Shopping: VivaTerra

Maybe I've been living in a cave, but I just now discovered VivaTerra.
Or better yet, they discovered me. Their catalog landed in my mailbox about a week ago with the 78th Pottery Barn tome of the year.

Aside: Am I the only one that seems to get a Pottery Barn catalog once a week? The merchandise never changes....they just switch the covers. It makes me want to stick a fork in my eye. I mean, how much are they spending on printing and how many trees are they killing trying to get me to buy some slipcovered chairs? Sheesh.

Anyway, so I try to be green. I really do. But 90% of the eco-friendly furnishings, accessories and decorative stuff out there is, um, a bit crunchy for my taste. I don't want hemp throw pillows filled with recycled wood chips. I just don't.

Enter VivaTerra and I am a new man.

I am drooling over this timber block stool/table thing. Fantastic.


I have a crush on this lotus flower chandelier.

I'm smitten with this Shiva stone thingy. Forget that it is supposed to be good Feng Shui. I just like shape.


And I am in love with these raku eggs handmade in Portugal. Sensual and gorgeous. I want one to sit on a stack of books somewhere.

Look at this great hand-dyed linen woodgrain table runner! Will you just look?

All of this stuff is made of recycled, reused or renewable products. I'm probably going to have to buy something just to insure that they keep sending me their catalog forever. I'm serious.

Yeah, I'm getting a raku egg.

Projects to Watch: 707 Cardinal Lane

One street north of our house sits a new development that has barely broken ground: 707 Cardinal.

I have no info on the expected completion date, but they do have a bare-bones website up and running.

Driving by the property makes me feel like this is something to watch. They are saving the trees and it looks like it will have nice topography with a shady neighborhood feel that can't be found in a downtown high rise.

And like our place, the location is incredibly convenient. 5 minutes to downtown, 2 minutes to South Congress. 15 minutes to the airport. And prices starting at about $260K make it attractive to people looking for a modern feel for less than $300K.

Shopping: Brocade Home

My fellow design junkie friend Kelly turned me onto Brocade Home today. I'm embarrassed that I hadn't heard of it. I like.

They don't yet have an online catalog, so you'll need to request that they put you on their mailing list.

It is a bit like West Elm meets Jonathan Adler meets Orange County circa 1968. Or something like that.

Check it out.

Project Update: New KRDB Website

KRDB, the architecture firm that designed our house, has a new website.

Our little 4-house development is on it.

Along with some cool stuff I hadn't seen before.