High on the concept
Aaron R. Thomas calls the plastic fabrication business his parents built 35 years ago “the best-kept secret in Southern California” for interior designers and people who want custom acrylic furniture. It may not be a secret for long. Thomas’ goal is transparent: to create “an internationally known line.” His work -- renditions of classic Eames and Chippendale designs, which the former high school football player likes to jump on to demonstrate their durability -- already has caught many a Modernist’s eye at furniture stores such as Bamboo Colony and H.D. Buttercup. With a 22-piece fall collection in the wings, Thomas’ showroom is staging a sale that runs two more weeks and includes the chair shown here (from $750). Aaron R. Thomas Designs, 2777 S. Bristol St., Suite C, Costa Mesa; (714) 434-1113; www.aaronrthomas.com.
FINDS
The next household name
Her successful TV show and magazine make Cristina Saralegui an Oprah en espanol. Now, as befits a media mogul, she is also a home decor designer. With the launch of the Casa Cristina collection for Pulaski Furniture (shown here at Linder’s Furniture in Fountain Valley), Saralegui plays tastemaker with a 110-piece line. It looks lavish but is priced modestly, with ornate dining tables around $1,000 and queen-sized canopy beds with carved posts, flame finials and a wrought-iron canopy and crown around $2,000. Though Casa Cristina looks grand, its creator is anything but. Describing her storage trunk on the Pulaski website as “the thing at the foot of the bed,” she notes that it’s a great place to hide nightgowns, robes and bedroom shoes, as well as high heels and pantyhose. “You do understand,” she says, tongue firmly in cheek, “my home is always, but always, perfect. Yeah, right!” For local dealers, go to www.pulaskifurniture.com/locator.cfm.
INNOVATIONS
Bright spot in bug traps
Summer evening barbecues: good. West Nile mosquito fears: bad. Ways to eliminate the latter and enjoy the former: sticky sprays, icky zappers and tricky-to-assemble propane-powered bug vacuums, none of which are attractive. The simpler solution: an outdoor lantern that does double duty as a bug trap. Using nothing more than a bright bulb and a plastic lens, the bronzefinished, vaguely Arts-and-Crafts Bug D’Light, $195, lures biting insects into the light. Stunned by the heat, they drop into a watery grave -- an easily removable drawer. For information, (800) 262-6612 or www.bugdlight.com.
SCRIMP/SPLURGE
Alabaster, authentic and in spirit
Exhibit A
Long prized for a soft, creamy finish that makes it a natural and flattering choice for lighting fixtures, alabaster is one stone that keeps rolling. The noble profile of London-based manufacturer Vaughan’s 19 3/4 -inch Alabaster Urn With Swag, top, hand carved by Italian artisans, is equally alluring to Old World design purists and new money minimalists looking for a neoclassical kick. It’s available to the trade for $2,200 at the Hinson & Co. showroom in the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood; (310) 659-7075.
Exhibit B
You can be sure it’s a keeper if Rachel Ashwell has made it part of her collection. For her Simply Shabby Chic line, the designer has crafted a resin version of an alabaster lamp, complete with a swag design along the shoulder of the urn. Fifteen inches tall -- and at least that many pounds lighter than its Vaughan counterpart -- the lamp’s base, bottom, is a less substantial piece at a less substantial price: $24.99 at Target stores.