New Products - Accessories

Guerilla containers in plywood with cotton-polyester sacks in Café by RS Barcelona; 34-936-589-503; rs-life.com. circle 859

Grandma’s doilies just got a mod new look. Crochet placemats are actually pressed vinyl sheets with an updated lacy pattern. Measuring 14 by 19 inches, they come in black, ash, and white. Crochet also comes as a table-runner at 55 inches long. 212-679-9204; chilewich.com. circle 846

Forest Coverlet in organic cotton in Oregano by Kevin O’Brien Studio; 215-923-6378; kevinobrienstudio.com. circle 861

Floor Standing Modular Vases in stainless steel in satin finish by CR-DZ Design; 212-228-9690; cr-dzarchitects.com.  circle 842

Dror Benshetrit’s Try It Trivet features a clever design of three stainless steel arcs that can nest together, or come apart to be used separately for pots, mugs, or other hot vessels of varying sizes. Nested, the trivet measures 9½ inches in diameter. 212-317-9880; alessi.com. circle 848

Working ergonomically on a laptop can be difficult, so the L6 Notebook Manager resolves the issue by positioning the computer’s display at eye level. This allows users to connect an external keyboard and mouse as they would with a desktop computer, and sit with better posture at an optimum distance from the screen. The stand is composed of steel and resin, and comes in black or white with silver accents. 800-400-0625; humanscale.com. circle 851

Preparing for last April's Pavillon des Arts et du Design fair in Paris, the Chahan Gallery commissioned a ceramist that it reps to design an installation for the gallery's stand. Peter Lane, whose wares are sold in the U.S. by the Cocobolo Gallery, responded by drawing on an experience close to home: a trip to New York's American Museum of Natural History, where a life-size diorama of an Ice Age family's house was built from 15 tons of scavenged mammoth bones. "The effect is breathtaking, an abstract sculpture made from unaltered found objects," he says. At the fair, he transformed this 15,000-year-old subject into a screen that stood nearly 10 feet high by 33 feet wide. He cut and shaped each 35-inch-long component from thin slabs of coarse clay, then etched texture into the surface and applied layers of liquid porcelain. Prior to final firing, he stained the surface with copper and manganese oxides to further accentuate texture. An internal steel armature supported the pieces, so they appeared to be "swimming in the sea," he says.

After the fair, a curator at the Musée du Louvre asked the Chahan Gallery's owner to provide decor for an empty gallery where a party to celebrate the opening of "Madeleine Vionnet: Puriste de la Mode" would take place. Lane was the obvious choice, since one of his stoneware designs is in the permanent collection of the affiliated Musée des Arts Décoratifs. That piece made an appearance at the event, too. "To walk through the Tuileries and see my work through the windows of the museum was quite an experience," he says—with more than just a tiny Mona Lisa smile.

Chahan Gallery, 33-1-47-03-47-00; chahan.com. circle 417 Cocobolo Gallery, 212-677-7926; cocobolodesign.com. circle 418

Cinnamon floor lanterns in deep brown and black woven bamboo and frosted glass by Armani Casa; 212-334-1271; armanicasa.com. circle 837

Chicks handblown glass vases in Celadon, Grey, and Ivory by Kanik Chung; 347-526-5544; kanikchung.com. circle 840

Blossom 001, Blossom 002, and Blossom 003 cotton-polyester throw pillows in orange/ivory and orange/ivory/taupe by Red Threads; 212-925-6519; theredthreads.com. circle 858

Winter 09 clay vase collection in Suede Red/Ruby Red and Ruby Red/Cocoaglazes by Heath Ceramics; 415-332-3732; heathceramics.com. circle 841

Bespoke alpaca bouclé pillow with border in Stone, Nomad alpaca bouclé pillows in Oatmeal/white, Bespoke alpaca bouclé pillow in Stone, and Froth alpaca bouclé throw in Oatmeal by Rosemary Hallgarten; 203-259-1003; rosemaryhallgarten.com. circle 857

Nowadays, an increasing number of hi-tech components are designed to blend in with your stylish furnishings. Case in point: the sleek Geneva Sound Medium iPod dock and stereo system with FM digital tuner. Available in red, white, or black, with aluminum feet, this medium-sized unit measures 14¼ inches wide by 7¾ high by 10½ deep; additional sizes and configurations are available. Through ABC Carpet & Home, 212-473-3000; abchome.com. circle 855

Add some pizzazz by swapping out your furniture legs for Habit Legs. The line includes: red and white painted Herring, transparent Glass, glossy Enamel Teal, golden Genie, jewel-like Crystal, metallic Bamboo, bold Enamel Red, silvery Facet, and leather-covered Woody. All the stone, crystal, and leather adornments are hand-applied in Italy. 404-888-0826; houseofhabit.com. circle 853

3 x 3 vase in white vinyl by Museum of Modern Art Design Store; 646-613-1367; momastore.org. circle 836

Imperfection is perfection for Venetian designer Rosaria Rattin's handcrafted Maschile porcelain tableware. Inspired by prêt-à-porter, the collection's plates and bowls bear different graphic patterns. Yet each piece is meant to mix and match, dressing your table in an ensemble of stripes, dots, and organic shapes. 39-02-832-1883; isimilano.com. circle 746

A certain theatrical resident gave Warwickshire, England, its "Shakespeare's County" sobriquet. But it's also home to BlissHome, the manufacturer and distributor of upbeat essentials for kitchen, bath, and beyond. The company has signed on London-based designer Bodo Sperlein to fashion its own first line.

Using tones to winning effect, bisques, whites, and organic shapes dominate Sperlein's ceramic and porcelain bathroom collection. The sculptural Wall Mirror, 13¼ inches high and 10 inches wide, swoops down to include a ledge, handy for stowing dental floss, tweezers, or a petite bud vase. The Soap Dish, 6 by 4¾ inches, and Storage Tray are rendered in identical elliptical forms. Modern conveniences take a bow in the pyramidal Electric Toothbrush Head Holder, 3 inches long and high, while a stainless steel pump tops the footed 8-inch-tall Soap Dispenser. The Toilet Brush and holder, 17¾ inches high by 5 wide, are so seamlessly combined, they look like one sinuous vase. A 3¾-inch-diameter essential-oil burner, a lidded Storage Jar, and a pair of Tumblers round out the nine-item medley. 44-17-8940-0077; blisshome.co.uk. circle 691

The words "sleek and sexy" might not have applied to ceiling fans before, but designer Ron Rezek has changed that with this breath of fresh air. The Velo's powerful motor and maintenance-free bearings reduce noise, while its three aerodynamic blades move air effortlessly. And, with an optional integrated light kit for halogens or compact fluorescents, it's no one-trick pony. The refined, 6½-inch-diameter body of die-cast aluminum and 50-inch-long blades come in either nickel or white finishes. 888-588-3267; modernfan.com. circle 744

Naughty meets nice with designer Tina Tsang's cheeky and delicious Blaue Blume dessert stand. Where the central stem would be are, instead, a sexy pair of alluring gams wearing gold, white, or frisky-red kitten heels. Provocative curves and a doll head add to the mischief. But the playful details are anchored in intricate porcelain lace casting, a nod to traditional English design. Choose from a pure-white or pale-cream base. 44-77-8986-0533; undergrowthdesign.com. circle 735

She may already be a household name in luxury hospitality, but she continues to broaden her reach. In addition to a whopping 10 hotel-residential projects in the works, Kelly Wearstler is introducing a line of bedding manufactured by Sferra Bros., a 118-year-old company that supplies 400-thread pima cotton sateen sheets to chic boutique properties and grandes dames alike. (If you're staying at either 60 Thompson in New York or the Fairmont San Francisco, you're sleeping on Sferra.)

The designer's debut effort for the company is a line of bedding, Kelly Wearstler for Sferra. Her penchant for subtle metallics comes through with the embroidered patterns on the five natural-linen decorative pillows. Sheets are silky white-on-white cotton sateen jacquard with multicolored embroidery. Throw in three quilts, and any hotel room can seem as personal as home. 800-336-1891; sferra5star.com. circle 420