INSIDE & OUT : Tubular Turns

Jewelry designer Tamera Beardsley is putting her own twist on aluminum tubing.

For her home furnishings line, the Tamera Beardsley Collection, she has bent and shaped candlestick holders and napkin rings out of aluminum tubing, then adorned them with her signature gemstones.

Adorning jewelry with lots of faux gems, ribbons and other materials has always been a trademark of Beardsley’s.

She continues this practice with her home furnishings pieces, but with fewer ornaments for a more streamlined look, allowing the materials to stand out.

“Using different materials with the stones has inspired me in this direction,” said Beardsley, 36, who recently moved from Costa Mesa to Rancho Santa Margarita with her husband and two children.

“Also, as I decorate my house, I find I have evolved to a more calm, spacious decor, and I want to design things that will work with everything.

“Anything with texture or a lack of texture to it is very exciting to me right now.”

To mix and match with the candlestick holders and napkin rings, Beardsley will be adding bath bottles and topiaries made from recycled materials. The tops of the bath bottles will be adorned with gemstones. Also in the works are picture frames and framed mirrors made of rough and recycled woods.

Beardsley’s candleholders ($38 and up) and napkin rings (about $18) are available at Areo in Laguna Beach or by calling the Jeanine Matkowski Showroom in Los Angeles at (213) 623-1160.

Housework Help

Do you love a clean house but hate all the work it takes to keep it that way?

Author Paula Jhung’s book, “How to Avoid Housework: Tips, Hints, and Secrets on How to Have a Spotless Home,” can show you how to control the dirt and clutter, making it appear as if your house cleans itself.

Jhung, an interior designer who lives in Rancho Sante Fe, considers herself a slob and has perfected the art of camouflaging dirt, delegating chores, managing laundry and dealing with surprise guests.

In her just-published book ($10, 214 pages, Fireside Books, Simon & Schuster), Jhung uses a mix of anecdotes, humor and advice--her best tip is: “Lose the shoes; they track in so much dirt and germs we don’t see.”

Says Jhung: “The home should provide refuge from this crazy world instead of making us crazy trying to (maintain) it.

Naturally Neutral

Sometimes a package is as inviting as what’s inside. That’s why New York designer Donna Karan--known for her distinctive black packaging--will be offering her bath and body lotions in pearl-white sand bottles.

Karan came up with the idea while spending time at her beach house, which has a light-toned interior. She felt the signature line did not suit the house. “I love black in the city and white sand at the beach,” says Karan, “(and) staying neutral should always be an option.”

Karan’s naturals collection, which will be in stores in May, includes body lotion ($45), body cream ($65), cleansing lotion ($35) and body powder ($35). In Orange County, the naturals will be available at Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue or by calling (800) 647-7474.