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

outdoor makeover

the eco-chic showroom of 1st look exteriors was one of my favorite discoveries on this last trip home. the design center is devoted to all things green and when my fella and i finally stepped through the doors, well, it was a bit like getting a golden ticket to wonkaland if you love modern style that also happens to be good for the earth.

owners greg & terri lee opened their waipio showroom to offer more environmentally friendly furniture options to their landscaping clientele, and, after chatting with greg about everything from green roofs and solar/led lighting to la's ca boom design show, it was apparent they know their stuff. even better, greg & terri are making a concerted effort to bring in lines previously unavailable in the islands with an emphasis on green materials like sustainable woods and recycled plastic to transform hawaii's outdoor spaces.

soda pop bottle transformed

if flipping through design glossies is one of your hobbies du jour, all you need to know is that this is the place to go for in person peeks at the collections of modern outdoor, pie, and loll designs (picket chair shown above). in addition to furniture, the showroom offers accessories like this spectacular pendant lamp cobbled together from empty silk cocoon pods (an innovative use of "trash" and, more importantly, the light filters through the pods with a gorgeous, ethereal glow).

get your eco design fix every tue to sat (mon by appointment only).

instant illumination

bath plantation, the online apothecary of big island girl chere deshayes (now based in texas), recently launched a service that lets you play candlemaker for a day. simple choose the appropriate vessel for your custom soy candle, select your favorite island inspired scent, and top it off with a personalized label.

a few clicks and voilà, a tailor made gift without all the fuss.

{update | jan 2010: please note bath plantation changed ownership after this was posted}

paddle on

1 - wrap the wave warriors in your life with the latest designs from 'oiwi ocean gear. the retro crazy waves jersey is sure to turn heads while the ladies score a playful update in 'oiwi's hihimanu jersey.

2 - hable construction's canoeing snowmen stocking is a definite splurge but a hard to resist gift for your favorite paddler.

3 - then again, you can always upgrade your giftee's paddle for slightly more than a fancy new xmas stocking. kialoa's limited edition signature outrigger paddle is hand shaped and signed by designer (and kailua native) dave chun.

a twist on tradition

modern interpretations of the traditional origami crane seem to be everywhere lately so i thought it was high time to gather up a few designs for show and tell.

1 - adorn your xmas tree with these delicate porcelain ornaments from semplice.

2 - red envelope stocks this double crane vase which would be perfect for newlyweds who prefer to surround themselves with more traditional objects (fyi - the photo is deceiving as the vase is actually quite smaller than it appears)

3 - a new way to stick to tradition and still add a little whimsy to your space via oneupdesigns' origami crane wall decals.

4 - alas, grownup sizes of the paper crane tee have already sold out at threadless, but you can still gift this homage to the karate kid to the little one in your life.