On the Radar -- An Eastern Vibe

We Blackbird girls L-O-V-E Asian design, and it's very visible in our collections.  I know we mention here and there about what we collect (believe me, you've just seen the tip of the iceberg), but we have a genre-crossing collection that we refer to as the Asian collection.  It includes Chinese checkerboards, paint-by-numbers, Asian themed sheet music and labels, tea tins, fortune telling items, and other various tiny tins, like a Buddha incense tin and a French Chinoiserie thread tin.  Also included in this is one of our most favorite things (I know, we say that about everything!) -- our bright yellow Chinese Chippendale mid-century chair.  Here's the chair, but in green.  Mmmm...I want these to add to the collection...

Well, imagine how excited I was when I was browsing Yahoo yesterday and found an article about IKEA's new products, developed with Chinese designers.  I want it all.  And I had to immediately share the link with the other Blackbird.  Look at all these goodies, available at the end of the month at IKEA.

There's lots more amazing items -- you can see the slideshow here.  I love their whimsical take on traditional Chinese design.  All the ping pong balls -- they have one vase with a ping pong paddle, and the lucky cats, are just adorable.  They are tongue in cheek, and so much fun.

I love this brighter, bolder, modern take on Asian design.  It reminds me of my Chinese checkerboards -- they have great patterns and motifs, and the colors are super bright.  Like this one:

Available on Etsy from PassedBy, here.

So in honor of IKEA taking a brief trip from Sweden to China, here's a round up of some of my favorite modern Asian finds on Etsy!

Tray from God Save the Kitsch, here.

From China Tea Ware, here.

Coasters from Cheltenham Road, here.

From Stillwater Art Studio, here.

And of course, my dream table, from one of my favorite furniture companies, Red Egg.  Their designs are stunning, and I lurve the red finish!

Indochine dining table, here.

Junk Love Monday: Geisha Love

Bridge tally, from puffadonna

We have a fascination with mid-century Asian-inspired design, from game boards to tins to ceramics. What's funny is that we don't consider ourselves "Asian collectors." You won't find jade figurines or porcelain tea sets in our house. But you will find brightly colored bamboo-ish planters, tea tins, 1950s lamps, and vintage Chinese fabric labels. We're also really drawn to geishas.

We don't encounter geishas very often in our travels (ha!), but I thought I'd do some fantasy shopping online to see what sort of lovely ladies are available. (*Note: this does not involve "fantasy" shopping for actual ladies. This isn't that kind of blog....)

From puffadonna

We like cute ones.

From RetroLuxeHome

From tickytackyvintage

From HidalgoVintage

From thetoadhouse

Maxi dress!; From thegetupvintage

We like classic girls.

From 27thAVE

From overthetopoverstock

From rdeanlee

From BreezyNotions

And, of course, we've gotta get our hands on some Vera geishas.

From CollectibleKat

From PopLunch

On the Radar -- Bamboo

Vintage Bamboo Purse from Ravenous Creatures

We Blackbird girls have always loved Asian influenced design.  Its simplicity, functionality, and respect for natural materials, when added to a culture rich in storytelling and symbolism, makes for an endless supply of inspiration.  Of the many things from Asian design that could be reinterpreted and reinvented, bamboo is probably one of the most common -- and most exciting.

We've been noticing bamboo for awhile now, and we think we're about to see even more.  Bamboo is a highly renewable resource in a planet that is running low on resources.  It grows quickly, and can be used in widely varying applications.  Bamboo textiles are all over the marketplace, from towels to t-shirts.  It can also be used for flooring, decking, and fencing.

From style-files.com by Lotte van Laatum

What's most exciting to us, though, is the different ways people are mixing bamboo items into their decor or fashion.  Whether you go ultra contemporary, with some of the clean lined furniture pieces that are being made today, or 1930s-40s glam with vintage pieces, bamboo will add a touch of unexpectedness.  Just like when we talked about navy and bright colors, adding a touch of bamboo will be the piece de resistance to any room or outfit.

Indochine Headboards by Red Egg, from en.paperblog.com

Think about painting your bamboo to make it more dramatic.  In Ohio, we found a great vintage tray made from natural bamboo. It was large, sturdy and had a great shape, but we wanted color!  We needed it as a display for some clear glass decanters, on a table with a barkcloth tablecloth.We decided on a vivid lime green (an accent color from the cloth), and spray painted it.*  What a difference!  The tray looked better than new, and the bamboo-ness still came through.  And the decanters...well, they looked fab on it!

Check out the shop to see our vintage blue umbrella with a faux bamboo handle! 

Sky Blue Umbrella from our shop!

*We spray paint ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.