Stripe Happy

Besides the change in weather, I love the fall because there are so many lines and collections making their debuts. I went to High Point Market in April and saw tons o' new and upcoming things and I'm ready for another dose of freshness, especially in the home accessories realm. I couldn't be more tired of the patterns and motifs that have been repeatedly recycled over the past four years (think ikat, quatrefoil, chevron, etc.) and I'm hoping that there will be some new ideas this season. I haven't seen anything too groundbreaking yet, however, I do find myself pinning lots of fun striped tidbits. I'm a lifelong superfan of stripes so this isn't unusual behavior, but it does seem like there are plenty of stripe-adorned goodies out there right now...

Striped Trinket Boxes, C. Wonder - Diagonal Stripes Picture Frame, Zara Home - Ish #00 Blanket, Leif - Cirque Curved Decorative Vase design by F. DeLuca for Tozai - Bolivian Frazada Rug/Blanket, Leif - Stripe Tin Boxes, Ferm Living -  Edward Nightstand, Made Goods - Indigo Inlay Picture Frame - Zinc Door

And this book actually came out last fall, but I thought it was worth mentioning given the subject matter...

 Stripes: Design Between the Lines by Linda O'Keeffe

Are you stripe-crazy too? And favorite things from the roundup above?

And do any of you have the aforementioned Stripes book? I'm intrigued. The one review on Amazon is good, but I haven't had the chance to flip through the book in person and I'm always leery to buy a design book without a preview.

Online Basket Sources

The basket is the one functional accessory that can probably be found in most homes across the globe. There are countless iterations of the concept, but the idea is the same...contain and look good while doin' it. As you probably know, baskets are perfect for stashing towels, toilet paper, shoes, toys, magazines, blankets, laundry, and wrapping paper and keeping all of those things from making your house look messy. The key is to find the right style for the setting and that isn't always easy.

Two-Tone Hamper - Zara Home

Baskets are totally one of those things that you see all of the time but can't find the perfect one when you're actually on the hunt. So, in case you're looking for one of these handy vessels, here's a quick list of good online sources:

Crate & Barrel

Zara Home

World Market 

Hable Construction

Pier 1

West Elm

Waterworks

Terrain

Pottery Barn

The Container Store

Serena & Lily

Land of Nod

And here are a few of my favorite styles from some of those sources...

Jillian Totes - World Market | Turq Rope Storage Bushel - Hable Construction
Aster Silver Foil Basket - Pier 1 | Graphic Printed Baskets - West Elm
Palm Rectangular Towel Basket - Waterworks
Tala Basket - Crate & Barrel | Colorblock Wicker Basket - Terrain

Hyacinth Rectangular Basket - Waterworks | Strapped for Storage Bins - Land of Nod
Sweep Baskets - CB2 | Heavy-Guage Wire Basket - Rejuvenation
Tala Basket - Crate & Barrel | Juice Mercado Baskets - Serena & Lily

Am I missing any good basket sources?

Zara Home's New Goods...That I Can't Order

Zara Home does not have stores in the US nor do they ship online orders ship to America. This retail embargo irks me because I love me some ZH merchandise. Their product lineup reminds me of Anthropologie, albeit some of it is less crafty/bohemian looking. I've been in a few of their stores in Europe and I desperately wish they would set up shop in my home country...prefereably in Dallas :)

Despite the fact that I can't get their goods without taking an international flight, I still keep up with their latest and I'm loving looks from the Spring Summer '12 catalog. Some of you non-American readers can take action and buy the new loot (cue jealousy), while the rest of us will just have to be inspired by the colors and overall style of the ZH vignettes. Everything is so fresh and vibrant...

The Chinoiserie print is adorable and that bordered blanket at the foot of the bed is also calling my name.

I love this steel cabinet with the brass details, although I don't think they actually sell it!

The white scalloped bedding with orange embroidery is killing me. I want it REALLY bad.

 I really like the colorful goblets shown on the right in this photo....they are so much fun and would be the perfect vessels for sangria!

Of the Zara Home merch, blankets and throws is one of my favorite categories. Here's an example of the chic styles that they sell...

Chunky Blanket

ZH also has some well-priced rugs in their offering. Here is an example, called Samolo. I am normally not a fan of hide rugs because I hate the hairy texture, but I think this one looks cool...

Have you ever shopped at Zara Home? The stores I've been in were beautifully designed and the price point is generally very reasonable. What was your favorite thing from their new catalog? Aside from the buyables, I adore the mint green color they have on the walls. So pretty, isn't it?

Zara Home, please come to the US!

As previously mentioned, Zara Home was a favorite shop of mine while in France. I'd say the general style is like Anthropologie meets Z Gallerie, with a dash of Crate & Barrel. I went in one in Rouen and one in Paris. Both had great visual merchandising and an awesome selection of stylish, well-priced products for the home. Here are some shots of the stores I went in:

Here I am in the same room checking out the price of this silver-plated domed butter dish

Wall of bed linens!

This cute embroidered pillow caught my eye

More bedding in pretty shades of plum

In the Rouen store, where I found my lucite goodies...the Wooster Table and  the Alba Box

I put together a board (and list) of my favorite items from their website. It seems like they don't ship to the US but hopefully that will change!

Modern Blanket

Paco Cushion (aka pillow)

Neo Rug

Rich Tableware

Sheila Dessert Plate

Billy Wine Glass

Weitling Jug

William Table Mat (I think this is what I'd call a trivet)

Afra Napkin Ring

Basil Tray

Earle Jug

Geno Cushion

Lathan Lamp

Provence Table

Rayo Knob

Finally, on the ZH site they have "showrooms." Here's my favorite of the bunch...

Paris Loot

During our trip, I made sure to work in a little shopping time. Shopping in Paris sounds like the pinnacle of retail therapy, however, two buzz-killing conditions loomed over me: 1) the exchange rate is still not awesome and 2) I'd have to lug any purchases home with me. I got over the negative factors and found some great stuff...making the rule to only go into stores that we don't have in the US.

Some of my favorites included Flamant, Habitat, Maison de Famille, Zara Home, and Hermes. I'll do a whole other post on the stores themselves since all were gorgeous.

On to my loot...from Flamant I got a darling new decanter (it has polka dots!) and a few tiny silver cups.

I came home to blooming hydrangea and rose bushes so I cut a few buds for the cups.

I didn't actually buy anything at Habitat, but I'm sure I would if I lived there. It was like Crate and Barrel meets IKEA. They also were generous with the air conditioning (unlike everywhere else in Paris), which was heaven.

At Maison de Famille, a little glass butter dish found its way home with me. Now if I can only get my hands on some of the fresh French butter I had...

 At Zara Home, I got this lucite tray table and box. I had to take the table as my carry-on for our flight home...the customs guy clearly thought I was nuts.

I also stumbled across this shop, Les Toiles du Soleil, which I was thrilled about because I've seen their website before and they carry mostly striped goodies, which I adore. I picked up a pair of these super cute placemats. It's located at 101 rue du Bac - 75007.

I saw this turquoise melamine tray in the window of a store (that I can't remember the name of) and went directly in and bought it. Since it's melamine, it'll come in handy for poolside booze/food too.

Hermès was completely amazing. Their home section made me want to become a drug kingpin so I'd have enough cash to actually buy things (only kidding). Among the best - and actually attainable - things were the table linens. I especially loved the H bordered placemats and napkins. They had them in tons of different colors.

Speaking of Hermès...drumroll please...I came home with the long-coveted Avalon blanket! It wasn't purchased from the flagship store on rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré...it came from the duty free shop that was right by our gate at Charles de Gaulle. My sweet mom got it for me under the condition that she gets to use it when she visits :) The orange one has always been on my radar, but the shade was a big disappointment. It was way more yellowish brown than it looks on their website. I'm considering exchanging this oatmeal/ecru color for the dark gray, but the warmer neutral is really growing on me. Thoughts?

Finally, I got big, acrylic salt and pepper grinders from the Peugeot store.

They will enjoy their new lives here in America :)