Brocade Home Gifts

I love these patterned household tools from Brocade Home's new gift line! They would surely make fixing a toilet and pulling weeds a posh activity.

Amy Sedaris' House

I saw these posted on Design*Sponge and I just had to share because Amy Sedaris is one of my all-time favorite comediennes! These are pictures of her Manhattan apartment and it’s just as quirky and lovely as she is! Take note of the way she proudly displays her brilliant collections including the pink bark side table, the Boston Terrier painting and the wonderful faux cakes!

C. Bell Furnishings

Around this time of the year everyone needs a good dose of pink and green... and Palm Beach-based Christine Bell is just the person to supply it! Her shop features contemporary custom and 20th Century pieces in oh-so-Palm-Beach shades that'll make you wish you hadn't packed away your oversized white sunglasses for fall.

Oh, and she also has a great selection of out of print books!

Welcome Back, Me!

I’m back! Sorry, “real life” caught up with me so I had to take a short break from this blog to devote myself to work. If only I got paid per comment—I’d be a whole $10 richer!

So what better way to ring in a new season for Hey That’s Swell than by showcasing some fresh yellow pieces from 1stDibs.com? Fall is often defined by browns and burgundies and plums but, you know what? I hate those colors so yellow it is!

Tommy Parzinger Cabinet

Club Chairs

I know, I know "These aren't yellow!" But don't they go wonderfully with all these pieces?

They do.

Pieces Inc.

What a difference a fresh coat of paint makes! These colorful pieces from PiecesInc.com have been given a new life in a new outfit. A few years ago I would’ve said (and hoped) that the ever-so Three’s Company Thonet chair would never make a comeback but I guess I was wrong! It looks completely swanky paired with these other vintage pieces.

1st Dibs

There's no denying that everytime I stumble upon 1stDibs' New Arrivals I am absolutely taken by one item or another (or two, or three, or four). This time around I fell for these beauties that I think would look divine all together.

A pair of Andre Sornay chairs from 1955.

Marble, wood and brass side table by Monte Verde Young

And a pair of great orange slipper chairs from Grosfeld House.

And I don't think the space would be complete without the Porpy, the unidentified Art Deco mechanical ride.

MCM Houseplan

Found this MCM Houseplan Flickr set today and think these renderings are absolutely beautiful! Everyone knows I have a soft spot for CGI but I have to admit that there’s nothing quite like a sketchy old-fashioned marker rendering.

Weekend at Seaside Park

My boyfriend and I spent the weekend at Seaside Park in NJ and I took these photos of the wonderfully old timey boardwalk by the beach. I didn’t notice it until these pictures were developed… er, downloaded… how great that neon yellow looks!

Cat Mat

I'll be seeing my precious Gwinnie again in a few days so was I excited to see this beautiful "Cat Mat" on Etsy's home page!

Architectural Ceramics (UK) Ltd.

Love this glass brick pattern from Architectural Ceramics! There's just something about uneven bricks and green glass that's so Miami and takes me right back home.

Thanks to my grandma

Thanks to my grandma, I've been a fan of Martha Stewart (or just "Marta," as my grandma calls her) since the very beginning so was I excited to her all the abnormally cute stuff in her new Martha Stewart Crafts line! She even has a line of food packaging! Food packaging-- nobody does that!

voonwong&bensonsaw

Love these accessories from voonwong&bensonsaw! These bone china pieces meet the requirements of traditional table objects but twist the form around in a completely new and fun way.



If you’re as big on keeping food items separated on the dinner plate as I am, these are just the plates are the ideal trinket!

Scabetti

These pendant light fixtures from Scabetti are gorgeous! Both are made from pure bone china but deliver distinct lighting effects. While the "Drawn to the Light" luminaire (top) creates a wild a pattern on surrounding walls, the "Cibola" pendant fixture produces an eclipse-like effect.

Lift That Look: Rocio Durcal's Lastima

Popout

I remember listening to the late great Rocio Durcal all the time as a kid so was I delighted to find this clip from one of her 1960s movies on YouTube! Not only does she look amazing but her surroundings do as well. I love that groovy nighttime pool party and all the white painted iron patio furniture.

Brocade Home recently had a spread in their summer catalog featuring similar pieces that were also styled in a dainty patio with lots of shrubbery. If you look closely, you can even spot a vintage-looking swimsuit! OK, I guess you don't really have to look THAT closely.

Ilhoon

I’m easily won over by anything that resembles Eero Saarinen’s TWA Terminal so I fell head over heels for these tables by British product designer, Ilhoon. On his/her website, Illhoon states “This project is about understanding and appreciating nature’s method of designing and constructing its structures, a method that has been refined through evolutionary process.”

Natasha Marshall

UK-based designer Natasha Marshall offers textiles and wall coverings in simple, elegant geometric patterns with a throwback to the 70s that would add both a punch and sophistication to any space.

Lift That Look: Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66

Popout

This retro video of Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 singing "Mas Que Nada" is oozing with tropical goodness. There are so many things that are perfect about this clip that I don't know where to begin! To name a few, I'm fawning over the swirly blue floor pattern, the white stacked box "screen" in the backdrop, the paper rainforest paper plants and, of course, the earrings!

Recreating this look in any room (or Ed Sullivan-esque stage) might not be quite as difficult a task if you look in the right places.

Rubber flooring from Nora Rubber in a groovy pattern...


Cube wall shelves from CB2...

and artificial Pandanus leaves from Interior Plantscapes.

I think I'm going to make "Lift That Look" a regular segment... what do you think?

50s Prime Time Cafe at Disney World

Speaking of Disney... my boyfriend and I went to Disney World a couple of months ago and had lunch at the 50s Prime Time Cafe at MGM Studios-- what a treat! I remember eating there a few times as a kid and always loving the aesthetic. This was before the whole retro look was chic so it's interesting to see how they handled Mid-Century design in the late 80s.


Brass sunburst clock against green and beige bamboo paper-- just like in "Mom's" house.

Two decorative zebras hanging on the wood paneling in one of the many "living rooms" in the restaurant.

Check out the faux marble Formica on the split-level side table!

Painted black pattern on the lambskin tier lampshade.

I should also add that I'm pretty sure that everything in the restaurant was from the period. If not, at least it was from the 80s and that's pretty old already!