THE WEDDING FILES: REGISTRY REDUX, BED AND BATH

Today's post is the last in my week-long series on wedding registries. See my first post here, second one here and third one here.

I am obsessed with creating a bedroom and bathroom that is a shangri la of comfort and quality. In fact, I have spent years collecting sheets, towels and comforters to make both rooms feel like heaven. After all, you spend most of your time there, right? That said, bedroom and bathroom essentials should be a major part of your registry and here are my favorite picks.




May seem like an easy area to skimp, but this memory foam mattress pad transforms an old tired bed into pure bliss. $60 - $100




A perfect registry splurge, this nail trim headboard is a great for propping yourself up in bed with the sunday paper. $449 - $799




Simple, sophisticated and chic, these swiss dot shams and comforter cover will look great for years to come. $24 - $139




Trust me on this, I have done the field testing: Garnett Hill has the softest, most beautifully colored towels to suit any style and and soothe any skin. I particularly recommend the oversized bath sheets, since they envelope you in warm comfort. $14.50 - $48




Laying on crisp clean sheets goes a long way to creating a good night's sleep. I love the little monogram and stripe detail on these from West Elm. $24.99 - $99.99






A good throw pillow can do wonders for making a bed look put together and adding a splash of color in a room. The Etsy store Skinny Laminx has some amazing options; I own this "herd" pillow and have been drooling over this drawn dot pillow. $35.70 each.



Just as pillows can add some sass and fun to the bedroom, a pretty shower curtain can make a big statement in the bathroom. Marimekko has tons of fun patterns and color combinations. The red/pink colorway is now sold out, but you can get others here. $69




Lastly, like the cherry or fudge sauce on the top of a sundae, a high quality cozy comforter can totally transform a bed from pleasant to decadent. I have used these Company Store comforters for years and love the fact that you can buy them in different warmth levels to switch out for summer, spring or winter. $87 - $199

THE WEDDING FILES: REGISTRY REDUX, MOMA STORE

Today's post is a continuation of my week-long series on wedding registries. See my first post here and the second one here.

If you weren't MoMA Store obsessed like I am, you might not know that they have actually allow you to create registries (wedding, birthday, baby, etc.) on their website. Since MoMA Store has an amazing selection of quality design at all price points and for every part of your life, I think it is the perfect compliment to standard registries as places like Target, Crate & Barrel or Bed, Bath and Beyond. You can register for everything from office supplies to furniture, making for gift options to appeal to everyone's budget, from your college buddy to spoil-you-rotten grandmas.

So, without further ado, here are my favorite picks from the MoMA Store . . . 




Dress up that white-walled rental apartment with this beautiful pendant lamp shade. $100




Durable and timelessly chic, this Eames chair comes in several colors to suit every and any room in the house. $499




Can you sense a theme here? This Eames coatrack has been on my wall for years now and it never fails to be both useful and unique (trust me,  you'll get tons compliments!). $199




A small gift, but a sweet one. After all, you are starting a future together and what better way to represent that than a joint piggy bank? Feeling extra generous? Stuff the bank with some cash! $29.95




Another chair option for the eternally sophisticated and the minimalist minded, the Victoria Side Chair would look perfect in a bedroom or beside a desk. $330




Part functional object, part sculpture, this stool would make a whimsical addition to any home and would fit perfectly into a kid's room in the future (no pressure! says your mom). $225





On the low end in terms of price but on the high end in terms of functionality, this rotating power strip could be a cute gift if paired with some sort of electronic (say a nice lamp, or an Apple product). $30




I am a sucker for wall clocks, particularly those that make a statement (more just telling the time). This one has a magnetically attached ball that rotates with each passing minute. Beautiful, mystifying and sure to be a conversation starter. $60




Everyone can use a beautiful vase and this Alvar Aalto version is absolutely lovely. Cute gift idea: give them the vase before the wedding and then after they return from their honeymoon have a bouquet of flowers delivered—a sort of welcome home gift—to make sure they put it to good use! $95

THE WEDDING FILES: REGISTRY REDUX, TABLEWARE

Today's post is a continuation of my week-long series on wedding registries. See my first post here.


One of the most popular (and useful) things couples register for is tableware: dishes (whether china or not), stemware, silverware, serveware . . . the list goes on and on. If you are looking to make your table look a bit more special—say modern with a touch of a eclecticism—check out my favorite tableware items that are sure to shine at the your next dinner party.




I am in love with this gilt edged dinnerware from West Elm. Bonus: at $19 to $32 your guests can afford to buy the whole set!




Simple, modern, and sophisticated this West Elm silverware is anything but boring or expected. $47 for 20 piece set




Going for a modern aesthetic doesn't mean you have to throw out every tradition or past style. I love Crate & Barrel's take on classic marble serveware. The fruit bowl (center) would be beautiful as a centerpiece with an arrangement of lemons or as a serving bowl with a bath of ice and a stash of cool slippery oysters. $49.95




For a more casual fete, try this swoopy set of serving bowls, also from Create & Barrel, to display snacks and crudite. $4.95 to $19.95




I would happily buy each and every one of these candlesticks and candelabra if I had space for them. Can't you just picture them gracing the top of a mantle? Gorgeous. From CB2, they will run you between $19.95 and $29.95.



It is always good to have items at different price points on your registry, so these super inexpensive but high quality platters from CB2 will be just the ticket for rounding out your wish list. Bonus: they can do double duty as desktop organizers, trays to corral jewelry or anything else your creative mind can dream up! Five piece set $22.95 or individually $1.95 to $14.95.




Feeling like a splurge and hoping your guests will invest in something that will last a lifetime? Go for this beautiful decanter set from Simon Pearce, a company that blows all its glass products by hand in its beautiful Vermont-based shop. $275

POLAROID PERFECTION

I have always loved polaroids. This is just a post to update you on my ongoing obsession.

Have you seen this polaroid iPhone app? I am completely in love with it—it perfectly captures the beautiful lighting seen in instant film.

Also, have you checked out Grant Hamilton's polaroid portfolio recently? I am hoping to add one of these beauties to my wedding registry, mostly because I have been drooling over his work for years and I think they would be a fabulous base to any art collection.

If you still need more polaroid-y goodness, check out this feature on the wonderful WestLiche Collection. My favorites are the works by Joan Fontcuberta (above) and Charles Eames (below).

THE WEDDING FILES: FINNISH DESIGN SHOP

Oh my goodness great design! Chroma Lab did me the wonderful favor of turning me on to the Finnish Design Shop. There are so many colorful clever products there I could faint. I mean, really, how amazing is that interlocking trivet? Or that circular knife? Awesome.

The best part?!! You can create a wedding/gift registry there. Done and done.

Check it all out here.

THE WEDDING FILES: MICHELLE ARMAS

Despite the craziness of work and school, I do manage to have time to fantasize about my wedding (still, thankfully, a long way off!). Thus enter the beautiful canvases of Michelle Armas. Not only will they be major color palette inspiration but I am also planning on putting her work on my registry. I want to have a special section of (at least relatively) affordable works of art on my registry, encouraging my loved ones to give things that I will be able to admire everyday, rather than a set of china I might use once a year. As I stumble across artists I want to add to this I will post them here.

In the meantime, pick up one of Armas' paintings here and check out her blog here and website here.

(p.s. Her work kind of reminds me of a cross between Abstract Expressionism and Matthew Ritchie's paintings, no?)