adventures in austin!

Mercury Design Studio
Where do I begin? Mercury Design Studio totally kicks ass. It has everything from $5 60's-esque bangles to $5,000 retro chic sofas. This is the perfect shop to find unique gifts: stationary, local jewelry, books, makeup bags, graphic pillows, stuffed squirrels (....), you name it!
What I loved most about this place was its eclectic and vibrant collection of both new and old, blended together beautifully through vivid arrangements. Also, I always appreciate a shop where each little nook or room in the place has its own style and identity.
Oh, and the staff's real friendly, too!

209 West 2nd Street
Austin, TX 78701-4158

sorry, this is cruel///

ANITA KO
14-karat gold diamond lion medallion
$8,740

slender and fine, Ruché will be mine

I want.
French designer Inga Sempé has created the Sofa Ruché for Ligne Roset

A few words from the designer:

I was, at the outset, inspired by swing seats, the kind of rocking seats which one brings out in the garden in summertime, made from tubing and fabric, which possess a lightness I like very much. Like them, Ruché combines rigidity and flexibility, with airy looks and sparing use of materials.

Ruché’s structure is in solid beech, either stained or natural. I wanted to offer a version in natural beech: natural wood is beautiful, qualitative, authentic; it’s modern, and at the same time restful, for it is one of the rare natural elements which one can have in a living room. The angles of the feet are worked ‘en congé’, which both refines them and protects the grain of the wood from shocks.

Upon its slim legs rests a thick mattress with distinctive quilting, a kind of boutis stitch or padding made using a cross-hatching of interrupted seams. Alternately flattened by the stitches then set free, the fabric ‘curls’ in places, giving rise both to its unique appearance and to its name, Ruché (a gathered or pleated fabric which serves as decoration on a piece of clothing).

Slender and fine, Ruché is nonetheless soft and welcoming. Its internal structure, its filling materials and its quilting were brought together and developed with a view to offering great comfort. Since the height of its armrests is the same as that of its back, one can just as easily sit sideways and stretch out one’s legs: as a major refinement, the armrest is mounted on elastic webbing to enable the sitter to lean back in the greatest possible comfort.

Marimekko ::: Samu-Jussi Koski – Spring/Summer 2010

totally blown away with Marimekko Spring/Summer 2010 collection.
a bit about the designers:

Samu-Jussi Koski’s designs for garments play with the cream of classics, such as Unikko and other superb patterns by Maija Isola. The intriguing new colorations of Unikko, printed on gossamer-thin silk, are by Kristina Isola.
The very best of Marimekko’s graphical design idiom is represented by Maija Isola’s Kukko ja kana (1965), which provides the pattern for clean-lined outfits in ramie-silk fabric. The Sateenkaari pattern from 1971 makes a splash in a new look on a sophisticated matt-gloss silk-cotton fabric, of which there is a series of classic dresses.
see full collection here

Elding Oscarso//townhouse in Sweden

i'm always drawn to ultra modern homes nestled in old neighborhoods, contrasted against traditional old cottages. this particular design by architects at Elding Oscarson is really interesting both from a socio-economical and design perspective.


the narrow site - only give meters wide, fills a gap in the street that has been vacant for over 50 years in Landskrona, Sweden.


Architects Elding Oscarson say of the site:

Immediately adjacent buildings are low, but the street is lined with buildings of various height, size, facade material, age, and approach. Behind the row of buildings is a colorful world of back yards, brick walls, sheds, and vegetation. We find this small-scale, naturally worn place extremely beautiful.

The building relates to the surroundings in scale, proportion and in the way it adds to the established rhythm of low and tall buildings along the street. Our intention is to use small means to create an array of different spatial experiences in this very small project.

The continuous interior space is opening up to the street, to the middle of the block, and to the sky above. The neighboring facades are closed, yet there is something deeply humane about their tactility, detailing, and ornaments. We want to contribute to the street with a faded border to the private sphere, with artifacts, furniture, plants, and patios; traces of human presence, consideration, and care.

hey! i've been looking for these!

(this problem is seriously driving me nuts)
Digital communications agency Etre have created gloves
that expose the tips of the thumb and index finger, specifically designed for using touch-screen devices.

my heart belongs to a brooch, guys.

Les Néréides pays tribute to women by offering elegant and contemporary collections, thanks to the know-how and the incomparable experience in high jewelery of their designers. Here is an invitation to travel: succumb to the magic of the wonderful universe of Les Néréides and spoil yourself with the luxury of costume jewelery.

"Café des Poètes" Necklace "Eiffel Tower" Necklace

"Café des Poètes" Brooch "Eiffel Tower" Brooch

haoshi design studio asks, do you value life??

Haoshi Design Studio hopes to get people excited about our surroundings - especially the everyday objects we tend to overlook.. On their site, the designers say,

be it a glass of water, a bunch of bananas, a trumpet and a puppy each have its own different existence. haoshi design studio have created various jewelry series of these tiny, intricate animals and everyday objects which are hand made.

3.1 Phillip Lim Seoul Flagship

New York design office Leong Leong completed a flagship store for 3.1 Phillip Lim in Seoul, Korea. As to be expected, the store is as stunning as what's sold inside of it.

whaaaat?! this house is INSANE

this incredible undergound house located (well, buried) in the mountainous ground of the Swiss Alps is the ultimate expression of architectural opposites fused into a single spectacular earthen living structure.

i heart yokoo scarves

Yokoo Scarves And Accessories™ basically stole my heart many months ago.. now I just need to save up to get me one of these beautiful creations! A few of my favorites below...

Shop Yokoo's Etsy page here

sooo cute