tattoo lesson

it's been far too long since the last design roundup so enjoy this little show & tell of polynesian tattoo design made for the modern age.

1 - good china gets a maori makeover with this swoon worthy 18-piece porcelain dinnerware set.

2 - since h|h last checked in with manoatoa, the polynesian tee company has continued to release fresh designs inspired by the art and culture of the pacific islands. the newest design is the eye catching mata tee with a cool wraparound graphic.

3 - readers loved the mix of wall sticks featured in 2007 so here's a tribal twist via scribble's tahitian series.

of course, all of these modern interpretations are rooted in the past so click over to youtube to see a fascinating video of the traditional tapping method. the clip is from skin stories, a pbs documentary which aired a few years back that chronicles the history of tattooing throughout polynesia (dvd copies are available at native books in ward warehouse).

souvenir special

hawaii pillow

there were only a handful of readers when i first posted about this folksy embroidered hawaii pillow way back when, but i recently stumbled upon the makers' website and discovered that the hawaii design (one of many created for catstudio's geography collection) is now offered on everything from glassware to dishtowels.

and, as further evidence that it truly is a small world, while clicking around the website i learned that carmel swan (a former music exec turned textile artist) who owns catstudio with her husband, just happens to have a hawaii connection too.

hawaii glass

if you want to pick up one of these charming additions for your space just know that online orders have a $40 minimum however ground shipping is free.

p.s. you can shave a few dollars off the hawaii pillow (which takes 40+ hours to embroider by hand) by ordering direct.

a taste of fishcake

fishcake may be better known as one of the many ingredients in a bowl of saimin, but its latest incarnation is as the newest design shop in honolulu. the name is a holdover from the kibun fishcake factory which was a potential showroom site, and although the location was eventually nixed the name stuck.

the kaka'ako showroom is filled with a mix of modern and eclectic pieces sourced the world over from turkey to thailand including furnishings from italy's meridiani, handmade pottery and glass from vermont's simon pearce, and linens from india's abraham & thakore.

in addition, fishcake will shine the spotlight on contemporary artists from the islands via seasonal art exhibits in the showroom.

• where: 307c kamani street
• hours: tue - sat, 10a to 6p & sun, 11a to 4p

sweet nothings - take one

avoid the last minute valentine's scramble with a few hi + lo gift ideas for your sweetheart!

1 - the toast team has re-released their much loved apple of my eye snack filled with mini heart shaped sugar cookies from hokulani bake shop.

2 - spoil the man in your life with sig zane's pua makalae pullover aloha shirt.

3 - you can't buy love, but your sweetie will surely think of you every time she opens her luxe ha'ano'u leather wallet from sig zane.

4 -  at $1 a pop, individually wrapped heart shaped candles stocked in the toast shop are an unexpected and budget friendly love note for all your bff's.

building salvation

yay! re-use hawaii, a non-profit which a friend recently co-founded as a way to bring sustainable deconstruction to the islands has been getting some much deserved buzz lately. it just may be the first organization of its kind in hawaii offering a much needed alternative to sending vast amounts of construction waste to hawaii's ever shrinking landfills.

if you're not familiar with the process, after a site inspection, the re-use hawaii team breaks down a structure in a way that allows as much of the building materials as possible to be reused or recycled. salvaged materials can be purchased by the public at a fraction of the cost of buying virgin products thus reducing the impact of projects made from secondhand lumber, etc. by conserving energy and natural resources.

[after all, trees don't magically transform themselves into 2x4's. it takes a significant amount of manpower and machines (and lots of water and energy) to get it from the forest to your neighborhood home center.]

of course, not everyone has a building waiting to be deconstructed but re-use hawaii is definitely a
resource that should be on the radar of all island architects, contractors & designers for future clients concerned about the impact their projects will have on the local environment. and, if a different kind of green makes your world go round, you will be happy to know that donated materials are also eligible for a tax deduction.

take a peek behind the scenes via the rh project gallery.