This month we are dedicating a portion of our posts to chair love.  Chairs are an important part of our lives and these three in particular changed the direction of chairs forever.  Our selections for today's post are icons in modern design.  Enjoy...

I don’t recall when my love affair with chairs began.  A well-designed chair speaks to me in a way unlike any other element in a room.  The range is so versatile from warm and cozy to sleek and sexy.  While modern furniture really is my thing, I have a deep appreciation for any well-made, well-designed seat.

To understand how chairs have evolved, it is important to know some history and important pieces that played a part along the way.  This month we will devote several posts to the love of chairs.  We will be discussing some important pieces, their designers, and their role in the history of the modern chair.

Here are the first three chairs to love...

Every so often we stumble upon a product of service that is really worth sharing.  We pass those along through the Today's Nest Facebook page and through Twitter, but sometimes we are lucky enough to get to partner up with some of the folks behind the scenes.

Today one such partnership has put Easy Canvas Prints at the forefront of our Savour Spotlight series.  This company will take just about any image you own and transfer it to canvas and then mount it for hanging in your home or office.  You can put together a quote for your artwork or even choose from their gallery.  You will find a few examples here.

To make things better, we have teamed up with Easy Canvas Prints to bring you another giveaway.  One lucky reader will get the photo of their choice on a 8”x10”x.75” frame.  This would be great for family photos or your favorite recipe for the kitchen.  Simply follow the contest rules at the end of this post to enter.

savour… worth a thousand words

Get the rest after the jump…

I love the notion of sitting on the patio with a tall glass of sangria in the summer.  Creating an outdoor space that you love to visit makes all the difference.  Today we tackle a table that just about anybody and make.  Best of all, it’s almost free.  It will require a bit of work and you may want to enlist some help, but the overall result is perfect for a carefree patio.

This isn’t the first time we’ve used palettes for building materials around here.  You may remember the patio farm table we built or this fun butterfly art for inside.  Using palettes provides plenty of material, keeps them out of landfills, and saves you loads of money.  Keep in mind, none of these things are meant to be heirloom pieces, but they are practical and, if treated well, will last for years to come.

savour... cheap chic

Get the rest after the jump...

Does your patio rest in the doldrums?  Is it a place to store the garden hose or have you found a quiet corner to call your own?  Consider the patio another space in your home and make it a destination.

Over the past couple of years, home improvement centers have begun offering lots of home products traditionally thought of as ‘inside items’ to be used outdoors including table lamps.  These products have been designed specifically for outdoor use and are weather resistant.

Don’t let taking the inside out stop with furniture though.  Exterior walls could certainly be used for art work or accessories to complement your patio ‘room’.  What you place on these walls will need to be somewhat weather resistant based on exposure to moisture.  It should not be precious.

Today we offer up one solution meant for summer.  It is stylish and sweet and adds just the right amount of color to our patio space.  The best part of this project is that it is incredibly inexpensive.  The trays all came from a thrift store and the entire project was less than $25.

savour… quiet corners

Get the rest after the jump…

If you have been following along here, you already know how I am inspired by modern design.  I love the simplicity and clean ines of it.  You have also probably seen a post (or dozen) about repurposing or upcycling materials to breathe new life into them.  For example, we turned old palettes into butterfly art, a patio farm table for 12, and upcycled this vintage settee and office credenza.

We kick off our Savour Spotlight series today with a look at one of my new favorites.  Josh Waldbaum is the artist behind Living Simplistically.  This home furnishings company uses reclaimed materials to create unique, long-lasting pieces with style.  He has managed to capture simple elegance and eco-friendly in his carefully-crafted line.

savour... meaningfully modern

Get the rest after the jump...

It's been a long week.  I planned several posts for this week, but circumstances beyond my control prevented me from presenting quality material.  The good news is that I have a new computer and internet solution, so I am ready to go.  To make up for the delay, I brought you something shiny.  I hope you like it.

Several years ago I bought a sack full of chandelier crystals for a ridiculously low price at the Rose Bowl flea market.  They have been waiting out their chance to shine while sitting in a bin in the studio.  Many will still have to wait for another project (maybe a lighting project), but I shined a few up for this beaded curtain project to bring a little sparkle to a drab corner of a room.

savour... your chance to shine

Get the rest after the jump...