Parlez-Vous Français? Me neither, but for an encounter with this graceful hotel, I would be rolling the romance of France off my tongue in a heartbeat. All five guest rooms nestled in this stone haven (once a winery) are screaming my name. La Maison Pujol is quite possibly the most swoon-inducing and tempting vacation I have ever met. You can find this lovely hotel at the crossroads of vintage modern and intricately simple in southern France.

The interiors of La Maison Pujol transcend the standard style genres. Owner and architect/designer Philippe Phi combines vintage typography, authentic ancient stone walls, modern lighting, and classic design. There is something innately satisfying about the sole intention of a designer – the homes and designs of creative minds without the inhibitions of client constraints just seem to sing with personality and artistic abandon. (For more spaces that belong to designers, visit Gold Chairs and Bond Girls, Auction House Awe, and Blissfully Arranged Chaos.)

This property is more than just a luxurious and beautiful bed; it also comes with a heaping side of delicious breakfast. That’s right, this gorgeous property in France is a boutique bed and breakfast on a vintage silver platter.

The talented lens of Manolo Yllera captured this charismatic place of slumber. For more glimpses of Manolo’s polished photography, click over to Sex in a Convent.

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The walls of this mid-century modern muse contain handfuls of obsessive compulsive delights. Perpendicular angles. Gleaming surfaces. Right-angled wonders. Unspoiled purity. This space makes all my compulsions ease with modern allure. The natural materials and palette of this home blend seamlessly with the mountains they are nestled in. The scenic background of Salt Lake City, Utah serves as a silver platter for this heap of deliciousness.

A combination of natural light and natural materials makes this space a natural beauty. I have a sudden and intense crush on the mixture of deep, rich wood tones embodied in this property.

This photography was captured through the talented lens of Tyler Gourley. Satisfy your yearnings for mid-century swoons with seventy-six images of this dreamy abode. If you have ever doubted the ugly duckling ideology, get inspired with a glimpse of this home’s past. I cannot stop obsessing about this space and its stunning transformation.

(This lovely dose of perfection was spotted on Black Eiffel.)

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Not the Modern Cellar Mini Wall Panel ($160).

This wall panel holds up to six bottles at a time and takes up zero counter space. It’s made of walnut hardwood with sporadically placed holes, so it adds a nice decorative element to your walls. This configuration also makes it easy to turn the bottles and keep the cork moist.

All of Modern Cellar’s products are proudly made in the U.S. too. (They’re based in San Diego with products available online and in select stores.) A simple, yet sophisticated way to store wine and support an indie business? We’ll toast to that!

Now it’s your turn. Tell us which wines would you store in this wall panel. Maybe a juicy Cabernet or a sweet, sparkling wine? What do you think of this wall panel?

The post Got Wine? Decoratively Display Your Vino Addiction appeared first on EcoSalon.

Let other people wax poetic about their iPads or Kindles. I still love the kind of books you can hold in your hand, flip through in a book store, and proudly display on a shelf. Sure, eBooks are more space-efficient, but good ol’ paperbacks and hardcovers lend a certain literary charm to a room. And these XOO Bookends by Vessel Architectural Pottery are the perfect way to punctuate a row of books. They’re artfully modern, yet utterly functional.

Modeled after an iconic Los Angeles building (the American Cement Building, designed by Malcolm Leland in the early sixties), they’re made with clay, water, and fire, and are 100 percent recyclable – but let’s not get ahead of ourselves; I wouldn’t be recycling these beauties any time soon. I also love the fact that you can rotate these bookends vertically or horizontally depending on your shelf space.

Alas, the price tag ($220 for the OO Bookend, $190 for the X Bookend) is bit more than I can stomach, but a girl can dream, can’t she? What bookends do you absolutely love? Leave a comment, and let the swooning commence!

The post Be Still Our Book-Hoarding, Architecture-Loving Hearts! appeared first on EcoSalon.

1. Weathered Wood Floor Lamp ($249 – pictured above)
   Bring a bit of the outdoors in with this floor lamp made of hand-picked, sun-dried driftwood.
2. Recycled French Bottle Lamp ($429)
   Available in several different hues, this cool, curvy lamp adds warmth and an alluring shape to your space.
3. Infinity Energy Star Fluorescent Bamboo Accent Table Lamp ($298)
   Shoji glass and simple, Asian-inspired shapes give this accent lamp its stylish appeal.
4. Cancan Floor Lamp (listed for $330 on Neena’s Lighting)
   We love the sleek shapes and whimsical patterns of Light’s Up lamps. This one has a few different options for shades.
5. Ruby Lamp from Babette Holland Design (listed for $390 on multiple sites)
   Babette Holland’s lamps have a distinctively polished, yet organic quality that we love. She also also uses recycled materials as much as possible.

The post Exquisite Lamps Your Living Room (and Wallet) Will Thank You For appeared first on EcoSalon.

What’s your secret for making electrical cords sexy? Let’s face it, they just aren’t. And with so many gadgets on the market these days, an ugly tangle of chargers and power strips don’t add to the sexy factor.

The latest solution to this problem? The Ledge from Urbancase. This sleek console hangs on the wall, conceals unsightly cords and features a drop-down, pull-out shelf on the right side.

As Design Milk points out, the Ledge could serve many different functions in the home, including a desk, a hall table, or stereo/media cabinet. The designers built the Ledge around the notion of cord management.

Admittedly, the stylish little number doesn’t come cheap (it’s listed at $1,500 including shipping), but it’s available in walnut or red, comes formaldehyde-free, and we love that it’s designed by an indie furniture company in Seattle.

According to their website, Urbancase is committed to minimizing their negative impact on the environment, so they use Forest Stewardship Counsel-certified lumber and low VOC finishes whenever possible. Each piece is hand built in their Seattle workshop.

How would you use the Ledge? Can you picture it in your space?

The post So Long, Pesky Cords – Thanks to the Multi-Purpose Ledge appeared first on EcoSalon.

When Irish eyes are smiling, it’s possibly because they’re looking at trinkets from Macha Jewelry.

Named after the town in Northern Ireland where she grew up, Macha Jewelry is designer Bernice Kelly’s line of smile-worthy rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces and cufflinks.

When we first spotted these beauties on Planet Mag, we fell hard for the Rockwell Ring and matching stud earrings. That’s not to say we don’t also love Kelly’s more fanciful items like the Snake Bone Necklace, Pirate Tooth Necklace and Crab Claw Cufflinks.

At first glance, the rough nuggets and weathered metals seen throughout Kelly’s collection may come off as raw and unfinished. But as you examine her work, you notice a unified chicness that can only be achieved through thoughtful and deliberate design.

Because Kelly finds inspiration in imperfection, she rarely wastes materials and instead turns mistakes into beautiful, tiny treasures.

Consider each one your own pot of gold. Or silver. Or platinum.

Image: Macha Jewelry

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Stockholm-based Jantze Brogard Asshoff studio produces thoughtful, elegant designs. Founders Moa Jantze, Hanna Brogård and Johanna Asshoff strive to simplify their surroundings to improve everyday life.

“We create sophisticated, useful products with a poetic soul and playful character,” they explain. “Our backgrounds from different parts of Sweden will always be a great source of inspiration. We like to mix modern with traditional, folklore with decadent luxury and regional Swedish handicraft with industrial production.”

The results are apparent in the well-balanced red Bloom Chair with folksy flowers embroidered on felted wool. The little seat with steel and pipe construction was  inspired by the rich ornamentation of  past Scandinavian folk traditions by Moa Jantze.

Another innovative design is the upholstered felt Pinecone Pouf, a pouf with wool scales by Moa Jantze.

In recent weeks, the group showed off its Greenhouse container at a curated group show called Kitchen Ecology exhibited during Dwell on Design event in Los Angeles.

The modern designs of fresh international eco designers were featured, including Greenhouse by Jantze BrogÃ¥rd Asshoff, a paper house-shaped bin (think Monopoly houses where the porches are  pedals). When you step on the porch the roof opens up. It comes in different sizes to fit different types of garbage boxes and sorting.

“Greenhouse is a beautiful way to store and sort your garbage and fits both at home and in office spaces,” says the designers.

Look for more innovative green solutions from this upcoming Swedish team!

Images: Jantze Brogard Asshoff

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