I don’t know how I feel about this chair.  Frank Gehry’s Cross Check Chair, made by Knoll, is very well known. Blah, blah, blah. But I think it’s weird looking. Go ahead, call me bourgeois. But really, there’s something about it that gives me the creeps.

Isn’t that funny? But it does. Maybe I saw a clown sitting in one and I’ve blocked the nightmare. It’s obviously time for my meds. Nurse!

Textile designer, Madeline Weinrib, has a new collection of carpets and textiles called Amagansett. I thought I’d stop by and see what else is new.

Her furniture pieces are one-of-a-kind. You can find them at her shop in ABC Carpet & Home.

Madeline began her career as a carpet designer. She’s expanded into textiles, and creates pillows, home accessories and furniture using her fabrics. Fashions are next. I hope wallpapers will follow.

To find shops in your area that carry her line, go here.

My favorite color blog, Hue, has an interesting post about choosing color palettes for adjoining room. I thought you’d enjoy reading it.

“What do you do when you have combined living spaces that flow together? Do you paint them all the same color? How do you visually separate the spaces? Or do you want to make them more cohesive? We’ve got a great example of this quandary, submitted by reader Mary Beth. ”

To read the rest, visit Hue, here.

For the second time this year, Design Hole has a new look. It’s a long story, but suffice to say that there was a bump in the road along my path towards Interior Design Blog World Domination.

I’ve finally got the masthead working properly. You’ll notice that the images change each time you visit. I’ve been making them up myself and will be adding more.

Huge, giant thanks go to internet designer and brilliant mastermind, Alex Braidwood. His company, Formalplay, is definitely worth a visit. He can do amazing things. Thanks Alex!

A new shelter magazine, Loft Life, will soon be hitting the shelves of your favorite bookstore (and my Amazon Shop). The  quarterly magazine, aims to tap into the current trend in, well… loft living. 

There seems to be plenty of room for Loft Life within the shelter zine world, given the tremendous interest in open space planning - whether it be residential or commercial. A perfect example can be found here in Detroit where lofts are almost as hot as Paris Hilton. Okay, well - whatever. They’re getting big.

You can check out Loft Life online here.

I love this chair. The wood is so beautiful and the lines are great. Why’hymer makes their Los Galos chair is made of lyptus and walnut. The seat is covered in organic linen.

The chair sells for $3,200. I know prices for things can be breathtaking. But sometimes it’s worth it - especially if you can afford it. :)

I’m currently working on a project using fabrics from Groves Brothers, which I thought I’d share with you. These hand-screened fabrics have a wonderful depth to them and are reversible.

They can be custom-made in any color and are available to the trade. You can view their line here.

Because the fabrics are reversible, it makes them a great choice for use in a bedroom. Create a duvet with one side of the fabric and window treatments with the other. When you fold part of the duvet over, the combination is fantastic.

The collection is based on the ages-old methods of Venetian printing. Most of the patterns are faithful reproductions of documented patterns from the Renaissance period. The range is comprised of 33 patterns, each available in 175 standard colors.

If you’re interested in a sample and prices shoot me an email.

Marie Christophe has created a new line of chandeliers and table lamps using a wonderful mix of materials: steel wire, ceramic beads and PVC shades (available in three colors).

The end result are fixtures that are truly one of a kind. Light as air. You can find her work via Lisa Fontanarosa.

Featured here: Lustre Rouge Chandelier, and the Oisea, Pelican and  Pompei Lamps.

Okay, this is about the coolest thing I’ve come across in ages. Sonic Fabric is the brainchild of Texas artist, Alyce Santoro. She makes fabric it by recording street musicians on subway platforms, bits of conversation, and noises on the street. She feeds the streams into a multitrack mixer, created an audio collage, and transfers it onto magnetic tape, which is then knitted together to form the fabric.

Because no finishing or backing has been added to the textile, you can still hear sounds from her mix by drawing the head of a reconfigured Walkman over the material’s surface.

Designed for both the residential and commercial markets, Sonic Fabric is available in five colors: copper, onyx, granite, amethyst, and cobalt. It can be ordered by the yard from Sonic Fabric’s site located here.

What could me more awesome? 

Love this modern take on an ottoman.  Mitab hails from Sweden. Their Button pouf comes in various colors and two sizes. Cute!

Designers are always dealing with the curse of having their creativity knocked off and sold for a lot less money. I thought that from time to time I’d highlight a few and ask you to judge which you’d prefer. Today’s case in point is Marc Sadler’s Twiggy Lamp for Foscarini, versus CB2’s Bauhaus Arc Lamp. 

The Twiggy version is made of a compound fiber material, has a beautiful, graceful line, and comes in a variety of colors. CB2’s version is quite awkward in comparison, yet looks mysteriously like the original. It’s made of aluminum with an iron base and comes in two colors.
The difference in price is substantial. Twiggy retails for $2,022 (including free shipping if you buy it from Hive Modern). It’s also available from Property. The CB2 sells for $199, plus $20 for shipping.

To be honest, one can often argue that something is an inspiration based on someone else’s design, as opposed to an actual knock-off. But where do you draw the line? So I’m wondering…

What’s your opinion on buying a copy? Does this count as one, or is it an inspiration? Is price more important than design theft?

De La Espada is holding a two-day auction on discontinued furniture and floor models. The auction started today at 10:00 am, and ends on Thursday, May 29th at 4:00 pm. You can place a bid or take their buy it now option. Prices often start at 50% off the full retail price.

Access the auction here.