15 MEMORIAL DAY MUST-HAVES

It seems as though the weather on the East Coast will not be cooperating this weekend, so kicking off summer may mean less beach, more movie-going. You can still be prepared for the sun's arrival with beachy basics that have you covered all season long.
From picnics in the park to sunsets in the sand, here are some summery designs you will want close at hand.

Serena and Lily just launched the most amazing Shop at the Beach in Wainscott, LI where I spotted this heavenly perch. Spend lazy days swinging away in their woven Double Hanging Rattan Chair. Throw some of their festive printed pillows into the mix, a cool lemonade and a good book, and you are all set.

Photo courtesy of Crate and Barrel
A summer classic, the Adirondack Chair gets a modern spin with Crate and Barrel's Vista Chair. Strong lines give their teak version an entirely new look.

Photo courtesy of C. Wonder

Carry meals to and fro the garden or set up bar on this Melamine Cane Tray from C. Wonder in a classic navy and white color combo.

Photo courtesy of West Elm

Inventive and festive patterns can transform melamine plates into another realm. Fun plastic plates should never be boring, as with West Elm's cheery Mexican-inspired Bright Shapes design, available in pink, yellow and orange salad and dinner sized versions.

Iced tea and lemonade quench thirst better when consumed from a chic glass, in this case, C. Wonder's Cane Tumbler Plastic Glass.

Photo courtesy of World Market

Could this flatware be any chicer? Dipped-handle enamel and stainless steel flatware from World Market is picnic ready and a major steal. The great color adds punch to a summer table.

Photo courtesy of Pomegranate
The new coral and shell Lyford print in aqua from Pomegranate is one of my favorites. The two color hand-blocked pattern is casual and breezy.

Photo courtesy of Terrain

Have a bottle opener handy at all times, you never know when the party will start. Terrain Just Hooked Fish bottle opener will ensure the ginger beer is flowing.

Photo courtesy of Target

Named after my favorite beach, Surfside, Nate Berkus's Target Collection Towel with an interlocking woven pattern in navy and white is chic and crisp.

 Photo courtesy of Jonathan Adler

Pillows that look nice both outdoors and in are tricky to find. Jonathan Adler's Aegean Wave Pillow in cobalt with turquoise trim is a good summer find.

Photo courtesy of Matouk

Amazing graphic abstract patterns on plush beach towels from Matouk, now available through their website.

 

Photo courtesy of C. Wonder

Perfect your swing with C. Wonder's Paddle Set in lively stripes. 

Photo courtesy of Turkish T

Stock up on soft cotton Turkish-T Fouta towels in the skinny Candy Stripe, they double as a beach towel, sarong and scarf.

Photo courtesy of Iomoi
Stash jewelry, shoes and small stuff in Iomoi's monogrammed canvas set of 3 Travel Bags. You will feel SO organized. Choose from a darling assortment of custom designs and motifs Irene has designed.

Photo courtesy of J. Crew

Pack beach balls and towels in a roomy tote, like this one designed by the talented graphic artist Virginia Johnson for J. Crew with friendly sharks swimming in a blue sea.

PERFECTLY CLEAR: SPECTACULAR VASES WORTH THE INVESTMENT

Few things are as jaw droppingly-beautiful as the Wiener Werkstatte creations gathered in the shop at New York City's jewelbox of a museum, the Neue Gallery.  I have long coveted the Moser cut crystal vases they have there; they are perfection. I noticed they recently expanded their vase assortment, so with the abundance of spring flowers, you have  a reason to splurge.

  Photos courtesy of the Neue Gallery

Smooth, softly curved lines in the Bell-Shaped Bohemian-made blown glass Vase Joseph Hofmann designed in 1915 look as fresh today as they did then. Simplicity goes a long way.

Moser crystal makes me swoon.  The Hoffman-designed Facet-Cut Vase they produce is

shown in Rose and also comes in cobalt, pale emerald, and dark violet. 

If height is what your after, the Hoffman-designed Facet Cut Vase with a splayed base is the answer. Felekşan Onar for Neue Galerie creates this mouth-blown glass piece exactly the way it was  made way back when.

The emerald green orb of mouth-blown, hand-cut and polished glass by Feleksan Onar for Neue NOW was introduced last year and inspired by Josef Hoffmann

Choose from emerald or cobalt blue with the Hoffman Facet-Cut Glass Vase by Felekşan Onar for Neue Galerie design that was created by the Weiner Werskstatte master in 1910.

AERIN ARRIVES AT LEE JOFA: PRETTY LUXE

Photos courtesy of Aerin

Recently named one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business, Aerin Lauder is poised to make the spheres of beauty, fashion and home more stylish with her lifestyle collection launches.  When I first heard over a year ago that Aerin was designing fabrics with Lee Jofa for her new Aerin lifestyle collection, I imagined the influences, her elegant grandmother Estee and her high style way of living, her travels, but had no inkling what direction it might take. The one thing I did know is that is she was partnering with Lee Jofa, it was going to  be imaginative, pretty, and beautifully executed. I was right on all counts, for the selection of velvets, prints, embroidery, wovens and textures is lush and luxe, and offers designs that easily integrate into traditional spaces or add something sumptuous to modern one's. Taking design classics, like the Tree of Life, an Indienne a batik and cut velvet, she has put her signature stamp on them, reinterpreting and recoloring the fabrics in uniquely fresh ways.  The fabrics complement furniture she recently debuted at High Point with EJ Victor, lighting with Visual Comfort and rugs also from Lee Jofa.  Here is a peek at the collection shown at Aerin headquarters last week. Today, at Kravet's Blogfest 2013, she will share her design sensibility in-depth, and take the group of bloggers through the studio to see the soon to be classics of tomorrow. 

The fabric story laid out to explore by color way.

Richly colored linen damasks sit beside an oversized cotton chevron print on one right side, an animal woven on the left.

Deep reds, rich blues, grass green and lilac in the damask linen.

My first look at Aerin's fabric came at the DIFFA dinner, where the linen damask in lilac made it's debut at the table she designed.

I loved seeing the damask print made casual by the addition of rattan and bamboo accents.

A rich chocolate colorway.

Blue is a signature color, making it's way into many of the patterns.

Birds and flowers add light, pretty elements to  a neo Tree of Life and Indienne pattern.

A new take on batik in shades of blue and white is great for a casual Island feel.

Gray is a neutral in the Aerin line. Remember how brown was the big neutral a few year's back? Gray is now its replacement.

A classic climbing vine on the Tree of Life pattern is reinterpreted in a simple, less-detailed revival. It's more modern in this incarnation.

Robust, juicy colors make this version a favorite. An ode to Joseph Frank.

Rich cut velvet in geometric squares.

The chevron goes Italian in a stried cut velvet.

The green tones are unusual and interesting, and the strie allows for greater flexibility with shades of green.

The same applies for the red, you can match it, but it doesn't need to be an exact match.

MEET KATE SPADE SATURDAY: POP ART PLAY FOR A CHIC SATURDAY

 What does the weekend look like for you? For Kate Spade's new offshoot brand, Saturday, the anticipation of a day of leisure is channeled through a collection of graphic, linear, pragmatic designs with a Modernist Pop Art angle. Fun, strong well-design shapes make their impression in the casual lifestyle collection that combines  women's clothing and accessories, travel basics, tabletop and soft goods. I can't help but notice the proliferation of on-trend black and white, it dominates their designs.

The line made it's debut in a Tokyo retail shop and is available in the US through Saturday. Because isn't the best day of the week deserving of it's own fresh finds?

Photos courtesy of Kate Spade Saturday
 Wearable and snappy, the Zig Zag Everyday Shift is part of a range of clothing done in the Signature Zig Zag print that pervades the assortment.

I love a good slip on in the summer with a classic shift dress. These slides in the Windowpane Check are so easy breezy.

Wear fun on your wrist with the Jump Around Bracelet that looks like licorice candies all in a row.

Pillow Cover in Signature Zig Zag of cotton canvas peps up a sofa in seconds flat.

Pillow Cover in the Windowpane Check for the minimalist - minded.

It's time for the beach with the two-sided beach towel you won't miss on the sand.

 

For the table, mix pure white and ebony for visual impact.  Napkins, plates and mugs keep the pattern play going.

Saturday Morning Mug, in the signature ZZ with a low profile and retro feel.

The Windowpane Check version is a bit more toned down.

Deco meets Pop Art in the Half Circle Stacking Mugs, one of the defining moments of the assortment.

 

Turn tea into a Modernist masterpiece with the Everyday Teapot of matte black and white stoneware.

Choose from tall or short clear glasses in a crisp Windowpane check.

A black rim and white center on the Full Circle Stacking Accent Plates make the case for eating your vegetables.

Stacking Bowls recall Vignelli's classic Heller plastic version created in 1964.

Keep your passport visible in your bag by encasing it in the Fantastic Elastic Passport Holder in the Signature ZZ pattern with yellow elastic closure.

Take to the friendly skies with a catchy striped neck rest and eye mask.

Get your game on and play.

Big Tic Tac Toe Set, great for gifting.

Pull this notebook out in a meeting and get nods of approval. The Slim Notebook with windowpane-ruled pages in Signature Zig Zag with yellow fabric edge is styling.