roadside scholar

stuff i found on the highway of life

• Home
• about gigi leonard, aka the scholar

new work from rachel horrocks

you may remember the wonderfully tactile, inspired wall decor from uk designer rachel horrocks that i wrote about a while ago. rachel has continued to develop the concept of fun felty artwork with this new series called decoflora. still crafted from 100% wool felt like her basic baroque pieces, the decoflora series presents a more feminine style and attaches with a simple removable hook and loop on the wall, allowing you to place myriad unique patterns on your walls.

4 lovely colors of flowers are available in sets of 5, 10 or 20 pieces. prices start at £38. see more and contact rachel on her website.

---

the mark mothersbaugh home collection

frankly i think it is weird to say that devo frontman mark mothersbaugh has a home collection, but it is pretty clear that his avant musical talents are tantamount to his artistic skills. check out this sampling of graphic ceramic accessories, bold wallpaper and stylish rugs he’s made for his company walteria living.

from here it looks pretty edgy, urban and sometimes disturbing, but still very livable.

see the complete collection at walteria. learn more about mark’s music at his website.

---

eco-cool furniture by iannone design

Ooh liking this halftone coffee table from the creative minds of Iannone Design for myriad reasons. For one, it’s made of ecofriendly formaldehyde-free bamboo plywood. For two, that’s no veneer or screenprint on the surface of the table. That’s inlaid wood, your choice of maple (on natural bamboo) or walnut (on amber bamboo) to be exact. For three, you can choose a square or rectangle shape in two different heights to fit your room. And for four, they’ve finished the piece with waterbased shellac and a low VOC topcoat. Ahhhhh.

I think their (sustainable) walnut and (renewable) cork mosaic sideboard is pretty boffo too, for equally grand reasons.

Thoughtful and clever, the whole package.

Hop on over to Plushpod to see the table and much more. See Iannone for more cool furniture too.

---

agape steel tub – modern rustic

Q: Why does this Vieques tub that looks like it is straight out of 1870’s Deadwood appeal so much to me? I half expect to see some gold miner dude in it, wearing grimy long johns with a back button flap, trying to scrub himself clean while he smokes a cigar.

A: Well, duh – it’s designed by Patricia Urquiola for agape, and she can do no wrong as I have previously mentioned. Love her style. This beast is made of two toned steel and has an optional teak backrest and shelf, which totally make this piece as I see it.

See it and more ultra modern bathroom design right over here.

via Trendir

---

urban lamp by david raine

Oh how I love the juxtaposition of materials in this sculptural Urban lamp from UK artist David Raine for his company alkamie.biz. It has a wonderfully non-tippy base of concrete with perspex insert, and is topped with a stunning, shredded (and fire-resistant) silk shade.

David also offers his beautiful, organically-shaped lampshades separately.

To me this is like wearing a fancy sweater with a plain skirt — it’s special and very stylish without being too overdone.

Purchase the lamp and shades at the Hidden Art shop and see more from David on his website.

---

jesh de rox photography

I know some of us think wedding photography can be so cheesy, but have you seen these wondrous images from contemporary Canadian artist Jesh de Rox? They are simply extraordinary, with an elegant, vintage timeless feeling achieved using modern techniques. His intimate and textural style feels like it comes much more from an whole, artistic point of view than the old methodology. And the breathtaking results transcend the traditional ideas of wedding photography and what we thought were its subsequent limitations. These are thoughtful portraits that can so easily be diplayed everyday in your home instead of in a dusty old album.

The loosely styled, posed-but-not-stiff looking images capturing the beautiful nuances of a moment in time were exactly the kind I had wanted for my own wedding so many years ago (15 years to be exact!). We did our best to articulate it to the person we had hired to shoot the wedding, but it really did not work out the way we pictured it in our minds. We can always hope for something exciting if we do a 20th vow renewal though…

For those of you lucky enough to be living in Western Canada, Jesh takes on a few commissions per year, so you might be able to ensure that the dreamiest, happiest day of your life will be recorded in the most special way. If not, you can always enjoy more of Jesh’s stunning portfolio on his website, and follow along with him on his life’s journey on his blog.

---

elegant furniture from turkey’s autoban

I love how substantial this beautiful wood furniture collection is from Seyhan Özdemir and Sefer ÇaÄŸlar for Istanbul’s Autoban Design. I especially like their Starfish table. It’s mid-century hip and modern-day organic, taking inspiration from the gentle sea creature that is its namesake.

 

 

It isn’t inexpensive, but if you want furniture that will keep in your home for years and years, it’s worth it.

You can find the table at RAY20, and you can see more design excellence at the Autoban website.

via bltd

---

fun items (and sale!) at branch boutique

sustainable home decor boutique branch is currently having a three day sale. they are offering 20% off most of their merchandise, so now would be a great time to think about doing a little decorating.

how about some new bamboo veneer moso lamps by brian schmitt, sourced from a sustainably managed forest?

or some fresh organically grown cotton and hemp pillows for your couch from k studio?

i can picture the room already. and it looks pretty good from here!

click over to the shop and use special code branchfriend at checkout to receive your discount, but hurry – the sale ends august 29th, 2008!

---

next page »