Datebook: Events, exhibits, classes for the week ahead

Home and garden events are listed below. Suggest your own via reader comments. Submissions must be fewer than 75 words and must be for one-time events with legitimate value to other readers. No store promotions and no frivolous links, please.

Aug. 29: Bonhams & Butterfields hosts an auction of fine Oriental rugs and carpets including Mohtasham Kashan carpets from central Persia and tribal weavings from the Caucasus. 10 a.m. Free. 7601 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 850-7500.

Aug. 30: Tara Kolla of Silver Lake Farms shares tips for propagating, growing and harvesting organic baby greens. 7:30 p.m. Free. Friends’ Hall, Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. (626) 405-2100.

Sept. 3: Rachael Narins of the Chicks with Knives catering and cooking class company leads a free workshop on “Preserving Summer’s Bounty.” The class covers safe techniques for drying herbs, fruits, vegetables and legumes. 10 to 11 a.m. Ocean View Farms, 3300 S. Centinela at Rose Ave., Los Angeles. (310) 915-1123.

Sept. 3: The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden hosts an orienteering scavenger hunt for kids and their parents from 10 a.m. to noon. Included in regular admission of $3 to $8. 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. (626) 821-3222.

Sept. 3: Gardening experts offer free advice at a native plant clinic sponsored by Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. Resource materials and landscaping references available.  10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free. 1500 N. College Ave., Claremont. (909) 625-8767.

Sept. 4: The South Bay Bromeliad Associates present a slide lecture on rare bromeliads  The digital slide program covers remote areas in Oaxaca, Mexico, and a search for hechtias and other bromeliads. 1:30 p.m. Free. Palos Verdes Library, 701 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills. (310) 377-9773. 

24 picks for patio chairs: Modern looks for lounging in style

 
Whether your tastes lean toward the clever and cool new folding chairs made of poplar or hickory by Culver City-based Industry of All Nations, above, or designer Karim Rashid's waves of metal mesh pictured at the bottom of this post, we've got you covered.

Our pre-summer rundown of the latest designs includes trendsetters such as Gervasoni, Zanotta and Kenneth Cobonpue, as well as mod-for-the-masses destinations such as CB2 and West Elm. We've even tossed in a few previews, including the sheet-metal Lami lounge chairs, right, from Markamoderna. The company made a splash at international design shows but isn't scheduled to launch Web sales for the U.S. market until late June.

PHOTOS: 24 picks for patio chairs

 

-- Craig Nakano

Photos, from top: Industry of All Nations, Markamoderna, Henry Hall Designs

 

Browsing: Nine new modern coat racks

Whether you're shoveling snow back East or dodging rain here in the West, some new coat racks might spur you to hang up your winter wear regardless of the weather.

Gone are traditional fluted columns, ornate hooks and circular umbrella depositories.

Designers today are crafting clever racks that could pass as functional art. 

British designer Tom Dixon's new Peg coat stand, shown above, has circular discs that can be arranged in different configurations. The stand comes in oak with a natural finish or in birch with a black, white or bright orange lacquer. The piece ships flat. Prices begin around $750.

Merkled Studio, based in Portland, Ore., has a new powder-coated aluminum coat rack, pictured at right. It's composed of three lightweight panels and also ships flat. The striking design is 17 inches wide and 5 feet, 4 inches tall, and it comes in  orange or white. It's made to order. Price: $525; shipping is about $60.

Keep reading for more options, plus a photo of that Tom Dixon design in the natural oak finish ...

 

Browsing: A dozen desks for the home office

The home decor industry may still be in a post-recession slowdown, but if fall furniture collections are any indication, consumers are supremely busy in one particular room: the home office. High demand for residential desks may not exactly bode well for the nation's workforce, but at least it has spurred more options for those setting up shop at home.

Manufacturers are rolling out a number of new desks tailored for house and apartment. British manufacturer Thelermont Hupton's latest, the Farm, above, consists of individual saw horses made of solid ash that can be topped with a work surface of your choosing. Buy some additional horses as sculpture, and you've got yourself a stable. The company will begin taking orders soon for delivery starting in January, a spokeswoman said. Keep an eye on the firm's website for pricing and availability.

For the stressed-out and overwhelmed, there is the piece of simple beauty to the right: the aptly named Covet desk by designer Shin Azumi.

The solid oak frame is open and airy while still providing a ledge for document boxes. A nicely angled drawer on the right provides a tad more stealth storage. London-based Case Furniture started selling Covet in September for 1,025 British pounds, or about $1,600.

Keep reading for more noteworthy designs — practical workhorses, budget buys and some inspired statements against cubicle conformity ...

Browsing: Six colorful riffs on the hammock

Imagine a summer afternoon: icy lemonade, a good book, no Blackberry. All you need is a good hammock. Several contemporary riffs on the classic summer swing have landed on the market, ready to put you in an easy-breezy state of mind.

Here's a quick look at some of the most interesting designs I've seen, starting with the Sling ($744), above, by the design studio Ting and sold through Branch Home. It's handmade from reclaimed nylon seat belt webbing otherwise destined for a landfill. The manufacturer touts the design’s durability and weather resistance, and it's also available in orange, camel, pink and light blue. Photo credit: Branch Home

Hatteras Hammocks’ Quick-Dry Comfort design, above, is made of a synthetic fiber that wicks away moisture, so you can get out of the pool and into the hammock ($200) without worry. Photo credit: Hatteras Hammocks

Keep reading for more designs, from a $33 find from Novica to a $1,300 hand-woven piece of folk art ...

Fan fare: 7 ways to stay cool in the next heat wave

Sure, summer here has been remarkably mild. We all know it's a matter of time before those hot Santa Ana winds starting to blow through. How about a little preparation?

Whether you're living without A/C or simply want to lower your energy use, modern fans can help you beat the heat without compromising style.

The LoftWing ceiling fan, above, is designed for large spaces such as lofts or foyers. It moves approximately 5,500 cubic feet of air with a back-and-forth motion that only requires 50 watts of electricity. It is designed and manufactured in Los Angeles. Price: $6,200.

More affordable but no less novel: the Dyson Air Multiplier, left. The Home section reviewed a prototype of the blade-less fan in January, and the product has since hit the marketplace. Yes, the design magically delivers a steady stream of smooth air. But function clearly takes a backseat to aesthetics. As our reviewer wrote, "the thing is simply lovely: futuristic, sleek, vaguely enigmatic" ­ -- a fan you buy not just to keep cool, but to be cool. Price: $299.

We've got five more fans on the jump, from a $12,000 sculpture at Moss to a budget buy from Target.

Seven bar carts for summer soirees

 

Planning a Fourth of July party? Perhaps it’s time to roll out a new look. We selected some bar carts for a range of tastes and budgets. First up: Vagoon from El Salvador-based Kiu Interiors.

We first saw Vagoon this spring at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York. The red top can flip over for use as a serving tray, and despite the playful look, the design has some heft to it — about 29 pounds. Price: $272 plus shipping, which varies depending on your location. Kiu doesn’t have any U.S. retailers for Vagoon at the moment. Contact the firm through its website. 

Six more bar carts after the jump, including Vladimir Kagan, Espasso, West Elm and CB2 ...

9 modern riffs on the old folding table

Card table, begone. Striking new looks in folding tables bring this modest party staple out from under the tablecloth. Our selection reflects a mix of prices and personalities -- the practical as well as examples of pure design creativity. All offer elegant looks that will last well after the holiday season has ended. Click to the jump for photos and details on our nine picks.

10 folding chairs to seat party guests in style

Whether you're a space-crunched urban dweller or a party host with an extended guest list, these portable perches work in a pinch. All provide supplementary seating when you need it during the holidays, then fold nearly flat for storage in a closet or under the bed.

We've assembled 10 options, including affordable picks from Anthropologie and IKEA as well as high design from Ralph Pucci and Poltrona Frau. For details on the chairs pictured here and others, click to the jump.