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This Just In: Home/Garden Notes

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By PENNY L. CARNATHAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 18, 2008

Maison De Plage Chic

Add a touch of class to your beach cottage shabby chic with a new, summer-inspired line of French linens from QuelObjet.com.

The bright, whimsical patterns feature seaside images in sparkling Caribbean Sea tones. They're made of washable, 100 percent French cotton. Choose a 67-by-126-inch tablecloth for $292 (also available in custom sizes) and coordinating runner, napkins and tea towels (pictured, $20 each.)

See the whole collection at www.quelobjet.com.

Clarity Of Vision

French designer Patrick Jouin's work with Materialese, a Belgian company that produces innovative materials for everything from medical to automotive uses, has led to pieces such as this: the Thalya chair.

It's made of clear polycarbonate using gas-assisted injection molding, a process that results in a strong but lightweight material with the look of glass.

The Thalya chair, featured during Milan Design Week 2007, has arrived in Tampa.

It's available in clear, or transparent green, purple, brown, smoke gray or red, at Miami Modern, 2201 W. Dekle Ave., for $293.

Walkin' On Sunshine

Textile designer Alexander Girard's famous sun designs, which decorated La Fonda del Sol restaurant in New York City during the '60s and are echoed in today's hottest runway fashions, are part of a new line of Flor carpet tiles.

Flor rugs come in tiles, so the patterns can be mixed and moved. Each six-tile La Fonda rug measures 3 by 5 feet and comes in the large print shown, or a small print, as well as four color combinations. They're $159.99.

Some Flor designs are sold at Lowe's and Home Depot, but the La Fonda pattern likely will be available to local shoppers only at www.FLOR.com.

Step It Up

The hardy peroba rosa rain forest tree, a longtime favorite in Brazilian construction because of its beauty and durability, is now scarce, grown mainly in parks and preserves. So when old Brazilian buildings and boats are dismantled, the wood is reclaimed, its beauty heightened by the vestiges of bright paints that once adorned it.

Viva Terra uses reclaimed peroba in this 20-inch-tall step stool, which sells for $245, plus $25 shipping, at vivaterra.com.

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