designer brad ascalon might be best known to d*s readers as the designer of the “splash storage system“, but he recently designed a new series called POP, which includes an outdoor table and chaise that look like they just “popped” out of a sheet of plastic. they remind me of those hostess cupcake containers, but in the best way possible. you can contact brad for more information here. [thanks, brad!]

based in athens, georgia, r. wood studio designs and produces beautiful pottery pieces for the home. working out of an old produce warehouse, rebecca wood and her team of 12 artists use local red clay to create simple, colorful pieces that have a wonderful “handmade” quality to them. my favorite piece is the nut dish- its uneven colored glaze around the rim is comforting to me- it looks like something i’d use in a country house somewhere (if i had a country house). the collection is divided into everyday, serving, speciality and one-of-a-kind collections- each one full of colorful pieces that are sure to add some color and handmade flair to your home. so, if you’re looking for a departure from slick, sleek modern, check out r. wood studio and their beautiful ceramic collection. (shop online or find a retailer near you) enjoy!

i’ve been somewhat obsessing over nyc designer, laura yaggy’s python print “duncan” table ever since it was on the cover of december’s domino. perfectly petite and wonderfully decorative with its cute python print, duncan is a great example of yaggy’s work. yaggy’s company, lorely furniture currently has 11 pieces, most of which are various forms of tables (console, side, coffee…) available in a number of decorative finishes. i think her refined style lends itself best to classic lacquer finishes, but for those looking for something with a bit more punch, her pieces also come in faux lizard print, python and tortoise. you can find more information on lorely’s collection right here. enjoy!

[update: after talking with friends and thinking about it some more by myself, i want to clarify that i'd love this table in a faux python print. i thought it was faux, but apparently it's not. so, hooray to faux but i'll pass on the real stuff...]

agnes & hoss launched their debut pillow collection in the fall of 2005, but just started selling online recently. with five designs to choose from (cape seaweed, eucalyptus, larch pinecone, starling and wool grass), a&h’s designs are elegant and made of a “signature” heavyweight silk charmeuse front panel, faux suede back panel and piping in a coordinating color. at $173 a piece, they certainly aren’t a budget buy, but they’re a great splurge piece. available online at 2modern.com.

the plexo light is an updated take on a traditional japanese latern. made from flat cut die film, plexo has internal lights that create an optical illusion as you walk past it. plexo can be attached to the wall or sit flat on a table or dresser- and at $70 it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. perfect for treating yourself after a stressful holiday season. available online right here. enjoy!

as i leave to hop on a plane to va for the holidays, i wanted to take my last post of the holiday season to say thank you. i’ll be back on tuesday morning, but i wanted to thank you for stopping by this little corner of the internet- thanks for your support and thanks for just hanging out, sharing design news, great new products and anything and everything under the design sun.

it’s been a crazy (but good!) year for d*s and i look forward to next year and all the changes it will bring (a redesign, new sections, newsletters, events and much much more). thank you to the advertisers for supporting the site, thank you from ac to all of you who offered to help him find a new job (he did and he’s thrilled!) and most of all, thanks to the readers, design fans and wonderfully creative people out there who continue to stop by and say hi, send in new ideas and suggest great ways to expand and better the site. i’ll be back on tuesday with some exciting news and details on the new d*s to be launched in 2006. have a safe and happy holiday and i’ll see you next week. best, d*s