Linda Merrill emailed me to say she too was at Residential Design & Construction last month. Linda is the owner of Chameleon Interior, an Interior Design firm based on the South Shore, and runs not one, but two different design blogs.

::Surroundings:: is her primary blog that supports her design business. In it, she not only posts great new finds, but also tracks the progress of a project she is doing for WHDH-TV's "Room for Improvement".

Master Of Your Domain is her blog with Peg McGuire. They bill the blog as "Interior Design for the cute but clueless man". I like to think of myself as having a clue, but I've seen some of my friends' places, and they could use this blog. It's a fun look into what women think about men's abode's, with plenty of suggestions.

Hungarian designer Gabor Jutasi emailed me about his new creation, the Sushi Bench. Made of plywood and a water- and UV-proof, scratch resistant coating, this graceful curve of a bench is good for indoors or out.

The minimal bench has a purposeful Asian design theme to it. Jutasi "took inspiration from dry gardens of Shunmyo Masuno. In bustling cities, these little gardens, sanctuaries, roof terraces, and spas offer a heaven of peace, and a place for spiritual purification." I can see this perfectly in a little meditation spot.

Gabor Jutasi is currently taking direct orders for the bench, but is working to get worldwide distribution. It is available in white, black, and red - I'll take mine in black.

Kate, who wrote in looking for location ideas for a wedding reception, wrote in again. This time, she's giving me the info to share with you.

Her brother imports a beautiful and environmentally responsible material called Kirei, made from the stalk of the Sorghum plant. Sorghum plants are grown worldwide for food. "The stalks left over after harvest are heat-pressed with a non-toxic adhesive to form lightweight, strong, unique Kirei Board."

Kirei Board can be used for a variety of applications, from flooring to furniture. Kate also told me about Organo-Contemporary, a line of natural home furnishings made from Kirei.

Kate, thanks for letting us know about Kirei!

Adam Leveille, owner of Book Sculpture, tipped me off to the Somerville Open Studios, happening this weekend, May 5 and 6 from noon to 6:00. Over 300 artists in 100 locations will be showcasing their works. There will be trolleys and free ZipCars to get you from one location to another.

Adam requested you make a point to visit his workshop. It's just off the bike path in Davis Square.

"Fear", the piece above, is by Adam.

If you're looking for a great idea for a day or weekend trip to enjoy the warm weather, here it is: Philip Johnson's Glass House is now open to the public.

Located on 47 acres in New Canaan, CT (3 hours from Boston), the entire Philip Johnson estate is available for viewing. From within the Glass House, you can see many of Johnson's other creations: The Brick House, the yang to the Glass House's yin; the circular concrete pool; Lake Pavilion, "an experiment in pre-cast concrete located on a man-made pond just down a hill"; the Library/Study; and the Ghost House, "a barn-shaped folly made entirely of chain-link fencing — a wink at fellow architect Frank Gehry's use of everyday materials."

Three buildings you'll be able to go into, aside from the Glass House, is the Painting Gallery (1965), the Sculpture Gallery (1970), and Da Monsta (1995).

In order to keep things as intimate as Johnson intended them, attendance is limited to 10 people per tour, with six tours per day. Obviously, reservations are highly recommended. There are a variety of tour and group options available.