If you were into the look of the Algues, but weren’t quite up to the adventure of stringing them all together to make a proper screen, then perhaps the Fusion Partition is for you. Don’t let the name fool you, just because they are called a partition doesn’t mean that’s all you can use them for. These funky modular pieces are the perfect stater kit for some affordable wall art. In case you haven’t noticed, 3d wall coverings are the next wallpaper, and we happen to love the idea. The Fusion Partition is sold in a set of four panels (about 11″ square each) for a mere $20. They come in a couple of different colors (slate shown to the right) and fit into any decor.

From CB2, $20 for four.

Seattle based Velocity Art and Design has some new picture holders from a company called Three by Three. You all probably know what a sucker I am for bent wood, so that may be one of the reasons that I like them so much. These curved woodnetic photo frames are purely simplistic. While they look like a normal piece of molded plywood, they are actually a wood veneer over a metal plate. This technique allows them to make the frames much thinner than traditional bent wood. Of course the other bonus is that you can use magnets to hold your pictures on, which makes for a great flexible and simple way to pin a picture up. Three by Three has lots of great organizational things too, make sure you check out their website.

Available from Velocity Art and Design from $16-$28.

I thought that I would give everyone the update on our Fatboy Dog bed. We finally got around to ordering it a couple of weeks ago, and have had it for about two weeks now. We ended up getting it from Design Public. We decided to get it in brown, although the orange was quite tempting. That is one of the downsides to ordering online, you never know exactly what the color will turn out like. The brown is about what we expected. The cover is a very tough nylon that will hold up well over time. It is also removable, so you could throw it in the wash. Ainlsey loves it, although it did take him a little bit to get used to the bean bag effect.

Just a quick heads up for all of you CB2 fans out there. They have finally evolved beyond the realms of the internet, and now have their very first printed catalogue available. If you are like me, and you just can’t get enough catalogues, you can request a catalogue.

If you liked the French Floral Plates that we featured a couple of weeks ago, then you have got to love these French Floral Lamps by TAÏR MERCIER. Like the plates, they are made of polypropylene and have silhouettes of red or white poppy flowers on them. These little guys are a great deal at only $35 each. I didn’t notice it last time I posted, but Taïr Mercier also has some nice placemats that feature the same pattern as the plates and lamp. According to Elsewares, “Taïr Mercier is a husband-wife design team making classic french style affordable from their Paris studio.” It’s good to see someone overseas supporting the affordable contemporary movement.

Available from Elsewares for $23-$35.

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For those of you looking to breath a little bit of life into your old Ikea sofa, how about a new slip cover. Sure you probably already have a couple laying around that you got with your sofa when you bought it, but admit it they are looking pretty sad. Replacing a sofa doesn’t fit everyones budget, but I bet most people could scrape together $250 and get a new slip cover. Now before I go on, I must admit that I am not usually a fan of slip covers, but I will make an exception here. These slip covers from Bemz are quality and look like they fit great. They have them for a couple different Ikea sofas and they have a pretty decent selection of colors and fabrics too.

Check them out here.

I usually make an effort to only blog about items that are currently available for purchase. I think that is generally one downfall in the whole blogsphere today, everyone is in such an effort to be on the cutting edge that the don’t worry about people never being able to get any of the cool products that they blog about. Today I am making an exception to highlight some projects from a very talented industrial designer Ian Gonsher that has some great affordable ideas. The first is the D_light shown above, which is a simple flat packed polyethylene lamp, that would be very affordable to produce. I also was impressed with the idea of the cardboard table. Sure the whole idea of cardboard furniture is pretty lame if you ask me, but if you are already shipping something in a cardboard box, why not include a template to make a hip table for free.

Make sure you check out his website.
More pics after the jump.

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The guys from Furni have been making the rounds in the blogs lately, starting over at cool hunting and then over at joshspear.com. After seeing some of their work, and being very impressed with the pricing, I decided to get together with them for an interview. They were kind enough to take a time out to talk about some of the challenges to designing affordable modern furnishings, and what they are doing to join in the affordable modern revolution. They also hinted at some great new products that they should have rolling out very soon.

Check out the full interview after the jump.

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OK, so maybe you don’t usually think of polypropylene plates as exotic, or hip, but these French made dishes certainly have style. Printed on the translucent plates are silhouettes of poppy flowers in either red or white. Available in a set of four, they are priced to sell at only $26. One thing I really like about these plates is that they are durable enough for everyday use and abuse, but have that little bit of flair that you need in your daily life. They are also dishwasher safe, which is a must around my house.

Available from Elsewares for $26 for a set of four plates.

Last week our design without reach post linked to how you could make your own satellite bowl out of chopsticks, with out having to get gouged on the price. This week for those of you that are either too lazy to make your own, or just really want one with the original design by Carlo Contin, I point your attention to the MoMA store. They have this classic piece on sale for just under $30 which is about as cheap as you are going to find an original. Throw in a couple of exotic fruits, and you have the modern look that drove dwell magazine to write the original fruit bowl manifesto (whatever happened to that anyway?).
Available here for $29.95