Dwell On Design Review + Wurstküche

I'm downing a cup of coffee trying to recover from a long weekend of design cons. Two major events hit L.A., the annual Dwell on Design show sponsored by Dwell magazine and the West coast design show, CA Boom. Both had a wide variety of vendors and products and here is just a sampling of what caught my eye.

'Clouds' (above) by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Ligne Roset was originally introduced at January's Maison de Objet in Paris, but this was the largest installation that they have displayed yet. It was certainly dramatic, although it costs tens of thousands of dollars. Don't be discouraged though. What I love about this system is that you choose how many tiles and how to configure them - cover a whole wall, create a panel to use as a room divider or link together a small group of tiles to create a 3-D focal point.

Another fun felt product were these stools by Tema Home. They're available through Hold It, a modern store in San Diego that's a one-stop shop for other products like Blu Dot, Blomus, and Nuevo.

This chair, from H. Studio, is not necessary my style, but yet I can't help but be drawn to it. I guess I just have a thing for glamourous chairs!

Modular shelving units are a great storage solution, because they adapt to your space. Easily arrange them in a new way for a fresh look, or when you move to a different home, stack them to fit your new space. The hexagon-shaped shelves in the top two photos are from Boom Design and the other is from a new collection at Target by Dror. Snag this nesting shelving system for a fraction of the cost of designs that Dror Benshetrit has done for luxury furniture powerhouses like Cappellini.

Okay, this was one of my favorite stops at Dwell. Lindsey Adelman Studio produces these drop dead gorgeous modern light fixtures. They can be custom ordered with as many handblown glass globes or 'branches' as you like. I was mesmerized by these pieces and it was seriously hard to tear myself away from their booth.

Design Boom showcased the latest in industrial design, from fruit bowls to 'green' concepts that will help save the earth. Here are a few of my favorites:

'Stem Herb Planter' by Peter J. Pless

'Nova' Fruit Bowl (right) by Mauricio Valdes and the 'Canasta' Fruit Bowl (left) by Emiliano Godoy for Nouvel Studio

'Log Bowls' designed by Doha Chebib for Loyal Loot Collective

I couldn't finish up this post without mentioning how we ended the day. It made my husband a very happy man. We trekked across downtown to Wurstküche, a hip new beer garden and sausage house. They have an amazing selection of German and Belgian beers and a variety of sausages from exotic, like Rattlesnake and Rabbit, to classics like bratwurst and kielbasa. The Belgian fries were also excellent and served with a selection of sauces ranging from curry ketchup to bleu cheese and bacon. It was all mouth-watering and if you're downtown near the arts district, it's a must! Heck, it's even worth a special trip. Enjoy!

Stay tuned for my review on CA Boom later this afternoon...