Category Archives: Tchochkes

Design styles: Primitive Country

A Classic Primitive Country Dining Room Set
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Our roots play a big part in the design choices that we make throughout the rest of our lives.  I grew up in an old carriage house, surrounded by antiques AKA “old stuff”.  Our house had a weather vane, tongue and groove wood paneling, stained glass windows and nine foot high ceilings.  These are just some of the details from my upbringing that tie me to this style.
* I just returned from a visit to New York and while there, I lucked out with a thrift shop find.  I bought a Windsor Chair like the ones seen in the photo above for $20.00.  I looked it up in an antiques catalogue and it is valued at $1,000.00 – $1,500.00!!!

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Unique Judaica

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Tchochkes is the Yiddish word for “small things” and this post is in honor of “small unique Jewish things” AKA Judaica.  Every once in a while I come across a few items that I can say I really like.  Let’s start with this “Tree of Life Mezuzah” by Avi Biran

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Quicky post – jar frames

Sometimes you come across something and you think ‘THAT IS…

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La Chanh Nguyen – Industrial designer extraordinaire

Remember the Chia Pet? When I was a kid there were these commercials advertising for the Chia Pet everywhere. I have no idea where you could buy one, and I didn’t really want one – they were the essence of kitsch boiled down into a fine perfume – but no one could argue how divine the Chia Pet was.
But the Chia Pet was not really useful. I suppose you could call it a decorative item, but it was more of a gag gift than anything else. La Chanh Nguyen, an industrial design student from Switzerland has taken the concept of the Chia Pet and elevated it to a much higher status. This growing vase, otherwise known as the kitchen garden, is something I wouldn’t mind having in my kitchen.

What brought my attention to Nguyen was the Moss Carpet which has been featured on design blogs everywhere. It’s probably one of the smartest bathroom design ideas I’ve seen in years.

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Tchochkes holiday craft: Needlepoint dreidel

Ella’s Dreidel Collection

Hanukkah is my favorite holiday, celebrating the blessing of light.  Gathering with friends for potato pancakes, lighting the hanukkiah and spinning the dreidel
*Sivivon is the hebrew word for “dreidel” which comes from the word lesovev “to spin”

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Tchochkes – A warm kitsch home tour

Boaz is a tutor for Probability and Corporate Finance in the Kellogg-Recanati program. He’s also personable, adorable and an absolutely amazing guy. Shachar, his partner, is equally fabulous. I ran into them a while back at a wine bar and asked if I could come and take pictures of their flat. I can tell you it wasn’t quite what I expected.
Actually, part of the reason was to write about Boaz’s incredibly sweet partner Shachar is because he is trying to start his own personal shopping and fashion styling business – but I have torn apart my entire house and can’t find his card. So if you need a personal shopper or help styling for an event – email me.

These were done by Shachar. I love their campy kitsch appeal.

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Store Review: Hotam

There are a lot of stores around the country that import items from India and China. Some do it well, others – not so much. How good the place is depends on the mix, and the taste (or lack thereof) of the buyers. Hotam looks like one of the better ones (just from looking at their online store – which includes prices, BTW) and is located in Kfar Saba.

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Surf Style

I’m homesick. I’ve been on Facebook lately getting in touch with friends from my hometown in the US, Huntington Beach, and all I can think about is how much fun it was to grow up there and how much I miss it. So today is about surfing style, the good bad and ugly of it – and it’s dedicated to HB.

This Malibu Surf Lamp by Dakine Decor (think of Da Kine – surf slang for ‘the ultimate’) is perfect for your grommets (kids). I think it would be cute in a boys room with the right look. Anywhere else it would be a bit much.

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Beautiful ceramics worth a mention

Back in July, Kathy Penn (a regular reader) wrote to me about her friends ceramics. The email has been sitting in the inbox in the back of my mind since and there it stayed, until now. I’m a HUGE handmade ceramics fan and Israel has so many people talented in this arena, I have plenty to fuel my addiction. 
Anat Evyatar is one of the many who does work I really like. The photos of her work shown here were taken in the co-op store, Chomer Tov. She has a studio in Kerem Maharal where you can see her work, and now she has also opened pottery classes for small groups (3 people I think) for those in the area that are interested.

What an absolutely gorgeous color. 

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Online store review: Bluedango

Bluedango is an online store with a mission a lot like EthnicWare Ltd. – only on a more global scale. This is a store with a mission – to help save impovershed nations by giving the women and men artisan work. It’s a good mission, a win-win. 

The woven pots above are for holding fresh herbs. Store your nana (mint) in there instead of a newspaper to keep it fresh. It’s much prettier.

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