Cheryl Shops

Website of the week
I've lamented before the fact that since my e-mail address is out on the Internet, I tend to get a lot of junk mail, from everyone from "exiled African kings" requesting my bank account number to websites peddling penile enlargement methods. A welcome surprise, however, is Velocity Art and Design, a Seattle-based purveyor of furniture, home accessories, and fine art. Their objective is to offer "warm modernism," and it shows. The merchandise is carefully selected and presented in an accessible--not intimidating--manner. Instead of carrying heavy hitters Kartell, Herman Miller, Knoll, and the like, Velocity's tends toward the lesser-known but well-received: Jonathan Adler, Blu Dot, Modernica, and others. I think the coolest--and one of the more affordable--items on the site is the groove tube, a device that suctions onto your TV and produces an abstraction of whatever you're watching (great for parties!). I love the Thomas Paul pillows, the very cool Pistillo lamp, and, of course, the Noguchi cyclone table, which you can also find in the apartment of yours truly. Also worth checking out is the artwork section, where, okay, most of the decent-sized pieces are four figures, but how cool is this limited-edition Jeff Koons puppy? As my grandma always said, Art is an excellent investment. (Funny, I say the same thing about fashion...) And since you'll be spending $1,800, your order will ship for free (as will any order over $100).