Is it a table or a stool? It's both; making a statement with wood

Everyone wants to be versatile these days, and that goes for furniture and artwork, too.

The Artful Home, which helps artists and crafters sell their work through catalogs and online, presents several items that can double as side tables or stools.

Dale Broholm of Wellesley, Mass., created sophisticated ebonized tables that look almost like chess pieces, but he said they are inspired by the mid-century designs of Charles and Ray Eames.

The male version has sharper angles than the rounder, softer female one. Both are made from poplar and painted with milk paint. Each is $1,950, and a pair is $3,725.

SMC Furnishings from upstate New York uses reclaimed wood for many of its stools. The grain makes a statement in these woods, which include pine, hickory, walnut, maple, cherry, wenge and something called padauk. Prices start at $500.

Visit artfulhome.com or call (877) 223-4600.

Do they carry guns in their gardens?

It's the time of year when living South looks better and better. If your heart or hopes lie south of Carbondale, the magazine "Garden & Gun" purports to be the "Soul of the New South."

It seems like a strange combination, but the name refers to its mixture of articles about the sporting culture and conservation ethic that grows out of love for the land. The beauty of homes, architecture and culture fits in, too.

Around here we talk about heirloom roses, but in the December/January issue of the magazine it's camellias that people are preserving. Grainger McKoy of South Carolina sculpts southern birds from wood. And gorgeous cypress logs are recovered from swamps in Florida to create incredible woodwork for wealthy homeowners. They were harvested from old-growth forests in the 19th Century, and some sank before making it to market.

Visit gardenandgun.com.

Unplug it when they're charged

I think charging stations are great inventions, and Bed Bath & Beyond has them in several designs and price ranges.

This $20 faux leather one is among the least expensive. It charges up to four cell phones, MP3 players and games. And it has an accessory tray.

You'll always know where your precious electronics are, and it might get them off the kitchen table.

Visit bedbathandbeyond.com or call (800) 462-3966.