Prediction: The Spa Room

Within the next two years, we will see regular use of the term 'spa room' - that is, a room in one's own house dedicated to spa treatment.

I know what you're thinking, 'That's not original; saunas have been around forever,' so I'll clarify now. I don't mean 'sauna' or 'whirlpool'. They go in a spa room. So do staff, who, in the main, don't spend much time in the bathrooms of billionaires.

(Life)Style rags ranging from Wallpaper to Woman's Day have been telling us to 'bring the spa home' for quite some time now. Usually they all mean the same thing, 'Buy this face cream i just got for free'. And, usually, it's essentially the same face cream, the only difference being whether it costs $5, $50, or $500. With the blossoming super-rich demographic, put money on the fact that when it comes to 'bringing the spa home', those words will be taken literally.

L.E.D. Digital

L.E.D. Digital
Designer: Philippe Starck
Manufacturer: Fossil
Price: US$125
Buy It

It's 12:54 and time to buy a new watch. Being a dyed-in-the-wool watch aficionado, this design pushes my buttons (or doesn't - at least apparently) far more than it's celebrated predecessor.

L.E.D. Digital has a lot going for it: Starting with the looking-forward-by-looking-backward technology, nodding to Robert Indiana's LOVE, and landing at 'Is that a watch': what's not to like? LED watch technology tradtionally appears under a crystal. Here, acrylic light pipe digits extrude out of the soft polyurethane strap; thus, it's the representation of LED. And, like any LED, one must press a button to view the time. On L.E.D. Digital, under "2" and "4" o'clock, one presses hidden buttons for the time and date, respectively. When not in use, the pattern, elaborated by extra points at the ends of each "line", provides visual interest not found under a crystal.

L.E.D. Digital ships in a free collectible tin and, like all Starck's designs for Fossil, with a museum box. Given the rapid appreciation of everything Starck, buying one to wear and one to display is hardly out of the question.

Spoon

Spoon (1998)
Designer | G P Benedini
Manufacturer | Agape
Dimensions | cm 181.5 L 98.5 W 44 H in 71½ L 38¾ W 17"3/8 H
Price | US$$,$$$
Buy It

Yes, my favorite room in the house is the bath room. That's "bath room", not bathroom. These days, I don't get as many "Are you mad" looks when I say that my dream house requires a master bath room at least the size of a living room with wall-hung fixtures, taps, and sinks; a frosted glass-enclosed toilet room, including bidet; open-plan state-of-the-art shower, with seating; and, of course, a tub. Deciding what car you going to buy is a major financial decision. Did I say 'car'? I meant 'bathtub', of course.

The Spoon tub, by the beloved Italian firm Agape, is such a design classic that I was hesitant to include it at all; it would be like posting Eames's La chaise. Nonetheless, I think the concept of the bath room is still young enough that Spoon deserved its 15 minutes here. Iconic status is often reflected by a design's durability. Eight years later, this piece is still featured regularly in the design press- which is no small feat for bathroom fixture that costs as much as a Fiat. When any contemporary interiors magazine runs a bath room/tubs feature, if you don't still find Spoon itself, you'll find one inspired by it. While evoking a Noguchi-like organic serenity, it distinguishes itself as absolutely contemporary in both its scale, nod to pure function, and only-in-Italy sense of surreal humor: it isn't called spoon for nothing. Made from "Exmar", a composite material of resin and quartz powder and avilable in white or sand. Hardware available both wall-hung (top) and in "tower" form.

Bullmoose Party Shirt

Bullmoose Party Shirt (2006)
Designer: Jimm Lasser
Manufacturer: Sharp As Toast
Price: US$25
Sizes: Unisex S, M, L, XL
Buy It

Carving a niche in, perhaps, the last place one would suspect, Sharp As Toast plants tongue firmly in cheek with their smart, funny, and stylish t-shirts. The unexpected is their pan-partisan political bent. Case in point: the Bullmoose Party Shirt that pays homage to Teddy Roosevelt's progressive independent bid at re-election. What? Never knew anything about that? That's, at least in part, the point. Sharp As Toast, which has quite a story itself, provides a fount of information about each design, let's you vote on future products, even play video games. Naturally, only American Apparel products are used. Click "Bultique" to find the Bullmoose Party shirt and collection.

Designer Jimm Lasser, whose works are included in several books about the design community's response to president 43's Oil War, the Milwaukee War Veteran's Museum, appeared in the French newspaper L'Évenement and Time Out New York, as well as the web's Daily Candy and Urban Outfitters. He's just designed a limited-edition t-shirt for Puma and, reportedly, there's much more to come.

Louis Ghost

Louis Ghost Armchair (2002)
Designer: Philippe Starck
Manufacturer: Kartell
Price: US$334
Dimensions: H 37" W 21" D 22" | Seat H 19" Arm H 27"
Buy It

I know, I know. Very late to the party on this one. Well, I didn't have a blog in 2002 and other belles choses had to come first, all right? But don't let my tardiness diminish the importance of the Louis Ghost; it is certainly one of his most memorable (and successful) designs in recent years. Funnily enough, following Starck's body of work, the Louis Ghost may not appear out of nowhere, but it was hardly expected.

Kirk

Kirk
Designer: René Holten
Manufacturer: Artifort
Price: $,$$$

A recent design, the Kirk armchair not only maintains the Artifort æsthetic, but gives it a delightful "how-in-the-world?" twist. With its Niemeyer-meets-Paulin shape, paired to the slender "landing-gear" legs, one cannot be blamed when words like "space age" and "UFO", and come to mind. Since, however, those terms carry some unfortunate baggage - no doubt tempting the humourless to dismiss it as merely another pop-inspired piece of furniture - it would be unfair to dismiss the real triumph of this work. The deceptively deep seat is encircled by a very clever approach to the various elements of a traditional armchair - the "surprisingly good back support" provided by the perfectseat depth; the widening of the form to fuction as "arms"; and the slight outward curve of the seat edge. With the rock stable stance of the legs and the fully rotational operation, Kirk is far more than meets the eye. Available in various fabrics and upholstery. Artifort designs shine in bold colours, so lose the chromophobia, please.

Menir

Menhir
Designer: Piero Lissoni
Manufacturer: Living Divani
Price: $,$$$

Nobody does low quite as, well, low, as Living Divani. Since the introduction of Menhir, other manufacturers - from Roche Bobois to IKEA - have adopted low into their design portfolio, but Living Divani remain the most audacious and uncompromising. Wenge may not be the de rigueur material it was a few years ago, but it hasn't lost its magic. Menhir employs it in both a glossy and an unexpected textured version; but it's the marble version that is the showstopper. Against anything from polished concrete to shag carpet, its drama is undeniable. Mind the toes, though.

Pantone Flight Stool

Pantone Flight Stool [1998/2005]
Designer: Barber Osgerby
Manufacturer: Isokon Plus
Price: US$549
Size: H 460cm W 415 L 400

There's nothing like a little unexpected Surrealism to inject interest and wonder into any space. Ask Messrs Starck and Schrager. Starting life in 1998 in natural 10-ply birch, Barber Osgerby dressed their creation in the ubiquitous Pantone chip book. The modest scale makes it perfect for the home. The biggest challenge will be choosing from the 50 available colors (in groups of Yellows, Oranges, and Pinks).

You Can't Lay Down Your Memories

You Can't Lay Down Your Memories (1991)
Designer: Tejo Remy
Manufacturer: Droog Design
MSRP: US$16,000

Jasper Morrison Collection

Jasper Morrison Collection (2004)
Manufacturer: Rowenta
MSRPs:
Coffee Machine: US$175
Toaster: US$150
Kettle: US$135
Buy Collection

Awarded products of the year (2004) by too many sources to mention, these three appliances may be just the thing to make Morrison a reluctant new Starck. Renown for shunning the spotlight, Morrison has, nonetheless, worked with many of the biggest manufacturers in the industry and completed such high-profile commissions as the new Tate Museum. Much of what defines his æsthetic is embodied in these items: absence of superfluous ornament, familiar but slightly altered proportion, and a timelessness that evades even his best peers. Not exactly cheap, but worthwhile investments, surely.

Moraine

Moraine (2000)
Designer: Zaha Hadid
Manufacturer: Sawaya & Moroni
MSRP: $$$$$

Zaha Hadid, recipient (the first woman, too) of the 2004 Pritzker Architecture Prize, has worked with everyone from Vitra to BMW to Pet Shop Boys. In the US she is most known for the Richard and Lois Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati, Ohio, but her works can (or will) be found all over Europe and Japan.

Sawaya & Moroni recognized Hadid's brilliance and now anyone willing and able to spend five figures on a sofa can introduce one of the most innovative and important pieces of furniture into their daily life. Those familiar with her work can see that the Moraine complements her œuvre beautifully. The curiously organic form defies easy description or comparison; it might be a cross-section of a wave or an alien landscape rather than a piece of furniture. Best of all, it invites - no, it forces - the viewer to reconsider what furniture can be.

Ondo

Ondo (2003)
Designer: René Holten
Manufacturer: Artifort
MSRP: $3700

No other furniture manufacturer has carried the torch of a Better Future Through Space-Age Design with quite the dedication as the Dutch firm Artifort. Known primarily for its iconic designs by Pierre Paulin (the Tongue, Orange Slice, and Tulip chairs, to name but three), the Artifort catalogue is filled with undiscovered treasures; amongst these is this recent addition, the Ondo sofa by René Holten. Composed of two undulating elements fused at the arms, the open space between them gives the impression that the piece is gliding in mid-air. It also considerably lightens the overall presence of the piece, which is a surprising 225cm or 7.3 feet long. With an extreme height of only 70cm/2.3 feet in the back, the Ondo works as well in tall spaces as it does in lower ones; an Artifort speciality.

Passepartout

Passepartout (1998)
Designers: Dante Donegani & Giovanni Lauda
Manufacturer: Edra
MSRP: Very expensive

"Multi-layered" only begins to describe this wondrous piece; one that I have admired for a very long time. Ostensibly a chaise longue, Passepartout, by virtue of its tremendous proportions (W/H/D: 190cm x 192cm x 56cm or 6'23" x 6'29" x 1'8") functions equally well as a room divider. And if you're feeling déjà vu, then you must be a Verner Panton fan; as, clearly, Passepartout was inspired by Panton's celebrated installation Phantasy Landscape, Visiona II (Cologne, 1970). A multi-tasking work of art? I'll take it.

Light Shade Shade

Light Shade Shade (2004)
Designer: Jurgen Bey for Droog Design
Manufacturer: Moooi
MSRPs (approximate)
$1300 (as shown) $1570 (armed version)
Shades alone: $610 & $875

Awarded or nominated for nearly every accolade presented to a light fixture, including a coveted spot on the Best of 2004 by Elle Decoration UK, the Light Shade Shade embodies much of what has made Droog Design a leader in contemporary design. Craft, always important to Droog, is represented by the traditional, ornate chandelier; the twist, obviously, being the transparent smoke shade. Does the shade subvert what might be considered the excess of the fixture by hiding it? Or does it celebrate it by protecting it? Or maybe it just makes it less bright? Whatever its meaning, the combination creates an element of mystery, not to mention humor, that wouldn't exist if the pieces were apart.

Proust

Proust (1978)
Designer: Alessandro Mendini
Manufacturer: Cappellini
MSRP: $9,628

Long before all-star designers started introducing antique-inspired furniture, Cappellini presented Proust, still one of the most whimsical items in their collection. The confetti pattern of the seat cushion, surely a nod to Memphis, continues uninterrupted onto the carved and hand-painted wood frame. By taking craftmanship to the extreme and maintaining a sense of humor, Proust is just my cup of reverential satire. Available as PR1 (light blue/grey/yellow) and PR2 (black/green/red).

Mille Nuits

Mille Nuits
Designer: Robert Mathias
Manufacturer: Baccarat
MSRP: $11,325-$15,000

Baccarat has recently been courting a new audience - one who's image of the company begins and ends with crystal goblets. Amongst their most successful new designs is Mille Nuits, the chandelier that turns that image on its head. Forget the sharp edges and ubiquitous jewel cuts - this is an undulating, fascinating work of art. With its playful take on classical proportions and unexpected details (the octopus-like arms with their chisled hanging pendants - they had to put it somewhere - its Baccarat after all), this is one of the most covetable chandeliers seen in years. The collection includes chandeliers, hurricane shade, hurricane shade holders, and a ceiling unit.

What are/is "belles choses"?

Belles choses are lovely things. In French, of course, because French is lovely.

belles choses, the blog, showcases things that I think are lovely. Things one buys.

Things are not sunsets, rainbows, and unicorns.

Often these belles choses will be predictably lovely; often they will be more conceptually lovely; often they will be expensive. Though I loathe the belief that price equals value (æsthetic or otherwise), it would be more than a little disingenuous not to say that quite a lot of lovely things cost quite a lot of money.

Yes, of course, genuinely lovely things can be reasonably priced; we can thank IKEA, Habitat, The Conran Shop, Muji, Design Within Reach, Braun, MINI, Rowenta, Rosenthal, H&M and even Target for getting that ball rolling.

But let's be honest. IKEA is nice: Cappellini is lovely. So is Artifort and Alessi, B&B Italia and the Bouroullecs, Commes des garçons and Cor, Droog Design and Diesel, Edra and Evisu, Flos and FCUK, Gehry and Gucci, Hermès and Fritz Hansen, Issey Miyake and Iittala, Japan.... You get the point. So expect a conceptually lovely $16,000 chest of drawers or a fashionably lovely $250 pair of jeans; but don't be surprised to find them along side an affordably lovely $149 queen size bed or a functionally lovely $7 keychain.

I suppose it does need to be said that if I owned, or had the means to own, these belles choses contain herein, I probably wouldn't be blogging about them to an expected audience of 12. In other words, I am not so vulgar as to try to impress strangers by flaunting my possessions to mask my profound insecurity. I am merely sharing with others the belles choses that enrich my life that may also enrich yours.

If all this seems, well, just a little superficial to you, I would suggest hitting the back button on your browser. The appreciation of lovely things raises the standard for everything in life. What you do and say; how you act and react; how you interpret; how you understand.

Think that was a stretch? Try this simple exercise:

Apply the criteria for a truly lovely chaise longue to your ex-boy/girlfriend:

• Was s/he lovely to look at? In the long haul? Did you discover new and delightful things about her/him every day you were together?
• Did s/he make your life better by being in it?
• Did s/he challenge your preconceived notions about beauty, tolerance, or your job in order for you to better understand yourself and others?
• Did s/he do what you hoped s/he'd do?
• Was s/he comfortable? Or were you so infatuated with her/his idiosyncracies that a little adjustment every once in a while was worth it?
  

Every one of these questions is as applicable to Jeffrey Bernett's Landscape, the chaise longue by B&B Italia as it is to the fool that broke your heart. Think about it.

The lovely things included will contain what I hope will be informative and illustrative commentary describing why they are belles choses and where to find them.

An invitation to all to comment and contribute is, naturally, happily extended.