Every so often, I come across something that is so trivial and so simple, but yet so fun, that I immediately fall for it. I found just that thing at the recent National Stationery Show, a trade show that showcases absolutely everything in the stationery world–cards, invitations, gift wrap, pens, calendars, office supplies, and more.

Fancy That! introduced its new collection of Decorative Packing Tape. It’s not a brand new concept, but this small company has managed to successfully take it to the next level. Using vintage fabric and feed sack patterns as their inspiration, Deborah Curry and Peggy Schipper have created 10 colorful tape designs. Sure, you can use their tape in it’s intended utilitarian function, in fact, their tagline is “Making Functional Fabulous,” but they also encourage you to think outside the box (no pun intended!). They’ve used their tape to decorate lampshades, storage boxes, notebooks, cabinet fronts…you name it.

I’m not alone in my opinion; Fancy That! was awarded Best New Product at the Stationery Show.

So, it’s time to put on your do-it-yourself hat and get creative. Hmm…I wonder where I can use that green scroll?

Tape is available for $7.99/roll on Fancy That!’s website.

—Jennifer Kopf

Technorati Tags: packing tape, stationery, do-it-yourself, vintage fabrics, Fancy That!, stationery show, shipping supplies, Deborah Curry, Peggy Schipper, boxes

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Last week, I wrote a little about my trip to the BKLYN DESIGNS show in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. What makes this show worth the trip is that, while it’s small, it covers the gamut of modern home design and has a little something for everyone.

Here are a few more of my favorite finds from the show:

For the decorator:
Jill Malek is a graphic designer known for her custom invitations, stationery, and packaging designs. She recently expanded her offerings to include home design with a collection of hand-screened wallpapers.

As I walked by her booth, what caught my eye were the beautiful colorings of her metallic papers. On closer inspection, you can see her unique patterns of flocking birds and transforming leaves. Her designs are subtle so you don’t notice the individual images, just a pretty canvas of color and pattern. A touch of metallic is great in a room to reflect light and add a little bit of sexy shimmer. I loved her maidenhair design.

Visit her website to see all of her papers.

For the kids:
Even kids could get in on the modern design game with the colorful and clever furniture from iglooplay by lisa albin design. They had lots of seat and table configurations, but I really liked their new craft/work table + chair. It’s made with resource-efficient molded ply construction and durable enough for contract use. The lime green finish is so playful and the removable divided tray adds a great practical detail. It’s also available in poppy orange!

Learn more on their website.

For the renovator:
If you’re looking for a new countertop or sink idea, I loved the custom concrete installations from oso industries. Of course, they have lovely gray and tan colored concrete available, but their 10 available colors also include a softer palette of green, blue, orange, and yellow. Very fun! For those of us not in the remodeling mode, I loved their rollerboy, below. On recessed wheels, this piece could easily be used wherever you need an extra surface. Try it as a side table, ottoman, or even a stool. It’s handmade with trowel applied colored concrete over the shell, so it’s actually quite light. It’s 19wx16.5h and costs around $575.

Visit their website for more options.

—Jennifer Kopf

Technorati Tags: bklyn designs, brooklyn, new york, dumbo, modern, kids rooms, wallpaper, countertops, concrete, iglooplay, lisa albin design, jill malek, oso industries, bathroom, table

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What, feeling all left out and loser-ish because you missed the hottest design show of the season–the Salone de Mobile–last week? Well, I’ll let you in on a dirty secret. While the Milan Furniture Fair is a truly amazing phenomenon to witness first hand and, indeed, any design lover should make a pilgrimage at least once, the best way to see everything–the latest releases from big-name European manufacturers, crazy innovative prototypes by the most cutting-edge designers–is to…not go at all. Seriously. Better to sit on your couch, macchiato in hand, and voraciously read the blog and magazine coverage after the the dust settles. I swear, I felt more plugged-in about new products last year, when I made an effort to “see” everything in cyberspace, than I did the previous year when I actually attended and almost collapsed from exhaustion.

Thought I’d share my fave design blogs—and some of their top picks–so you, too, can experience this year’s show virtually:

1. New York Times’s The Moment

There is probably no design journalist who’s opinion I take more seriously than Pilar Viladas, the New York Times’s resident expert. Read her posts from Milan–sprinkled in with other bloggers’ savvy style sound bites.

* Top pick: Rainbow mirror by Ettore Sottsass for GlasItalia

2. Core 77

The self-proclaimed “industrial design supersite” is, well, exactly that. Wanna know what the other designers thought was the coolest of the cool? Check this site out.

* Top pick: Konstantin Grcic’s super-light, cantilevered MYTO chair [pix courtesy of core77]

3. Wallpaper magazine guide

Comprehensive coverage from my fave design mag, including a slideshow of 108 great finds.

* Top pick: Naoto Fukasawa’s curvy-swoopy chairs for Vitra

4. Inhabitat

For cutting-edge design with a green twist, we love Inhabitat’s in-depth coverage of eco-friendly, environmentally responsible innovations. What better way to kick off earth week?

* Top pick: Alain Bertreau’s poufs

5. Italian Design 360

Interior Design magazine’s great website pointed me to this blog, which covers all things Italian design related, 24/7. They even published videos from the show–check it out.

* Top pick: Lime Studio booth at Salone Satellite

6. Dwell blog

I’m always curious to see what Dwell’s online editor, the esteemed Mike Cannell, has to say about the show. He proved a prolific poster in Milan! I love a design editor who gets around (so I don’t have to leave my couch).

* Top pick: Everything from Established & Sons [pix courtesy of Dwell’s blog]

7. Dezeen

Great, great coverage and lots of juicy images.

*Top picks: Front Design’s Shade project

8. Design Crack

Spot-on trendspotting–and cheeky meta-coverage.

*Top pick: The Beautiful Game table soccer! [pix courtesy of Design Crack]

9. Design Boom

1,383 images! Enough said. But I’ll say more: great comprehensive survey of the show, helpfully organized by manufacturer.

*Top pick: Sustainable design at Droog: Creatures by Tobias Rockenfeld

Trust me, people, this is the only way you can do Milan in stilettos. –Jen Renzi

Technorati Tags: Milan Furniture Fair blogs, top Salone de Mobile coverage, contemporary design news, coolest Italian furnishings

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If you’re in NYC this weekend, be sure to stop by the New York Art and Design Fair at the Park Avenue Armory (@ 67th Street). Up through Monday, the exclusive show gathers 40 top purveyors of exquisite antique and contemporary pieces, including interior/event/product designer Antony Todd, glam garden boutique Fleur, and even Lalique–a selection of whose lighting and decorative objects I’m including here because they’re so damn pretty. –Jen Renzi

Top: Seville wall sconce.

Below: Masque de Femme lighted table…

Below: 63-inch-long Jaffa chandelier:

Technorati Tags: New York Art and Design Fair, Manhattan weekend events, Lalique, Antony Todd, Fleur, upscale garden accessories, luxury home furnishings, crystal light fixtures

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