Pleasure Notes

By Philippe Starck for Kartell

Gnomes make me smile. I have no rational explanation for this, but I accept it. I’ve always been fascinated by fairytales – at first, because I thought they were real and then, later, because I knew they were not. I also get great pleasure from lawn ornaments, in other people’s yards. So when I saw these awesomely kitschy stools, designed by Philippe Starck for Kartell, I squealed. Out loud. And scared my cat. Then, I discovered Philippe Starck had named these little guys – Attila and Napoleon. Can you guess which is which? Utterly droll.

I realized I couldn’t keep these finds to myself. They are just great accent pieces. You can even use them as little side tables, the perfect resting place for a good book and glass of wine. I planned to show them to my friend, Jamie, whom I recently referred to as Sunshine and who already has two gnomes in her house, but I can no longer do that. Therefore, I’ve decided to share them with all of you, curious to know where you think they land on the kitsch spectrum – junk or gem? Fair warning, though, that if you think they’re junk, you may be haunted by Jamie, who has very good taste.

Price: Expensive. Available at AllModern.com and other fine contemporary furniture studios.

Lotus Flower Chandelier

Smile. Sigh. Grin. Impulsively clap my hands in glee. Yep. I fell in love with this Lotus Flower Chandelier the moment I saw it. Made of capiz shell edged in metal, and available in two different sizes, I think it transforms any room – well, maybe not a closet – into an elegant pleasure dome.

A bit of education here. Capiz shell is the outer layer shell of a marine mollusk found in the Philippines. It’s translucent properties are perfect for light fixtures. See, you do learn something new every single day.

Do you think it’s too much to pair it with the Bouquet Chair? I think not.

I am beginning to wonder, however, about the significance of my love for fluffy-looking, round, white things with floral motifs. Was I perhaps a cotton ball used to dust off rose petals in a former life? That might have been weird. This lamp certainly is not.

Available at grahamandgreen.co.uk or vivaterra.com

The only drawback to owning a beautiful light source like this, that I can envision, is the inevitable neck pain from staring up at the ceiling all day long. What do you think?

Price Category (based on my budget): Luxury. Found at Graham & Green or Viva Terra.

Spring has sprung. Flowers are blooming. Butterflies and bees are doing their respective dances. So what better time to highlight this fanciful Butterfly Clock, designed by Susanne Philippson, a young designer out of Berlin.

By Susanne Philippson

The clock comes in two different sizes, and it is available in white, red, violet, orange, green, sky blue and magenta as well as the pictured black and mirrored finishes. Three break-away butterflies can be arranged any way you would wish, making the clock not only functional but also fun. A true Pleasure Find.

Available at rockettstgeorge.co.uk or gnr8.biz

What better way to have time fly, no?

While most people associate seat belts with safety while driving, the denizens of Southern California are compelled to turn even something this seemingly mundane into a fashion statement. Yes, I’m talking about the seatbelt bag. And what better way to celebrate the enduring nature of this iconic fashion statement than to open a gleaming storefront on Melrose Avenue, in the middle of an economic crisis. Harveys, the company that started the seatbelt bag craze from a little home in the O.C., has done just that, despite creator Dana Harvey’s promised, just a little over a year ago, not to go Hollywood.

Convertible Tote by Harveys

For the record, I love bags. I’m even a fan of seat belts. But wouldn’t this idea have been so much better if the bags were actually made of recycled seat belts? So, how pleased do you think I was when I discovered Harveys actually offers the Treecycle line of, yep, recycled seatbelt bags? Yippee. I can now officially jump on the bandwagon.

Treecycle Messenger by Harveys

To be honest, the bags are so damn cute, I’d already convinced myself that the company’s use of new seat belts could be the only thing preventing seat belt manufacturers from filing Chapter 11 now that the auto industry is in the toilet. The headline could be: Once Again Hollywood Saves the Day!

Baseman VENISON by Harveys

Alas, no. The creators of the seatbelt bag are not the only industrious souls to find seat belts strangely alluring out of context, or to devise ways of sharing their obsession with the easily-converted masses. Behold.

The hammock you wish you had:

Sling by Ting London

The perfect arm chair, for that perfect person over whom you’re surreptitiously drooling to lounge in, perfectly, while sipping a perfectly shaken Martini:

By Nuttapong Charoenkitivarakorn

The Brangelina version of your grandmother’s backyard bench:

By Peter Danko

The throw pillow you won’t really want to throw, from dead stock and recycled seat belts:

By Ting London

And, oh dear… Okay, so I’m breaking the rules a bit with this last one, but this is absolutely, hands down, the sexiest flooring on the market, made of recycled leather belts, and constitutes one of only three purposes for which to have a belt in your house:

Custom Designed by Ting London

Close enough to seat belts, right? And environmentally friendly. The cows are already long dead.

So, screw Heroes. Seat belts will save the world. What else do you think will?

Most of the country is suffering through a record-breaking, bloody-cold winter. Even those of us lucky enough to live in a more amenable climate like Los Angeles have found ourselves shivering from time to time this year. But, this being tinsel town, we won’t abandon fashion for warmth. Luckily, I have discovered the perfect way to both stay warm and dazzle the masses. This Pleasure Find is for the ladies, wherever they may be, and the gents who love them…

Lady Godiva by bebaroque

Bebaroque stockings, tights, and leggings are designed and crafted by two fabulously hip Scottish women.

Miss Godiva by bebaroque

Anyone who has been to Edinburgh in January can attest to the fact that Scottish women know cold weather, and how to slog through it stylishly, so you are in good hands with Mhairi McNicol and Chloe Patience. Besides, they won the Scottish Accessory Designer of the Year award and that’s no mean feat.

Tattoo Me by bebaroque

Hand embroidery, beading, Swarovski crystals, and original print designs embellish these little gems. Whether you want to simply flash a well-shaped calf or go for a fully tattooed gam, bebaroque legwear styles add a dash of sensuous, playful pleasure to the mix.

Lady Godiva by bebaroque

Just a wee warning as you fall in love with these creations: they are not like your mama’s 4-dollar Leggs, but more like those pre-war silk stockings women used to covet more than chocolate. That is to say, they are a luxury item. But you can’t put a price on fashion, right?