DESIGN SANS FRONTIER - Feast your eyes on fiercly designed pieces from across the globe...: 2011

Online shopping offers some obvious advantages - a larger selection and better prices all at your finger tips. Not to mention, your purchase is shipped right to your front door. All in all, online shopping has undoutedly transformed how often we shop and how quickly we act on impulses. Having said that, online shopping can be overwhelming and impersonal - but that is changing. As more and more people shop online, stores and businesses are coming up with creative ways of getting more eye-balls to their site. We're now seeing a shift towards taste-tailored, sophisticated and more user-friendly online storefronts with exclusive inventories. This is great news for people like me who crave rare and beautiful objects at bargain prices. My post today is about a few of these websites that I think are front runners in changing the face of online shopping.

1stdibs.com
Their tagline - "the most beautiful things on earth" is no exaggeration. This site is eye candy for anyone who loves antiques. You can shop by city, style and designer shop. This is probably the most comprehensive antique shopping experience on the web.

theFoundary.com
A website by Hayneedle, this is a great place for exclusive products at deep, deep discounts. Brands and designers change every couple of days and once you sign up, you'll get an email list of all the brands being represented. You earn credits by referring the site to your friends and those credits are like an alternative currency - you can spend them on anything from site. The cool twist they've created is a 10 min purchasing time limit - once you see a product you like, you add it to your cart and its "reserved" for you for 10 mins. Take it or leave it! Fan their Facebook page and get all the updates: http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheFoundary

OneKingsLane.com
Similar to theFoundary.com, with a 15 min purchasing time limit. They focus on weekend tag sales that are really worth checking out. They've got a great customer service team that can be contacted via Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/OneKingsLane

Shopstyle.com
I generally don't like scraper websites, but this one actually does a great job of aggregating brands and designers in one place. You can do searches that are pretty specific - like I typed in round coffee table and over 6 pages of relevant images were returned. Shopstyle.com is a great for inspiration and saves a lot of time.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/ShopStyle

Giltgroupe.com
Well known for runway fashion deals, but also pretty great for living space deals. They've done an excellent job with their user interface - it feels modern and sophisticated. You can buy items that are in stock or get on their wait list. They're also branching out into the luxury vacation space with their "jetsetter" section, which is worth exploring.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/GiltGroupe?v=wall

Happy 2011 everyone! I just got back from visiting my parents in Hong Kong and am settling back into work and life in Seattle. This time around, mom and I decided we'd hit up Horizon Plaza - a giant furniture warehouse on Hong Kong island. Dad was a good sport about it, but complained a little when we decided to make it a full day affair. I tried to explain to him - how could I leave without a visit to the furniture mecca of Hong Kong?? He seemed less than enthused, but tagged along anyway...

Horizon Plaza - I remember visiting this place over 15 years ago - at that time, it was about 1/5th the size. There were fewer stores that catered to a very wealthy and often highly entitled group of people (also known as the expatriate population of Hong Kong!). Now, in post colonial times, the place looks a little less stuffy and a lot more approachable. I wandered through stores like Shambala, Tequila Kola and Tree, marvelling at the raw wood furnishings from India and Bali paired with Belgian linen couches and French bergeres. For those of you who don't know, I grew up in Hong Kong and every time I visit back, I'm struck by the seamless juxtaposition of cultures and the lasting impact it has had on my design aesthetic. As I walked through Horizon Plaza, I was happy to see that eclectic blend of cultures come to life through the styles and designs displayed on the shop floors. It felt like home. Here are a few of my favorites from Horizon Plaza.