Harking back to the Homeland - Gleena ceramics

Russian born ceramist Asya Palatova founded Gleena ("clay" in Russian) in 2002, producing fine china that hearkens back to summers spent in her grandmothers garden. Decorated with very delicate organic and natural designs, her bowls and plates are simple and feminine, coming in soft pastel shades that themselves recall the floral hues of a garden in full bloom.

Bringing those air plants home to roost!

As a follow up to my post about Mudpuppy's lovely ceramic air plant pods - here is a glass alternative, made by Roost and sold by Pigeon Toe Ceramics in Portland (see blog post "Bowled Over" for more about their beautiful products). Blown from almost entirely recycled glass, this

"hanging terrarium" is designed for the interior and can be used for air or soil-based plants. If, like me, you're a frustrated non-garden owner then it might be the way to bring a litlte more green into your life!

R U Area-aware?

I stumbled across the New York based manufacturer Areaware this week and love quite a few of their very contemporary, city-slick designs. Offering everything for the home from mirrors to roller-skate doorstops, they work with a group of highly-talented, innovative designers, several of which are featured below:

Decals by Florence Manlik

Acrylic Mirror by Oliver Peyricot+ Sylvie Chanchus

Porcelain plates by Jason Miller (birds) and Dylan Martorell (black and whites)

I'll be looking more closely at the individual designers soon!

Air plant pods - or "how to hang your plants upside down".

The Poppy Club find this month has to be these fab airplant pods by Mudpuppy, which recently featured on the front page of Etsy. I love their simplicity, the ingenious upside-down hanging and just their overall look. Would look great in a conservatory (if I had one!) but I'm going to try one in a little arched niche in my bedroom to see how that fairs - I just hope there's enough light!

They are designed specifically for air plants which can't survive in standing water. See Mudpuppy on Supermarket too for more gorgeous designs.

Looking through the glass with Elizabeth Lyons

I have some lovey hand-blown glass bottles from Syria that until now I thought were pretty hard to beat but yes, these gorgeous pieces by Elizabeth Lyons come pretty close. I think it's a combinbation of the gentle curves and savvy modulating colours that make them so appealing. I also love the bulbous stoppers - they make the bottles look almost like little people - coming in all shapes and sizes!

The glass lights are pretty fab too  - simple and elegant . I'd love to see the shadows on the wall when they're lit!

Glassmic Vase

This item, selected by Spoon and Tamago caught my eye a few weeks back, a "Glassmic Vase" by Norihiko Terayama of Studionote.

It's incredible to look at - the combination of glass and ceramic making for a very dramatic effect. I also love these "Twotoo" cups - created by using a traditional method devised to repair broken ceramic dishes. You can even see the silver and gold lines where the original pieces have been stuck together. I love the frailty of the idea. For more detailed information follow the the Spoon and Tamago link.

The geometry of great design by Ply

Ply textiles must be amongst the most talked about designers in the blogosphere of late and with good reason. Their felt cushions sporting bold, geometric designs are striking and up-beat - the kind of flash of colour that can really make a room.
What's even better, is that they are made from recycled wool sweaters adding an eco-appeal to the aesthetic.

Check out the Poppy Club post of March 27th for lovely blankets also made from re-cycled wool : "Quilty Secrets" .

celine saby lamps

Celine Saby  gets the Palme d'Or for lighting this week, producing these funky cylindrical lamps with a variety of equally bold motifs. The Japanese style florals are probably top of my dance card, but I wouldn't turn down the shocking pink bark effect either!