French Shop Keepers' Shelves

Seriously loving these spacious display shelves. They're rustic, with a bit of detailing on the iron rods to keep things interesting. They look like they once held hats, bolts of lace or equally fanciful things, and then were discovered at a dusty French flea market.

@ Wisteria, $399

Ceramic Stools

Perfect in a bedroom, a sunroom, a bathroom, a family room and maybe just about any other room in the house. The ceramic stools come in several styles and colors, to add a pop of color, a bit of character or a flash of metal. Oh, and of course, they're perfect in a garden too.

@ Belongings, from $195

Galvanized Nichos

Adobe homes almost always come nichos, the wall pockets that are perfect to display treasured goodies or collections. These galvanized metal nichos -- with a lovely, copper patina -- are a perfect way to show off your own treasures, without carving holes in the wall.

@ Aero Home, $156/set of 3

Moody Blues

Using subdued, antique blues gives a room a sense of tranquility and composure, but it also promises some excitement. Unlike most blues, these colors don't try as hard to please. They harbor secrets and mystery, evoking overcast days, deep waters and uncharted territories.

These pix are from House Beautiful slideshow on decorating with moody blues. It doesn't take much -- silky drapes, a wash of paint -- to do the trick in an otherwise neutral space.

Maiolica Hand-Painted Ceramics

These hand-painted ceramics are the work of an Etsy artist who learned classic techniques from the Italian Renaissance style and studied her craft in Holland, Belgium and Germany. It's a find for anyone who loves She specializes in tiles, platters and bowls done with an Old World flourish.

@ Etsy, $35-$115

Vintage Colletions at Barn House Marketplace

Give us your spattered and dusty, your blemished and bumpy. That way, we can group the most underwhelming of household objects together and create great looking collections. These are from Barn House Marketplace, and honestly, I'll never see my paintbrushes the same way again.

@Barnhouse Marketplace, from $40

Benoa Daybed

Don't you hate it when you fall hard for a piece of furniture, only to discover that it's too cost-prohibitive to actually ever own. That's the case with this daybed, which was hand-carved from mango wood. It features two love birds, amid jungle fronds and foliage. The cushion, a leaf print in kiwi and marine blue, adds to the rainforest effect. Ah well, I suppose I can dream about this daybed, even if I can't actually dream on it.

@ Anthropologie, $3298

Whitney Smith Pottery

I'm just completely smitten with the ceramics pieces created by Whitney Smith. Apart from the gorgeous colors and lovely shapes, I love her creativity. She draws inspiration from organic shapes, including poppies, lotuses, seed pods and birds. And how adorable are the bird-bath cake platter and cupcuke stand? Love!
@ Etsy, from $38

Violin Forms

I never realized how curvy and graceful violin forms are until now. Seeing them in a frame, evoke classic music, fine art, orchestras, the female silhouette, and (if you're hungry) even butternut squash. These vintage forms are one-of-a-kind pieces made in Argentina, and mounted on linen in a walnut frame.

@ Jayson Home & Garden, $685

FJS 2010 Pillow Collection

How fab and fun are these pillows? And this is just a small taste of the many designs from the new FJS pillow 2010 collection. The prints include themes from the natural and nautical worlds, cartography, folk designs, geometrics, ikat and portraits.

The prints are from by Francis Jens Spitta, who has designed fabric for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs and many others.... which explains why this collection was love at first sight.
@ FJS Shop, $120
[via The Bedlam of Beefy]

The bird trend seems to be peaking right about now, and these simple, but pretty bamboo birdcages have a lot of visual interest, while keeping clean modern lines.
@ West Elm, $39

Kaveri Chest

This chest has an almost-mirrored gleam that I just love. It's not too shiny, not too boring but lovely and luminous. It's the result of white metal leaf on mango wood, and the faceted drawer pulls just add to the effect. Tres romantic.
@ The Conran Shop, $1,295

Gianna Rose Atelier Monkeys

Here's one of the best hostess gifts I've come across in a while. And these little guys -- which are gift soaps masquerading as mini-sculptures -- promise to see nothing, hear nothing and speak nothing if you happen to snoop through your hostess' medicine cabinet.
@ Smallflower, $20

Gustavian Chic

Quirky historical fact: Gustavian furniture -- typically painted in whites, creams and grays -- was partly inspired by the ash-filled rooms in Pompeii. The classic Scandinavian style originated in the late 1700s, around the same time that archaeologists began excavating the Italian city that had been covered in ash after Mt. Vesuvius erupted about a thousand years earlier. Experts believe that the Greco-Roman furniture (and color choices) unearthed from layers of volcanic ash influenced this expansive, welcoming style.

Gustavian style is known for curving, arched silhouettes, simple flourishes and natural woods. Along with the ruins of Pompeii, it borrowed from overblown French rococo. King Gustav III visited Versailles and became enamored with the style, but his stoic woodworkers knew overkill when they saw it. They wisely pared down the neoclassical and ornate, and played up the natural woods and clean lines. The result is Gustavian style, and it's easy to see why it remains a favorite.



Gustavian console and tub chair @ Wisteria, $1250 and $800



Images from Country Living, except the Gustavian grandfather clock @ Dooleys, £370.

Gustavian vintage bed @ Viva Terra, from $1,675

Images: Swedish Interior Design, Remodelista and Marie Claire Maison