Following Form

These accessories are in a cast by themselves.

Using techniques popular more than 50 years ago, Azcast Products are shaped from sand molds and hand polished.

A team of six artists and architects, most from Southern California, designed the pieces--house numbers, picture frames, vases, bowls, candleholders and bathroom furnishings--with Azcast co-owners Bonnie Kim and Eyreick Williamson.

“When we see an artist’s work we like, we approach them to do a design for us,” says Kim, whose company is based in the City of Industry.

Items in the line, made of 100% recycled aluminum, start at $16. New this summer is a charcoal barbecue grill ($99).

“The grill is our first outdoor piece, and it’s been very well received,” Kim says.

Azcast Products are available at the Art of Living, Katherine White Gallery, Areo, Thee Foxes Trot and the Laguna Art Museum in Laguna Beach; Between the Sheets and the Butera Collection in Newport Beach; Don Ryan Ceramics in San Juan Capistrano; Design Associates in Santa Ana and all Z Gallerie stores.

Space Savers

No room for a guest room? Overnight visitors can cozy up on the Snuggler, an oversized armchair by Action Lane that converts to a twin-size bed.

An accompanying ottoman has a storage area below the foot cushion--ideal for concealing clutter.

The Snuggler, introduced by the Tupelo, Miss.-based company this month, has a five-inch innerspring mattress that folds up like a sleep sofa. The chair (about $900) and ottoman (about $400) are available in two styles--the Optima, with contemporary lines, and the traditional-looking Hartford--and in an array of colors and fabrics.

For more information, call (800) 700-1233.

Dishing Up Color

You’ve seen his ties and boxer shorts. Now designer Gene Mayer has extended his fashion stylings to create vibrant, bold dessert sets.

Mayer, former longtime assistant to Geoffrey Beene, has always had his eye on home decor. He decorated his apartment, which was featured in Home and Garden magazine, in bright colors, and he welcomed the opportunity to design the porcelain plates and mugs for New York-based Swid Powell ($30 for a set of four).

“Next, I would love to do a collection of brightly colored sheets,” Mayer says.

For more information, call (800) 808-7943.