Mmmm, bacon.

No, really, what could possibly go wrong with an appliance that cooks greasy, greasy bacon next to your head while you sleep?

Named furniture always seems a little silly to me, but nonetheless, Vladimir here appeals to me. Designed and crafted by Karl Zahn, Vlad was made by taking pieces from two partially destroyed shipping pallets. “The scars on the lumber tell a story of its travels. While the form is reminiscent of old Victorian french mirrors, its origin is far from gold leaf, says Zahn.

Millions of pallets are used everyday to move goods across the world and frequently, these pallets come from exotic locations and are made from native exotic woods. What if something beautiful could be made from the cast-off pallets that are thrown away? I can’t imagine this particular reclaimed object will be everyone’s cup of tea – though it is beautiful in it’s way, no? – it does make you think.

All that sustainability, as usual, doesn’t come cheap. With glass, Vlad here costs about $975.

Let’s say you’re bored with your current dining area outfit: a wood table, four wood chairs that feature precisely the same shade of stain. It’s basic, maybe there’s a padded seat or cushions, but nothing to showy. And let’s say, too, that you’re looking to get away from the whole matchy-matchy thing in your entire home. Your newest obsession is mismatched…everything, from mismatched bedside tables to mismatched headboards and more. First step? Lose either the table or the chairs – and right now, I’m thinking it’s the chairs that have to go. You can replace them with these:

And just what are they? Those would be classic Tolix chairs – Chair A, specifically – designed by Burgundy artisan Xavier Pauchard in 1937 for the Tolix brand he himself launched.

It was the fifth time that day that Xavier Pauchard had left his office and headed – impatiently – to the workshops. Walking towards his foreman’s workbench Xavier Pauchard pushed back the black beret that seemingly never left his head and examined with his expert’s eye the prototype stackable chair that was the object of the team’s unstinting endeavours. “This will be the Model A” he said to himself. Tinsnips in hand he deftly began to fashion a new seat base from a sheet of steel. Working on his tinsmiths block he then started to hammer away, curving the steel to the exact shape he wanted. “Tack it together please,” said Xavier Pauchard, who was keen to see a trial assembly. Pierre Moreau roughly assembled the various elements with a few dabs of weld. “That’s enough for today,” Moreau said as he left the workshop, glancing as he went at the strange metal chair that so obsessed Monsieur X.

That’s a pretty romantic backstory for a chair, non? And why not? It’s a rather romantic chair, appearing as it has in just the sort of French bars and brasseries that you and I would no doubt like to be sitting at right at this very moment. But let’s get back to that wooden table of yours. There’s nothing wrong with a nice sturdy wood table that will last for decades under the stresses of both dinner parties and children wielding crayons like daggers. It just so happens that the strong straight modern lines of the Toilix Chair A look amazing next to an old wood table that’s a bit beat up. You could go scouring the world for originals, but they’re not easy to come by from what I’ve heard. It will probably cost you less in the long run to get the re-issue, which is sold in lots of places in various colors and finishes.

(For those who, like me, can’t afford a set of Tolix chairs just at this moment, there are always basic brushed aluminum chairs to fill the gap until the money rolls in.)

The home office can be an afterthought for a lot of people – that is, if you have the space to devote an entire room to working. This is especially the case among those who don’t work at home and would honestly rather not feel compelled to give up precious square footage to work-related gear. But since I work from home, I tend to empathize with those who do, too, and would probably like somewhere sweet to sit as they endure the daily grind. I used to have a nice home office, until I gave it up during the renovations, and now I fear that I’ll never again work from anywhere but the kitchen table. I’d prefer to be working in here, though:

Seeing this oh-so-inviting space designed by Turquoise makes me long for my old office. Oh, we’ll have another home office someday, but it will be shared and that means it will be at least halfway to messy most of the time. But a girl can dream, right? I’d love to know what your home office sitch is. Do you have one? Is it grand? Would you love to have one, but the space just isn’t there? Or are you content to leave work at work where it belongs so that extra room can stay a den/guest room/nursery/gaming space?

Image: Turquoise

I don’t know the story behind this table – I found it on my wanderings and a Tineye search yielded nothing – but I’m finding it really, really inspirational. Normally, I lean toward Saarinen’s beautiful Tulip table when I think of how I’d like to outfit my kitchen. But there’s something about invading my rather artificial and absurdly colorful cooking and eating space with natural, unfinished wood that makes me feel a little giddy.

Does anyone else get a kick out of doing that – of taking something ridiculously out of place and making it the focal point of a room that’s decorated in a completely different style?

Honestly, it has never occurred to me to think much about the differences between a decorator and a designer, or even to consider that these might be two wholly separate professions. But apparently in some circles, using the terms interchangeably could earn one a fat lip or at least no small amount of derision. The only problem? If Brian Patrick Flynn’s* Design Happens post from late last year is any indication, there’s not much in the way of consensus when it comes to how to use the two labels appropriately. Some people in the field strongly prefer one designation while others don’t mind them being used interchangeably.

According to interior designer Michael Habachy, “Decorating is a talent — either you have it or you don’t. Design is a skill that can be learned.” Whereas interior designer Betsy Burnham feels the line falls thusly: “A decorator is someone who furnishes a house and a designer is someone who provides interior architectural details, as well as furnishings.” And decorator Nick Olsen had this to say: “I think some designers scoff at the term ‘decorator‘ because it does have a more frivolous connotation — simply picking out paint colors and fabric swatches — but it’s one I’m perfectly comfortable with.”

There are plenty of guides out there that break down the differences between interior designers and interior decorators – here’s one example – but it seems like when you go straight to the source, the people who are actually getting in there are remaking people’s interiors don’t really mind what people call them, as long as those people are willing to pay them good money for their creativity, color savvy, and understanding of what makes a great space really great. In the technical sense, an interior decorator is usually someone with great taste who works to outfit an existing space, while an interior designer is someone with some degree of architectural abilities who will transform the space itself.

I definitely recommend that you take the time to read each of the 10 short interviews because it’s a really cool glimpse into the world of interior… whatever. Just choose the word you like best for now, I suppose. Or not – this was a really interesting read, too, and did a lot to clarify just what a licensed interior designer is.

*Speaking of Mr. Flynn, I am in love with this project!

For Friday, how about this cute and lighthearted furniture by Helena Bueno and Heinz Muller of Brazil for Renata?

I would LOVE this for my own bedroom!

For the new year, a time when everyone’s hopes are high, I thought what better way to get all those resolution makers off their butts than some slightly uncomfortable chairs. The Slightly Uncomfortable Chair Collection was designed by the Sid Lee Collective, part of the notable Sid Lee advertising agency, and features seating designed to promote shorter, more efficient business meetings. I’d add shorter procrastination sessions, less time spent in front of the computer, and more time spent on one’s feet.