SAY IT WITH STYLE: EMAIL STATIONERY SENDS ME

When creative stationery brands and designers I love got together to make sending emails stylish and personal, I took notice. MeebleMail takes the designs you know and love and makes them inbox ready. Jack and Lulu, Trina Turk, Kara Ross, Thomas Paul, LA Plates, Hammocks and High Tea have created the borders of personalized e-stationery. For $4.99 per design, you can send endless invites, work emails and friendly missives from email to email for a year. With over 600 designs to choose from, it is hard to decide which one to choose. Add an address, motif, initials and you are good to go. It is like taking your favorite paper stationery and scanning it into your email and writing on it, without the bother.

Acapulco from Dabney Lee

Ikat in turquoise by La Plates

Flowering Field by Trina Turk

Golf Gals by R. Nichols

Gray Shagreen by Celerie Kemble

Guava Filigree by Susy Jack

Anchor by Linda & Harriett

Orange Herringbone from Thomas Paul

Provence Rose by Nandini

Mod Lattice in red by Boatman Geller

Jack and Lulu's Lattice in navy

NYIGF BLOGGER'S CHOICE PICK

It was so fun being asked by the NYIGF to pick my single favorite item out of 200 companies showing in Accent on Design for the Blogger's Choice Awards. The request, to highlight a product that has “urgent, odd and delightful design,” was made easy when I came across this multi faceted high design piece:

My pick: Serene House (Sturtevant, WI) for Donut. “It is a new take on home fragrance that provides a sensory experience. Shaped like a donut, the piece releases a fragranced water vapor, has LED lights that change color and plays music from your ipod. It is a great way to unplug and escape everyday stressors. It is a modern clean design in a product that helps well being and appeals to the senses. The piece looks great, while performing a variety of functions, proving a luxurious escape.”
They call it "air care" I call it awesome.

JULISKA FETES COUNTRY ESTATE

Photo courtesy of Juliska

To launch their newest collection, Country Estate, a collaboration with England's Isis ceramics, Juliska threw quiet a party. The pattern, designed by the lovely Deborah Sears, is of an an idyllic English pastoral scenic, a charming depiction of country house life a with painterly hand.

Juliska held an intimate dinner party before the gift show to fete the new patterns. By setting round tables for 8, they mixed their glassware, ceramics, stoneware, flatware and vases together. It was a testament to how well their products mix.

I loved spending time with the festive founders Dave and Capucine Gooding and creative Elaine McMcLeary- -who can believe it has been ten years since Juliska began?

It was a gorgeous, glittering celebration, with lush seasonal flowers and many take aways about setting the table with style.

The Country Estate Platter and Pitcher in grisaille.

Napkins were made for the event with the signature motif.

A plum and green arrangement is stacked on books covered in white.

Country estate mixed with silver footed goblets and pewter plates.

Pink and green flowers work well with an all white and clear glass setting. Each table had a contrasting tablecloth that picked up the dominant colors. Details people!

Pillar candles add to the glow of soft pinks.

A crisp place setting with Berries and Thread in white.

Glorious sunflowers en masse stacked on books.

A tight bouquet of dahlias in orange and yellow.

The bright beauties are the centerpiece arrangement for the bamboo pattern place settings.

Bamboo, a classic pattern of theirs, with their bamboo flatware.

A tall arrangement at my table with purple Irises.

White flowers and limes in scattered footed green vases.

A chic grey and white palette.

I sat at the table with the new Country Estate pattern, mixed with their Pewter Footed Goblets.

Shades of green mixed with their classic Berries and Thread pattern and green glassware.

Mixing tones of green with the pop of a white napkin create a many hued palette.

MOLTO BENE: MISSONI FOR TARGET

Believe the hype. This collection by Missoni for Target is going to knock your socks off. The Italian knit line that my mom rocked in the 1970's (and my sister and I took time to warm to at the age of 10), is hitting American shores in a major way with Target come September 13th. The Missoni collab is major, with over 400 items from socks to cardigans, and promises to amaze even the persnickety with both quality and style. I have seen it all with mine own eyes and it is pretty amazing.
New Yorkers will have access to a Pop Up shop because we are Target less and others can pounce at retail and the website. Get some molto Italiano zig zag knits in your life while you can!

A swirled glass bowl makes a great gift and it looks handmade
Zig zag down the leading edge of a knit pillow and a felted wool textural pillow are so poppy

File in groovy style

Ride on with this killer cruiser

Serve it up tray chic

Towels in an array of brights

Get your caffeine on with their Espresso Cups Set

Give great gift: wrap wine with flair

Get framed to look good
Store stuff with a riot of color
Even your laptop gets the treatment


Your desk does not have to be bland
Tote it all with Italian charisma. Whether you are hitting the Amalfi Coast or staying stateside you will recognize your bag on the conveyor belt.

JOIN ME FOR A GILT HOME FACEBOOK CHAT TODAY AT NOON EST!

Chat with me about trends at 12pm!
@GiltHome on FB: on.fb.me/mS1Juw. Topic: #NYIFG
I hope you will join me for a fun conversation about what I saw at the Gift Show and more. I can't wait to connect with you there.
Ciao for now!

EASY PIECES

After I download and process all that I saw at the Gift Show, I begin to compartmentalize and assess emerging trends, exciting new companies, small brands that do a great job, and those that set the tone with merchandising and product assortment. There were some standout pieces worth a second look. These furnishings can transition into a variety of settings and their clean lines and colors make them a shoe in whether you are in an urban or suburban environment.

Bungalow 5 has a white hot collection of Swedish Modern looking pieces called Piedmont. Their colors are always ahead of the curve and styles can go trad or mod depending upon the setting. I have had two of their tabouret tables from the first collection and they are still going strong!

The Fairfax table can be made longer with leaves- so when guests are over you wont have a cramped table

The lower storage shelf is a big asset in this chest on chest.
Hello apartment dwellers! This is the piece for us. Display your favorite design books and objets on the shelves store the stuff you don't use on a daily basis in the drawer below.

Festoni used to show mainly lighting, but a bigger booth this year allowed them to showcase a full assortment of furniture. Their silhouettes are instant classics in great colors.

A linen wrapped nightstand or end table is an easy win

A high lacquer coral chest with cut corners and Empire details would be killer in an entry hall.

A grasscloth coffee table with a chow foot is an easy classic.

Two Worlds Arts had their first foray into Gift Show territory this show. I have been to their Queens warehouse and their showroom downtown and they are a designer secret (since 1985), known for their painted tole and custom furniture. Not anymore! They can create anything custom and the pieces I show here are available in any color with a crackle glaze or lacquer finish. As you wish. Tell Jean Chau Stylebeat sent you!

A hall chair from Two Worlds Arts available with your monogram

A two tiered side table with a painted cane top. I can never get enough caning...

A coffee table trimmed in brass- how I love this!