Hey that shiner is tough.

I met Joe of Shiner International at the California Gift Show this summer and fell in love with his furniture and lighting. Can you see why? I am the proud owner of the black rib chair. I had to wait around for a very long time for the drayage guys to help me get the chair into my car after the show, but it was well worth it.

Not only is his work aesthetically pleasing to look at, but it's also made in Atlanta, GA from recycled and eco-friendly materials . See the white lights in the photos? They are made out of styrofoam. He describes his work as "dirty, sexy, clever and dark". The company is named Shiner, like a black eye. Joe wore his first black eye as a badge of honor at the age of seven and now as an adult he can stand proudly behind these collections.

I like to daydream about interior design sometimes and having this unique piece of furniture in my apartment allows those daydreams to become just a little more realistic. I check out blogs like Decor8 regularly just to get my fix. Since I live in Los Angeles space comes at a premium, so I am not going to be a homeowner with the freedom to decorate and remodel anytime soon . I hope someday my chair will have a place in a much larger studio space with lots of windows and light, but for now it is happy residing next to my gray futon.

I meant to write about this collection months ago but I am just getting around to blogging again. Better late than never right?