Looking for a contemporary coffee table that you won't get in trouble for putting your feet on? Thanks to Stuart Melrose and his choice of Corian as his main ingredient, popular urban culture meets twenty first century technology. Melrose loves working with Corian because it combines a special tactile beauty together with durability. According to Melrose he "wants to make quality pieces of furniture that will retain their looks over years to come - so I expect a lot from a material and Corian offers the weight and feel of stone". All of Stuart Melrose's furniture is individually hand made to order in the UK with the option of customizing color, size and shape. Here are a look at some of his coffee tables that utilize a variety of shapes and creative details, my favorite is the Apollo that features a multi-layers design and circular glass.




It is amazing how fast children can destroy an otherwise organized room. So how do parents keep a room organized? Moreover, how do parents have a room look picked up when company comes over? One idea is to have storage places for toys and other items that children play with frequently. These canvas storage buckets can offer such help while also serving as a mode of learning for the child. The canvas buckets come labled with words like "toys" and "books" which may help in organizing the various items. It is important to have a place for the child to return the items to once they are old enough to be taught that skill. The canvas storage buckets are available in pink polka-dot, sage polka-dot, pink, and sage. Price: $24-$44. Available: here.

COM.P.AR revealed their collection of Novelties at the Milan International Furniture Exhibition for 2008, and in true Italian fashion the looks were tastefully modern and eye catching. The Link 1 plasma tv stand shown here in lacquered white wood with side shelves, complete with stand bar for the screen offers a useful place for all you're A/V components. The Wind coffee table also available in white lacquer features a swooping swivel glass top that allows access for all within arms length. My favorite from the COM.P.AR 2008 collection is the Desy dining armchair that wraps nicely around its occupants for a very cozy feeling not usually associated with such a contemporary design. See the entire COM.P.AR collection as well as the rest of the Novelties here.


Decorating a boy's room can be fun since you can allow yourself to have decorative pieces that would not fit in other rooms of your home. Pictured here is a neat race car table lamp from Pottery Barn Kids. The lamp base features a race car with the lamp stand coming up out the seating area and rising up towards the shade. The lamp shade is availabe in three colors: navy, light blue, and red. Measurements: 4.5" x 10" x 12.5". Price: $79 + $25 for the lamp shade. Available: here.

Retro furniture is in and Modernica of Los Angeles has reissued the famous "Shell Chair" that some of us may remember from the 1950's. The last go round for the Shell Chair series was 1983 and of coarse the cool colors are part of the flash back appeal, and Modernica has all the bases covered from pink to green. There is a Shell Chair for every situation from bar stools, office chairs on wheels, dining chairs, and even a rocking version with wooden base. Prices start at $235 for the Low Rod Chair and peak at $475 for the Dowel Bar Stool. Shell Dimension 18.25''W x 20''D x 18''H (Without Base) See Them Here


