Harry and Sal's Design Blog

MEREDITH: I find that everything I think is blog-worthy seems to be for the nursery and not the living room. I'm cyber-stuck at the kid's table. This one might be able to go either way. I love this Viking Mobile which can be ordered with 3 or 5 ships. It seems like the most beautiful way to set sail a child's imagination. The boats are made of teak and they look as though they would fit most any room decor. I know boys love pirate toys, costumes, decor, parties, treasure and well, everything buccaneer-ish, but this is pretty enough even for a swashbuckling wee lass.

Labels: 2008, Gifts, Kids, Meredith

posted by Meredith Alexander at 4/04/2008 0 Comments

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MEREDITH: I was inspired by Sal's bedding posts to share this with you. It's the GREEN CRADLE. It is cardboard, recyclable, and just plain cool. Those of us parents know that a bassinet is such an ephemeral purchase, and it can be quite a costly one. This is the most wonderful option. It can also act as a sweet little toy holder once the babe is in his/her crib. Sadly, I have no use for it so I hope you will.

Labels: BedBath, Gifts, Green, Kids, Meredith, Storage

posted by Meredith Alexander at 3/08/2008 0 Comments

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SAL: Today's post comes winging its way to you from the fabulousness of New York City. I'm staying at the Soho Grand Hotel, which, with its industrial chicness, is too wonderful for words. They even give you a goldfish at check in, which I find, being so far from home, a great comfort - is that odd? Hmm, perhaps, but true nonetheless. Anyway, along the lines of Harry's giving for good this season, I wanted to highlight these delightful Xmas cards available through Sub-Studio. Not only are they cute, but all the proceeds from each sale go to benefit the Shama Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing educational opportunities for children of Madagascar. Thanks to Bloesem for this great find.

Labels: Christmas, Gifts, Sal, Stationery

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 12/12/2007 1 Comments

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HARRY: This year my extended family has decided not to give presents to each other. Instead we have pooled the money and are donating it. The process of choosing a charity was interesting (we finally went with St Jude's in Tanzania run by Gemma Rice, an amazing Australian woman. It met our helping-kids-criteria and had an Aussie link which was important to us). While we were doing this I was reading Dave Eggers' What is the What - an amazing fictionalized account of a Sudanese man's plight. (And an excellent Christmas present for anyone trying to understand Africa). In the book Save the Children crops up as a powerful and positive force in the refugee camps. They've got the usual online shop (see the sweet baby's hat above). They also have a very smart Christmas gift program. You can buy a mozzie net, or a goat, or fresh water and are making that donation in a friend or family member's name. Last year our dear friends Ruth and David 'gave' us a beehive. This year maybe it will be a goat!

Labels: Christmas, Gifts, Harry

posted by cerentha harris at 12/10/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: I recently got an email about Tonic - a website that is devoted to selling cool design t-shirts and sending the proceeds to Africa. I've always been a bit cynical about fashion forays into saving the world. These people look like they've got it right. Check out the Net Tee. A shirt covered in butterflies in the shape of Africa. The sale of each Tee buys 3 mosquito nets. It's worth having a look at the website, which is cleverly designed, even if you don't buy a shirt. I think they'd make great Christmas presents.

Labels: Christmas, Gifts, Harry, Style

posted by cerentha harris at 12/09/2007 1 Comments

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SAL: I wrote about Swedish designer Isabelle Norman Sallstrom's delightful personalized prints a while ago and I had to revisit. I just bought a selection for gifts for the holidays and the quality of the prints is outstanding. I'm so pleased. You can choose your motif, colors and text for something totally unique for your child.

Labels: Christmas, Gifts, Kids, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 12/08/2007 0 Comments

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I asked a few of my most tasteful girlfriends recently to suggest some of their favorite jewelry designers to share with you all. Beth pointed me in the direction of Susan Fleming (below). Her website profiles her work incorporating different Japanese paper, which is pretty, but I've recently seen Beth wearing some of Susan's more recent pieces with semi-precious gemstones which are even more lovely. Look forward to seeing some of those of on Susan's website soon.

A couple of folks recommended Becky Kelso (below) - semi-precious gemstones in classic settings- stunning! You can't buy anything at her own website, but online jewelry boutique Ylang | 23 (thanks Mickie!) has a small selection. Ylang |23 has an interesting range of designers well-worth checking out.

Liseanne Frankfurt now has her own store on - yes you guessed it Abbot Kinney. Unfortunately you can't view any of her pieces online, but you can download a PDF of her catalogue. Her chunky, burnished silvers and gold aren't cheap, but they are exquisite.

And lastly, my own personal favorite, Sonya Ooten. My husband has a habit of going to Sonya for birthdays and holiday gifts and I consider myself a very lucky woman! Her designs are beautifully delicate and you can personalize each piece to use the gemstones that mean something to you.

Labels: Christmas, Gifts, Jewelry, Sal, Style

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 12/01/2007 1 Comments

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Eco-marketplace Evo launched today as a one-stop shop for environmentally sustainable shopping. They do a good job of bringing together a range of merchants according to their proscribed "Evo-criteria". Every merchant is rated and editorially selected, the result being there is a sensibility to the products they choose, not just from an environmental perspective, but also from a stylistic one. Categories include, clothes, toys, body, autos, solar, travel and money. Go on, have yourself some guilt-free fun.

Labels: Gifts, Green

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 11/29/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: There's a lot of hooplah in the press right now about having a green Christmas - see the NYT article Jolly Green Christmas about the green evangelists set to sabotage the joy of giving for all and sundry. I'm thinking green this Christmas for sure, but I'm also not going to be dogmatic about it - show by example rather than by tirade is my motto. So with that in mind I've been saving all my Anthropologie tissue to use as wrapping paper, I'm avoiding vacuum-packed toys, and I'm on the lookout for gifts that are green and cool. Vivavi is run by the Josh Dorfman who many of you may know as the author of The Lazy Environmentalist. They have a lovely range of eco-friendly furniture that's really beautiful. Perhaps a bit pricey for Christmas gifts, but there are some home accessories that are reasonable - such as these hemp Birch Accent Pillows for $100 from Loop Organic.

Labels: Gifts, Green, Sal, Textiles

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 11/26/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: There seems to be a bit of silver and gold coming together in jewelry right now. I found some lovely necklaces...perfect Christmas presents. Plus a rather wonderful pair of black rose earrings (am I influenced by Kate Moss' new perfume campaign? No idea what the stuff smells like but I do like that black rose). Click on the images to find out where the pieces are from...

Labels: Christmas, Gifts, Harry, Jewelry

posted by cerentha harris at 11/25/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: My friend Liane sent me a link to ecorazzi. It's a fantastic blog...kind of like Who Weekly for people interested in all things green. I love it. They posted these cool bags from Gooc made from recycled canvas tarps. Clever. Stylish. Good Christmas gift...

Labels: Bags, Christmas, Gifts, Green, Harry, Style

posted by cerentha harris at 11/22/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: I'm not quite sure to start with Binth, but I think Harry may quite possibly lose her mind when she checks them out. Binth stands for "beautiful, intriguing, new, timeless and haunting" and I can't think of a better description for their work. From simple games for children, to gorgeous notepads and pillows, as well as limited edition prints; their designs are just really lovely. And of course, all the inks they use are water-based, mixed by hand and their paper stock is recycled.

Labels: Art, Gifts, Kids, Sal, Stationery

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 11/19/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: I'm getting right into games. I've started playing Uno with my 5 year old son (what a cool card game that is) and I'm looking for simple games I can play with my 2 year old daughter. DWR has a lovely memory game using Maharam fabric designs (above) and MOMA has a cool chair stacking game (below) that I think they would both like.

Labels: Christmas, Gifts, Harry, Kids

posted by cerentha harris at 11/17/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: I've always loved globes. My son has one that talks to him - you touch it with a special pen and it tells you about the place you've just touched. Nice toy but not a particulalry elegant design. This globe on the other hand is all elegance. Love the black. And in case you were worried the boundary lines and places have been officially approved by the U.S. government. Thank goodness for that!

Labels: Art, Gifts, Harry, Kids

posted by cerentha harris at 11/17/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: Tis the season and all that, so with the holidays approaching, now is a good time to take a look at some of these picks from the wonderful world of Etsy. Hopefully you'll find some cool gift ideas here for your nearest and dearest. Along the lines of Harry's theme of gifting art, there are some great finds to be had. Above is a signed limited edition print from Minnesota-based Studio Mela. She has a whole range of whimsical prints I really like. There's some great photography to be found on Etsy too. I really like Tina Teaspoon's sepia and black and white photography, her Tableau Deliquesce (below) is stunning. Ashley Robin's work is also great - retro-looking color prints of nature - very cool (see below again).

Etsy also has some great stuff for kids - a lot of felt and knitted toys, but some very cool pieces too. Check out the finger puppets from Cheryl Smith and I love these dolls (below) from Le Peitit Boutique - with those large heads and tiny bodies they're a little freaky looking, but they have the best outfits!

For those of you after something more decorative, take a look at Etsy's pendant selection - a tad cheaper than those available at Anthropologie this season. I really like this yellow porcelain pendant below, and the Evergreen pendant with a green and white paisley design is also lovely. Happy holidays!

Labels: Gifts, Holidays, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 11/16/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: Small Paul (from veteran Paul Frank) has partnered with 10 Grain to produce a new range of great furniture and toys coming out in December (above and below) - just in time for Christmas. The designs are witty and the materials are perfectly child friendly. I especially love the Julius house below. It's a really cool take on the doll's house. But the stuff is pricey. The stool is $158 and the house is $199. I know IKEA has a stool a bit like the one above for $29. Not sure about the doll's house. Maybe you just bite the bullet and this is there one big gift for Chrissie? Or, if anyone knows of a less expensive alternative please let us know!

Labels: Christmas, Furniture, Gifts, Harry

posted by cerentha harris at 11/14/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: Wokits have a great selection of lovely composition books based on the art of Winsor McCay’s “Little Nemo in Slumberland" which is a wonderful book I got for my kids a year or so ago. There are a variety of styles of books, both spiral and cloth bound, perfect for a journal or for keeping notes. Another cool gift idea for the holidays.

Labels: Gifts, Kids, Sal, Stationery

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 11/14/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: My friend Karen McCartney, who edits Inside Out magazine, has just launched her book: Iconic Australian Houses: Three Decades of Domestic Architecture. The book launch was held last week in leafy Castlecrag. We all piled into the extraordinary home of Hugh Buhrich (pics of the house below by Martin Van Der Wal). The home graces the book's cover. There was a great feel to the whole evening. A mix of young architects and designers (Liane Rossler and Sam Marshall were there along with Phil Moore and Caroline Quaine and Andrew Stanic and Andy Harding) plus a good group of architectural luminaries whose work was in the book including Russell Jack (whose houses I have always admired). Karen gave a funny speech, we all drank champange and ate delicious food and wandered through that brilliant house (you'll have to buy the book to learn more about it). I don't think anyone wanted to leave. And if you are stuck for a Christmas present - this book is perfect. It's insightfully written - Karen visited the 15 houses and interviewed clients and architects - and beautifully designed. She offers a rare peek inside what are some of Australia's most important homes - which all sounds rather worthy. But there's also a wealth of inspiration for anyone thinking about building or renovating (I love the cherry red carpet and charcoal wall in Robin Boyd's home...)

Labels: Architecture, Gifts, Harry

posted by cerentha harris at 11/09/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: This time last year, my son's favorite toy was a cardboard box. It was the box his new funky Oeuf changing table came in, so it was a decent size and it sat in our living room for a good few weeks. We cut holes in it for windows, we decorated it with marker; sometimes it was a train, sometimes a house. Fun it was, but attractive, sadly, it wasn't. So it was with a certain amount of gleeful nostalgia, that I fell upon the Make it a Playhouse from Modernseed. It's just a plain white cardboard playhouse that your kids can decorate themselves. For $49 I am sorely sorely tempted, that is unless I just go find myself another plain old cardboard box :)

Labels: Gifts, Kids, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 11/08/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life, put together by Todd Oldham, has garnered a fair amount of attention. And fair enough. Charley Harper's illustrations offer an exquisite sharpness and naiveté that I love. His work certainly deserves this monograph. Barney's is selling the book along with limited edition Harper prints (the Greenjay is above, Bluebird below). At $400 they aren't cheap but they would make a very nice Christmas present for some lucky person. The book normally sells for $200 (without the print).

Labels: Art, Books, Gifts, Harry

posted by cerentha harris at 11/06/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: Ahhhh...Christmas. My husband and I used to give each other art as gifts. And then we had kids and somehow we fell into the background and Thomas the Tank Engine and buckets of dinosaurs took over. Well, the kids are getting older and we are slowly getting back our focus. I want art again! I have always loved the work of Narelle Autio. She was (and still is) a photographer at the Sydney Morning Herald where I used to work. In her spare time she has perfected the art of underwater photography. You can see one of her pics above (to see more - and buy - go to Stills Gallery). She is also included in a beautiful new book (and exhibition at the Museum of Sydney) called 'Sydney Now: New Australian Photojournalism' (it'll be out in December). I interviewed the book's editor for Monument magazine - it really is an extraordinary snapshot of life in Sydney right now.

Labels: 94, Art, Gifts, Harry

posted by cerentha harris at 10/30/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: Sounds like Harry had an amazing trip to Melbourne! I lived there long before Federation Square was completed - it looks and sounds quite an achievement. Now October is almost behind us, my thoughts are turning to holiday gifts. A touch premature perhaps, but I for one am determined to be prepared this year. I've already stashed away some great finds from Muji from my UK trip and also got a spare set of the resusable bags which I know a bunch of folks would love. Calendars also make a great gift and there are some beautiful ones out there. Check out this lovely one made from an original design by Keisuke Serizawa. These calendars are stencil-dyed and made on hand-made Japanese paper. They first became popular during the American occupation of Japan, appealing to high-class officer's wives in U.S. Forces.

Labels: Gifts, Japanese, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 10/29/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: You may remember the excitement over Blue Art Studio's Alphabet of Design Classics poster (see below) - a must-have for precocious nurturing of our dear offspring's nascent design sensibilities. Well, now you will be pleased to know that Blue Art have released a new poster series featuring icons of Mid Century Modern furniture. Really very very beautiful work. The posters feature the work of famous designers like Prouve, The Eames', Saarinen, Bertoia, Nelson, Panton and come in a range of brilliant colors. They are extremely reasonable as well, at $35 for the first one and $30 for anything after that. Via Materialicio.us

Labels: 711, Art, Gifts, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 10/26/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: It's going to be hard to resist going on to ebay to check out those cool Aboriginal prints that Harry picked out. You have to be very careful when buying Aboriginal art - there's a lot of corrupt practices going on so it's important to go through reputable dealers or artists with established reputations. Anyway, something for the wee ones now. I'm always on the look out for interesting books for my 2 year old and absolutely fell in love with the sensibility of the selection that Julia Rothman over at Book by Its Cover writes about on her blog. Check out the wonderfully whimsical illustrations by Junzo Terada above. Terada also has designed a very cool wallet that can be found online at an Aussie shop Harry will love - Via Alley. Check out more from Julia's selection below. I think I remember the Lazy Lion from my own childhood!

Labels: Books, Gifts, Kids, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 10/21/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: Every time I go to the supermarket these days I've been cursing myself for not having got around to buying some reusable bags. So today I got moving and bought a couple of these stylish designer totes from SKN now available at Amazon.com. I bought a set for myself and one as a Christmas present for somebody - what a great gift idea! Via Shefinds.

Labels: Bags, Gifts, Green, Sal, Style

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 10/19/2007 1 Comments

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