Category Archives: Fashion

PUMA Prefab Pop Up

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Apparently this is what will be popping up tomorrow on Fan Pier in Boston. It’s called PUMA City and it is an 11,000 square-foot retail and event space made from 24 forty-foot long, reclaimed steel shipping containers. I like the look.

It was designed by PUMA and LOT-EK, and will be standing for three weeks. Why, you ask? Well, to sell shoes, I suppose. But also in celebration of the Volvo Ocean Race, which began in Alicante, Spain on October 11th. See below for their boat shaped like a shoe, Il Mostro.
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Trend Watch: Rock Candy

Last week I illuminated how black & white made its way from the runway into the home. Another trend I highlighted in that article – “Fashion In the House” for the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine – was rocks and minerals. While jewelry and fashion designers are reveling in rough and chunky stones, interior designers are finding ways to bedeck rooms with earthy gems.

Let’s start with a peek at the Spring ‘o9 shows, where Burberry Prorsum, Marc Jacobs, and Roberto Cavalli were just a few of the designers rockin’ out.

rocks-runwayPhotos courtesy of Style.com

How is this being translated on the home front? Here’s a gorgeous tableau of home accessories from Good, an exquisite boutique in Beacon Hill, Boston.

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I’ve noticed a number of designers incorporating hefty hunks of shimmering, fantastical mineral specimens into interiors. They’re often pricey pieces, but quite magical. (And, a much more interesting and sophisticated take on the preppy Palm Beach coral display.) Boston-based interior designer Frank Roop has a number of beautiful minerals and chunky glass pieces scattered throughout his studio and condo. Home furnishing designers are crafting lamp bases from minerals. I’ve also noticed textile manufacturers getting in on the action, be it with granite-textured wall covering, or stone-like cut velvets.

I love the mineral specimens, and I absolutely adore the jewelry. I’ve put together some translations…

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Left: Asheer Garnet cuff by Double Happiness , $180 at Giving Tree Jewelry. Right: Pyrite doorknobs at Door Jewels.

rocks-neckl-chandelierLeft: Gracia necklace by Flutter by Jill Golden $400 (click here for $25 off) at Ravinstyle. Right: Bubble glass light fixture available through The Bright Group, Boston Design Center.

rocks-lamp-base-pendantLeft: Central Park quartz necklace by BYLU, $500 at Giving Tree Jewelry. Right: Chinese Gypsum Calcite lamp by Houston designer Katy Briscoe , $6,000.

rocks-fabricLeft: Dina earrings in gold plated steel with pyrite nuggets, $246 at Gemma Redux. Right: “Les Galets” fabric by Boussac available through The Martin Group, Boston Design Center.

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Left: Amy bracelet in steel chains with angled prehnite pieces, $272 at Gemma Redux (as seen in In Touch). Right: One-of-a-kind Russian white mineral on stand by FDO Collections at Lee Jofa, Boston Design Center.

rocks-amethystLeft: Amethyst Anthias necklace $335 (click here for 30% off) at Obsidian Jewels. Right: Amethyst cabinet pulls at Door Jewels.

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Left: Larvae necklace by Katerina Bogatireva at Seeking Designers. Right: Mineral specimen from China at Frank Roop’s design studio.

rock-sconceLeft: Stone necklace by Danielle Welmond at Good, Boston. Right: Loomis – Zaffiro sconce, $4,000, available through The Bright Group, Boston Design Center.

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Left: Sarah bracelet in steel with large amazonite cuts, $369 at Gemma Redux. Right: Glass chunk from Brimfield used as a bookend in Frank Roop’s design studio.

rocks-ring-lampLeft: Oxidized silver and 14K gold rings by Any New York by Naoyo Terada, $330 (as seen in Lucky). Right: Moroccan Calcite lamp by Houston designer Katy Briscoe, $6,000 (as seen in the New York Times).

rocks-turqLeft: Turquoise ring at Good, Boston. Right: Asteria tile made from jewelry-grade turquoise available at Ann Sacks.

Finally, here is a piece I picked up on ebay last night. Can’t wait for it to arrive!

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Montage: Nurseries

Quite a few of my friends have been busy having babies. First babies, second babies, third babies, and a fourth (eek!) baby. It’s the first time mommies that need to nest most, devoting the last few weeks of their pregnancy to making sure the nursery is perfect and that they have all the right equipment. (The friend on her fourth, she’s simply wondering where she stuck the stroller, and how’s she going to explain to #3 why it isn’t “lost” anymore.)

Words of advice to those of you going into this endeavor the first time around: Make sure the nursery is comfy – for YOU. Babies don’t sleep through the night – for YEARS sometimes. (It took a tonsillectomy at age 4 before my son slumbered soundly.) Make sure you have a comfy spot to nurse. Gliders are ugly, but they are really comfortable, and you can resell it when you wean.

Do you feel peaceful surrounded by the paint color? I chose a cheerful yellow for my first born (not knowing the sex) and I discovered really quickly that the color agitated rather than calmed me (and maybe him, who knows). Be sure to have a bookshelf, and a side table for all the water and juice you’ll need to drink to stay hydrated while the little guy suckles. And an ipod, and even a little television to get you through long nights. (First time around I was addicted to cheesy detective shows, from Matlock to Magnum. Second time it was HGTV.)

A mobile above the changing table and a little hook on which to hang the distraction toy you’ll hand her when she’s old enough to entertain herself, because she’s not going to suddenly enjoy having her diaper changed. That should get you through the first year.

I’ll do kids’ rooms with big boy and big girl beds soon.

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Photos: Living Etc.; Domino; Domino; Domino; Domino; Coochicoos; Domino; Domino; Cookie; Flickr-cathinca; Cookie; Cookie; Flickr-magicmikas; Cookie; Cookie; Cookie; Flickr-magicmikas; Flickr-iancr; Flickr-douglasspics; Cookie; Cookie; photographer Justin Bernhaut; Flickr-house_n_baby; Flickr-Juliansmum; Flickr-innocentcharmer; Cookie; Cookie; Flickr-made-good; Flickr-veronikanika; Flickr-cathinca; Cookie; Flickr-carlinhouse; Cookie; Cookie; Flickr-keightyj; Boopalina + Bebe; Flickr-haqqy; Flickr-It’s what I do . . . ; Flickr-ali edwards; Flickr-minimarsh; Flickr-Frithmobiles-Modern Art Mobiles; Flickr-innocentcharmer; Sixx Design photographed by Costa Picadas; Apartment Therapy; Flickr-jennyology; Flickr-mixed palette.

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