I am curious about this upscale folding camper that comes with luxury beds and an enclosed teak veranda. I perceived it as an extension of the glam camping (also known as glamping) trend that grows over the last couple of years. But Opera has the advantage of delivering comfortable camping wherever you wish to camp. It is called Opera because the Sydney Opera House was the design inspiration.

Opera is scheduled to launch this December. I will be looking for more details. For now, you can watch a promotional slideshow on Your Suite in Nature.

+ photo: Your Suite in Nature

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I introduced the Missoni Hotel a couple months ago for their bold use of colors in a bedroom. Missoni is one of many designer brands who joined the hospitality market.

These days, the fashionista can do more than decorate her home with designer’s bedding and cushions, or entertain with tableware from the same fashion maven than the clothes she wears at her dinner party. The next frontier is to fully experience a designer style by staying in an hotel room. Seriously, I am all for stylish, well-designed hotel rooms. I am tired to see the generic hotel rooms. When I travel, I want a better experience that will inspire me. That is the main appeal of the boutique hotels.

Elle Canada listed 9 designer hotels from established fashion houses and hip designers. If you wish to stay in an interior designed by Christian Lacroix head to Hotel Du Petit Moulin. You could enjoy a night in a Bulgari Hotel when you visit Milan or or the remodeled Mondrian designed by Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz when you go to Los Angeles.

+ more at Elle Canada
+ photo via Bulgari Hotels

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Inspired by the fabulous work of LA-based event design Flite, I examined how to best use silk lanterns in a garden party to get a stunning effect. It starts with the superb Vietnamese silk lanterns, which are a lot more sophisticated than Chinese paper lanterns.

When you are hanging lanterns, mix the shapes and alternate colors. Pumpkin, diamond, teardrop, balloon, cocoon shapes work well together. I encourage you to mix solids and patterns within a hue family. A two-color palette is more elegant. For the garden wedding in violets, you can broaden the scheme by adding a few pink lanterns. I think this installation was really successful.

Since you will need a large number of lanterns to make a statement, it is often best to rent them. Plus, they will do the installation for you, including doing the wiring if your party continues after dark. An event design studio with a remarkable portfolio is Flite located in Los Angeles, California. Looking at their portfolio is a treat.

If you wish to do it yourself, you can find sources online. Vi Gallery sells 4 shapes of Hoi An Silk Lanterns in two sizes (medium $20 USD large $30 USD) in an array of colors. For a larger selection, check Asia2you, a retailer based in Wisconsin that ships everywhere. This is where I found these beautiful parasol lanterns.

SOURCING:
+ Silk Lanterns by Flite - Photo credits for my first collage: top left photo by Cat Gwynn and Ben Hoffman, top right photo by Louis Felix, second row photos by Mark Carolin
+ Orange pattern prosperity lantern on sale at $33.95 USD
+ Solid Orange prosperity lantern on sale at $31.15 USD

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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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Two years ago, I told you about the stylish cat beds by Cat Interiors. I particularly like the RONDO cat bed.

Their initial success led Christel and Otto Meyer to start Pet Interiors. They launched a collection of upscale dog beds in July 2009 that is as fabulous as their cat beds.

You can select the CUBE dog bed in leather or imitation leather. The BOWL dog bed is available in felt, in leather and in imitation leather. The DIVAN is the classic dog pillow that put emphasis on comfort. The brushed wool fleece cushion cover  is removable. You can wash it and dry it in the machine.

SOURCING:
+ 1. CUBE dog bed imitation leather $1378, leather $1627
+ 2. BOWL  dog bed felt $261 USD, imitation leather $592, leather $964
+ 3. Divan dog pillow $288.42 USD
+ RONDO cat bed felt or imitation leather $827 USD, wicker $799, leather $964

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If you are looking for a unique gifts for a foodie with a love of modern design, browse through the catalogue of Eva Solo. They give unique shape to everyday housewares. Eva Solo products are not cheap. There are an indulgence. Therefore, they are perfect gift ideas.

Salad Sinner by Eva Solo

The Salad Spinner reinvent the old technique of washing salad. Your grand mothers used to do that with a tea towel. Now you can do it more efficiently and more stylishly with their salad spinner. I really like the look.

After you rinse the leaves with your hands (which you must always do whichever method you use), squeeze the top of the bucket together to form a spout and pour off the water. The lettuce is now ready for spinning. You need a little bit of vertical space. Swing the bucket around in the air – this you can do either indoors or outdoors. In the process, any surplus water and dirt collects under the drainage plate.

The bucket is made of soft TPE rubber, which is approved for foods, and has a nylon cord handle. The drainage plate is made of stainless steel. The bucket is available in creamy sand, spring green and steel grey.

Other Gift Ideas

The Eva Solo’s silicone potholders are available in new colors. I like it because you simply rinse them to remove small spills or put them in the dishwasher for a thorough wash. The flexibility of silicone means that they follow the form of the pots and pans your need to carry. If you want, you can place the potholders on a hook near the stove to have them close whenever you need.

You will be the stylish camper with the thermo picnic flask. In fact, they look as amazing that you can walk the city with the half-liter water flask.

SOURCING:
+ Salad Spinner by Eva Solo $118 USD
+ Eva Solo Flexible Potholders $45 USD for a pair
+ Mat or polished Thermo Water Flask 0.5 litter $99 USD 1L $188

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I gathered a few items to make you dream before the weekend. I finished with a steal at Pottery Barn.

Neoteric produces upscale outdoor furniture with a remarkable design. Sampan and Iraya are two stunning daybeds. From the 2007 collection of B&B Italia, a huge women pattern built the structure of the Canasta circular sofa designed by Patricia Urquiola. It is a nice alternative to the Dedon Orbit without canapy.

Melon from Neoteric is a big chair that gives you privacy. Colorful cushions would seem more appropriate for Melon. Especially that summer 2009 is pretty vibrant in terms of colors. A steal is the Palmetto all-weathered wicker chair currently on sale at Pottery Barn.

SOURCING:
+ Sampan Outdoor Wicker Day Bed $8,995 USD
+ Iraya Outdoor Wicker Daybed $7,495 USD
+ Canasta circular sofa by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia
+ Melon Outdoor Wicker Chair $7,995 USD
+ Palmetto All-Weather Wicker Egg Chair – reg. $1299 on sale $1,039 USD

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If you recalled the tipi by Gandia Blasco, you know that their design is unique and trendy. This Spanish family-run company mastered the art of creating atmosphere for upscale and sensual party on a beach, by the pool or in a big backyard.

Have a look at their latest lighting addition. It is spectacular! The Lampara Piramide is a portable outdoor lamp, made of polyethylene.  It delivers a sensual glow, especially next to the tipi. Sadly, it is not sometimes that most of us can afford. At $1550 a piece, we will admire them from far.

Sahara Plant Pots

The Sahara planters all share a beautiful organic shape. They come in five formats with inner compact florescent lamp lighting and a drainage system. To add color to the white planters, simply use a colored compact fluorescent lamp. I am not sure if the colored Sahara pots can be illuminated. I have not find a store yet with the sand, terracotta, lime and black pots.

The planter can be used as an ice bucket when you have a party. The Sahara Planters are a creation of Pablo Gironés.

SOURCING:
+ Gandia Blasco
+ Lampara Piramide $1550 USD at YLighting
+ Sahara planters $520 USD at YLighting

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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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If you are a Greater Toronto resident, you can enter the $10,000 Dressing Room Makeover on Canadian House and Home. For the rest of us, we can take clues on how to organize our closet by exploring the different displayed elements. This is an installation made by California Closets.

+ Enter via Canadian House and House

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I love this naturally chic yellow 3-tier cake. The design is so simple yet it is truly original. This is not your typical wedding cake. I envy today’s brides. You can infuse so much more your personality and have fun with wedding themes.

Their story behind this cake studio has a cute twist. Two sisters founded Cakegirls. As you can imagine, Mary and Brenda cater to the high-end market with cool modern wedding cakes and one-of-a-king specialty cakes. Meet the sisters in a video on WeTv.

Birthday Cakes

The farm animals cake is so cute. This kid party must have been awesome.

Their specialty cakes push the boundaries of details in cake decorations. They are truly marvelous cakes.

SOURCING:
+ Images from Cakegirls
+ Get directions to Cakegirls p 773.404.3147
2207 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60618

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A travel trend is luxury camping with five star accommodations. You sleep in a comfortable bed set in a 10-feet tent equipped with furniture. You eat gourmet food prepared by chefs sitting at the resort restaurants. At night, you dine with fine wines. It is the next frontier of eco-chic travel. Behind all the glam of these resorts, I saw an opportunity for an amazing party theme.

Glamping is not a new idea. The upper class has been traveling in style with their furniture for centuries. In fact, it reminded me of the first season of the Adventures of Young Indiana Jones when Indy and his parents went to an African safari.

How Can You Make this Idea Yours?

You can make your own tents and use them as guests room at the cottage for a big family reunion. Imagine this setting for a destination wedding that you set in the countryside instead of an Island.

Tents are not just to sleep. Clayoquot Wilderness Resort designed 2 lounge tents: a game tent, and a library tent to entertain you during your stay. They reproduced the Gentlemen’s Clubs of the past. It reminds me of the Library of the Gold Floor at The Copley hotel in Boston.

You can design a fun version for a kid and even a teen birthday party in your backyard. Plan the game tent to suit the theme of your party.

For safety reasons, I suggest you rely on battery-operated candles.

About Clayoquot Wilderness Resort

You can see that emulating the ways fortunate people spent their summers roughing it one hundred years ago was the heart of the concept of John and Adele Caton for their wilderness destination resort.

If you are thinking of staying at this premier eco-safari destination, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort specifies on their Web site that the months of May and September are perfect for couples. They advertise the summer months as better suit high-energy family gatherings.

And since you get complimentary wireless Internet access for personal portables, you can share with us your wonderful adventures.

SOURCING:
+ Photos: Clayoquot Wilderness Resort in Tofino, British Columbia – rate this resort
+ Via Liberty Post and Apartment Therapy

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