TheDesignFile

Sunday blog roundup: Modern mirrors, pretty bottles and more from across the blogosphere

The architecture and alternative art blog, WebUrbanist, had a nice post last week on modern mirrors, with some that are gorgeous, some whimsical and some almost a little creepy. All, however, are interesting.

The list includes this stunning-retro style Raindrop Mirror, which sells at Pottery Barn for $449.

Also last week:

• The Nester at Nesting Place has some great ideas for spicing up bland or empty walls. Most are affordable ideas using things you may already have around the house.
• The Lettered Cottage has a pretty post about using small bottles as vases. It's simple but practical and beautiful.

• Here at The Design File we took a look at Bemz slipcovers that you can use for IKEA furniture. But over at EddieRoss.com, there's a tutorial on how to reupholster an IKEA sofa yourself. Check it out here.
• Finally, I loved looking at photos of some cool floating staircases at ApartmentTherapy. These stairs really set a modern mood in these homes.

True minimalism - a modern space in Carmel

Thanks to The Indianapolis Star for making available this slide show of a modern home in Carmel. This is true minimalism - at least in the main spaces of the home. The photos provide a tiny peek - at what looks like a girl's bedroom and an office - at rooms with personal touches. But most of this home, owned by Steve Deen and Jeri McQuitty, is about wide open spaces.

At Home with Deen and McQuitty - More The Indianapolis Star Galleries

View this gallery at The Indianapolis Star: At Home with Deen and McQuitty

What's your favorite Target purchase?

I think almost everyone has made a home decor purchase at Target. I know it's one of the key places I turn to when I want to add some inexpensive accessories to a room.
 
I've got lots of things from Target in my home right now, but there are two favorites: A black storage ottoman (see at left) and three 11-inch by 17-inch white wood frames that hold a rotating set of art in my basement office.

So what's your favorite Target purchase? Let us know in the comment section below...

Celebrating that Target aesthetic

Earlier today we told you about an upcoming event up at the Indianapolis Museum of Art: The Target Aesthetic with Jeff Carter, the store's senior designer.

So we thought it would be appropriate to take a look at some of the "democratic design-for-all" philosophy that's made the store such a hit, including designs by Michael Graves and Thomas O'Brian. You can find them in Target stores and at www.target.com.

 

Folding 5-Shelf Bookcase by Thomas O'Brian, $179.99, online and in stores

 
 

 

 
  

Michael Graves Design Whistle Keeper Teakettle, $24.99, in stores only 

 

The Target Aesthetic, a talk at the IMA

Jeff Carter, senior designer for Target Stores, will discuss the retail giant’s democratic design-for-all  philosophy and collaborations with designers such as Michael Graves and Isaac Mizrahi at an upcoming event at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

• Thursday, June 4, 2009
• 7:00 pm
• The Toby at the IMA
• $7 Public / $4 Members / $5 students 

Co-presented by AIA Indianapolis and AIGA Indianapolis.

Mid-Century Modern lecture tonight at IMA

And don't forget this weekend's Mid-Century home tour!

Join Elizabeth Smith, chief curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, tonight in Indianapolis as she discusses the experimental home design program (1945 - 1966) which produced iconic work by Eames, Neutra, and Saarinen, among others.

• 6:30 pm, tonight
• DeBoest Lecture Hall, Indianapolis Museum of Art
• Free /Ticket Required

This lecture is the kick-off event for a mid-century modern home tour on Saturday in West Lafayette, which is presented by the Landmarks of the Recent Past Committee (LORP) of Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.

Get FREE tickets for tonight's lecture at imamuseum.org, by calling 317-955-2339 or at the door.

To find out more about Saturday's tour, visit this previous post about the event and see a slide show of photos here.

Stylish updates for your IKEA sofas and chairs

I'm an avid IKEA shopper but I've never purchased a sofa there. So maybe that's why I'm only now learning about a fantastic company named Bemz, a Swedish firm that makes slipcovers specifically for IKEA sofas and chairs.

These are not your typical, frumpy slipcovers. These are sleek and modern and available for IKEA's most popular models, including some that are discontinued. Prices start at $45 and delivery can take four weeks.

Just yesterday, Bemz launched slipcovers featuring fabrics from Marimekko, one of the world's most acclaimed print design houses (see right).

"Marimekko was our first choice when we looked to broaden our range of authentic designer fabrics, and we are delighted to be working with this iconic Finnish design brand," said Lesley Pennington, founder of Bemz.com. "The Bemz Marimekko collection will be available for a total of more than 70 IKEA sofa and chair models, which means millions of people worldwide can easily add the best of Finnish style to their living room, bedroom and office."

The glass garage (and the home) from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" for sale - just $2.3 million

I couldn't resist a quick post about the Chicago-area house made famous in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which is up for sale with photos on the web. It's listed at $2.3 million.

You know the place I'm talking about...it's the one where Ferris talked his buddy, Cameron, into taking his dad's Ferrari for a spin and then later the two watched it crash through the garage's glass wall and fall to a ravine below. If you're in your 30s or 40s, you've surely seen this house.

Either way, check out the listing here.

You not only get to see the famous glass garage but also some beautiful retro decorating and a wonderfully sleek black and white kitchen.

The listing calls the house an "amazing architectural treasure" and says it was designed by A. James Speyer and David Haid, both notable architects of the 20th Century.

New book tells readers how to make it modern

"Glamour: Making it Modern" is the newest book from the editors of Metropolitan Home and it looks fantastic.

Glamor "speaks to us of luxury, of exotic woods, precious metals, custom furnishings, and fabrics plucked directly off the Silk Road," according to a description of the book provided by Filipacchi Publishing. "But glamour is not just about money. Glamour is an attitude. It’s easy and elegant. It doesn’t try too hard to please, which is a large part of its appeal. Glamour in home design is all
about the people who live in its embrace."

The book is intended to look at this phenomenon. It contains more than 200 photographs taken from the pages of the magazine and they document 125 homes in 21 states and 5 foreign countries (both houses and apartments, new buildings and renovations) and represent the work of some of the best interior designers and architects working today.

Bring the outdoors in with the popular tree motif

My mom has always been a sucker for a great tree. She loves prints that feature a bare tree in the winter time or a pattern with leaves or branches. So I've been thinking about her a lot while shopping. The tree motif is just everywhere -- on shower curtains, pillows, vases and lighting.

We're not talking about palm trees here. These are big leafy trees, sparse bare trees and birches with beautiful bark. Check out a few of the products we've found here in Indianapolis and online: