new peeks: shivhon rugs

kohola + coral

since we continue to rent our digs (i heart the ny times' rent vs. buy calculator), i am a big believer in rolling out a pretty rug to add a bit of personality to bland apartment-issue spaces. from seagrass to angela adams and our all white kitchen's kitted out flor, a rug is a simple way to transform a room without putting your security deposit at risk.

so enjoy a little decorating eye candy courtesy of the north shore's shivhon who has released a new round of looks for your floor. the locally designed line continues to give traditional island style a modern translation from intricate tribal drawings to introducing artistic abstracts like the lovely big splash of blue featured on the kohola design.

siapo + kuiki

all rugs are made to order in tibet so click rewind for more details.

new peeks: kinohi designs

tropical tryst

the iffy economy is putting a squeeze on many budgets including pricey wedding celebrations for both island and destination brides & grooms. as someone who planned every single detail of my big day without a hired gun by my side, i know firsthand that it is possible to throw a lovely bash complete with fancy gown, hard to book photographers, and gourmet eats for a fraction of the cost, and, most important, without going into debt so long as you know how to allocate your funds wisely.

if invites are the area where you choose to scrimp, you will want to take note of the latest offerings from kinohi designs. since partnering with wedding paper divas and its sister company tiny prints, honolulu designer jennifer tanabe's contemporary paper goods line continues to mark life's happy moments sans the boutique price tag.

many designs hint of kinohi's island home to the delight of modern tropical style connoissiers, however my current favorite is certain to be frowned upon by the etiquette set - the cheeky blank you design with its playful twist on the traditional thank you note which is sure to be the saving grace for anyone who forgets to acknowledge gifts in a timely manner.

blank you

summer style

hello baby

and, while the stylish stationery has been perfected for weddings, birthdays, and other big announcements, savvy shoppers can put their own spin on many designs with a few quick clicks.

take a peek at kinohi designs' entire lovely lineup over at tiny prints and wedding paper divas.

kaypee soh: pacific collection

new fern

oahu designer kaypee soh has returned with a fresh offering from his eponymous modern tropical home goods line! gather 'round and admire the lovely pacific collection which is filled with the designer's take on his island surroundings distilling the shapes of everything from plant life to rainfall into vibrant abstract pillow patterns.

pillows are made locally with the linen covers handprinted with naturally pigmented dyes. as an added bonus, the front and back panels feature coordinating colorways bringing a welcome mix of style to previously matchy matchy sofascapes.

water drop

coral

wave

an online shop is still in the works but orders can be placed via phone or email for readers who are unable to stop by so'mace (which is now the exclusive hawaii showroom for eco-friendly furniture line cisco brothers).

• where: 1115 young street, honolulu
• shop hours: mon - fri, 10a to 6p & sat, 10a to 3p

p.s. a shop blog recently made its debut filled with insider tips and staff picks.

the write stuff

one of my favorite things about my neighborhood is the mom & pop stationery shop which kindly supports my habit, first nurtured at hopaco, of doodling with ink to determine if the advertised extra fine point tip is up to snuff. my latest fancy, prompted by a little green guilt, is a refillable writing instrument to fill the space left when the last throwaway pen leaves its final mark.

so it was happy serendipity when my fella spotted a display filled with acme pens on a recent outing. it turns out the maui-based design studio is considered the swatch of the pen world offering up a dizzying selection of whimsically styled pens sure to be mourned if it were to meet the unfortunate fate of the lost and found box.

with graduation around the corner, the pens (plus coordinating card cases and other accessories) would make a lovely gift for grads who swoon over design stars slash acme collaborators eva zeisel, karim rashid, shepard fairey & richard meier (among others).

alas, the stockist list is incomplete, however you can find a good selection of acme studio's collection over at unica home.

area by design

area, the mid-century modern haven for island design geeks, is venturing out of chinatown and bringing a few of their mad men-era finds to design within reach tomorrow.

meet shopkeepers mark pei and travis flazer who will share tips on restoring furniture then pull up a chair for a screening of vintage footage of iconic designers charles and ray eames.

• when: thu, feb 19th - 6p to 8p
• where: dwr, ala moana studio