Restaurant design inspiration: Rippou-Tai wall at Sugarfish

When the first Sugarfish sushi restaurant opened in Marina Del Rey in June 2008, brand designer Clement Mok worked with architects to create a space that would feel bright and vibrant. But when customers began to compare the results to Pinkberry, Mok knew he wanted something different for the Brentwood location, which opened in July.

Enter the Rippou-Tai wall -- an undulating wooden wall that runs the length of the restaurant. The oceanic symbolism is obvious -- especially with those glass bubble lamps hanging in front of it. The wall itself is gorgeous, at once intricate and simple, watery and earthy.

The restaurant and the wall were designed by Glen Bell of Studio Dex. He calls it a "Rippou-Tai" wall because the phrase means "3-D cube" in Japanese. It is constructed from more than 3,000 individually cut 3-by-3-inch cubes of Douglas fir that vary in depth.

The scale of Sugarfish's wall made it time consuming to assemble, but Bell says the construction is simple enough that anyone could do it. "It's like color by numbers once you have your piles of cut wood ready to go," he said. Bell screwed each piece of wood into a piece of backing (in this case, plywood). The only unforeseen difficulty? The lumber was so heavy it nearly tipped over a forklift.

-- Deborah Netburn

Photo credit: Studio Dex

Thanksgiving birds: A shapely wine decanter and salt-and-pepper shakers

For wine lovers with a sense of humor and a taste for modern glassware, this bird decanter is a welcome change from the usual streamlined vessels used for aerating your favorite red.  

Balanced on one sturdy yet shapely foot, it reminds me of Perch ceramic designer Amy Adams' Shake A Leg salt and pepper set, a holiday hit in 2007. Those shakers, right, sell for $48 at Velocity Art and Design. They would make a witty table companion to the bird decanter, a new arrival at Fitzsu, priced at $330.

The decanter's chick-like profile suggests Scandinavian design, but, in fact, the glass piece is mouth-blown in Italy. In addition to being fun, it is also functional. The low, wide bowl benefits younger vintages that need more room to breathe and the shape of the piece allows for graceful handling and serving.

See how easy it is to put this bird in hand after the jump.

Christmas: Marcel Wanders hits Target. (Or does he?)

Dutch design superstar Marcel Wanders, known for bold prints and witty takes on traditional forms in collections like New Antiques, has generated a big buzz for his first Christmas collection with Target. (His clever 314-page online look book of the line, posted alongside high-end pieces from his firm Moooi, certainly helped get design junkies jazzed.)

Wanders' line of 30 products for decorating the table, the bar and the tree is a good deal more accessible than Target's ornate 2006 collection by his whimsical fellow Dutch designer Tord Boontje. About half of the '09 items are already stocked online; more should be posted soon. A quick glance at in-store product availability showed that Target stores in Glendale, West Hollywood, Los Angeles and Burbank were a bust, but the outlets in Culver City, Pasadena and North Hollywood had the goods.

I checked out the collection at the always-reliable Eagle Rock store, which had more than 90% of the Wanders Christmas line in its dishes and gift card aisles. Not everything was a winner, but the porcelain pieces -- some reminiscent of the flowerpot hats that the '80s pop group Devo wore -- were irresistible. Note: They look best in black, gold and silver; white looks a tad ordinary.

I dropped $77.95  to create the tabletop tableau above, filled with pieces I'll be happy to use all year long. From left: taper candle in ceramic holder, $14.99 a pair; a 12.5-inch silver porcelain vase, $29.99; a set of black, gold and white stacking bowls, $14.99; and a packet of 20 red and black printed paper napkins, $2.99.

See more from the collection and get an appraisal of what's worth buying after the jump.

Recession entertaining with Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart returned to Los Angeles on Monday for a book signing at Sur La Table at the Grove. If you’ve ever witnessed the mob known as a Martha Stewart book signing, you’ll know why we called ahead and talked in advance.

Though she craftily steered the conversation to “Dinner at Home: 52 Quick Meals to Cook for Family & Friends,” a 272-page cookbook released by Clarkson Potter this week, we did manage to slip in a few questions about recession entertaining.

Is home entertaining more important than ever?

Many people are entertaining at home and cooking delicious food. But they are looking for simple, timesaving recipes they can actually do themselves that are as tasty as restaurant food. I just love the whole idea of using a few ingredients that taste so extraordinary.

What’s an easy way to throw a party at home?

I often do breakfasts and lunches. It gets it out of the way so I can do other things later in the day. Last Sunday I had nine people over for brunch for a delicious, homemade meal. It wasn’t expensive food: cheese popovers, beautiful poached eggs with country smoked bacon, two platters of smoked fish, homemade biscuits and fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice.

What is the ideal number of guests for a dinner party?

I would suggest inviting what you can handle. I’m an experienced caterer, so I can have 12 or 14; my dining room comfortably fits 16.

What do you do when your guests outnumber your set of dishes?

I suggest you serve a buffet and use stacks of plates from different sets.

How do you feel about potluck meals?

When friends get together, it should be a little more orchestrated so you know there is a salad, a vegetable, a main course and a dessert. The host can provide the main course. You could use my duck breast with fig sauce menu from “Dinner at Home.” One person can bring the braised red cabbage and someone else can prepare the potato pancake or the hazelnut brittle for the ice cream.

If you could splurge only on a few key pantry ingredients, what would you buy?

You should have really good coarse salt, really good fine salt, really good peppercorns and a grinder, really good vanilla beans, really good saffron threads, really good unbleached flour, really good natural sugar and an assortment of really good pasta. I’m always looking for the imported, rough Italian pasta.

-- Debra Prinzing

Target and Z Gallerie's Halloween treats

While the kids go door to door for sweets, some adults might be celebrating Halloween with something a little stronger. For those who are planning to whip up a batch of Bloody Marys, zombies or vampire juice, these bar supplies might do the trick. Target's Bone Collector tray is available in metal for $12.99; the larger porcelain serving platter shown here, which measures 15 by 7.5 inches, is $24.99. At Z Gallerie, the Bone Chillers ice cube trays, which form frozen skulls and crossbones, are $9.95 -- a nice addition to the skull-emblazoned cocktail glasses that you can purchase at the same place. Both are ideal for bartenders who like to take orders by asking, "What's your poison?"

-- David A. Keeps

Photo credits: Target, Z Gallerie

Pop Art toaster makes breakfast a visual treat -- for not much bread

Want to cheer up your morning ritual of toast and coffee? You might be a candidate for the Pop Art toaster. The retro-style toaster comes with interchangeable stencil image plates - -a sun, a heart, a birthday cake, and our personal favorite, "Bite Me" -- that allows for the design to be toasted onto your bread. The idea for the product came to LC Premiums President and founder Linda S. Carlish while traveling in China, where she saw a toaster that put a smiley face onto bread.

Today her company owns the patent for the technology of interchangeable stencils that can toast images onto everything from frozen pancakes and toaster pastries to hamburger buns and flat bagels. But if you happen to be a grumpy-pie in the morning who insists on your coffee black and your toast, well, just plain -- all you have to do is remove the stencil plate.

The 2009 Lusso Chrome model toaster with seven heat settings, as well as a slide-out crumb tray, is also available in plastic in black, white, red, pink, aqua and chrome; suggested retail, $49.95. The company's website has a store locator.

The Deal: TableArt's biggest sale ever, 50% to 70% off china, glassware and other tabletop designs

Starting today, Melrose Avenue's premier destination for contemporary tableware and serving pieces is having its biggest sale to date. TableArt is offering deep discounts -- 50% to 70% on most pieces -- on china, glassware and other items from fabulous lines such as Meissen, Georg Jensen, Nymphenburg and Rosenthal.  The sale runs through Oct. 3, and the reductions are offered only in-store: 7977 Melrose Ave.

-- Lizzie Garrett

Photos: Lizzie Garrett

Rose Bowl? How about the chowder bowl, chili bowl ...

 

Yes, the weekend forecast here may call for temperatures in the 80s, but the arrival of fall and football season means you soon may be longing for bowls of chili or chowder while watching the Trojans or Bruins. Lucky for you, AplusRstore.com has some fine modern tabletop pieces on sale.

Grab some slick black Danish Thermo bowls, above left, made of an insulated glazed porcelain and equipped with matching spoon and chopsticks. Each has been reduced 50% to $40. White has already sold out, and the store reports that quantities of the black are limited.

The Royal VKB bowl, above right, is designed so the accompanying spoon fits into the handle, making it easy to eat standing up or, ahem, channel-surf while eating. Nonsports fans, you can use them for gazpacho or ice cream. Available in four colors, they're sold as a set of two, now $35, a savings of about 20%, and available in multiple colors. Bonus: A+R provides free shipping for any order of $100 or more.

-- Lizzie Garrett

Photo credits: AplusRstore.com

Tea emporium Algabar dishing ice cream tonight, selling fixtures and running 60% off store-closing sale

 

This evening the Coolhaus ice cream truck will visit Algabar Home and Life, the soon-to-close L.A. tea and home accessories emporium. Delicious artisan ice cream infused with Algabar tea will be served from 7 to 9 p.m.

While enjoying your favorite chai- or green tea-flavored treat, you can shop the stylish store. Excluding tea and tea accessories, the entire stock is 60% off. Store fixtures are for sale too and include a stone counter, cabinets, bookcases, consoles, rattan storage containers, tables and chairs. The last days of Algabar may be upon us, but you can still shop until Sept. 27. The store's catering arm, Fête Du Thé, will continue, as will online tea sales.

-- Barbara Thornburg

Photo: Algabar Home and Life

Eco-friendly wine cellars fashioned from old barrels

 

Did you know that nearly 200,000 wine barrels are retired each year in California? Although some end up as planters or firewood, many are destined for landfills. At Savante Wine Cellars, founder Darryl Hogeback is passionate about using every part of the barrel, recycling the wood into custom wine cellars.

The Stave Oak collection pictured here is handcrafted using mortise and tenon construction -- no nails, staples or screws. Vineyard stamps on barrel heads can be turned into decorative touches on drawer faces and flooring. 

It's nice to know that once you've enjoyed your perfectly aged glass of Pinot, the barrel that once held it has another life to live.

-- Barbara Thornburg

Photo courtesy of Savante Wine Cellars