Trendspotting: <br> Four snail-inspired furnishings, from Mod to mad

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Carrying their homes on their backs, snails could be considered a metaphor for today’s slow and somewhat slimy housing market. We’re not sure where the inspiration is coming from, but designers are creating modern products that are often abstract reductions of the garden pests’ primordial form. Karmelina Martina’s Helix full-size lounge chair, top left, designed for Moroso, will debut this fall with price still to be determined. For a more realistic look (if not price), legendary Hollywood designer Tony Duquette’s glowing Ghost Snail lamp, top right, recently was reissued by Baker. The handcrafted, shell-clad 1970s design sells for a whopping $19,890. For less expensive, more cheerful pieces, try a $204 kid-size bookshelf, bottom left, at Petit Tresor, or Jonathan Adler’s snail box, bottom right, $75.

-- David A. Keeps

Photo credits (clockwise from top left): Moroso, Baker, Jonathan Adler, Petit Tresor