greenergrassdesign is a brand new, two-person, houston-based design store. they describe themselves as, “native houstonians, [with a ] unique combination that includes a twenty-five year friendship, one fine art degree, one business degree and the need for something better.” greenergrassdesign describes their style as a “curatorial approach…that hopes to offer-up something special to both designer and consumer”.

i was quite impressed with their collection- especially a line of serving plates and dishes by robex guscio. according to ggd, “robex items are non-deformable and shock-resistant. they can withstand temperatures ranging from – 5° C to + 78° C. they are dishwasher safe, odorless, do not absorb liquids and the surface stays bright and shiny, even after prolonged use.” not bad. plus they look fabulous.

along with a fantastic lighting, kitchen (don’t miss the awesome knife holder!), home, accents and office collection, green grass design carries a great collection of jewelry, with pieces by one of my favorites, ronni kappos.

you can view the whole collection and find more information right here. enjoy!

the future perfect just announced a new show, with works by dutch artist, judith van den boom. DUTCH DISTURBANCE 2005 will run from september 7 - october 6, 2005, with an opening event friday, september 9, 2005 7-10 pm. (www.thefutureperfect.com for more info and location).

ms. van den boom’s “dutch disturbance” series is a rather disturbing take on traditional dutch ceramics and icons. her “holy cow” vase features the headless body of a cow used as a vase, which she describes as, “inspired [by] the royal delft cows. true alienation of our dutch heritage.” if that wasn’t enough, she also has sweet little dutch girl figurines that have bullets, grenades and guns drawn on them. and believe me, there’s plenty more. i still can’t decide whether i’m intrigued or grossed out by them, but i figured you could all decide for yourselves…more info on judith can den boom right here [all pics from her website]

thank goodness for blueteabag who reminded me to check out the container store for great kids design. not only to they have two great pages for kids and teens, but they have a great set up with a ready made room set up so you can click on each item to get pricing, colors, etc. almost everything in each picture is under $225. click here for the kids playroom and here for the teen desk/room setup. my favorites are the clear chair for $7 and the blue desk chair for $180.

modern seed is overflowing with affordable design as well…[although no big furniture items yet, but i’ll find some this week for sure]

the fat boy point is a great way to add some fun, cushy seating to your child’s room without taking out a mortgage on the house. for $89 you can get a fat boy of your own in your choice of 12 colors.

if the fat boy isn’t your style, how about a tiki stool for $40 (in 6 colors), a bronto chair for $85 or a complete 5 piece furniture set for $200?

beyond that, there are flensted mobiles for $60, candeloo lights (2 for $50), mini angela adams rugs for $100, an infant chair for $220, wallbands for $56, gorgeous mibo pendants for $86 and marimekko bedding for $69. the possibilities are endless. click here for more info.

affordable kids design from kid o: the bilibo seat (toy, plaything?) for $30 and a gorgeous stainless steel ‘first cutlery set‘ for $45.

modern mini has cute little mini poofs that would look super cute in any child’s room- and they’ll only set you back $80 a pop (not super cheap, but still do-able if you’re only looking to buy a few). they also have girard floor pillows for $65 a piece that add a little pop of mid century modernism to the room. and don’t forget the cute eva dva table for $100. more info here at modern mini.

cool little cork board and chalkboard tiles for childrens rooms. ($32 and $34 a piece at design public).