Boys and their toys

Some Ferrari loving guy crafted a replica 365 V12 engine out of wood. This is almost as cool as the Ferrari cake featured on South Park's "Satan's Super Sweet 16" episode. Wood and cake are magical.

Furniture for the kitchen

Englishman’s Fine Furnishings, makers of European-style antique reproduction furniture, officially announced its new furniture-quality, custom kitchen line in a fully expanded showroom at AmericasMart Atlanta. The new kitchen line, named Englishman’s Kitchens & Fine Custom Cabinetry, is part of an overall showroom expansion to include a total 9,300 square feet of display space. Englishman’s was launched based upon the company’s long-standing business of building custom furniture.
“We had received many requests for custom kitchens reminiscent of our English- and European-style furnishings,” says Mike Howarth, owner and president. “Since other businesses in the Mart were not offering this type of built-in cabinetry, we knew it would be a good opportunity to create custom kitchens for designers and their clients.”

KCMA survey shows decrease in cabinet sales for August

Overall cabinet sales for August decreased 1.7 percent compared to sales for August 2009, according to the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) monthly Trend of Business Survey.The survey also found that stock cabinet sales decreased 5.6 percent, custom sales decreased 10.9 percent and semi-custom sales rose 4.3 percent. The year-to-date cabinet sales numbers showed a decrease of 1 percent, with stock sales down 2 percent, custom sales down 14.3 percent and semi-custom sales up 3.1 percent.KCMA survey participants include stock, semi-custom and custom companies whose combined sales represent over 50 percent of the U.S. cabinet market.

Liege ornamental carvings is my kind of wood porn

You've heard of food porn (those cooking shows you only watch when you're starving), well, for me this is wood porn.
Patrick Damiaens is the only fulltime ornamentist (the carving of ornaments in wood) in Belgium and the Netherlands who is devoted to Liége style ornaments for interieur and Liege style furniture (XVIIIe century style).
Because of the European quality standards, the originality of the drawings and the performance, Damiaens says his profession appeals to the imagination of many, including Belgian magazines and newspapers and even the Belgian Royal family.
The fabrication of Liege style woodcarving for the interior and the reproduction of Liége style furniture is done only in Belgium, and is known for its design and look, the drawings, and the carving. Damiaens says the work is not commercial, since the number of pieces of furniture produced on a yearly basis may be two or three. The main reason for fabrication is to satisfy the highest standards of craftsmanship and to keep and old tradition and art alive. For more information, see Patrick Damiaens.

Color forecast with a case of the sads

Drum roll please…

All the paint companies are coming out with 2011 color and design forecasts but so far Behr is my favorite. The new collection "captures an eclectic mix of styles from quirky to the conservative." Oh, you had me at quirky!
The new collection features four distinct trend themes:
1. Boudoir Goth—With colors like Grayve Yard, Blood rose and Not so Innocent, what parent wouldn’t want to transform their child’s bedroom into a scene from True Blood?
2. Rock N’ Roll—Oh, this is my favorite (see picture above)! The fusion of masculinity with hard core rock n’ roll overtones just screamed for a visit from sad Keanu (can you find him?).
3. Tokyo Pop—Imagine Hello Kitty throwing up all over four walls and throw in some adult-swim for good measure.
4. Danish Twist—No, this is not a delicious breakfast treat from Duncan Donuts. It’s a sensory experience from Europe so it has to be good.

My, what a large desk you have

Desk size, like everything else in life…size matters.
The right sized desk is a key factor in long-term business success, according to research from Avanta Managed Offices.
Here are three questions to ask before purchasing a desk.
1. What do you need?
2. What shape do you need?
3. What will be on your desk?
 For inspiration, I’ve attached a photo of William Randolph Hearst’s desk. This is the desk that launched a publishing empire. Can you feel the power?

Fug or fab?

Besides a love of sitting, I have a strange affinity for chairs of all kinds. So, as I'm pondering Anthropologie's latest offering, the Calandria Armchair. I'm conflicted...do I love it or hate it?