If I hadn’t clicked through on their website, I would have been a bit turned off by someone giving their yearly income, in the New York Times Thursday Home section. But despite a bit of arrogance, Deeply Madly Living, has some really cool stuff. You know the routine, two investment bankers retire, are deeply in love, don’t need the money and are very long on taste and hipness. Whether or not the story is fact or fiction, their selection of edgy inventory is appealing to the 40- something’s grasping for a slice of youth. I, for one, am addicted to the skull and crossbones motif, and towels are just my speed. I will leave the tattoos for the Jensen/Bertinetto couple.

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FLUKE is an online artisan platform “dedicated to seeking out progressive, thought provoking objects…” for the home. This concise collection of handcrafted designs include the Ghost Antler Coatrack, mounted, life-like antlers comprised of cast resin and lacquer. Available in white, black and gold, for $245. The Barnacles storage pods, inspired by marine life, are clever creations designed to adhere to any surface to store or display items. Set of three handcrafted gelcoated glass fiber vessels, designed by John Paul Plauche, $220. Designs can be submitted for consideration via their website.

It’s often difficult to find sophisticated modern furnishings that possess a warmth in design and material. The proliferation of stainless, minimalistic furniture leaves a vast entry for someone who views simplicity as something other than starkness. Hughes N’Cho Allpot, one of the new Brooklyn designers, uses exotic woods and large scale to create an organic yet modern look. His pieces are striking in their timelessness, perhaps an outgrowth of his African and Parisian upbringing. What else would one expect from a man who views ” home as a sanctuary of well being.” He began sending out his newsletter last week which highlights a restaurant he designed in Chicago, one in which I would love to have as my living room. Stay tuned for the opening of his children’s furniture and clothing line also in Chicago.

Contemporary design is full of influences from the 1960’s. From wallcoverings to seating to pieces of art, modern interior designers present fresh interpretations from a most memorable generation. Some blinkdecor favorites include:

* Artist Max Miller’s realistic portraits of kids and pets painted with colorful, kaleidoscopic backgrounds.

* Photographic wallcovering with portraits of our fave British icons as showcased on Wallpaperweekly.com.

* Re-issue of the ribbon chair by Pierre Paulin for Artifort in the fabric “momentum,” at Unicahome.com.

* Kenneth Wingard’s comprehensive collection of MO-BI-LE-O’s in white, black, chartreuse and orange.

* For the real deal, Emmerson Troop has a set of 4 vintage Beatles Posters, shot by Richard Avedon.

I bought many things from Van den Akker Antiques when they were still a small antique store in the quaint town of Hudson, New York. You can see the mid-century murano glass chandelier in the bathroom shot or the French mahoghany club chairs covered in a geometric pattern on Blinkdecor’s front page. They have moved to 59th Street in NYC and have an amazingly large collection of mid-century modern antiques and as always their inventory is in immaculate condition.

*1965 Modernist Chandelier in style of Fontana Arte made in Italy.

*A Round Wire Stool with Faux Fur Upholstery by Verner Panton.

*Cubist Dining Table in Burl ash and lacquered base from the 1930’s.

*A Rare Occasional Table by Osvaldo Borsani in Mahogany.

From our homes to yours…

Thank you for the design inspiration!

Anne and Connie

Housewarming gifts that unite home and hobby are simply the best. These wooden cutting boards by Olze and Wilkens sold at Elsewares.com are kitchen practical, and feature laser engraved illustrations of sporty silhouettes such as downhill skiers and swim divers.

For your eco-responsible friends, the set of Dovetail Pump Project Mugs found at Etsy.com make a great gift. These limited edition 4-sided mugs feature original drawings of water pumps, and 50% of the sale goes to purchase actual water pumps for communities in need.

Self proclaimed “plankers”, Doreen Hing and Jennifer McKinley, offer some cool, earthy designs on their yoga mats, such as the Cobra and Plank. For those whose design influences are differently “centered”, they also offer the Text Series, with words like “bling”, “chocolate” and “me”. Visit plankdesigns.com.

Looking for great eco-friendly gifts for the socially responsible person on your list, or want to appear chic with the latest of the moment gift? Consider the solar roll made by Brunton so that your geeky friend can recharge his electronics without depleting the ozone. If you can’t get enough of the skull and crossbones theme, take a look at the reused/recycled ultra fab dishes by Sarah Cihat. Vitamin D(esign) has a very nice art easel for your “eco-tot,” made from certified/environmentally friendly SmartWood®. There are many great eco-friendly gifts to choose from on the green site, Great Green Goods. If you simply can’t bring yourself to use brown paper bags or newsprint, wrap your gifts in fishlipspaperdesigns’ recycled paper.

Each item from this eclectic home furnishings collection seems to tell a story. Dolce, located in West Palm Beach, is a jewel of an online find for the discriminating consumer/designer looking for that eye stopping mid century piece. Plus, the prices aren’t over the top for this unique selection of lighting, furniture and decorative objects for the home. Blink favorites include; French Metal Chandelier $2,900, Pair of 8 Foot Wicker ‘Tusks’ $1,800, Neo Classical Inspired End Tables $1,600, Resin Zodiac Mirror $950, 1950’s Tea Cart $850, and 7 Foot Folk Art Chainlink Guitar Sculpture $3,200.

Inspired by the natural beauty of the Brazilian landscape and its people’s view of design, Brastilo, has created a comprehensive assortment of furniture from four contemporary furniture designers. Brastilo, has set out to create a collection of sustainable furniture “with the passion that reflects the Brazilian lifestyle.” Each piece in the collection is handmade by artisans and is only available in a limited quantity. All of the furniture is made form native pine raised in sustainable forests that are cultivated specifically for furniture, so Brazil’s natural forests and rain forests remain unharmed.