New Gadgets to Keep Your Cords in Check

Electronics make our lives easier and, let's face it, more fun. But being wired doesn't mean you have to live with a mess of cables. These three items offer fantastic cord control. —Inspectress Gadget

Fancy That!

It was a tiny bit insulting to overhear some aunts whispering during a family gathering at my place, "Why does she make everything so FANCY?" It's not like I've decorated my home Liberace style. In fact, my taste runs more to midcentury minimalism. As it turns out, they were referring to my habit of replacing ordinary household items with finer versions of themselves. It never occurred to me that I was being fancy (or that fancy was BAD); spiffing things up seemed as basic as brushing my teeth. Why not make the items you use and look at every day as beautiful as possible?

For example, who wants to see a jumble of vitamin bottles? It may seem like a bother to transfer vitamins from their original plastic containers to apothecary jars—preferably made of dark glass to best preserve nutrients (as you can see, I'm still looking for the perfect ones)—but, in return, for a moment's effort, you're rewarded with something lovely. And don't cotton balls look great in a big covered jar instead of their original plastic bag?

Stylish Mosquito Curtains Make Porches a Pleasure Again

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Few things peeve me more than a perfectly lovely evening on the veranda cut short by an invasion of bloodsucking 'skeeters. Fortunately, I've found a solution that alleviates the problem without offending my sense of aesthetics: mosquito curtains. Made of knitted, heat-cured polyester fabric, these machine-washable, mildew-resistant scrims are about 20% heavier than standard mosquito netting; they offer all the advantages of permanent screens, but with more flexibility and less cost. (A 40' x 10' panel is about $320.) Attached to the rafters with Velcro or hung from a rod with curtain hooks, they are easily removed or, in the latter case, slid aside when not in use. Available in white, ivory, or black, and in standard or custom sizes. Mosquitocurtains.com. —The Style Provacateur

A New Spin on Clothes Care

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Hate dealing with the laundry? These new helpmates, folding surfaces, and storage devices will take a load off your mind. Whirlpool's Laundry 123 Tower ($199 to $329) is designed to sit next to or between the company's Duet, Duet Sport, Cabrio, and Classic washers and dryers. The rectangular structure features a 10-inch retractable hanging rod, two large drawers for stashing detergent and bleach, and a shallow tray for holding dryer sheets or bleach pens. In White, Ultimate Silver Metallic, and Black-on-Black. Another option is the rubberized Laundry 123 Worksurface ($199 to $229), which sits atop your washer and dryer, offering an uninterrupted area to treat, sort, and fold your duds. A supply tray in the back corrals anything from loose change to stain-removal sticks. 866-698-2538, whirlpool.com.

Kenmore's Laundry Plus Storage Unit—which features two pullout drawers and a shallow tray ($199 to $299)—and accompanying Work Surface ($199 to $229) come in White and bold colors such as Pacific Blue, Black Diamond, and Barolo. We particularly like the company's Ironing Station (price to be determined), which launches this spring. It will include a cordless iron, a charging dock, a swing-out ironing board, and two roomy storage drawers. 800-349-4358, kenmore.com. —Inspectress Gadget

Drawing on the Past

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A small cardboard box rests on the shelves next to my easel at home. The austere container belies the treasures that lie within its drab confines. Only the mysterious black-winged dragon and the singular message "depuis [since] 1720," that emblazon the top hint at the potent contents: spectacularly colored pastels produced by the Paris-based company, H. Roché.

These perfect little sticks wield as much enchantment in my world of art and design as any magic wand. In tandem with water colors, acrylics, and inks, they turn white sheets of paper into riots of pattern, color, and narrative. Not only do they allow me to dress up my home with my own artworks, they connect me to generations of acclaimed artists who depended on the unique pastel hues to create their masterpieces—icons such as  Edgar Degas, Edouard Vuillard, Alphonse Legros, Jules Cheret, and Alfred Sisley, to name but a few of the long-departed artists; and Sam Szafran, Pierre Skira, and Irving Petlin to cite some of those among the living. The pastels, which are sold in kits of varying sizes, are still handmade in accordance with the original formulas. In 1999, the trade secrets were passed down to Isabelle Roché, the great-grandniece of Dr. Henri Roché, a chemistry student of the famous scientist Louis Pasteur and a pharmacist, who in 1878 left the profession to purchase a then-158-year-old art-supply shop.

Like Roché, Pasteur was passionate about pastels and worked with him to perfect his production methods. The company, renamed H. Roché, then devoted itself exclusively to making pastels that satisfied the exacting standards of its clientele.

Something's Fishy in the Bathroom

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I've had bad luck with goldfish. Charlie lived for six years, which must be some kind of record for a pet won at a kindergarten fair. He survived two cross-country car trips in a tin canister, turned from bright orange to the lovely pinkish hue of rose gold as he aged, and met an untimely death when a cloud of bug spray that was meant for a palmetto roach drifted over his uncovered bowl. (Sorry, Charlie!) Orange Julius, a pet-store purchase, came next. I don't recall the precise details of his demise; by that time we had a cat and…wait a minute, what did happen to that fish?

Perhaps I would have taken better care of my piscine pets had I been able to keep them in a Fish 'n Flush. In fact, I'm sure I would have. For one thing, I would have sunk about $299 into the toilet-tank kit, an investment sure to capture my attention. And for another, I would have spent more time in their company, perhaps even reading them One Fish, Two Fish.

The First Recliner Made for the Great Outdoors

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As far as I could tell, my college neighbor Dan liked just two things: lounging around and being outside. Many an afternoon when I headed to class I'd see him out on the patio sprawled out on a beaten-up sofa, sunning himself. If only he lived next door to me now, I'd tell him first, get a job, and second, that La-Z-Boy (lazboy.com), along with Brown Jordan International (bji.com), have created an outdoor perch that would let him do what he enjoys most in style.

Called the Whitley recliner, the seat has a built in footrest that can be adjusted to three positions—upright, elevated leg, and full recline. It has a rustproof aluminum frame covered in all-weather resinweave, which means he could leave the chair out in the rain without fear of rot. The recliner's arms and legs are reinforced with decorative, cast-aluminum ends, so it's OK if he gets klutzy and bangs it into something, which he would, while its red cushions—fluffy and able to withstand hours of use at a time—are upholstered in Solarium, a quick-drying, weather-resistant fabric.

What next for Umbra's U+ Studio Collection?

I've been consistently impressed by Umbra's U+ Studio Collection (umbra.com), the funky, more experimental line relaunched two years ago by the Toronto-based furnishings company. And although U+ features work by numerous designers, including Karim Rashid and Michelle Ivankovic, I'm most often drawn to the work of one in particular: Matt Carr, the talent behind many of the line's mirrors and clocks. His style is best described as modern Scandinavian, with sleek lines, unfussy surfaces, and lots of glass, wood, and metal. I was fortunate enough to meet him two weeks ago at the New York Gift Show, where he walked me through his forthcoming pieces for U+, many of which are a departure from his usual aesthetic. Here's a sneak peek of the items, all of which should be available by March 1. —Decor Darling

	PISA BOOK SHELF That's Carr himself standing next to this leaning tower of shelves, which can add storage and a strong sculptural element to any room. Comprising dark wood veneer; designer not included. 63½" high x 12½" wide x 29" deep. $550. Umbra.com.
	TREASURE CLOCK The eclectic timepiece was inspired by a desire to "create a sustainable product that gives new life to discarded toys," says Carr. Constructed from natural birch and second-hand playthings, each clock is unique, and only 200 will be made. Available in white, shown, and black. 15½" high x 15½" wide. $145. U+ Studio Collection; 800-387-5122, Umbra.com.
	CADO STOOL Versatile and sophisticated, this leather multitasker combines seating, a serving surface, and a hidden storage area. Pretty cool. 18" high x 18½" wide 18½" deep. $399. Umbra.com.

 

Indoor Saunas: The New Rec Rooms?

Do you like the idea of a home sauna? The stress-relieving dry heat! Which cleanses toxins from your body! Which helps you sweat away the pounds! But dread the thought of actually having to sit in that redwood box for hours, staring at nothing but the coals burning in the corner?

The Big Picture

Artwork—the personal kind that makes your decor look inviting and complete—can be pricey and difficult to select . And family photos are usually too small to display as wall art. Fortunately, digital technology and some handy online resources are making it easier and more affordable than ever to supersize your cherished images, then frame and enjoy them as focal points in your rooms. The jump in scale has surprising impact, elevating the everyday into objets d'art.

To create the large-scale artwork shown left, I started with a snapshot of my mother taken when she was a teenager. I chose this particular image because it's very nicely composed, with a range of tones from crisp white to velvety black. The pattern in her dress mirrors the slightly out of focus background, and the old-fashioned deckle edge of the picture and the date stamp add vintage interest.