Made in Italy? No, made in Brooklyn

At the Brooklyn Designs show this year I was pleasantly surprised with fresh and innovative furniture design, made...well in Brooklyn.  "Grow House Grow" showed a small collection of handprinted wallpapers that you'd think they came from the U.K.

Levent & Romme used unexpected material to create textured headboards, divider screens and lantens. And if you are like most people who have a desk filled w/ cables and electronics then TMR's "SideWired" desk and sidetables will be the answer to your ergonomic prayers. Their furniture is designed with outlets so you can plug your monitor or your ipod right to your desk. Visual clutter, no more. 

So hats off to all of you Brooklyn designers..."Italy" is just a five letter word.

Turn on the bottles...I am mean the lights

It seems cool lighting follows me. I was walking down Bedford yesterday and a hipster type was selling these pendant lights out of the back of his truck. They are made out of colored glass bottles tied together, and in the center there's a light bulb. You turn the light on, and voila! A colorful snowflake relected on the ceiling. All this for 90 bucks. Liza Sez: I love how inventive this is, not mention that you get to recycle/reuse old glass bottles. A very easy diy, use Perrier bottles, or after the party is over use your Sky vodka bottles.

A chandelier or a wind chime?

Chandeliers are back. A chandelier adds that extra polish to a room. But they can look a little granny. I saw this one at moderndose.com it's made of capiz shells and it looks so elegant and modern. The shells drape beautifully to create a soft curve. And if yo leave your window open it works as a wind chime....Liza Sez: A splurge, but now it's on sale at 50% for $695. Your guests will be all over it. 

Strike a pose

Ever since digital cameras became popular everyone has become a photo enthusiast or a self proclaimed "photographer".  For those of you who still miss shooting film, this twin lens reflex camera is a must. And the best part? It uses 35mm as opposed to 120mm film so you can can have the film processed and scanned at any one-hour photo store. Comes in many colors, $130 unicahome.com. Liza sez: What's not to love?

Who said you need to be a millionaire to own a Jeff Koons?

I bet you never thought you could own a Jeff Koons original. Now you can. Artwareeditions.com works with a number of famous artists (among them: Cindy Sherman, Kiki Smith, Roy Lichtenstein) to produce a limited edition of design objects (furniture, jewelry, lighting etc.). Jeff Koons created a beach towel (pictured here). It's not numbered but it is a limited edition, and for $50 it can be yours. Better yet, I would stretch it like a canvas and use hang it as if it was a painting. Liza Sez: Now that's a highbrow bargain

Wallpaper minus the paper

I've been looking for wallpaper for a while now, but I can't find exactly what I want. The colors aren't exactly right, not to mention how expensive nice wallpaper is. That's when I thought that a stencil may do the trick. No I am not talking about a leaf pattern, nor a fruit ball. I went to royaldesignstudio.com and these guys have some really nice designs. I think the patterns above are way cooler than any wallpaper I've seen. If you are a pro at this, try painting the wall first and stencil on top.  Stenciling can be loads of fun or a mini-disaster, don't bite more than you can chew. I would start with one wall to begin with. Liza Sez: a fun diy on a budget

Print is not dead

I buy everything online. I don't even know how anyone shopped before the whole web thing. I know people say the web will kill print, but I couldn't disagree more. There's nothing like going thru your favorite magazine for the first time each month. And then what do you do? Throw it out? No. At least not for a while. The Vogue magazine holder will give your magazines a stylish shelter in your living room, before you decide to toss them. Liza Sez: Need it. $130, at unicahome.com

Spring Forward

Here's the modern version of the grandfather clock. Made out of walnut, with a plexi face for a sleek look. Liza Sez: this is a conversation piece, but confusing if you actually need to tell the time. Uncommongoods.com, $110

Under a new light

Enough with the lamps! Yes I know I am obsessed. I saw these pendant lamps while out at a restaurant. Now that's a fun idea, take your run of the mill pendants and place toys in them. Don't save this simple DIY for your kids room though. I know you have some hidden treasures somewhere, showcase them under a new light. And yes don't use anything flammable, duh...

Must love movies

For some reason I keep noticing lamps these days. Maybe because I don't think I ever bought a decent one. This one is made out of 35mm movie film strip. How cool is that? You can even get Ratatouille made into a lamp. I love it! The lamp is made to order for only $40 at etsy.com. Liza Sez: Got to have it.

A little privacy please

Open space space living has been popular for a few years now. I live in loft and I can tell you that as much as I enjoy the open layout, sometimes is impractical. If you want to section off the space either for decor reasons, or semi-privacy check out this bamboo divider. The bamboo is about 6.5' tall and the base is about 40". You can arrange the bamboo in any pattern you like. Available in natural and black, about $340

Smart design

Wondering what else can you use bike straps for? To neatly store your shoes. That's pretty innovative. The straps come in a variety of colors. allmodern.com $25/set of two

Pillow talk

I just discovered a series of pillows inspired by retro packaging. Retro never looked so modern. Designed by Koko pillowsandthrows.com $54

Design Ethics

These days you can buy a good reproduction (read fake) of most famous designs for a fraction of the price. Above, the two pictures of the iconic Arco lamp are virtually identical. The original about $2,500 and the copy just under $500. So what do you do? A no brainer right? Go for the copy and save the money. Well not so fast. Having good taste comes at a price. By buying a fake you enable manufacturers to infringe on copyright of the original designer.  That's against the law. And although you may not go to "design prison", owning a masterpiece has a cost associated with it. Let me know what you think. Find me on Facebook or better yet post your thoughts here.

Holy Cow

If you are into cow hides, this is a great value, and much better quality than the Ikea variety. I am still a little freaked about walking on a dead animal, but I am warming up to it.  www.sunlandhomedecor.com $289+

Brilliant

I discovered this lamp at Future Perfect in Williamsburg. It's constructed of unusual material in oversized proportions.  The gold foil diffuser in the shade creates a warm atmospheric glow as opposed to a harsh spotlight effect. The fabric covered electrical cord is hanging loose and interferes with the otherwise streamlined look. Available in white and black, on/off foot petal, $2,000 (includes the two 75W bulbs)

Alphabet Pillow

Truth be told type is my soft spot. This pillow is not for everyone, but if you are like me and when you see anything with type you have an adrenaline rush, then this is a a small treasure. Neutraface Slab is a forthcoming typeface by House Industries. At $45 it's a no-brainer.

For type lovers only

I've been collecting printer's type blocks for years. I usually find them at flea markets or antique shops. For all the designers out there wood type is our object of affection. It seems though type is going mass market because I found this coffee table at Crate and Barrel. The top is carved from a single piece of wood (so they haven't used real wood type) and it's protected tempered glass. For $899 I'd rather make my own.

In the spotlight

It's hard to find a good replica of a photographers spot light. This one is pretty fabulous and it has a collector's look and feel. Place it in your living room and it won't go unnoticed.

No more white walls

White walls are so boring, but for the commitment-phobe they are usually the way to go. I am currently in that group myself, but after seeing this wallpaper by Nama Rococo I think I am ready to jump to the wallpaper-lovers camp. Yes it's a huge commitment but I love it! This is not your grandmothers wallpaper. And of course it's super expensive, I never seem to like anything cheap! But for the budget conscious they sell the single sheets that can be framed like art. Sheets are $220 each. Ouch!  Hmm I need to save some more money.