The Museum of Modern Art Store is one of my top go-to spots for some of the most innovative, useful and stylish products in the world.

Recently they began a series that showcases emerging designers and design themes from around the world. Each one spotlights a different city or region–such as Finnish design, Danish crafts and Argentine design–and the revenue from the series supports programs and exhibitions at the museum (always a good reason to buy).

MoMA’s most recent series, Destination: Japan, highlights “lifestyle products” that are usually only found in Japan. Many of the pieces are playful interpretations of everyday objects, and all were created by established or emerging Japanese designers.

With more than 100 items in the collection I only have space to showcase a few of my favorites, but definitely check out the website for many incredibly kawaii (cute in Japanese), pieces.

Apple Jar with Spoon
$55
Made by Tatsuya Okazaki, 2006, this hand-made, apple-shaped sugar pot includes a wooden spoon as the apple core. Clever isn’t it?

Chat Plates
$45.00/set of three
Designed to resemble conversation bubbles from Japanese comics, these quirky ceramics are sure to spur conversation at your next dinner party.

Twisted Chopstick Rests
$30/set of five
These funky little chopstick rests have a slit in the middle. You twist one end and insert it into the slit to complete the shape. Made of silicone for max durability. A very cool gift idea for the sushi enthusiast.

Soy Sauce Dispenser
$40.00
A much more elegant soy sauce dispenser than the usual American-Japanese restaurant version we are used to. The spout and glass body are ideally designed to perfectly control the pace at which the liquid is poured.

Recycled Dish and Bowl
$10.00-$15.00
Made from potter’s clay and 20% recycled clay, this durable, heat-resistant recycled dinnerware is made by collecting used ceramic goods and incorporating them into new products. Made by Noriyuki Matsubara in 2001.

–By Kate Bailey

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Here at GlamNest, we are a bit obsessed with bedding: plush, ultra-refined linens, organic floral-print pillowcases, mod graphic duvets–count us in for anything fabulous that inspires a comforting, snuggly, and preferably 9-plus-hour sleep. (Some would argue that I have an unhealthy attachment to sleep; I would counter that sleep is the only thing that keeps me healthy when totally stressed out!)

My current obsession? Nancy Koltes Fine Linens. I pass her Manhattan boutique (one of seven across the country) often, popping in to marvel at the beautifully squishy beds, piled sky-high with pillows and poufy-plush duvets, and thinking comforting thoughts. Textile designer Nancy Koltes, who produces her exquisite products in Italy, can always be counted on for lively conversation and an insider’s view of the industry, including the impact of extra-thick mattresses on linen manufacturers (everyone had to resize their sheets!) and the thread count marketing myth (note: luxury is less a matter of threads per inch than the quality and treatment of the threads themselves).

Last week I checked out some of her newest designs and fell for the restful blues and soft pinks of the Asian-inspired Dogwood (Italian-made percale duvets and shams) and two pretty Madras prints–Joy and Gypsy–made from supersmooth chambray in warm citrus hues. Just writing about it makes me want to sink into a deep, dreamlesss sleep….zzzzzzzz…

Ooops! Dozed off there for a sec. What was I was saying? Ah, yes–Nancy Koltes. Check out both her retail and wholesale websites (a great designer resource) for more comprehensive info, including helpful linen-care tips that are applicable to anyone who wants to ensure the comfort and longevity of their sheets: Never ever use bleach, don’t overdo the detergent and–this is key–do not fry them in the dryer or you’ll bake any lingering detergent right in.*

(* FYI, this last point is especially important for eco-obsessed clean freaks, who spend a gazillion dollars on organic cotton sheets, over-soap them, and dry them on a high setting, thus ensuring a not-so-healthy snooze in a detergent bath–not a good idea for anyone with chemical sensitivities!)

–Jen Renzi

Technorati Tags: Nancy Koltes Home, best summer bedding, luxury Italian linens, floral-print sheets, colorful pillows, thread count myth

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My favorite retail discovery of late is an impossibly skinny storefront hidden on a grungy-sketchy block of far east Chinatown. Called Project No. 8, the boutique is an expertly curated mix of esoteric but totally wearable jewelry, stunningly smart fashions (including architectonic finds by cult faves Boudicca and Tom Scott), and a sprinkling of oddball-but-awesome designs objects. There’s not a lot on display, but you want to buy every last thing that is.

In search of inspiration, my better half and I wandered over this weekend for the second time, and were happy to discover that a repeat visit does not diminish the aura of intrigue this place exudes. The product that perhaps best summarizes the Project No. 8 sensibility is a series of humble bricks ($100) covered in knitted angora by Various Projects, Inc. Yes, you heard that right–bricks upholstered in sweaters. What do you use them for? That’s besides the point. An angora brick is so utterly unneccesary, yet once you lay eyes on it you cannot live without it…you become convinced that it’s the building block to a cooler, groovier, more fabulous life. —Jen Renzi

Technorati Tags: New York’s coolest boutiques, experimental retail spaces, Project No. 8., cult design objects, Boudicca, Tom Scott, Various Projects, Inc.

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The art world and home decor have been circling each other for a while now–first famous designers, from fashionistas to architects started designing items like toasters (Michael Graves for Target) to sponges (Betsey Johnson for 3M); then artists began to make furniture in limited editions and sell them through galleries. The logical next step is home stores that look like art galleries, a trend that began in New York with Murray Moss’s eponymous emporium in Soho, and has spread across the country.

You’d think in rougher economic times going upscale wouldn’t be the smartest business decision, but as the Los Angeles Times points out (in a recent piece that covers local examples like Twentieth and Limn), a little pretension–some storeowners have taken to calling themselves “curators” and furniture displays “installations”–and the better prices that go with it can be a survival strategy in a downturn. –Paul O’Donnell

Technorati Tags: art, gallery, furniture home decor, design, Betsey Johnson, Michael Graves

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