WRITTEN BY REBECCA TEAGARDEN

Steeling the show

The Neoporte steel door.

Stainless steel has been making its way into the home big time: ranges, refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, coffee makers, blenders. So what else is new? Make a statement in stainless right at the front door with one of the icy-cool selections from Neoporte Modern Door of Santa Monica, Calif. Each one is built ready to install, maintenance free and as tough as, well, steel. Nobody's breaking this door down. And forget about weathering, rot and decay. This is forever. They also come with a cleaning kit and really cool key. Each door is built to order (including lever option and handmade specialty-glass panel inserts) and custom sizes are no problem up to 4 feet, 6 inches by 10 feet. Prices start at $5,195. If you ever find yourself in Santa Monica you can visit Neoporte's first showroom, which just opened. Check them out at www.neoporte.com or call them at 1-877-711-2100.

Can you hear me now?

The BeoCom 2 phone is crafted from a single piece of aluminum.

Phones these days are as trendy as watches. If you don't like the one you've got now, just wait five minutes. Here's a sleek number from Bang & Olufsen. In fact, we challenge you to find a sleeker phone. The BeoCom 2 is a cordless caller made from a single piece of aluminum. The gentle curve matches the shape of the human face and sits naturally in the hand. The unique ring tone, made just for BeoCom 2, is "a pleasant invitation to pick up the phone," according to the folks at Bang & Olufsen. It's also got caller ID, redial, a 200-name-and-number phone book and volume-control function that controls the sound of Bang & Olufsen televisions and music systems. The suggested retail price is $1,050. For more information call 1-800-531-9873 or find them at www.bang-olufsen.com.

Good, and good for you

Here's something to think about when you're filling up the recycle bin. Some of that paper may come back in its next life as über-cool 3D wallpaper. V2 are wallpaper tiles that can be reconfigured into different patterns, varying the feel, look and acoustic properties of any environment in mere minutes. It's made from pre- and post-consumer waste paper, is easy to install and can be recycled when no longer needed. The Salm brothers of Philadelphia, two guys in their late 20s who own MIO, the company that makes V2, say the tile is a new language of "adaptive architecture" using urban waste as the medium. The tiles are 12 inches square and 2 ½ inches deep, and cost $28 for a 12 pack. They come out of the box the color of, um, a box, but can be painted. The Salms call what they sell "responsible desire," design that is desirable and sustainable. It's a needs vs. wants thing. Reach MIO at 215-925-9359 or www.mioculture.com.

Fetching fabrics

Weimaraners are featured on fabrics in the William Wegman Collection by Crypton.

Upholstery has gone to the weimaraners with the William Wegman Collection. Pups in profile pop up in muted modern blues, browns, greens, rusts and beiges. The folks at textile-manufacturer Crypton know a nation of pet lovers when they see one, so they came up with a line that "celebrates the growing importance of man's best friend." Wegman drew from his photography, drawings and his dogs for the patterns Posey, Picture Posey, Material Dog, Dog to Dog, Signature and Hound in the Round. Crypton's fabrics are stain, liquid, odor and bacteria resistant. The Wegman textiles, which sell for $85 a yard, came out last fall, but debuting just now is a line of consumer goods by Lazy Susan that uses the fabrics (www.lazysusanusa.com). An original Wegman in decorative-pillow format runs $95. Of course, there's also a line of pet beds.

Check out the hounds, available direct at Crypton (www.cryptonfabric.com), and to the interior-design trade through Kravet showrooms (www.kravet.com).

It's curtains for Rejuvenation

Rejuvenation has expanded its selection of quality lighting and house parts for period homes with a new line of drapery hardware. The "period basics" made by the Portland company were available from before 1900 and into the 1940s. "We try to stay at 50 years behind the times," says Bo Sullivan, who specializes in historic research and design for Rejuvenation. The line features 1-inch drapery rods and 3/8-inch cafe sets, good alone or for a drapery-sheers combo. They come in a choice of six finishes and are custom cut ($98 up to 72 inches and $15 for each additional foot) and include two finials and brackets. Rings, holdbacks and tassel hooks are separate. The sets are solid brass and hefty enough to be used for weight-lifting curls. The Seattle store, Rejuve Seattle, is at 2910 First Ave. S. (206-382-1901). For armchair decorating tactics, check them out at www.rejuvenation.com.

Rebecca Teagarden is assistant editor of Pacific Northwest magazine.