So, I got an email from West Elm today, and while I kinda do like the look of their new Diamond Jacquard duvet cover and shams it was their sale items that got me excited. For those of you looking to completely redo your bedrooms on a budget, pay attention. This could be your ticket.

First off, if its an inexpensive platform bed you are looking for make sure you check out west elms low platform bed. You could get a full for $269 or a queen for $279. Be warned though, there have been some horror stories over at Apartment Therapy about the lack of quality. Seems to me that if you like the way they look, its almost a no brainer for the price. Just don’t get too rowdy.

So, you don’t want to risk it with the bed yet, but you could spring for some new sheets? Check out the Solid Color sheet sets. They come in aloe, indigo, or cloud. My personal favorite is the aloe. They are 200 thread count mercerized cotton. Each set set includes flat/fitted sheets and two cases (one case with the twin). A full sized set is only $59, queen $69, and king $69.

Next, I have always been a fan of nesting tables, although I don’t own any yet. West elms Modular Nesting Tables are a steal for only $79. You get three tables and a counless number ways to arrange them for a very good price. It seems like nesting table are one of those items that just never go out of style too.

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Well as the weather starts to turn colder, my thoughts start to wander toward one of my favorite winter pastimes . . . hot beverages. To me there is just something comforting about the whole process of making tea, from the boiling of the water to steeping and of course the drinking. So for those of you that don’t already have a tea pot, here is your chance. Sprout Home has some great new items, including some colorful teapots. The stump teapots come in four different colors, (my favorite is the orange, but the black or white would be good for you minamalists) and are just the right size for two cups of tea. They include a stainless steel lid, and a basket tea infuser. They are very resonably priced at $19. If you need some good teacups, make sure you check out my blog on Bodum.

Someone over at Livemodern asked about an affodable modern sofa, and this one from Scandinavian Designs came up. I thought it was such a good deal that I would at least mention it to everyone. Its called the Kiel Futon, and it is adjustable to three different positions (see pics). Available in grey microfiber with aluminum legs (as shown), or camel microfiber with black legs. Not a bad look for the price, I just wonder if it is durable? Anyone have any feedback?

I just wanted to give a shout out to the few dedicated GRM junkies that have been posting in the forums lately. It looks like things are starting to pick up. If you haven’t stopped by yet check it out. Think of it as your chance to get your voice out to the modern world. Also we will be making some changes to the website soon, so take the opportunity tell us what we should change.

I have mentioned before how much I love the whole Offi line of furniture. Well Design Public has them on sale, as well as a couple of other things. Some info about it from their website:

Furniture should do more, and this piece does — with a simple flip. This highly functional hybrid sits comfortably throughout the home as a side table or a stool with storage. Available in walnut or birch.

I have to admit, I do like the look of it, and the whole storage factor is a nice twist. They currently have it for sale for $89, down from thier usual $129. They do have free shipping for orders over $100, so throw in a set of Inhabit Placemats and call it a done deal.

Ok, I have to admit, there are a couple of things that I am an absolute sucker for when it comes to design.
#1 Anything modular. The idea of a product that is flexible enough to be put together in a variety of ways, and allows for some creativity just appeals to me.
#2 Green Design. To me good design should be global, since it is at the root of all consumerism, it only makes sense that efforts to protect our planet should start here.
So, with these two weaknesses in mind, MIOculture has won my heart with their 3D Wallpaper. These made their way around the blogs about a year ago, but I thought that they were worth mentioning again for all of those that didn’t catch it the first time. The 12″ x 12″ tiles can be arranged in any configuration you want and rotating them changes the pattern you get. They even have a program at their website that you can practice arranging them however you want. They are made completely of post and pre-consumer waste paper, and come with disasembly and recycling instructions. They come in four colors, and best of all, they are affordable. For $28 you get a pack of 12 tiles, or enough for a 3′ x 4′ space on your wall. That makes doing a whole wall fairly reasonable, or who says you have to do a whole wall. I think that a 3′ x 4′ section on a big wall would look great.

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Now don’t get me wrong, I am as big a fan of Dwell Magazine as the next guy, but their newest prefab venture with Empyrean (makers of the Deck House and Acorn House) has me wondering if we are really on the same page when it comes to defining “affordable”. When Dwell launced its first Dwell Home Design Invitational in 2003, the challenge was to design a prefab house for under $200,000. The point of the whole contest was to show that prefab was a potential means for making modern housing affordable to the masses, and it was largely succesful. The winning Resolution 4 Dwell home, came in slightly over budget, but ended around $100 a square foot. Now just two years latter, Dwell has anounced its partnership with Empyrean and a new Dwell branded prefab product. The Dwell homes by Empyrean. Their latest issue manages to slip in some free advertising in the Editors Note announcing

“…not one but three beautifully designed, highly functional, and eminently livable modern prefab homes.”

At least they didn’t try and slip “afforable” in there. Because if you are looking for that $100 a square foot mark that Res 4 hit, your looking in the wrong place. Later in the magazine they have a full page ad that reads.

“3 Great Modern Prefab Designs All Under $250/square foot. Want to learn more?”

We would love to. The three houses featured are Res 4’s Dwell home, Charlie Lazors FlatPak home, and a new house by Empyrean called the next house. All three of them are manufactured at Empyrean’s 300,000 square foot manufacturing plant in Acton, Massachusetts. The sizes range from about 2,500 square feet (Next House and Res 4) to just over 3,000 square feet (FlatPak). So, what do they cost you ask? Well , according to their website:

“The general range of prices for a typical 2500 square foot Dwell home will be in the $175-$250 per square foot range, including architects fees, our components, on site construction costs, and finishes.”

Let me help you with the math there. That puts the cheapest of the homes at around $437,500 and the most expensive at $750,000! I think it is fair to say that 1/2 million to 3/4 a million is not affordable to most of us. Now, I’m not trying to be negative here. I am sure there are a lot of great things that will come of this. The fact that Dwell was able to get three great designers together with one of the largest prefab builders in the nation is no small feat. It just appears that it may be some time yet before prefab delivers with its promise to make modernism affordable.

We want to know what you think. Drop by our Forums and let us know what you think about the promise of prefab.

So, the Grassroots Modern Forums have been up and running for a while now, and we have a few people who have registered, but we know we can do better. We hope that the reason that you come to this website is because you love modernism, and good design, and would like to see it become more affordable. Many great ideas come from discussion, and we want to hear from you. It only takes one person to get the ball moving, so if you haven’t already registered for the forums, go ahead and do it, then let us know how you make modernism affordable.

One of the first items I blogged about on the site was a wallet hand made by MAKR. I first found out about MAKR thanks to Josh Spear, and I have been following them ever since. MAKR started out about as grassroots as it gets, just one guy doing what he loves, creating. Although they have grown some since I first started checking their website, they are still very much a grassroots operation. And they are still making some beautiful leather accessories that I would love to have, although, they are getting a little bit out of my price range. I recently had a chance to catch up with Jason, MAKR’s designer/founder, and ask him some questions.

OK, let’s get the basics out of the way so we are all on the same page.
How old are you, where do you live, and what do you do for your real job.

I’m 24, I live in Florida and I work at a branding/architecture firm.

I noticed on your website you like photography a lot, how does that influence your work?

I’ve taken photos forever. I was really into skateboarding in school and I just wanted to document everything. I don’t know that the photography really influences my work as far as the imagery and production of the leather goods but it is part of my work in the broader sense. The photography is definitely part of MAKR as an identity because of how I represent the tangible goods but not as an inspiration.

What else are you passionate about?

I really love making things in general, food, art, whatever…….I love traveling, listening to things, I’m into lakes and forests and looking around.

You have a great eye for design, do you have any formal training in the area, or does it just come naturally?

I went to Ringling School of Art and Design, but it really doesn’t have anything to do (aesthetically) with what I am doing now. It was more for technical skills…….CAD, VIZ, RHINO, that kind of thing.

How did you get into making leather wallets and bags?

A lot of the inspiration for MAKR comes from summers in Iowa and all of the things that my grandfather had around. He was a private pilot so even though he lived in Iowa he still had these amazing luxury items that he would pick up on his travels. Tons of old cameras and bags and things….amazing things even to this day. I inherited this really old bag from my grandfather and it was falling apart from being in a basement in Iowa for so long. I loved the way it looked and felt so I wanted to turn it into something that I could use on a daily basis. At the time I was working on projects at a firm that owned a Laser Cam for model building. I threw some of the leather in there and cut a crude little wallet. The firm ended up closing and I bought the laser from them. I just kept experimenting with it and here I am.

Click below to continue the interview, and for more pics.
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