Hasta La Ideas

Five more-than-meets-the-eye designs for the patio

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With summer in full swing, poolside patio chic just got that much more appealing with Spain’s top designers on deck to transcend pedestrian lounge sets into sleek and functional furnishings. Turning outdoor furniture into an inward meditation on minimalism and ingenuity, Spanish artisans craft dual-function designs that are as much at home overlooking the Mediterranean coast as they are eying the cityscape from a rooftop terrace.

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, furniture design firm Expormim opened a new showroom featuring outdoor furniture that captures the “Mediterranean way of life.” Both playful and utilitarian, a standout piece is the Ulah, created by Mut Design. The unique seesaw chair is crafted out of woven polyester that serves as a comfortable rocker and as a conveniently collapsible, stackable unit.

Valencia’s Vondom evolves modern furniture design into multi-purpose function with its flowerpot-cum-table series. Created for Vondom’s Moma collection, designer Javier Mariscal customized three table models that accommodate both vegetation and varying degrees of comfort for situational seating (lounging, lunching or standing).

Heating up the innovation of outdoor furniture is Spanish label, Kettal, with its Zig Zag Fire Pit created by Emiliana Design. Doubling as a coffee table or barbecue, this aluminum and mesh-woven design makes for a versatile veranda centerpiece.

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Spanish lifestyle brand Point creates modular reinventions of the wicker standard for outdoor décor. With its mobile table-slash-tray, Point seamlessly merges the craftsmanship of contemporary ingenuity with nostalgic charm.

Inspired by his background in textiles, renowned designer José Gandía experimented with materials and shapes to interpret open-space recreation. Taking outdoor furnishings indoors, Gandia encapsulated the patio experience with his glass-enclosed pavilion titled The Cristal Box that combines a porch and pergola for an all-in-one outdoor living room. Constructed of thermolacquered aluminum and wood, The Cristal Box invites backyard basking all year round.

Interiors From Spain details the latest in Spanish design from upcoming products to project highlights.

Five healthier frozen treats

When the weather heats up and clothes come off, ice cream seems like the ideal way to cool down—but that makes staying “bikini ready” a challenge. For a refreshing treat that doesn’t break the caloric bank, we’ve picked out five frozen treats that are sure to hit the spot.

Kaurina’s Kulfi

Popular in India, kulfi is a healthier version of ice cream, forgoing eggs and preservatives in favor of simply milk, sugar and natural flavors. They also skip out on the surprising additive of air, making Kaurina’s Kulfi richer and creamier than typical dairy desserts, while prolonging its frozen goodness. The bars are available online, and come in nine flavors, including pistachio almond, strawberry and coconut.

Jala Fudge Ice Cream Bar

Chocolate lovers will delight in Jala’s fudge bars, perfect for your midday pick-me-up. Jala bars are not just sweet chocolatey treats—these calcium-rich 110 calorie bars contain probiotics that help boost the immune system while promoting healthy digestion. You can buy these delicious treats at various grocery stores.

Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt

Frozen yogurt is a staple treat of the summer for a reason; it’s got the health edge over ice cream without sacrificing taste. Like Yasso’s slogan says, “All of the goodness, none of the guilt!” Now you can keep the delicious cold snack in your freezer with their first ever frozen Greek yogurt bars, which come come in raspberry, blueberry, and strawberry, as well as being fat-free, gluten-free, kosher and only 70 calories. You can pick some up at your choice of markets.

Rice Dream Bites

Rice Dream Bites are made to satisfy chocolate cravings. A sweet chocolate shell surrounds tiny bits of vanilla rice-based cream, providing a delicious meld of flavors. Even those of us who are lactose-intolerant can enjoy the creamy bite size treats, and they’re also gluten and cholesterol free, with no trans fat or refined sugars. The bites are available at various retailers.

Gaga Sorbet Bars

Everyone knows sherbet is delicious, and these creamy sorbet bars are no exception. All-natural, low fat and calories, and wheat and gluten-free, they’ll satisfy your sweet tooth and leave the health nut in you smiling. A unique mix of ice cream and sherbet shows off the smooth tastes of these zesty snacks, which are available in raspberry, key lime, lemon, coconut, orange, and chocolate online.

Four simple refreshing cocktails for warm weather sipping

After a great week in L.A. working with Gap’s 1969 denim design team last month, we decided to celebrate with the perfect topper to any hard day’s work with a round of delicious drinks. From Campari to Cachaça, below are four recipes sure to help you chill out during the warmer weather.

To cool down the right way, ice is an essential ingredient that usually gets overlooked We’ve been longtime fans of LA-based frozen water extraordinaire Michel Dozois, whose Névé Ice is made from twice-filtered water and put through a reverse osmosis system, then infused with minerals. The solid squares of ice fit into most glasses and melt at a leisurely summertime pace.

The Leblon Caipirinha

2 tablespoons superfine organic sugar

Muddled citrus (4 lime wedges mashed with sugar for 15 seconds)

Crushed ice

2 ounces Leblon Cachaça (Brazilian rum)

Shake well for 5-10 seconds and serve in a rocks glass and garnish with fresh lime.

The Honey Julep

2 ounces Macallan Fine Oak 10 Years Old (we used a bottle of Macallan 12)

1 barspoon of softened honey

6 fresh mint leaves

Churn with crushed ice and serve in an old fashioned glass, garnished with a large sprig of fresh mint.

Evan’s West Coast Negroni

1 ounce Beefeater Gin

1 ounce white vermouth

1 ounce Campari

A splash of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice and a splash of soda
Garnish with an orange slice

Serve on the rocks.

The Santo Libre

1.5 ounce 10 Cane Rum (we also recommend Brugal Anejo Rum if available)

A squeeze of fresh lime juice

Serve in a tall glass and fill with lemon-lime soda.

Two cold brew systems go head to head for the ultimate summer java

Cold brewed coffee is smoother, less acidic and exceptionally more tasty than dumping ice into a steaming hot cup of coffee. By relying on time rather than temperature the results are much more concentrated. To see which of the more well known cold-brewing systems do the job better we pitted the beautiful Japanese Hario against the more plain-spoken American Toddy.

Hario’s Water Dripper Clear sticks to the conventional drip set up of most cold brewers. A nozzle easily adjusts to leak water at roughly one drop per second from from the glass container into a grounds-filled beaker below. The drop-by-drop percolation process takes three to five hours, filling a small glass pitcher (in Hario’s charming trademark shape) with the the highest-quality concentrate.

The Toddy, on the other hand, has less stunning looks but equally satisfying results. Easing the grounds into the brewing process involves a series of steps designed to ensure thorough saturation. Once the 12 hour steeping period is over you remove a small rubber cork from the bottom, which allows the fresh coffee to drip freely through a filter into the pot. The resulting bold infusion is reportedly 67% less acidic than a hot brewed version.

Both processes produce a strong flavor specific to the cold brew process, but Hario was the office favorite. Not only does it look like a mad science project on kitchen counters, it produces a slightly cleaner-tasting concentrate and involves a less complicated process. The Hario sells at a steep $243 through Amazon. For the price and utility (it’s easier to clean too) the Toddy is also a great system, selling for a considerably more accessible $35 though Toddy’s online shop.

The ultimate hammock from the makers of the ultimate bed

Bringing their “floating on water” sensation to a classic hammock, fifth-generation mattress builders Hästens make a compelling argument for mellowing out this summer. Covered in iconic blue-and-white check fabric, the Hästens hammock is a re-release of a limited edition the esteemed Swedish brand produced in 2010, which sold out before ever reaching the U.S.

Like their built-to-order horse-hair mattresses, the bed experts make their cotton hammock using the “finest natural materials,” free of chemicals or toxins. Hästens claims their mattresses are “absolutely the best bed in the world” and we’re sure their hammock isn’t far off. The perfect place to chill out with a book as the weather warms up, the hammock sells from stateside Hästens stores for $284.