Well
Furnished
BYMICHAELA
LOWTHIAN
GO TOWARD THE LIGHT
These one-of-a-kind
handmade paper lamps and lanterns
($20-$600, Hi-Ih, 2927 NE Alberta St., 493-4367) gorgeously
illuminate any room with their heavenly glow. Artist Lam
Quang makes the paper in the studio behind the gallery using
a mixture of cotton, hemp and Phillipine banana bark. Then
he presses leaves or flowers between the sheets of paper
in symbolic patterns and stretches the sturdy but transparent
skin over bony vertebrae-like bamboo frames. His lamps come
in a variety of shapes and sizes, some in the forms of insects
and birds, but the one I really like is 5 feet long and
hangs from the ceiling like a teardrop ($500).
PUT THE LIME IN THE COCONUT
Seconds before the
resurgence of Tiki bar culture reached the beach, the
classic Polynesian restaurant and bar, Trader Vic's, bit
the sand. Now we get to mix our Samoan fog cutters, Cuba
Libres and big-wave Blue Hawaiians at home. But somehow
exotic drinks just don't taste the same sipped from a
chipped coffee mug. The solution? A set of six Tiki
glasses ($48, Home Ec., 2745 NE Broadway, 287-7675).
Home Ec., a little store new this year, has a tiny inventory
of new and used items for the home worth checking out
if you're looking for nostalgic gift items and '50s-era
"souvenirs" for the home. Maraschino cherries and umbrellas
not included. Glasses are also sold individually for $8.
TAKEN AWAY
Luxury is all about the little things--like
reading a trashy novella in the tub--but it's not easy
to pull off. Just when you're getting comfortable, drifting
away into the arms of some bronzed, buff Dane named Svend,
it's time to set the book back down, dry off your hands
on a nearby towel, and turn the page--all the while protecting
it from falling into the dangerously soapy waters below.
No matter how careful you are, the bodice-ripper inevitably
turns into a soggy, unreadable wad before you get to the
next steamy segment. Bath time should be worry-free, and
with this plated steel bath caddy ($36, Rejuvenation
Houseparts, 1100 SE Grand Ave., 238-1900), in chrome or
brass, it is. This baby spans the tub and has an adjustable
book prop that'll save you from navigating that slippery
dance ever again. Little racks on each side of the prop
create plenty of slots for whatever else you want nearby--tissues,
bourbon and branch--while you bathe. Now, if only Svend
was around to turn the pages...
DO GOTHS LIKE MIRRORS?
A mirror's functionality
in a bathroom or on a ceiling is well-documented, but
a mirror is also a clever way to add space and light to
any room. Infuse a ranch house of white-walled apartment
with some medieval romanticism with a large Gothic
arch mirror ($175, Peggy Sunday, 7880 SW Capitol Highway,
246-8263) and every home can become a castle. The blanched,
triangular piece is inlaid with panes to resemble a window.
Yes, I got sick of that farmhouse look two years ago too,
but this furnishing's shape saves it from banality. (Alyssa
Isenstein)
WAY OVER-STUFFED
The Great Dane of the chair kingdom,
this obese, down-stuffed armchair is the ultimate loveseat
for two. (With its wide-load proportions, it could even
fit three average-sized people.) The Big Boy, as
it's called, can be ordered in a range of colors and upholstered
in a plethora of materials (HIP, 1829 NW 25th Ave., 225-5017).
The fully loaded floor sample includes a plushy
fold-out bed and matching ottoman, and at a hefty $1,900,
it is the top of the line. The price decreases depending
on which fabric you go for--everything from a traditional
nubby weave to corduroy is available--and the options
you choose.
TICK-TOCK CHIC
Know somebody who is just a little
nuts? Send them over the edge every 15 minutes or so with
a contemporary cuckoo clock from Germany ($112,
Dish 'n' Dat, 827 NW 23rd Ave., 279-8946). Available in
vivid colors--red, blue, tangerine or Swatchlike translucent--these
updated and sophisticated little clocks will enliven any
wall. Novel yet sleek, the timepieces are a far cry from
the laden cuckoos of yore. Count on Dish 'n' Dat to come
up with gifts for the hardest-to-please. A stroll through
this modern design-oriented store is like taking a fast
ride through the history and future of design on a very
stylish international jet flight, popping Tic-Tacs all
the while.
CRIMSON HIDE
Roche Bobois: Sounds rich,
and it is. All of the furniture at this Pearl District
store (515 NW 10th Ave., 229-1010) is custom-made in Sweden.
In a part of town quickly filling up with expensive furnishings
for homes that are often described as "spacious" and
"high-density" this boutique distinguishes itself by being
even more expensive than the others, to hell with the
high-density part. One offering is a fire-engine red swivel
chair and footstool made of beechwood, and ready to
be stained in one of six different finishes and covered
in soft leather; it's available in 12 colors, but the
showroom red is the baddest ($3,300 for the set).
WORDS. IMAGE. ART.
When your greeting-card budget
is running dry on that friend who needs constant words
of inspiration, add permanent color to her confusion--give
a framed print by Koko ($40, Present Perfect, 700
SW 5th Ave., 228-9727). The series includes 30 art reproductions
by graphic artist Janeen Koconis. Each 8 1/2-inch square
print is floating in a 12-inch acrylic frame designed
by James C. Koconis. If you've seen her cards, you understand
that it's difficult to describe the collages of color,
typography and imagery in Koconis' designs. Some are as
simple as the silhouettes of three brightly colored cats,
with the message "A cat with 12 legs," or an orange circle
with the words "Love is round." Some prints offer encouragement:
"It is art that makes life, and I know of no substitute
whatsoever for the force and beauty of its process." Still
others are much more complicated--almost puzzles. Koconis
goes beyond greeting-card sentiment and turns communication
into art.
(Beth Nicewonger)
MORE THAN FLOWERS
Flowers aren't just for occasions
anymore and vases aren't just for flowers. Round the
House contemporary floor vases (The Real Mother Goose,
901 SW Yamhill St., 223-9510) come in several different
sizes, designs and prices. One is wide and pouch-like
($203) while others are slender and angular ($144). The
fogged glass has a light greenish tint and is accented
by a thin steel stand. Artistic pieces by themselves,
with the addition of a little creativity (fill it with
colored popcorn, or use it as an ice bucket) these vases
can be the ideal conversation starter or a centerpiece
for a spare living room.
(Beth Nicewonger)
