I went through the history of the ITKW column and realized that our favorite recipes tend toward sweet rather than savory. And even though I’d be content to eat cake morning noon and night, I know we should shake it up some. So this week we have a savory (and vegan!) recipe which comes all the way from London by way of a lifetime of love for dim sum. Helen Yuet Ling Pang, author of the World Foodie Guide blog, is an expert on the dumpling, how to make them, and where to eat the best ones in London. Her recipe this week is for Pan-Fried Three Mushroom Dumplings. You can follow Helen on Twitter right here, and send me any recipe requests right here! -Kristina

CLICK HERE for the full recipe (and more photos) after the jump!

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interior designer and ceramicist kevin o’shea lives with his partner david and two kitties – stella and boris – in a light-filled apartment in New York City’s financial district. kevin’s ceramic’s company is called happy and that’s certainly the vibe one gets from his apartment. it’s filled with things that make us smile! [thanks, kevin!] – amy a.

[When we moved into this apartment a year ago it was a white box, it took me about 6 months to figure out what I wanted to do with it.  The building was built in 1929 and is on the National Historic Register, it is a fabulous Art Deco tower but has many odd angles and random window placements, which made furniture placement, wall hangings, and lighting very challenging but after another long six months of work the apartment has finally come to a place that makes both us very happy! I made a point to incorporate a lot of original artwork and craft into our home, one example of this are the brightly colored handmade pillows purchased from various crafters on ETSY.  I especially love the 50’s Birdcage Pillow by Olive (it is a little ironic that this corner of the sofa is favored by the cats!).  The vintage lamp base was being thrown away by a friend of mine, I rescued it, and topped it with a new shade.]

The long eight-foot sofa was the perfect fit for this imposing wall and it serves as the gathering place during the dinner parties we throw frequently.  The turquoise ottoman once stood in my grandmother’s bedroom in her house on Cape Cod. She loved mid-century modern furniture (when it was new!) and I used to nap on this ottoman as a kid but never dreamed it would end up in my house in Manhattan! I am really big into cacti and succulents lately, this was the first cactus I ever owned and it has inspired many more which seem to popping up all over the house. The vintage rubber glove mold is from one of my favorite shops in New York, Fishs Eddy.

Because this room is so oddly shaped I took a “loft living” approach to the furnishings and created small vignettes of furniture that can be moved around depending on their needs.  This fabulous imposing wingback pops against the rich chocolate brown wall and can be turned toward the TV or the sofa depending on the need.  There are also a lot of stools around the house, perfect for impromptu seats or tables this stump stool is one of my favorites.  The wall hanging is from San Francisco artist Kenneth Wingard.

CLICK HERE for the rest of Kevin’s sneak peek (including all the image on one page) after the jump!

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As far as volatile environments go, I’d assume it’s probably safe to say that we all try to avoid them. A screaming toddler is no one’s idea of a good time. Potentially eruptive volcanoes induce a great deal of awe, fear, and cautious sidelong glances for those in their vicinity. Close encounters with yellow jackets and rabid raccoons are best left to the imagination. We probably prefer our interactions to be a bit more peace and calm-infused, thank you kindly.

So, it might be surprising to learn that the places we hold most dear, our homes, are teeming with volatility. Volatile Organic Compounds, more commonly referred to as “VOC’s”, are organic compounds, both natural and synthetic in origin, that quickly vaporize into the atmosphere. Many are considered toxic and are, accordingly, regulated by government agencies. Owing to their generally gaseous nature, however, many VOC’s are difficult to manage entirely. Instead, upper level limits of safe exposure have been generated.

Back in the ’80’s, when I was busy playing PacMan, wearing jelly shoes, and trying to emulate the wardrobe of Rainbow Bright, NASA was busy working on developing a manned base on the moon. Naturally. In their research, NASA learned that the indoor air quality for the space station inhabitants was particularly high in VOC’s, detecting more than 300 compounds. During that time, a researcher at the organization discovered that a number of common houseplants possessed remarkable capabilities for eliminating a number of these VOC’s from the air. They literally just absorbed all of the formaldehyde (found in the home in everything from carpet to table napkins), benzene (found in plastics, detergents, and lubricants, among other home locations), and trichloroethylene (capable of vaporizing in from groundwater supplies) from the air.

The benefits of these plants make them an ideal candidate for inclusion in the home. Personally, I’m crazy for houseplants and have kept them for years, even when, like now, I live steps away from a giant forest. In the winter, though, nothing beats a bit of indoor greenery. I do my best to keep carcinogenic, toxic materials out of my home, but many consumer goods contain VOC’s. I don’t yet live in a mud hut wearing nothing other than a deer hide I tanned myself (although I know folks who do and admire then immensely for it). Until that time, or, perhaps, in lieu of that time, I’ve opted to pepper the house with plants, cleaning up the air and brightening my spirits all the while.

If you’re asking yourself, “what are these toxin-fighting champions of the houseplant world?”, I invite you to check out How To Grow Fresh Air by Dr. B.C. Wolverton. It lists 50 plants known for their VOC-removal properties. Carry the book to your local nursery, like I did, and use it as a shopping guide for picking out some plants. They needn’t be large. It is suggested to use between 15-18 plants to clean the air in an 1,800 sq.ft. home, so, if you’re in a studio apartment in Brooklyn, simply halve that number. It’s also advisable to use terra cotta or ceramic pots, as plastic vessels simply reintroduce a number of the same chemicals you’re trying to remove. Plus, you’ll have a totally legitimate excuse for tricking out your place in cool pots, catered to your design aesthetic, be that Mid-Century Modern, Diva Glam, or California Rustic (like me!).

A good number of the houseplants in my home are showcased on two shelves beside the kitchen table. My husband easily fashioned them out of supplies readily available from any hardware or lumber store. He simply took two 4′ x 10″ pine boards, rounded off the front corners using a jig saw, coated them with polyurethane and a wood stain (nasty VOC-possessing substances that the plants could work their magic on!), and then mounted them to the wall with metal brackets. The kitchen feels so much more inviting because of these shelves and we’re literally breathing easier on account of them!

lately i’ve been looking fun, inexpensive ways to give friends thoughtful “just because” gifts. this year more than ever i feel really grateful to have a small group of good friends (something i didn’t have a lot of growing up) and i love doing little things to remind them i appreciate their friendship. but because my budget is limited i’m always looking for ways to reuse old bits of fabric and my somewhat embarrassingly large collection of stamps i’ve collected over the years. so when i saw madeley’s sweet stamped lavender sachet project i thought- this is a perfect diy project for the weekend! i think sachets get a bad rap for being too fussy, but i can’t tell you how much i enjoy opening a drawer each morning that smells fresh and clean. so if you’re looking for a way to freshen up your drawers (or your friends) this is a super simple, but sweet, project. thanks to madeley for sharing!

CLICK HERE for the full project steps after the jump!

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tgif! i’m so thrilled to finally make it to friday- and to wrap up a wonderful week of guest posts from emily and the whole team at once wed. it’s been such a pleasure having them and i’m excited to share their final post- an engagement inspired shoot from jose villa. click here to check out all 14 photos!

also….i’m thrilled to announce that next month, emily and the once wed team will be joining us for a wedding-themed post every other week! i’m such a huge fan of emily’s eye and, rather than try to replicate her wedding style, i figured i’d go straight to the source. so starting in october, be sure to check out emily’s wedding selections here at d*s!

Ceramicist and sculptor Diana Fayt just officially became a rock star. This summer Fayt was featured on the cover of Ceramics Monthly (June, July, August edition), which as anyone in the world of ceramics knows, is basically like being on the cover of Rolling Stone. So we were thrilled to get to spend some session time with her in her San Francisco studio this month as she prepared a new batch of vases for the fantastic Heath Ceramics.

As florists we were always struck by how few flowers it took to make one of Fayt’s vases look fantastic. Little did we know that this was deliberate on the part of the designer; after spending several years working at companies that preferred making wide-mouth vases and bowls, vases that would quickly eat up a fresh flower budget, Fayt set out to create work that was both economically and aesthetically minded. Her uniquely styled vases are perfectly happy holding a handful of blooms or none at all:

“Some things I consider when making a new vase shape is how many flowers will fit in the vase. Most people buy one bunch of flowers, not three. I want people to be able put their blooms in my vases with ease and not have to fuss too much but also to enjoy the vase without flowers as well.”

CLICK HERE for the rest of the post (and all 15 images on one page) after the jump!

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