Friday Favorites 11/22/2013

Cheryl Katz, Contributing Editor 

In our design studio, Jordan’s desk is two back from where I sit. Quin’s is one desk in front of mine. The three of us, along with Jeffrey and Shane, pride ourselves on discovering great furniture -new or old, modern or traditional, cheap and cheerful, or dear and rare. We search the Internet for things that will inspire us and make us see things in new ways.  While not exactly a contest, you can imagine the thrill when one or another of us uncovers something that no one else has seen before.

This week it was Jordan, the most recent member of our staff, who introduced us to the work of Matthias Pliessnig. A graduate of RISD, Pleissnig is based in Pawtucket where he produces sensuous, organically shaped oak seating using traditional steam bending techniques.

Pliessnig’s work is so enticing I wanted to take credit for finding it. But, given the proximity to where we each sit, that just didn’t feel fair. So, thank you Jordan for this week’s Friday favorite.

Paula M. Bodah, Senior Editor

We all want to know the secret to enjoying the holiday season without gaining a few unwanted pounds. The trick, of course, is to keep yourself from eating too much. I know, easier said than done—until now.

Basing their mission on scientific research showing that eating from a smaller dish can help reduce caloric intake substantially (up to 59 percent according to studies by Harvard, Stanford, the Mayo Clinic, and the American College of Cardiology, Slim & Sage offers these nine-inch plates that are so pretty you won’t even notice they hold less food than a standard twelve-inch plate.

The dishwasher- and microwave-safe plates, with their interlacing geometric designs in bright blue or red on white, come in sets of four, each set packaged in a festive orange box. And the company is so committed to its mission to promote healthy eating, it pledges to donate 2 percent of its profits toward childhood obesity research.

Kyle Hoepner, Editor-in-Chief

Ultra-chic designer Mar Silver, after launching her Plunk furniture collection a while back, has now opened a gallery in Westport, Connecticut, to purvey to the public her trademark mix of art by emerging and established artists, finds collected on her own travels around the world, and, naturally, custom accessories and furniture. Also on view as they catch her fancy will be select custom textiles, lighting, rugs, and more.

The sensibility—somehow understated yet dramatic at the same time—will be familiar to anyone who remembers the feature we ran in New England Home Connecticut on one of Silver’s house projects.

Living room from a house designed by Mar Silver, from the Winter 2012 issue of New England Home Connecticut. Photo by Bjorn Wallander. Click to see more.

Definitely, a destination to check out.