'Mushrooms Ate My Furniture' by Shinwei Rhoda Yen

'Mushrooms Ate My Furniture' by designer Shinwei Rhoda Yen is a piece of garden furniture made with natural wood and embedded with mushrooms' spawn. After a time of exposure to the weather, mushrooms will grow live on the furniture. As the nutritional material from the wood is eaten by the mushrooms, the furniture will start to break down, eventually decomposing.

Ikea's not so basic

Ikea's sold this bookcase a gajillion times around the world. Even I have this bookcase in a standard Ikea wood finish. This bold patterned version transforms this standard into a more fashion revered design piece. The best part: it's still as cheap as the previous model.

Oly Interiors

Oly is a Berkley, California based interior design company who offers antique inspired design, blending traditional with contemporary to create pieces that are clean, sleak, comforting and nostalgic at once. Each piece is handcrafted and has natural variations. Oly consists of Kate McIntyre and Brad Huntzinger.

I'm a huge fan of their Meri hanging fixture. It reminds me of fossilized coral.


Meri Drum Chandelier, pierced resin chandelier


Henry Shelf, antiqued silver brackets with natural sono shelves
and black mahogany cabinet with antiqued brass sliding doors


Jackson Armoire, hardwood armoire with detailed facade

Jason Miller

The first that I heard of Jason Miller's was his 2006 pieces that came equipped with a previous owner's disregard without ever being previously owned: dusty tables, broken mirrors, duct taped chairs, damaged drinking glasses. These are all accomplished not by damaging, but by deliberately incorporating materials that would mimic this disrepair. The pieces of duct tape on the Duct Tape Chair are actually strips of leather added to the upholstery. The broken mirror that appears Scotch taped is actually done entirely in laminated glass. The dust on the tables is actually layered into the finish.

Though those Brooklyn chic pieces hold appeal for me, I'm pleased to see that 2007 brings new inspiration from the crevices of true life. One in particular caught my attention: ceramic wall tiles inspired by the landscape of shipping containers in Newark. His pieces that are just slightly off give me much more satisfaction. I'm hoping to see more subtlety. I feel like he has that potential to make objects that make you feel a little weird instead of just really dirty.


"Shipping Container Tiles," glazed ceramic, 2007


"Superordinate Antler Lamps," table lamp, 2003