Why don’t I live in Europe? I know, you’re all saying “Detroit is the next best thing!” But still, so much cool stuff comes from Europe. I need to be there. This is called the Papton Chair from the Fuchs + Funke industrial design firm based in Berlin. So, when I visit them I know where to stay already! (see post below).

The next time I go to Berlin The Propeller Island Lodge is the place I’ll stay. The hard part will be deciding which room to stay in. Let’s see, shall it be the…

Padded Cell Room? “From top to bottom and all around the bed, everything is upholstered with green leather. A kingly or queenly room where one can hear his own heart beat when the spirit grows weary. Small but exquisite, and undeniably noble on top of that!” Hmm, you have to share the shower, so maybe it will be…

Orange Room and Symbol Room (they share a kitchen) I wouldn’t want to wake up with a hangover in either room. They’d have to move me to the padded room. Let’s find something pretty….

Sorry, I got lost in the mine room. Moving on…

How did I get in here? Everything is upside down! Oh forget it! I’m going back to my cozy padded cell and have a nap.

Sea Cloth reminds me of Hable Construction. They’ve got a great line of fabrics and make their own things which they sell through their store and web site. Their designs say Outdoors and, in fact, a few of their patterns are made for outdoor use. They’re worth checking out.

Sorry for the small photo, but I’m technically challenged right now. Just go to Moroso’s site to get a better look. Yes, I know it’s a sofa not a chair. But if you sit on it, that’s close enough for me. I really wanted to put this sofa in Chum Bucket, but feared the renters would throw up on it or something.

Linear is a contemporary furniture store in the Detroit area. My friends Sandra Sabbagh and Eduardo Sabbagh have recently moved their enterprise to Royal Oak, so it was time I checked it out. Sandra is a fabulous designer, and Chairman of the Interior Design Department at The College for Creative Studies. Her guapo husband, Eduardo runs Linear and plays a mean bass guitar. He also figures out how to fit things on containers and ship them from overseas. I don’t know why, but the whole process mystifies me.

Linear is located at 409 N. Main Street in Royal Oak. They carry cutting edge products from Moroso, Arper, Flou, Cor, Kastel - the list goes on. “We’re branching out into more tabletop, retail-oriented thing as well, since we now have so much street traffic”, Eduardo explained to me. Linear is also a full service interior design firm catering to both residential and commercial markets.

Beds from Flou

One of the lesser known brands (in the U.S.) they carry, but one of the more unusual, is bed manufacturer Flou. The line consists of contemporary bed frames, mattresses and pillows. But they also sell bedding - incredibly beautiful bed linens as only the Italians can create.

Hand crafted objets from the Sabbagh’s native country, Colombia

Linear’s web site is being revamped to allow online shopping and should be up and running soon. In the meantime, Eduardo says to give him a call (listed on their site here) and ask about anything you’re interested in. They also carry several lines of kitchen cabinets. I’ve saved the best for last because Linear is now running a sale. Most everything is for sale up to 75% off. “We need to make room for new products we have coming in,” explains Sandra. So call today and ask for pictures and prices. Did I mention - they have 2 Catifas. I’ll race you to the phone.

My Catifa

Does Barbara Barry love chiropractors? I wonder, because if you don’t have scoliosis now you’ll definitely have it after sitting in this. I guess it could work for Ladies Who Lunch in Training. “Sit up straight, Trisha! No slouching, Binky. Uncross those legs, Thumper!” The only room you could use this in is the bedroom because no one sits on chairs in the bedroom. They throw their clothes on them. (Why sit when you can lie on the bed?) Anyway, this chair is from Baker which is headquartered right here in Michigan. I guess I can’t expect perfection all the time.

The New York Times has a question and answer series in their Home section every Thursday. Today’s question was “What kind of rugs are good for high-traffic areas?” It’s a good article, if brief. Click here to read it.

One of the products they mention is FLOR. I’d like to add that while FLOR is an interesting product, and you can wash some of their tiles in the sink, most tiles looks commercial. In fact, many of them are. Also, FLOR isn’t cheap. Depending on where the rug is going you might be wiser to have inexpensive stain-resistant carpeting made into a rug. You can easily find carpet with the hip look of FLOR. When the rug wears out, toss it and buy something new. You’ll wind up spending less on two rugs than you would for one set of FLOR tiles.

Here’s a cool cocktail table from Speke-Klein called Think Puzzle. Yes, it’s yet another terrific pun from The Hole. Anyway, I actually might buy this for my living-family room project that I haven’t even started yet. That’s because it’s my living-family room. I spend a lot of time thinking about it. Usually this takes place late at night.

So more about the table. It’s reasonably priced at under $1,000. Speke-Klein is a Canadian company founded about 9 years ago. They specialize in custom goods. Check out their site. They’ve got some great chairs and beds, too.

Here’s an interesting, sculptural design from Jessica Nebel Design. It’s called a Rocking Cube. This little rocker is made from a wood veneer on the inside and a soft foam on the seat to make it cozy. It comes in a variety of colors.

By the way, sorry for not posting every day. Sometimes life gets way too busy and I think I’ll have time to post at the end of the day. But then “the end of the day” arrives long after the sun has set. So bear with me and thanks for understanding.

Deer Chair

I was at the Salone del Mobile in Milan 2 years ago. Oh how I wish I had the time and funds to return every year! This is the place to be if you want to get a leg up on trends. Anyway, there I was, weaving my way through all the colorful plastic. Every now and then I’d come across an exhibit of something natural: a wood veneered light fixture; a natural, rattan lounge chair; a gloriously smooth “naked” wood table. It was such a breath of fresh air that I thought, “This is it - the “natural wood trend” (my term) will be the next big thing.”

Magnolia Lamp

So here we are 2 years later and natural woods are everywhere. And I’m really drawn to it. I love the softness of the wood, and the beauty of the natural grains. One company that’s at the forefront of this trend is De La Espada. They didn’t invent it, but their current designs are naturally beautiful nevertheless. Now, the design and architecture firm, Autoban has teamed up with De La Espada to create a new line of furniture and lighting.

Starfish table

The folks at De La Espada say that the new brand “combines the best qualities of the two collaborating design firms for a range of furniture that is clever, fresh and exciting while strongly rooted in traditional craft and the integrity of a lifetime of experience.” (Blah, blah, blah).

Ladder Bookshelf

Whatever, I hope they can kick the natural wood trend up a notch. I’ve heard some buzz that De La Espada has a reputation for good design but no so great quality. I don’t know if this is a warranted complaint or not. However, this new collaboration has got design integrity there in spades. So if, in fact, they do have a few manufacturing issues, let’s hope they’ll be addressed with their partnership with Autoban.

I like these pillows from the Océane Collection from Pierre Frey. I don’t usually go for quaint, but there’s a handmade quality to these that I like.

I guess I’ve got water on the brain today. Lake St. Clair is right nearby and the sun is shining. It’s the perfect day to freeload off someone who owns a boat. I’d bring them one of these as a hostess gift.

Each pillow sells for $90. I saw them in this month’s Coastal Living. They don’t give a retailer, but suggest you call 866-707-1524 for a list of shops.

I won’t waste my time writing too much about Leaf because I know you’re too busy drooling to read. Arper makes this glorious creation. It’s not quite as perfect as Catifa, but it’s pretty cool and surprisingly comfortable to sit in. You do need a cushion for the lounger. The chairs stack and they come in 4 colors. Order one today at Suite New York!

PS: Note to Arper - Please get someone to revamp your web site. It makes no sense at all and drives me crazy.