Scrambled legs
RIFFING
AS PART of its back-to-school push, Target’s Room Essentials line includes a no-tool-assembly Parsons-style table in black, white, wood grain and apple green. Though it’s sold as a solid-color set for $17.99, anyone who buys multiples can mix up the tabletops and screw-on legs for varied looks: A white top on solid black legs exudes Hollywood glamour, a green table with wood-grain legs has a Palm Springs modern vibe, and a black top propped on three white legs and one contrasting green is a clever take on the 1980s Italian design movement known as Memphis. For a neo-Baroque twist, we even crafted our own version, fastening a tabletop onto four wooden pillar candle holders purchased separately. www.target.com.
--
REDISCOVERED
Trophy-winning two-seater
Though he died earlier this year, the indomitable spirit of modern architect Ralph Rapson lives on in the Dwell lounge chair by Blu Dot. Rapson, who taught at the New Bauhaus school in Chicago and designed the unbuilt Case Study House No. 4, was among 165 designers who submitted seating ideas for judging by the manufacturer, editors at Dwell magazine and the public in an online poll. Rapson’s winning entry is made from powder-coated steel in silver or black, with a seat and bolsters in silver or lilac. Generously proportioned, the 49-inch-wide chair ($899) can seat two people or allow a petite napper to stretch out. Available through Plushpod in Los Angeles, (323) 951-0748, or Seva Home in Los Angeles, (323) 938-5405; www.bludot .com.
--
FINDS
Zebra crossing
Inspired by the exotic opulence of the pre- Castro era, Cuban sisters Rita and Sara Vazquez have created Havana 1515, a Dallas home-accessories firm that has won the favor of Hollywood design mavens such as Courteney Cox. Recently, the pair teamed with textile company Revman International to produce a big-ticket bedding line available nationwide. Defined by exuberant floral and animal prints, the Mambo collection mixes palm-frond and zebra patterns in shams that start at $179 and duvet covers and quilts that start at $795. Coordinating flanged box pillows, shown stacked at right, are $190 each. The designs, available in cotton sateen or silk, are at Craig Olsen, 130 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 677-2111.
--
KIDS
Superhero capes not included
Kids just might clean their plates if robots, monsters and superheroes are lurking under leafy greens. So goes the thinking at French Bull, which has produced a dozen character-driven dishes, plates and cups made of shatter-resistant melamine for youngsters who don’t know their own strength. The colorful plates and bowls are $9 each, cups are $6, and a three-piece set is $20, a savings of $4. Available at Lil Devils, 2218 E. 4th St., Long Beach; (562) 439 0555.