The Jerry Lamp could very well be the ideal lamp for a kids room. It’s made of nontoxic hypoallergenic silicone that is unbreakable and never gets hot to the touch. That means it can stand up to the abuse of a toddler, and get knocked off a table without causing any tears. The Jerry lamp sits about 10″ high and 5″ wide and is currently on sale at DWR for $50, a huge savings over the normal $145 price tag. It is available in white or green.

Available at DWR for $50.

Here is a great little retro boomerang table from Etsy. Made of Beechwood veneered plywood, the table top is 1 1/2″ thick and has a black polyethylene molding around the edges. It is also available in white with classic hairpin legs. Each table is made in a small shop in Austin Texas, flat packed and shipped to your door. Assembly is simple, and the price is very affordable. Tables start at $75, which is a smoking deal for something hand made. Dimensions are apx 30″ long, 24″ wide and 17″ tall.

Available from Shereemc’s Etsy shop starting at $75.

I was perusing Overstock for some good modern outdoor furniture and I came across two decent pieces. Both are made of ABS plastic and available in a variety of colors. The Prism table is very contemporary and is almost a little far out there for me. Depending on the space however, it could look great. At $50 it’s 50% off of the original price.
The Uforia Chairs are a little more conservative, and thanks to the ABS that they are made of they would be a great little outdoor chair. You can pick up a set of two for $119. My only worry about it are those skinny little legs. No leaning back on those.

Available from Overstock.com Prism table $50, Uforia chairs 2 for $119.

Kohler has some great looking new products out. I am particularly smitten with some of their new sinks. The 8 degree sinks (above left) are some nice looking undermount stainless steel sinks with a more angular design. Very clean looking, and shockingly expensive at around $1,600! The other unique idea that I really liked was their Crevasse Prep Sink (above right). It’s basically a skinny sink with a garbage disposal at the bottom. It has some touch sensitive trickery to turn on the water and disposal and is also shockingly expensive at $1,350.
So you may be thinking to yourself at this point, why am I featuring unaffordable modern things at Grassrootsmodern? These same ideas could be fairly simply incorporated into a DIY concrete or resin countertop, or perhaps done on the cheap with a little creativity. Were still a couple months out from starting our kitchen remodel, but we’re always looking for inspiration.

More information and pics at Kohler.

Roscoe Jackson may be a new kid on the block, but they have some of the best looking sustainable furniture I have seen in a long time. The new Possum furniture collection is made of 100% HDPE (from milk jugs and such) and stainless steel fasteners. This results in a chair that is both sturdy and suitable for indoor or outdoor use. The design reminds me of Bludot’s Barabarella line of furniture, which is a good thing. While the Possum furniture may not be as cheap as a Ikea plastic chair you at least get the satisfaction of knowing that you money is supporting both an environmental cause, as well as a great startup design firm.

Available from RoscoeJackson.com or Sprout home from $198 - $285.

I’ve always been a fan of Mid Century Modern design, and it seems like as time goes by the atomic era grows on me even more. One of the more iconic styles from the era are all the different starburst clocks. There is something about those lines that just scream 50’s to me. This Starburst Wall Clock from Chiasso would be a good centerpiece clock for any room. At 23″ diameter, it’s no little guy, and with the high contrast black it’s sure to get noticed. It’s currently on sale for $58, and it looks like there are only 3 left. Made of steel and black plastic.
Available from Chiasso for $58.

Water is something that we can’t live without. I have always been surprised that an entire market has been created around selling something that is almost free. For those water snobs only a bottled water like Voss will do, but then there is the rest of us. Plastic water bottles have gotten a bad rap lately, which has helped out companies that make non plastic water bottles like Sigg. Well there is a new kid on the block, and they are here to show that not only can a plastic water bottle be healthy and environmentally responsible, it can look amazing too. The Kor One Hydration Vessel is a new water bottle which will be available soon. It’s BPA free, wide mouthed, and absolutely sexy. At $29 they aren’t cheap, but if you stopped buying bottled water and just filtered your own at home it would not only be better for the environment, but cheaper overall.
More pics after the jump.

Available in August from Kor for $29

Via Coolhunting.
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I fully realize that the term “affordable” means different things to different people. I have always wanted to build a modern home in Salt Lake. We got a taste of it with our last addition and we vow that we will build again one day. The hard part is finding a lot in a good neighborhood and then still having any money left over for construction. If $450K is affordable, or even doable for you, here is a good opportunity. My friend had a great 3,000 square foot home designed by Jesperson Design, and had a great lot in Cottonwood Heights. Plans fell through and now the lot is up for sale for $279K. For that price it comes with the plans for the home (renderings shown above). Total cost should come in right around $450K for everything. That works out to be around $140 a square foot, which is really not bad for a modern home in a good neighborhood.

Check out this craigslist ad for questions, or leave a comment below.

Fans of Blu Dot rejoice! Their new 2008 line is now available for preorder over at Design Public. They have some great new sofa’s like the One Night Stand sofa shown above, which converts into a queen sized bed. The new Blu Dot Paramount Sofa is one of my favorites. It has some obvious mid century cues, and manages to stay low key and good looking at the same time. While none of these goodies are ready to ship, you can preorder now and be first in line. Design Public has a low price guarantee, which means they will match or beat anyones pricing.

Available from Design Public.

I love wooden toys and puzzles. They are generally either very simple, and in many cases very ingenious. The 3d wooden sphere puzzle falls into the later category. The puzzle has three separate planes connecting four chambers filled with colored wooden balls. It works much like a rubiks cube, in that if you make a change in one chamber, it will effect another. Besides being a great mind bending puzzler, it is also good looking and affordable.

Available from Deep Discount for $8.

Via Bem Legaus!