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Dan Ogassian was a math teacher who put 2 and 2 together and came up with a pattern he uses to create unique furniture.

He found out about tessellation (a two-dimensional pattern) through his math research. He combines that pattern with three-dimensional spatial furniture.

Interlocking themes are seen in his dining tables, from the puzzle table ($1,700) made of clear pine to the backgammon table, part of his gourmet series ($$3,000).

The Cyclops entertainment center is custom-made ($5,000) of pedauk and lace wood. Armoires ($5,000) are made of curly maple, koa and pedauk.

He makes one-of-a-kind glazes to complement his furniture and ceramic vessels, such as a 27-inch blue vase on arrow legs ($300). The arrow legs are an example of his recurring tessellation theme.

“I use a calculation program to assist in designing glazes that would have been impossible to produce a decade ago without a huge amount of experimentation and tedious equation balancing,” he says. Spoken like a math major.

Dan Ogassian’s Venice showroom is open by appointment. Call (310) 821-0903 or visit his Web site at https://www.loop.com/~tessellates.

Picture Windows

Enhance the views in all your rooms, using your favorite images, not the ocean or other outdoor scene, to set the ambience or mood.

Creative Blinds Inc. can turn most ordinary horizontal or vertical window blinds into works of art.

Using state-of-the-art technology, Creative Blinds can transfer nearly any image, such as pictures of animals, cartoon or nursery theme characters, from a variety of media, including photographs, negatives, slides, fabric and wallpaper.

Even family photographs, artwork or images from a photo library on CD-ROM can be used.

The image on the blinds is protected with a matte finish, so it is easy to clean with a simple dusting. Even though there is some UV protection, direct sunlight should be avoided.

For more information or to locate the nearest dealer, call Creative Blinds in Fullerton at (714) 961-1088 or e-mail the company at https://creative blinds@worldnet.att.net.

Gal Pals

Garden Gals, a new line of quality tools, are made to fit a woman’s gardening needs. The tools are smaller and lightweight, which make them easy for a woman to use.

There are five tools in the collection, designed by avid gardener Victoria Addison. The bypass pruner and all-purpose needle-nose pruner have a slide-lock closure for one-handed operation. They also feature molded grip handles that reduce stress and fatigue on hands and wrists. The stainless-steel blades do not rust and never need sharpening.

The floral shears are also designed for one-handed operation and have blades that never need sharpening. The multipurpose scissors, which are dishwasher-safe and have a bottle opener on the handle, are ideal for household use.

The house plant/bonsai pruner, designed for precision pruning, also has molded handle and rustproof stainless-steel blades.

Garden Gal products cost from $15 to $18. For the nearest retailer, call (888) 478-6657.