The Best of Home + Design 2008

You’ve looked on longingly at the Sunday roller-skating party in Golden Gate Park, wishing that you could groove ’n’ glide to ’80s tunes (that old-school boom box is a sight for sore eyes), but painful memories of a fifth-grade heartbreak at the roller rink prevent you from lacing up. No worries; you can still live vicariously from the sidelines with New York designer Harry Allen’s new solid-resin Roller Stop—a functional roller-skate sculpture that can be used as a bookend, a doorstop or a deadly projectile intended for the noggin of the next breakup artist you encounter. Available at designpublic.com

Ever since Joan O’Connor opened her small home-accessories store in lower Pac Heights nine years ago, she’s been sourcing vintage sign letters from flea markets, estate sales, auctions and shuttered businesses; her first ones came from the old Regency movie theater on Van Ness and Sutter. But given our raised eco-consciousness, her salvaged offerings are more valuable now than ever. Like a good therapist, O’Connor helps you find just the right components for the words you need to get your point across, and if for some reason you can’t find what you want in her ever-replenishing stock of hundreds, O’Connor will also gladly keep an eye out for your ideal alphabet-related expression. This message is brought to you by the letters T and, well, T (for Timeless Treasures, the name of her shop). 2176 Sutter St., 415-775-8366

Photo Credits: Stefanie Michejda

Local industrial-design firm One & Co. has taken the average fruit bowl in a Minority Report direction: While the seemingly flat Sequence “bowl” doesn’t have an iota of artificial intelligence embedded into its chain-like polyamide skin, when its flexible center is loaded with, say, a few luscious summer apricots, it automatically becomes the perfect cradle to nurture the delicate fruit composition. It’s a prime setting for a futuristic still life—now if only you could channel Caravaggio.

Photo Credits: courtesy of Alessi

OK, so Alessi’s OrienTales sushi set is a little cute for die-hard sushi lovers—you know, the ones who aren’t slaves to wasabi and who aren’t afraid to stuff whole pieces of sushi into their mouths because that’s how the delicacy should be eaten. But since we’re suckers for the irony of an Italian designer (in this case, Stefano Giovannoni) creating Japanese serving pieces and eating implements, we could not resist his vaguely anime-inspired Lily Bird soy-sauce container, Lotus bowl and plate and chopsticks. 424 Sutter St., 415-434-0403

The frilly daybed is hereby banished from guest bedrooms across the country, thanks to Moroso’s significantly pared-down, Indian-inspired versions. The Charpoy collection by British design duo Doshi Levien features two low-lying daybeds and two benches topped with thin, silk-upholstered cushions emblazoned with an ancient Indian game-board pattern. The stylish pieces also come with a built-in heart tug: The Hindi names of the Indian women who worked on this project—from weaving the silk to stitching the design—are discreetly embroidered on the side of each mattress. Test-drive one at Dzine, where you’ll be provided complimentary wine and chocolates for, you know, the “full effect.” 128 Utah St., 415-674-9430

You’re making an appearance at a record number of nuptials this wedding season, and even though your Virgoan nature (practical, efficient) prefers ordering a dozen of the same crystal ice buckets to give as gifts, your gossipy, incestuous, highly critical circle of friends requires that you take a more original approach (lest newlyweds Dale and Betsy think they can regift your cadeau at John and Josie’s late-summer ceremony). The porcelain Birch plates by Jessica Rust depict a cluster of trees that can be “engraved” with the names of the happy couple. Check them out at Rare Device (otherwise known as Sushi Zone’s unofficial waiting room) before you commit. 1845 Market St., 415-863-3969

Local illustrator Hannah Stouffer, daughter of wildlife documentarian Marty Stouffer, finds inspiration in a “grand array” (also the name of her online Etsy shop) of pop-culture emblems, which are neatly disorganized into graphic mash-ups emblazoned on everything from posters to pillows. While we long to show up at the Saturday farmers market with the 18K Jungle tote adorned with a sustainably printed, seemingly incongruous, blood-hued mix of snakes, chickens and lace doilies, we can’t pass up the Welcome to Pantera silk-screen poster, featuring a less ominous, but still unpredictable, jumble of muscle cars, mermaids and, of course, the requisite portrayal of giant-parrot-clenching- innocent-white-dove-in-death-grip. Mesmerizing.

Photo Credits: courtesy of Hannah Stouffer

For those who can’t seem to keep their cloth napkins within reach during sit-down dinners, consider Berkeley designer Josh Jakus’s innovative new Napkin Catch place mats, which debuted this past February at the New York International Gift Fair. Made of post-industrial rubber, each place mat features a built-in napkin holder and comes in aqua, orange, gray, cream or black. The last color, warns the designer, smells faintly of rubber tires, making it an effective (albeit accidental) appetite suppressant—beach bod, here we come.

Photo Credits: courtesy of Area San Francisco

As far as we’re concerned, those frail, stemless Riedel wineglasses have exhausted their 15 minutes of fame. Back now to Old World–style vessels that actually take toasts seriously, such as the Murano glass goblets designed by John Giacomazzi, owner of Area San Francisco in Jackson Square. Made of milk-colored glass with rims and bases trimmed in black, each handblown goblet in the set of six is distinguished by a unique stem (behold shell-inspired coils and down-turned flower petals and leaves). Feel free to use your best judgment here, but we’re thinking “Here’s to you/Here’s to me/Friends may we always be/But if by chance we disagree/Up yours!/Here’s to me!” won’t do these beauties justice. 540 Jackson St., 415-989-2732

In the 18th century, convex mirrors were reportedly placed in dining rooms and used by butlers to keep an eye out for silverware-stealing guests—and for secret lovers, to better monitor their surroundings before stealing a kiss. Reflecting Design’s line of convex mirrors strikes a nice balance between antique and modern, with frame options that range from minimalist (we love the smooth lines of the Pazzo 38) to classic (the Corinth 33 recalls—what else?—the stately columns of ancient Greek architecture). Here’s lookin’ at you, kid. Available at Plantation, 336 Hayes St., 415-565-0888

In the words of Elle’s advice columnist extraordinaire, E. Jean, we pose the question, “Tormented? Driven Witless? Whipsawed by Confusion?” If your answer to one or more of these is a resounding “Yes!” we’d like to prescribe the following remedy: your very own silver lining. The Nuvola, a suspended, lifelike, cloud-shaped lantern illuminated from within, is a drastic rethinking of the pendant lamp by Italian designer Denis Santachiara. Most recently installed in the Mondrian Hotel in Scottsdale, AZ, the lights (and all of their good intentions) are now available locally, at Limn. 290 Townsend St., 415-543-5466

Emeryville ceramist Sara Paloma opens her studio/loft three times a year (up next: end of July) to the general public for great deals on her collection of nature-inspired pottery: The new Vertebra vase is an artist’s study of the human spine; and the delicate, pale-pink bone votives recall lily pads in full bloom. However, being suckers for the macabre, we really like the Bird vase, which looks to us like birds—unexpectedly caught, mid-flight, in a devastating, weather-related act of God—fossilized in a stark, matte-white glazed stoneware for the benefit of good design. Amen.

Been accused of giving love a bad name? Learn to embrace your reputation. Jonathan Adler’s new Monmartre cocktail table, with steel arrow-shaped legs, is a cheeky calling card (or warning sign) for potential amours. There are, of course, other implications of owning such an emblematic piece of furniture: You could be the neighborhood matchmaker. You could also be an Olympic archer. Or perhaps you’re Bear Grylls, Mr. Man vs. Wild, who can fashion lethal arrows from nothing more than a toothpick, an inch of spider’s-web silk and the toenail from the left paw of a Himalayan mountain lion, and then hurtle it through the air, with staggering speed and precision, at a fluffy, white target that is sadly unaware of its fire-roasted fate. 2133 Fillmore St., 415-563-9500

Those crazy kids at Moooi are making big strides toward breaking the staid decorating principle known as—no off-color pun intended here—“the curtains matching the rug.” The Holland-based design studio’s new sofa-boutique concept (available in the US just this year—Propeller in Hayes Valley is only the fourth store in the country to carry the line) allows buyers to choose from 15 different upholstery sets in which the frame fabrics rarely match the cushion covers. A grown-up, coffee-colored striped Moooi logo pattern, for example, is paired with cotton-candy-pink pillows. With such counterintuitive options, one thing’s for sure (to paraphrase Rene Russo’s character in the 1999 remake of The Thomas Crown Affair): “You’re not boring—we’ll give you that.” 555 Hayes St., 415-701-7767

At first glance, the smooth, half-dome-shaped Skygarden lamp, designed by Marcel Wanders for Flos and available through Y Lighting, appears to be just your average, run-of-the-mill pendant. But inching closer to the light reveals a delightful surprise: The Skygarden’s plaster interior is molded with a completely beautiful and unexpected ribbon-strewn floral design that proves once and for all that you can’t judge a book—or in this case, a lamp—by its cover. How’s that for illuminating?

Think of the recently opened FiveTen Studio in Oakland as an edgier version of Hayes Valley’s Rose & Radish (that is, a gallery-and-retail-space hybrid), featuring works by artists from all over the world, including its proprietors—architectural designers Alfonso Dominguez and Sean Matthews. Specializing in functional, limited-edition pieces (2007’s Portrait of George I, a Poe-esque black-feather-covered chair by Oakland artist Elyse Hochstadt, gives new meaning to the term wing chair), the space also hosts changing exhibitions, such as this month’s “Fabled Adornment” by Nick Dong and Curtis Arima. Dominguez, who designed the studio, is also co-owner of the small Mexican eatery Tamarindo and Drift, a premium-denim boutique, both located in—you guessed it—the five-one-oh. 831 Broadway St., Oakland,
510-451-9900

Photo Credits: Emanuelle Namont Kouznetsov

Tune in the old-fashioned way with the new Magno radios by Singgih Kartono. Only recently available in the US, the old-school units, crafted by Indonesian carpenters, are made of sustainably harvested wood, and come equipped with the hand dials of yesteryear and a very modern iPod hookup. It’s the best wave catcher out there. Available at Atys, 2149-B Union St., 415-441-9220

Even though the Bay Area’s major online modern-design purveyors 2Modern and DesignPublic serve us well with their exhaustive collection of furniture for the spare-at-heart, we’re firm believers in the theory that a little friendly competition never hurt anyone. (Talk about economic stimulus!) And singing the praises of a fledgling business isn’t bad for our karma, either. The new kid on the block, SF-based Zwello, nods to DWR by supplying black-and-white headshots and digestible bios of the more than 150 renowned designers whose works are featured on the site. You know, in case you’re one of those people easily swayed by a smile (if so, consider yourself the proud owner of one Michael Graves miniature tea kettle).

Let’s face it: Ocean Beach—not so much. Cold and gray, it’s hardly ideal for a hot and steamy salt-water fix. Until you can make it out to Hawaii, rug designer Angela Adams’ unique summer offering, aptly titled Ocean, captures the colors, textures and patterns of tropical waters in a hand-tufted, 100 percent New Zealand wool rug. We’re not saying it’s an adequate substitute for the real thing, but in Adams’ fanciful mirage, you’ll find sea anemones and mermaids among the water’s ripples—not residual globs from the tragic 58,000-gallon oil spill in San Francisco Bay last November. Available at Design Within Reach, 455 Jackson St., 415-837-3940

Photo Credits: courtesy of Paxton Gate

Can’t bear the inevitable SFPD stink eye when you participate in bonfires at Ocean Beach, but think Target’s reasonably priced outdoor copper fire pits are a little too, ahem, played out? Opt for the fire table by Sean Quigley, proprietor of Paxton Gate, Valencia Street’s quirky one-stop for taxidermy badgers, dried-out sand dollars and carnivorous plants. You can think of this made-to-order conversation piece, crafted from Cor-Ten steel and stone, as an outdoor coffee table (it’s got similar dimensions) with a side of red-hot flames. To order, Paxton Gate, 824 Valencia St., 415-824-1872

San Francisco native Carter Bolick makes no bones about her new, ultragirly home-accessories line, India Rose, being partially inspired by Miss Havisham of Great Expectations fame. “Our line sells big in the South,” says the former Pottery Barn designer of the region’s perceived high per-capita ratio of prim, ruffle-adorned belles. While the collection’s top seller is the frilly White Devils laundry bag, and though we sport the seersucker apron (hello, Mark Twain!) in the kitchen, now we’re stocking up on her soy candles with such unusual scent combinations as black-pepper-wood- violet and gardenia-mint-cucumber. Yum and yummer.

Photo Credits: courtesy of Carter Bolick

Photo Credits: courtesy of Areaware

No one can blame you for hesitating to hook your bike onto the front end of a Muni bus (swift handiwork by a passing thief is all it takes to lift the cycle off the rack). When the prospect of braving the chilly summer-evening wind makes commuting by bike less than appealing, may we suggest the Strida 5.0 by British designer Mark Sanders, which launched in the UK last year and is now enjoying stateside popularity thanks to NYC-based design collective Areaware. Think of the Strida as a full-size bike that underwent a big-wheel reduction, and collapses to small-upright-vacuum-cleaner proportions, so bringing it on Muni is no problema. Available at Zinc Details, 1905 Fillmore St., 415-776-2100

We need to give L.A.-based studio Amenity Home true props for bringing silhouettes, um, out of the shadows (its first organic bedding design, Willow, has become semi-iconic). And now, designers Nicole Chiala and Kristina de Corpo deserve a round of applause for transitioning Amenity into an “entirely sustainable resource for the modern home.” The nature-inspired line, from crib accessories to wall prints to 300-count duvets and sheet sets, is woven locally from soft 100 percent organic cotton or hemp. Even the small furniture collection is crafted from reclaimed Douglas fir. We don’t have stats on how many forest acres Amenity is sparing through its humble endeavor, but we’ll bet that if you’re bunking down with these products, you’ll sleep better knowing that when your time comes, angry trees à la The Wizard of Oz won’t be blocking your path through the pearly gates. Available at Spring, 2162 Polk St., 415-673-2065