I’m off for a long weekend. I hope you are, too. Kick back, drink some lemonade and work on your tan. Repaint a room. And enjoy the fireworks - wherever you find them.

I’ll see you next week!

Wow, time flew today. And I’ve just rushed home to post this before I’m off again to another appointment. Chair of the Day is on its way. My design dilemma will be posted tomorrow morning. It’s almost done.

Thanks for your patience.

NACSound is an Italian manufacturer of haute design speakers. Their line will now be distributed by Sonance in the United States. I think it’s good news.

Given the number of people with home theaters, it makes sense to have a new choice in the area of speakers. Misterarthur is a recovering audiophile, and I graciously put up with his giant speakers for the first couple of years of our relationship. Boys like to show off their equipment, I think.

When it came time to banish them to the basement, we had 3 choices for replacements. 1) Slightly smaller boxes. (Sound good, look like boxes).  2) Much smaller boxes - even tiny boxes. (Misterarthur thinks they don’t sound very good). 3) In-wall or in-ceiling speakers. (Misterarthur nixed that idea, but it isn’t really practical for 60 - year old homes, anyway).

Then there are speakers to be enjoyed visually as well as sonically.  Bang & Olufsen has pretty much owned that market until now. See below.

Bang & Olufsen’s BeoLab 9

These NACSound models are pretty cool, too. While they’re made of ceramic and wood, they come in a number of alternate finishes.  Here’s the Omni model (floor standing or suspended)

NACSound Omni

There’s also a suspended model called the Kayak.

 NACSound Kayak

I think these would look spectacular in the right space. Misterarthur says that NACSound has sonic cred, too.

Sonance is a little vague about where to find them, but I’m sure they’ll be happy to help you if you’re interested.

So what do you think? Yay or nay?

I’ve been putting this off for as long as I can, but I feel it’s time to let everyone in on something personal. I have a wonky hip that might need replacing. But maybe not. The surgeons (3 of them!) are trying to figure out exactly what’s going on. I tore the cartilage in my hip socket a few years ago and then walked around on it while I shredded it to bits. I had surgery last year to fix it and it worked like a charm. But the pain has returned.

How could someone so young be in this position? Well, it’s because when I was younger and even younger than that, I did a lot of this (below) starting at age 5.

I wasn’t as good as these girls, but all the pounding and stretching took a toll. Beyond dance and gymnastics, if you name the sport, I’ve probably done it. Then I discovered yoga and started doing this.

Really! Though that’s not a picture of me! I could put my legs behind the head and everything. I thought I was totally too cool for school.

Until the day…

I moved something heavy and my cartilage snapped. Anyway, the point of this is to let you know that I have to undergo a bunch of diagnostic procedures in the very near future. I’m also in some pain, which gets very annoying and makes it hard to concentrate and sleep.

Which means there will be days (sort of like today) when I won’t be able to write. However, I also expect that this be resolved soon and I’ll be back to my normal life before you know it.

I hope you guys will stick with Design Hole! I’m not going anywhere and expect to be writing almost every day. I just don’t want you to wonder where I’ve gone when I miss one.

Anyway, now you finally know why I’m an expert on chair comfort.

Sorry to be announcing this so late in the day, but I won’t be posting today and maybe not tomorrow. I’m working on a big project and need extra time to finish my presentation. Thanks for your patience. I will definitely be back in action on Thursday.

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!

I’m taking off on a much-needed vacation. I’ll be back next week refreshed and ready to share decorating ideas and products.

I always check my email, so feel free to send me news and design dilemmas. I’ll be back next Tuesday, after the long holiday weekend.

Have fun on your vacation, too!

The third annual Dwell on Design Conference and Exhibition is set for June 5-6 in Los Angeles. You can register for both online at Dwell. The four-day weekend will constitute the largest design show in the West.

The unique two-part event will feature conferences, including sessions led by industry innovators, and a hands-on exhibition where attendees can explore a host of modern products and lifestyle exhibits. Special to the exhibition will be Dwell Outdoor—a “pop-up” community – with actual prefab exhibits, ready to see, touch and inspire.

The two-day exhibition will bring together design professionals and design savvy consumers under one roof for ideas, networking, and commerce. More than 200 exhibitors will be there to show their products and services. Designed to represent the very best in modern outdoor living, Dwell Outdoor’s 10,000 square foot exhibition will also be a highlight not to be missed. Dwell Outdoor drew broad attention in San Francisco in 2007, and three additional prefab structures have been added to Dwell on Design Los Angeles, never seen before.

If you’re interested in attending, you can save 20% off exhibit tickets by using the code: ADODED. Use the code: GRP22SP to save $50 off the Conference ticket price.

I’m currently working on Co-chairing The Holiday Mart, a benefit which raises money for Planned Parenthood’s educational programs. Our team is busy jurying vendors for the show, which takes place in October. The Great Lakes Tea & Spice Company is one of my favorites. I’m happy to say that they have agreed to return this year.

Their flowering teas are lovely and tasty. Many of their spice combinations are uniquely theirs. Check out their teapots, too. I have an orange version. They make great gifts.

I’m guest blogging for my friend, Kim over at At Home With Kim Vallee. She writes about lifestyle and entertaining.

Why not scoot over there and read my idea for a fun painting party? To read it, go here.

My friend from Montreal, Kim Vallee, writes an entertainment and lifestyle blog. She’ll be out for part of next week and has asked me to guest blog for her. I’m looking forward to writing about cooking - my second love.  So look for me there ( as well as here) next week.

Now I’ve got to go frost Arthur’s birthday cake. Have a nice weekend!

 cake image via: cake journal

It’s Misterarthur’s birthday today! I’d like to encourage everyone to help me celebrate by taking a trip to his blog, Hotel Hallways. It’s a vastly amusing array of hotel hallway critiques - an aspect of hotel design that is woefully under reported. Arthur travels a lot. Did I say a lot? I’m not kidding. So, when it comes to hallways, he knows what he’s talking about. He takes beautiful, green-tinged photos on his cell phone.

 Sometimes, he veers off topic and discusses rooms and signage. One of my favorite posts is the one from the Miami Four Points Sheraton, where they proudly display advertisements for Charmin in the bathroom - and on the toilet paper roll. Need a laugh on Friday? This is the place to go.

Leave a comment! He likes those.