First off a super big thanks to Ralph, as this is his second recommendation this week. Community contribution is what it takes to make an affordable modern movement work, so keep sending those tips in.
So you just moved into a new apartment, and those 70’s glass globes over all your lights are driving you crazy. Butter, a NY based design studio had your dilemma in mind when thy designed the Lunette Clip-on Shade. Made of fiberglass, this simple fixture clips right on top of the bare bulb, offering an affordable and stylish alternative to the hideous glass globe. Animated view after the jump.

Available from Butter for $25.

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There certainly has been no shortage of demo on our little house. We have just one wall to go before we can start to patch things back up again, unfortunately this is a tricky one. The wall in question is the orange one shown in the plans to the left. First off, it is a structural wall, so when the final demo happens it will have to be carefully braced while a load bearing beam can be slipped into place. The second problem was that little green spot shown on wall “A”. That was where our houses breaker panel was, making it impossible to tear down the wall until it was moved. This week I finally got around to moving the panel to spot “B” across from the bathroom. I took the chance to update the panel to a new one that can accommodate our addition. Everything went smooth, and I had it all switched out in one day. Now I just need brace the wall, finish the demo, and slip in a new beam. Pictures of the wall before and after shown after the jump.

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If you have been reading Grassroots Modern for long, you probably already know that I am a huge fan of anything bentwood. That is why I was so excited when Ralph, a Grassroots Modern reader, emailed me last night about the Bentwood Tables on sale over at The Company Store. The table with magazine rack shown to the right is on sale for $22, and the table without the magazine rack is on sale for TWO for $29. Yep, you heard me two. They are both available in Walnut (my new favorite) and Birch. I though it was such a good deal I bought 4. Maybe that was a little overboard. Now I just need to figure out where to put them all…

Available at The Company Store. Two tables for $29 or one table/magazine rack for $22.

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For me, good modern design is more than just a sofa that looks good, it has to be functional. For those of us who’s homes and apartments are square foot challenged there is no more important function than storage. That is one reason that I love this Tweed Storage Sofa from Urban Outfitters. It has a classic retro/mid-century modern lines and a pleated tweed pattern that complements its sleek low stance. Speaking of functionality, not only does it have storage, it also folds out to make a bed. Not too much more you could ask of a sofa, especially at $580.
Available at Urban Outfitters for $580.

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I came across this website some time ago called Bluefly. Their claim to fame is that they have items from over 350 designers, starting at over 40% off. The first time I perused their site, it looked to me that the prices weren’t too much better than anywhere else online, and their selection was a little wanting. I stopped by again today, and I may be having a change of heart. They have a good selection of Dwell sheets and duvets on sale, both last years styles (or is it two years ago) and some newer ones as well. The Butter Hexagon queen duvet shown above is $123 which seems like a pretty good price. They also have quite a bit of Jonathan Adler stuff as well, but textiles and housewares. The sage green relief stoneware “Slide” desk lamp shown above is $150. So the question is, has anyone else used bluefly before? Did you love them or hate them?

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MoCo Loco recently interviewed Architect Upe Flueckiger about his Lubbock, Texas home that was built for $51 a square foot. It is interesting to read about his inspirations and point of view regarding the design of his home. While Upe tries to avoid being grouped into the whole modernist category, its obvious that his style coincides closely with other modern homes. While he doesn’t go too closely into detail about the methods he used to reach the $51 a square foot price point, it is interesting to note that it is far below any of the other modern prefab homes that claimed to be the answer to affordable modern housing.
Read the interview here.

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The other day I was at the farmers market, and I was dying for something to drink, so I wandered over to Tony Caputo’s looking for a something not sweet and refreshing. I came across the Voss water, and as always was entranced by the beautiful glass bottles that they come in. So I finally pulled the trigger, and bought a 4 dollar bottle of water. I justified it in my mind by telling myself that I wasn’t really buying a 4 dollar bottle of water, but I was buying a 4 dollar modern glass jar, that just happened to be filled with water. Lets be honest, thats the real reason I was buying it. So, how was it? Pretty much tasted like water to me, maybe next time I will have to try the sparkling kind. On the good side, the bottle really was quite nice, and I am sure I will find many uses for it in the future.

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As modern design moves into mainstream culture, more and more people are trying to cash in on good design. The good news for us humble modernists is that the more mainstream a style goes, the more likely we are to find affordable modern furniture. Case in point. Pier 1, long time importers of eclectic furnishings at affordable prices, has recently shifted its market toward modern design with the birth of its new line “Loft 21″. A shinning example of their take on affordable modern design is the Bradford Straw Chair. A simple armchair with clean modern lines at a price that’s not too shabby. It’s currently on sale for $329. I haven’t made it down to check out the quality of it, but if anyone has, let us know.

Available at Pier 1 for $329.

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