I wanted to be the first to welcome Rob Forbes to the blogosphere! Most of you know Rob through his EXCELLENT taste in furnishings as the Founder of Design Within Reach. Not only did Rob found one of my fave hotspots, but he is also the author of Design Notes, which has been around WAY longer than most of us have even been THINKING of blogging. I like to call him the original blogger, just not in a 'blog' format.

Now, the 56-year-old entrepreneur has announced his next venture: Studio Forbes, where he will post musings about worldwide design and food, wine and culture. "Design is all about our sensibilities and how they are fused together. I don't see how you can separate furniture from the way we live."

Rob has said that Studio Forbes is "still in its infancy," and he's not sure what else the site may offer. "Eventually, I'd like to have unique products that reflect local culture," he said. "That's broad enough to include food, music, maybe even lamps."

OOH, lamps! Grace Bonney will be SO SO excited!!!

Anyway, welcome to the blogosphere, Rob! Thanks for being such a huge inspiration for us, and I hope we can finally return a fragment of the favor to you!