I’m a sucker for cute. Slap a pair of beady eyes and an adorable tail on just about anything and I’ll buy it! That’s why I love the Animal Friends Mug and Spoon Set from Urban Outfitters. The sweet cat mug and matching kitten spoon that perches on the ceramic ring is about as cute as it gets. I can’t wait to get mine for my nightly hot-cocoa-and-couch sessions come winter time. –Katie D.

Here at Shelterrific we’ve fielded questions about how to display collections before, and now reader Meg has one of her own regarding placement of her four antique typewriters.

Meg writes:

I have a question about how and where to hang four antique typewriters. My living room has a large square arch into the dining room, so I’m thinking of hanging them over that, but I’m not sure about two things:

1. Whether that would be too high to see detail (one of the machines is a pre-WW2 Mercedes; another is a Blick 8 )

2. How, exactly, to affix the machines to the wall. I know I’ll have to hang them from the studs, and was thinking of fitting a piece of 1/2″ hardwood ply to the studs, then screwing the machines (somehow) on that, or wiring them, or something. I don’t want a thirty-pound Mercedes coming down on the cats, of course.

The walls in question are a combination of wallboard and fiberboard panelling with studs that are 24″ on center. There’s a large square doorway between the living and dining rooms in my house; I’d like to hang the machines either over or to one side of the doorway. (Over would give me better access to studs; beside would allow people to actually look at the things and see the details).

Considering the weight of the steel typewriters, this seems to be an engineering question. Anyone have advice for Meg?

Anyone tried a TreadDesk yet? I don’t think I could bear to work anywhere but at my grandfather’s desk when I’m at home. However, I wouldn’t mind if I walked in one morning to see TreadDesks in the office. Long meetings wouldn’t be any less boring, but at least they’d be a bit more productive and incorporate some movement. Stationary models are $475 while the adjustable-height desks start at $1498.50. –Sarah L.

1) There’s still a market for hand-crank doorbells. ModFruGal says: “I had an old one in my 1912 house and it was fab…it could be heard upstairs, but if you had a sleeping baby, you could just unscrew the interior part to disable the doorbell. So simple. Glad to see these are back.” See our pick here.

2) You love going behind closed doors when those doors lead to Dale Chihuly’s boathouse. Nicole says: “I am so insanely jealous! Lucky you!” Click to see part one and part two of Megan B.’s exclusive tour or visit our Facebook page to browse the photo album.

3) Bookshelf Porn is not only appropriate, but inspirational! Tyna says: “Squee! That archive of bookshelf porn images is just awesome! What a great way to waste some time – plus I may finally be inspired to do something with my out of control books.” Click here for your fix.

4) Laundry bags are a great place to indulge some feminine touches. Urban Outfitters does the trick with their ruffled option. Chelsea says: “Thanks for this awesome find! I love the frills, and that the color balances out the uber-girlie vibe!”

5) When it comes to the Oval Office, we all have design expectations. Ellie says: “I like the coffee table too, and as the space itself is imposing and the man himself is probably felt stronger than the furnishings this way, I don’t feel like it is awful.
 Though I still expect to see Bartlett blue, though apparently I live in an imaginary world.” How do you feel about the Oval Office re-do?

Send the kiddos back to school with some awesome love (and jam) filled treats: homemade pop tarts on on a stick, via Craft.

The Brick House has started a new obsession for us: vintage Dutch Tomado shelving. Beautiful!

It looks like this fuzzy Dedo message board is ripe for some heavy petting, in a totally appropriate way. Spotted at Swiss Miss.

More modern house number delights from Apartment Therapy — this time in bent metal and bright powder coat finishes!

Snacking in the Kitchen, one of our new favorite food blogs, shares her secrets for a sweet-and-savory sage scented challah french toast. Sounds perfect for a labor day breakfast, yes?

Check this DIY bedframe design made easy, via Make magazine. And not a shipping pallet in sight.

If you pine for the tangy taste of old-school, bright orange, bottled french salad dressing (like some of us do), then find out how to make your own version with fresh ingredients at the NY Times.

See CasaSugar’s great post gleaning the stealable design ideas from the September Anthropologie catalog. Things are looking brassy for fall!

Celebrate Labor Day by shopping the End of Summer Sale at Click! Design That Fits. Through September 5, enjoy 20-50% off all ceramics, 10-40% off home accessories and 25-40% off personal accessories.

The Container Store’s annual shelving sale is here. Now through October 17, take 25% off their entire collection of shelves and receive 25% off your Elfa installation service. Shop this weekend to catch the end of the Organized Home Sale, which ends September 6.

Stock up on summer favorites for next year (sigh) at the Fishs Eddy End of Summer Sale, featuring 50% off select items through September 12.

Visit The Company Store through September 13 to take advantage of their Fall Preview Sale and semi-annual Pillow Sale. Luxury bed and bath items are also on sale through October 13.

Well, certainly leaders of the free world need a neutral space in which to make decisions, but I can’t help being disappointed with the White House’s Oval Office redesign. Replacing the yellow carpet? Okay. Some creamy neutral stripes on the walls? Sure. But those sofas! Was Value City Furniture having a sale? (No doubt they cost a bit more than that, however.) For a space that hosts Prime Ministers and the like, I guess I was expecting something a little more stately, and a little less “Make it a Blockbuster night.” Thoughts? — Mary T.

Though it’s not a new idea by any means, the local foods movement is gaining momentum. We’ve posted before about joining community supported agriculture programs, and here in New York, our grocery delivery service has been promoting nearby farms with special shopping sections and discounts for buying locally. I’ve also had my eye on the Local Foods Wheel for the region. Available for the San Francisco Bay Area, the New York Metro Area and most recently the Upper Midwest, the wheel is an illustrated guide that details foods that are grown locally by peak season, so you can tailor your local buying to your taste. As a resident of a congested city it’s hard to know where my food originates, but these incentives have inspired me put more thought into the issue. What about you? Do you buy with local farms in mind? – Sarah C.

Each wheel is available for purchase on the site for $12.95, or you can also find yours locally (of course!) by consulting the “Places to buy” section on each region’s page.

If you thought the hot shop was cool, then what’s coming up is really gonna excite you. Lots of glass (of course), lots of collections, and lots of big, bold design choices. Chihuly actually received his first degree in interior design, and this training reveals itself in how he set up the space. The boathouse manages to successfully blend a huge range of styles — Native American, vintage, industrial, and Venetian opulence, to name a few. All of these elements, combined with a breathtaking Lake Union backdrop create a truly magnificent experience, one I’m incredibly thankful I got to enjoy! –Megan B.

Above: a detail of a chandelier in the Evelyn room. Click for more from the Boathouse! (more…)

When Delta offered to send me a new shower head to review for Shelterrific, I took one look at my icky, slightly rusted current shower fixture and headed to their website to pick out a new one. Truth be told, I was already enamored with the company thanks to the easy-to-navigate website and easily found a pretty product that would fit in with the rest of my bathroom. I choose the raincan shower head because it boasted H2Okinetic technology- a feature Delta has been kicking around that involves using larger water droplets that hold their heat longer to make your shower warmer and “more massaging” while also using less water (36% less according to their site).

Were the water droplets warmer and more luxurious than those from my old shower head? Maybe. For me it seemed like it was too delicate a thing to judge, so I’ll have to get the Princess and the Pea over to stay for a weekend and see if she notices a difference. More important than the technology for me ended up being the sheer size of the fixture! Comparable in circumference to a hearty personal pizza, the shower head released a torrent of water that felt like those of the fancy hotel spa showers I’ve been lucky enough to stand under. Pair that with the gorgeous modern curves of the fixture and I’m in bathroom heaven! It surprised me just how much my mundane morning shower was spruced up by the lavish new addition. –-Katie D.