tabletop luau

a quick roundup of fun design finds which will add a little tropical spark to your thanksgiving table.

1/6 - floral and tiki summer melamine plates from target keep disposable serveware out of the trash and can be used season after season.

2 - napastyle's pig bowl is made of reclaimed wood for a one of a kind luau centerpiece.

3 -  italian ceramic hibiscus bowls add a pop of color for condiments and crudités.

4 - vessel's rechargeable luau lamp lets you take the party wherever you please.

5 - no worries about guests losing track of their drink with these reusable tropicalia clinqs.

golden gecko

wall decals of every stripe and color have been a popular pick on design blogs for the past two years or so. while i count myself in the camp who shrieks and points at the wall until someone other than myself courageously guides the offender back to the natural world, those of you who see nothing but cuteness in the little creatures just may be delighted with these gecko wall graphics from elly nelly.

the vinyl stickers are removable which is a very good thing if you tend to move or redecorate whenever the mood strikes. and no need to stick with gecko green since you can take your pick from the rainbow of colors stocked in elly nelly's etsy shop.

{via apartment therapy}

make space for area

woo hoo! honolulu is now home to its very own mecca of mid-century goodness. if you can spot an eames a mile away, i will wager that [area] will become your new favorite space in town. the latest addition to the chinatown arts district is a time and budget crunched design lover's dream, but without the hours spent scavenging through thrift stores, curiosity shops, and craigslist ads in hopes of furnishing your place with a fabulous vintage find.

area's owners, who have a love of mid-century classics, do all the work for you by scouting the islands and mainland to uncover jilted gems that long for a little tlc. the result is a curated collection with each piece restored as close as possible to its original luster. and, if you need to add a small spark to your space, area also stocks an edited selection of one of a kind conversation pieces (loving the very cool industrial spotlight).

it's only a matter of time until one of area's offspring is spotted by lost's set designer to play background in a flashback scene.

thonet + russell wire chairs

retro phone + spotlight

the [area] showroom (indigo adjacent) is open by appointment only, however all are welcome to stop by on first friday starting with tomorrow night's grand opening kick off (hopefully with peeks of area's own in-house collection):

• when: fri, oct 5th - 5p to 10p
• where: 1111 nu'uanu avenue, no. 210

{mahalo tara!}

{update | 2011: [area] shuttered in 2009 and recently reopened as hound & quail}

slipping away

alrighty, wednesday seems to be a good day to post the all around fun island inspired finds scavenged from my (too many) hours spent screen shopping. a welcome diversion from the midweek slump when the weekend seems a tad too far away.

this week: all slippers, all the time!

1 - mobi added some much needed zip to the dull world of resealable bags a few years back. impress tsa screeners with toiletries safely stowed in a flip flop spiral zipper bag (love the adorable, and, dare i say, quite appropriate with all the superferry brouhaha, save the whales design).

2 - you know all your aunties will love these not overly precious embroidered slipper dishtowels from plum party.

3 - take a peek at this inventive reuse of slipper scraps transforming what would have been trash into colorful recycled doormats.

4 - if you are tired of constantly tidying up the slipper pile outside your home, you just may love this inspired solution (alas, it seems to be sold out but you can diy with supplies from the craft store).

5 - for the little one, a too cute personalized embroidered onesie found on etsy.

6 - annabelle's flippin' out bag can be semi-customized to tote your stuff to the beach or keep your crafty stash organized.

the hawaiian quilt reborn

tapa

recently, h|h reader erin sent over one of the best tips ever about the modern hawaiian quilts designed by a member of her hula halau in san francisco. since this has been one of the more elusive items on my wishlist, my curiosity was piqued and with one click i discovered quilts created in the tradition of old hawaii but with a truly modern sensibility.

designer michael pechinski introduced kapa mua, his island style modern bedding collection, back in 2005. his work reinterprets the traditional symbols of oceania like tapa cloth, tattoo designs, even the iconic feather cape worn by the ali'i, and distills them into fresh designs perfect for the modern day home.

pu

'ahu 'ula

if you want to wrap yourself in a kapa mua design, just know that quilts are made to order which allows you to mix and match fabrics to work with your budget and space. the end result is a piece of textile art that is both an homage to our island culture and will be treasured in your home for generations to come.

take a peek at kapa mua's ha collection here.

{mahalo erin!}