thomas paul just emailed me a little leak of their newest collections to launch soon. these sea themed pillows are absolutely gorgeous- simple, sweet and wonderfully luxurious. i’m loving sea-inspired patterns these days (just wait till you see the new d*s look…). you can check out thomas paul right here, and i’ll be sure to update when the pillows are ready!

today is the first day of the design*sponge reader survey! the survey will give me a better idea about everyone out there, and help me add/edit content so everyone has more of what they like and less of what they don’t. in addition, four lucky survey respondents will win fabulous prizes!

so, PLEASE CLICK HERE TO BEGIN THE DESIGN*SPONGE 2006 READER SURVEY. it will only take a few minutes and i promise won’t be too boring. and hey, you could win a great prize just for filling it out! the survey will run through friday and winners will be announced on monday morning, along with results! so, CLICK HERE TO BEGIN! thanks so much for participating! xo, d*s

my new cb2 catalog came in the mail yesterday and i was loving some of the new pieces. always modern, fun and clean, cb2’s selection stays true to crate and barrel’s look, but with a more contemporary twist.

i’m always drawn to smaller, accessory-style pieces, but i was really pleased with their new “true low dresser” ($450) in shiny white lacquer. it’s the kind of piece i’ve been looking for, although slighly above my budget. with four drawers and one cabinet compartment for extras, it’s a great place to stash clothes or other accessories like shoes and delicates.

the smart side table in bright orange stole my heart immediately. ac will tell you- i’m a sucker for bright orange. something about that cute little table in such a bright, happy color is too, too perfect. they’re $100 a pop right here.

if something stylish and inexpensive if what you’re looking for, check out these adorable pebble salt and pepper shakers- an instant hit. oh! and the lumiere candle holders combine fun shapes with a very do-able pricepoint. $4-$5 a piece!

last but not least, don’t miss the white bed tray for $29.95- perfect for sunday mornings spent in bed…you can browse cb2’s new pieces and entire existing collection right here. enjoy- there’s a lot to see!

fun design contest for all of you creative types out there! clean design is looking for a great postcard design that celebrates simple, eco-friendly design.

“As simple as it sounds, we believe that a significant first step in cutting print waste is to actually conceptualize and design printed media in an uncluttered direct way, so that the all important message is clear and concise upon first glance, therefore requiring less printing over time in order to get the message across more effectively. The theme of this contest is “Clean Design” and contestants will be expected to conceptualize, design and create a postcard that will make the most impact, therefore attract the most “votes” and subsequently be chosen as one of our top ten designs. The top ten designs will then be displayed on our website, the vising public votes to determine the 3 finalists. At that time the panel of industry veterans choos the top 3 winners. The panel will consist of industry veterans, designers, advertising executives and others of interest.

for details on entry requirements and format, please click here. have fun!

[ps: i have comment moderation on right now only because i'm being spam attacked by interiordesign-info.com....i'll turn it off as soon as i can figure out how to block them. does anyone know how? they've been leaving like 5 spam comments a minute for the last two hours...ugh.]

melt modern is the design team of matt proctor and aixé djelal. based in portland oregon, matt and aixé used recycled aluminum to create cast aluminum objects for the home and garden. each piece is hand poured and cast into the shape of bowls, table “runners” and even room dividers. i think these pieces would be a striking addition to any sculptural/home collection. you an find more information and shop online right here. enjoy!

[the following quick post is from d*s reader, jan of poppytalk. jan found a new love in the furniture of jennifer scott...]

“jennifer scott” began as a hobby for couple jennifer kakon and scott richler in 1999. the montreal based couple started making bracelets in their spare time as a diversion from their hectic careers. at the time, jennifer was working in advertising while scott held a job as an architect. very quickly, the business took off and both left their day jobs to create and run jennifer scott. and i’m sure a lot of people are glad they did when looking at this chair…”