We just love it when we find great design that takes inspiration from nature.  So we were thrilled to find out about the unique artwork by Christopher Marley, called Form and Pheromone.  An Oregon native, Marley has been mixing nature with art in a fresh, new way that is just stunning.
 

Christopher Marley’s work in fashion advertising took him all over the world, where he found a great variety of insect life. Like most of us would be, at first he was somewhat bug-phobic. Luckily for the rest of us, he got over his fear and saw that bugs were beautiful – each one a tiny work of art. Using rare beetles, butterflies, and other bugs, Marley creates gorgeous compositions that show off the vast variety of nature’s color and form. Each work is unique, and they are great conversation pieces.
 

If you’re worried about how collecting the bugs affects the environment, you can read more about the impact on the Pheromone website. Since bugs are so plentiful, the ones collected for the Pheromone art aren’t missed. And collecting them provides local people with jobs and an incentive to protect the insects’ habitat. 

If insect art makes you a bit squeamish, you may prefer to browse the Pheromone book, where the bugs are only two-dimensional.

Here are a few more of our favorite bugs and butterflies:

View more of the Pheromone collection.
 

There are only two weeks left until Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 8).  Here’s a great selection of gift ideas that we’ve personally hand picked for you.  They’re all unique, thoughtful, and just perfect for her. Read more

French interior design master Alberto Pinto has long been known for creating stylish, custom interiors for exclusive clients. He takes a personal approach to each project and has a keen eye for effortlessly combining pieces from different periods to create stylish, individual interiors that have been called the “haute couture of interior decorating.” Read more

Thank you, Los Angeles Confidential Magazine, for featuring our Sferra Parrot Pillows in this month’s (April/May 2011) issue! Read more

We just received our April 2011 issue of House Beautiful, and there’s a stunning spread featuring the Elsie Dinnerware Collection by Charlotte Moss. Read more

This year, Easter falls on Sunday, April 24^th and Passover begins on Tuesday, April 19th.  Whether you’re planning a brunch, lunch, dinner or a casual family get-together, there’s plenty of inspiration in the new dinnerware collections for a fabulously stylish table. Read more

Sferra’s entire line of Chase cotton towels is being discontinued to make room for two brand new collections, so they are now 25% off.  These are thick, 700 g/m towels detailed with a simple dobby stripe for a tailored look.  Hurry while supplies last. Read more

On our last trip to New York, we met with a new company called Prouna which specializes in creating exquisite dinnerware encrusted with Swarovski crystals.  We loved that Kamran Bahadorzadeh, the founder of the U.S. branch of the company, actually first chanced upon the line in Korea while he was looking for a gift for his 30th wedding anniversary.  The pieces were a huge success with his wife and friends, and now he and his two daughters have brought Prouna to the U.S. Read more

If you love Sferra’s table linens and you need something that’s stylish and easy to clean, we’ve got great news for you.  Sferra has just introduced three new lines of easy-care vinyl placemats that can easily be wiped clean, so they are perfect for everyday use in your kitchen and breakfast table. Read more

The VIETRI story is one of family and friends.  In 1983, Lee Gravely took her daughters, Susan and Frances, on a trip to Italy.  They were delighted by the colorful, handpainted dinnerware made by local artisans and used in the legendary San Pietro Hotel. Read more