
• Comes with an adjustable Timer
• Toast larger breads without crushing them

I am curious to know how well it performs. If you have ever tried something similar, I would like to get your input. The Flatbed toaster is available in the same 8 colors.

SOURCING:
+ Bistro 2-slice Toaster by Bodum choice of 8 colors $79.99 USD at Amazon.com
+ Black Bistro Flatbed Toaster by Bodum $79.99 USD
+ Bodum Toaster Collection

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I love the ingenuity of the design behind every Royal VKB products. Their motto, Thought for Food says it all. This Dutch housewares company always succeed to grab my attention. If only, I could find a Canadian retailer who carries the entire range of Royal VKB.

A new product, Table Bin would appreciate by students who live with roommates. Designed with outdoor dining in mind, it can be practical for a small family. The concept is that you can filled the bin with food waste, place the utensils in the side pocket, stack dirty dishes on top on the lid and clean up the table in one batch.

Royal VKB developed clever double-duty measuring products that come in an array of colors. They have look and function. I told you before about Mix and Measure, a series of bowls with a graduated scale inside the bowl. You can get an air-tight lid that features a spoon rest on the reverse side.

The Cup and Store canisters come in aluminum and glass. The canister integrates a measuring cup, the lid, for easy pouring. Plus you save space since the jars can stacked into another.

No more need of a scale with the Balancing Bowls. Fill one half of the bowl and the bowl will tilt when you reach the indicated weight. This is not all, you can use the bowl for servings chips and other snacks.

As you can see, Royal VKB imagined stylish practical products that can save you time and space. For that, I gave them a 10.

SOURCING:
1. Mix & Measure by Jan Hoekstra € 9,95 to € 24,95 per bowl
2. Cup & Store Aluminium by Arian Brekveld € 9,95 to € 14,95 per jar
2. Cup & Store Glass by Arian Brekveld € 7,95 to € 9,95 per jar
3. Table Bin by Officeoriginair € 29,95
4. Balancing Bowl set by Jan Hoekstra € 14,95 for set of 2 bowls

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Using bold colors and patterns requires more than an eye for design. One luxury company who is known for their bold use of colors is Missoni. The Italian brand opened their first hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland last June. Four more hotels is scheduled to open over the next few years.

As you would expect, the room decor is inspired by Missoni’s line of fabric. Although I do not like all their room decor, I find that some of are well-done. I wish to share my favorite ones with you. The secret is often to use solid colors taken from the bold pattern palette. You do not wish to add new colors. Then, you can oppose textures and finishes (ex: mat vs shiny).

The richness of the more subtle scheme rooms comes from a major element done in a metallic finish. If you like it, check out the Golden Age Silver collection by Missoni.

Although the entrance is a bright yellow, the main walls of the room have an almost plain beige wallpaper. This is what you need to not compete with a bedding.

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Festa caught my eyes with its sunny summer tones and a comprehensive line. At last, a melamine collection that proposes a mingle plate. Party Dish is practical and beautiful. It is well-thought with a whole to hold solidly the plate, a wine holder and a recessed plate to make sure nothing falls when you walk and socialize.

Eight elements compose Festa. It includes a dining plate, a fruit/dessert plate, a sectional barbecue plate, a social plate (party dish), serving bowls, cups/soup bowls and utensils. Festa is white inside to highlight food. The exterior is available in 4 colors: yellow, orange, red and green.

Sebastian Conran is the son of Sir Terence Conran and the brother of Sophie Conran, the baker and designer of tableware for Portmeirion that I owned.

SOURCING:
+ Festa Collection by Guzzini $9.99 – $19.99 CAD at Cuisine Gourmet

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French people, like many residents of European countries, are not afraid to infuse bold colors in their decor. They also do it in a tasteful way. The latest example is the April-May 2009 issue of Coté Sud, which is dedicated to the feminine side of summer. The mood of the cover says it all.

Another reason the cover caught my eye is Tablabri by Fermob. Tablabri was designed as a twist on the classic outdoor dining table and a parasol. It is practical too since you can store the poles and the canvas when not in use in a space situated under the tabletop.

Many dining tables and outdoor chairs from Fermob can be folded. It is practical when you like to host sit-down dinner for 20. Furniture, which likes gardens, which like colors is the motto of Fermob. Therefore, you will not surprise when I tell you that all the outdoor furniture pieces are available in 24 colors.

More Outdoor Design Ideas for Spring-Summer 2009

The outdoor space does not show sign of fatigue. Do not restrict your backyard accessories to the traditional look of outdoor furniture. Outdoor lights is one area where they are so much options than in the space. I will explore outdoor lighting on another post. For now, take a look of these photos from two backyards in France.

Consider the background surfaces before selecting the colors of your furniture. You can color block one wall and keep the other walls and the deck neutral to support your decor. See how great it looks on this Parisian terrace. Mixing shades of pink and purple works well against a green foliage backdrop and a sandy deck.

SOURCING:
+ Talabri £1120 at Made in Design
+ Fermob
+ Images from Coté Sud, Coté Paris and Coté Ouest

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If you are looking for fun and modern melamine dinnerware for your next picnic or barbecue that you can use all year long for cocktail parties, take a look at the Kay collection from the Working Class Studio.

Kay Wolfersperger designed a complete outdoor dining collection with salad plates, dinner plates, charger plates, bowls and tumbler glasses. Each element features their own geometric patterns. I enjoy the fact that you customize the look by opting to get all the pieces in one color or in an array of colors. There is an infinite way, matter of speaking, that you could  mix and match them. This unisex and cheerful collection is dishwasher safe but do not put it on the microwave.

Working Class Studio is the product development arm of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). SCAD created this division to give students real world experience designing and marketing home accessories and lifestyle products. Getting these products is a way to encourage young talents to flourish more.

SOURCING:
+ Working Class Studio Kay Collection Bowl $8 each at Velocity Art and Design
+ Working Class Studio Kay Collection Salad Plates $8 each
+ Working Class Studio Kay Collection Charger $14 each
+ Kay Collection Tumbler $4 each

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The few items of the latest collection of Jonathan Alder caught my attention. Let’s start with lighting. Contrary to lots of designers, I restrain the recessed lights to the bare minimum in my decors. I prefer to display gorgeous lamps for their decorative and functional input. The latest lighting collection by Jonathan Alder allows you to do it at a really reasonable price.

If you are looking for an industrial lamp with a feminine side, look no further than Havana. When I look at the single light Havana, I almost see a hanging dress. I love it! It is a uniquely shaped task fixture. Available with one or three lights, the Havana pendant is designed for an art and craft studio, to lit the kitchen island or to hang low over the dining table. A table lamp and a floor lamp complete the series.

Capri is an entire lighting collection with two lamps and two pendants. Each Capri light is made of colored glass with polished nickel accents. The hardest thing is to decide which one you like the best between the Capri Teardrop lamp, the Capri genie or the Bottle Pendant or lamp. You do not have too since you could very well mixed the three models in a same room. They are available in blue, green, orange, white and gray.

SOURCING:
+ Havana Pendant with three lights $450 USD
+ Havana Pendant $195 USD
+ Capri Teardrop Lamp $275 USD
+ Capri Genie Pendant $195 USD
+ Capri Bottle Pendant $195 USD
+ Capri Bottle Lamp $275 USD

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We all know this modern bentwood chair. It rests on a sturdy chrome-plated iron base. Many brands produce their version. What is fun at West Elm is the variety of the bendwood chair finishes. You can opt for the traditional solid color option, a print option and the new pebbled leather upholstery.

The popularity of the scoop-back form is due to its affordability and versatility. It can be used as dining chairs, as a desk chair or a simple sitting chair in a teen bedroom. For our bedroom at the cottage, we bought two black-brown GILBERT chair at IKEA. I prefer the shape of  the Scoop-back chair but there is no West Elm’s store in Montreal.

SOURCING:
+ scoop-back chair, print $99 USD
+ scoop-back chair, solid $99 USD
+ leather scoop-back chair $199 USD

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For outdoor furniture, my heart swings between wood furniture and colorful modern furniture. If you wish for no maintenance furniture, synthetic fiber outdoor furniture is the way to go.

A brand that produces amazing design at a relatively affordable price is Lebello. The stainless steel sledge base Chair 6 is new for summer 2009. You can opt for the cut lower back design called Chair 6 Open. I like both shapes so it comes back to which chair feels more comfortable to you. Chair 6 comes in 11 colors of fibers.

The Marshmellow design expresses a cheerful sense of stylish. Besides the 14 bold and tasteful colors, a feature that stands Marshmellow apart is its cool Neoprene cushion. I am a fan of Neoprene. I own a pair of rain boots mainly made of Neoprene that I absolutely love. The cushions are also available in 100% solution dyed acrylic fiber.

About the Lebello Fibers

The Lebello furniture is made from superior polyethylene-based synthetic fibers. I knew that this material was easy maintenance and resistant to sea salt and pool water. What I learned is that it is a 100% recyclable material. Plus their products are 70% manufactured by hand, with minimal machine equipment. The Lebello fibers can withstand temperatures from -20°C to +55°C, which means that your outdoor furniture can stay outside all-year long in most areas.

SOURCING:
+ Chair 6 $356 USD at Lebello
+ Marshmellow M2 $165 USD at Lebello

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Koziol did it again: I am in awe. I spot this adorable tea strainer while researching the best tea strainers. But really, Audrey Tea Strainer is too remarkable for me to wait. It is in a class by itself. I will tell you a little secret: I will give it to my mom for Mother’s Day – do not worry, she will be surprised since she rarely uses a computer.

I think that the Audrey tea strainer collection was launched last year. Every blown glass piece is unique. Plus like the Swatch watches, you can build a collection. Every year, they are updating the colors. The 2008 collection has a white vase with the bloom available in pink, orange, pink sun, red, turquoise blue and green. The 2009 collection is pink orange, pink white, red white with a green base. It is also available in all green and all white.

More Tea Accessories

Koziol is well known for their fun and colorful plastic kitchenware. Their plastic collection proposes several cool items for making your tea.

+ THEKLA, a measuring spoon with a bag clip
+ BEAU-TEA ,which is a modern tea ball that is supposed to leave enough space for the leaves to fully unfold
+ LEAF-IT, a fun tea bag tidy made of transparent heat-resistant plastic
+ The popular three-tiered BABELL tray is now available in a small size to fit petits fours, chocolates and mignardises

SOURCING:
+ Koziol for the Kitchen Catalogue
+ Audrey Murano Tea Strainer $22.95 CAD at Ochadô – they deliver internationally

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This is not a new product but these pictures are stunning. It feels very old LA. I love the mood.

I am not certain.  The Ensombra may have been introduced in 2006 by Gandia Blasco.  This folding parasol has the base and the pole made of thermolacquered iron.  while phenolic plates are used for the slats. It sounds complicated. The important thing for me is that these parasols add fun and style to any backyard. They come in two sizes and 6 colors.

SOURCING:
+ Gandia Blasco
+ Gandia Blasco Modern Ensombra Parasol designed by Odosdesign $2500 USD

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