Number One: These “Clouds” by Kvadrat are intricately hung pieces of semi-rigid fabric that are arranged by the owner into an infinite number of ethereal patterns, creating both an artistic installation and a creative spacial partition.

I don’t have a house. My apartment is a sublease, fully furnished right down to the spoons, but like many, I absolutely love design. My roommate says it’s because I’m nesting, that it’s my un-evolved hormones telling me to prepare for my future offspring but I, on the other hand, a good decade off from even considering joining the honorable ranks of motherhood, see it a bit differently. Design is an extension of the soul, another facet of self-expression and creative energy. Our surroundings, from our clothes to our homes, are indicators of our priorities, our passions, our aesthetics, our mantras; we extend ourselves beyond skin to affect our world in a way that only we can. Dwell Magazine’s exhibition this past weekend, Dwell on Design, was a strong reminder that consumerism at its best can be practical creativity. The showcase centered around concepts of innovative but simplistic and environmentally responsible products that pushed the imagination. From recycled wine bottles transformed into glasses, to futuristic sleeping pods, this show was a spectacle of design made real.

Number Two: The “Transport Perceptual Pod” by Alberto Frias; a brilliant post modern bed with ever changing colored lights to lull even the most insomniac individual into a state of womb-like sleep. The downside? The unmentionably high price tag.

Number Three: Idea Paint - paint that turns any surface into a whiteboard. Cleans easy and comes in a variety of magnificent colors.

Number Four: Amazing mixed media collages by Michelle Caplan. I bought two of these…totally worth it; I’m OBSESSED. She does her own work as well as pieces of commission.

Number Five: Wooly Pockets - Fabric planters that can hang or sit almost anywhere. Bring the forest to you!