Shining bright with Shine furnishings

Manhattan Sofa
78" long x 36" overall depth x 40" high / 25" seat depth x 19" seat height

It is colorful, rich, ethnic, emotional and exciting, these are but a few words that can describe the results of Shine by S.H.O.  It's fashion in furniture to its upmost and what gets me even more excited about all of it is that you can look at a single piece whether it be a table lamp or sofa and see the possibilites of what a single piece from Shine can do to your overall interior decor look!  It makes all the pieces very fun and alive.

Edinburgh Chaise
73 " long x 44" wide x 34" high / 60" seat length

Shanghai Console, citron lacquer
34" high x 16" deep x 48" long

Moorish Side Table, natural bone & mother of pearl
20.5" high x 22" wide x 22" long (hexagonal shape)

Topaz Table Lamp
Overall 41" high x 16" wide / Shade 19" high x 16" wide

Catalonia Chandelier, large in Turquoise
29" dia x 48" high

As read in Shine by S.H.O. About page:

With a global-eclectic design sense, mixed with an artistic background, Susan Hornbeak-Ortiz creates one of the most fashion forward lifestyle linens in the interior design industry.

This world travelled, multifaceted artist, with a masters in fine arts in sculpture and installation, takes freedom in form and is not afraid to design unexpected avant-garde pieces and accessories.

The SHINE by S.H.O. collection takes you on a journey across the globe.  From modern to vintage, this collection will surely ignite your senses and encourage you to explore the many lifestyles of modern home decor.

"I have always been drawn to capturing the essence of beauty in all its forms."

View other Shine furniture and products

I Stand Behind: Nice expensive hand-pumps

Pure & Good Hand Duo $34.00 @ Anthropologie

I have a face and so I need to buy facial cleanser for it, I always buy the same kind of facial cleanser every single time because... what can I say?  I love it, it's perfect for my skin type and not animal tested.  I love this facial cleanser but I hate the bottle!  It is a plastic hand-pump bottle and when the facial cleanser gets down to about 3/4 of the bottle the agony begins.  The agony goes something like this, me standing in the shower or infront of the sink pumping furiously while mere drips trickle down the pump opening and down it's neck, very little at this point actually gets into the palm of my hand.  What could have been a soothing and relaxing facial cleanse has now become an irking annoyance, and all because of one... cheap... hand-pump.

The answer to my problem:  Buy a nice hand-pump

This will undoubtedly be a little more expensive than you are used to forking out for a hand-pump, but most likely because you have spent your whole life buying cheap plastic throw-away hand-pumps.  Instead, one time, trying buying a nice glass hand-pump, with good weight and with quality pump tops.  If you cannot find empty ones, and they can be hard to find, try purchasing a hand-pump with soap or lotion that you will like to use.  Once the hand-pump is empty, reuse it over and over again.  In my case, the hand-pump has been filled with my facial cleanser, and now every time I wash my face I say "bye bye irking annoyance of the cheap hand-pump!"

The Color-Coded Book Shelf

I have a library collection in the making and though it doesn't contain quite as many books as I would like there are still plenty to handle.  And while I've organized them by genre and author I've never thought of organizing them by color!  I'm fascinated with this new idea of color-coded books, in this logical brain of mine I wonder if it will make it hard or even impossible to find the book I'm looking for, or maybe it will be easier for me to find depending on how familiar I am with my book covers, I've come to the conclusion that it can really go either way 50/50.  But I think it worth a try even simply to see how much I would like the looks of it, after all, who doesn't like to organize?

Paul Loebach furniture & designs

Orchard Ladders
18 x 1.5 x 78 in / 10 x 1.5 x 130 in / 44 x 1.5 x 61 in
Produced by Matter

The work of Paul Loebach first caught my eye when I did a short post on the Paul Loebach Credenza featured in West Elm, the design was simple and yet the detailing was something to talk about - this is what I immediately liked about Paul Loebach's design.  Naturally I looked into Paul Loebach further, and was pleasantly surprised.  Paul Loebach is not a fleeting designer, it does indeed seem, that he is here to stay as most innovative and out-of-the-box designers are.  The quality of Loebach designs is comparable to that seen in DWR (Design Within Reach) stores but the designs lean more towards a warmer and welcoming atmosphere.

Orchard Ladder

The Orchard ladder was inspired by 19th-century orchard equipment.

Tocotta & Fuga

Tocotta & Fuga
25 x 20 x 28 in
Produced by Billiani

The Tocotta & Fuga chairs are made via computer driven machinery that "articulates the contoured parts including classic mortise and tenon joinery" Paul Loebach.

Step Stools

Step Stools
25 x 20 x 28 in
Produced by Areaware

The Step Stools were inspired by the versatility of the American Shaker furniture.

Wood Vase

Wood Vases
6 x 6 x 10 in

The Wood Vases are the results of an experiment in wood construction and CNC machining.  Where the design of the vases articulates the profile of the polymorphic shapes through the 'parting line'.

Shelf Space

Shelf Space
45 x 12 x 21 in

The Shelf Space is the result of an experimental collaboration with an aerospace machinery manufacturer.

View more Paul Loebach items & his biography

West Elm's choice of throw blankets

Believe it or not finding the perfect throw blanket can be a hard task, I know this first hand.  My first throw blanket was a deep red, beautifully soft, knitted, thin tasseled throw blanket.  I threw the blanket over my bed, the color went perfectly with the painting on my wall of a ballerina in mid-bow, most likely after a show, holding a large bouquet of flowers close to her chest that was similar in color as this certain throw blanket.  After about a month of using this throw blanket I slowly became more and more aggravated with it, the thin tasseled edges began to knot and soon were snarled around each other.  It was impossible to sit there and try to get the knots out so I stopped trying and gave in to the fact that I indeed made a bad decision to buy.

Other times the throw blanket can be too thin, the texture not quite right.  So yes, finding the perfect throw blanket can be a hard task.  But of course you learn from your mistakes, I've learned... 

1.  You must consider the edges:  are there tassels?

If so, will they get knotted & tangled?

2.  What is the fabric?

Do you prefer knit, faux-fur, etc.?

Will it shed or will lint and things get easily picked up on it?

3.  How large is the throw blanket?

Is it too large or not enough for the space you plan to use it?

These are usually the three things I look out for now when considering any kind of throw whether rug, pillow or blanket.  That being said let's consider throw blanket options from West Elm.

The Chunky Tassel Throw for a very good price and in three different shades is a great option, the knit texture is always comforting and makes one feel at home.  And though I've had a bad experience with throw blanket with tassels, the tassels on the Chunky Tassel Throw seems much too chunky to get tangled and knotted.

Chunky Tassel Throw $55.00

The Cozy Throw, even a great price couldn't get me to buy this blanket!  The loose thin-tasseled edges is a MUST STAY AWAY sign.  Take it from me, after a month of use these edges will be tangled!

Cozy Throw $55.00

The Faux-Fur Throw, my favorite.  My first concern was that the faux-fur would get on everything, my clothes included.  My mother has had a faux-fur throw blanket for some time now and even after as much use as it gets not once have I seen the faux-fur on me or on any of the furniture.  Of course where you get this faux-fur throw blanket and the quality which it is made is a big factor, so ask the nearest salesperson or simply... rub yourself up against the faux-fur rug and test it out for yourself.

Faux-Fur Throw $95.00 - $119.00

Geometry at Home

You can do just about anything with a space to make it look great, you can grab one subject, one theme, run with it and turn a blank space into something pretty amazing, you can mish-mash and turn out some really great looks as well.  One I've never really considered using is geometric shapes and patterns to add something special, I suppose I'm not mathematically inclined, not that it takes a mathematician to design geometrically.

My favorite examples of using geometric shapes is through wall paper, check out the rooms pictured above and right below, the geometric patterns on wall paper lends a more vintage feel to the space than what one would normally think would happen, which is a more modern feel.  There are of course other things to consider when using geometric shapes on wall paper however, such as, how it affects the geometric shapes in other places of the room.  For example (above) how doe the wall paper affect the geometric patterned lamp shade or the rectangular twin frames hanging on the wall?

A mixture of geometric patterns and shapes are used (below) and the wallpaper seems to enhance this theme, how many geometric patterns and shapes can you spot in the room below?  And when you take in the room as a whole how do you feel about the mixing of these circles, squares and other patterns?  I think... it looks great in that positive-vibed, eccentric way.

Note the chair prints, the rectangular table & windows...

Note the sofa print, the staircase, the rectangular painting...

Circles & squares!

The corner lamp, the rectangular doorways, even the view outside contributes...

Anthropologie vintage items gone gadget friendly?

As a lover of all things vintage I get unusually excited when I see stuff like this... and by this I mean vintage items that are user-friendly to today's gadgets.  This of course means that I do not need to turn my carefully vintage decorated home into a modernized sleek flat to suit the looks of today's gadgets, but that I can keep it the way I like it and simply add vintage items that are gadget friendly.

The USB Typewriter.  How can you not appreciate or fall in love with a restored vintage typewriter than you can plug your iPad into and use as a keyboard?  But that's not all... Unplug the iPad and feel free to use as a regular typewriter as well- 2 for 1!  I know if you didn't love it before, you love it now.  Typewriter case is also included along with instructions, iPad stand attachment, USB cord and additional ribbon.

USB Typewriter, Royal @ Anthropologie

USB Typewriter, Underwood @ Anthropologie

Even use as a regular typewriter!

iVictrola, Upside Down @ Anthropologie

The iVictrola is even before my time, not that I'm that ripe, but still I find it fascinating, even more so now that you can dock your iPhone, iPod or other music player and listen to your music through the vintage Magnavox horn that sounds your music acoustically.  Okay, so you have to be a real vintage fan and a real fan of sound to appreciate this beautiful item.  I know you guys are out there... well, here it is.

The horn is made from carved American walnut