I am totally in love with these Case Study Planters from Modernica. Available in Sage, White, or Charcoal these great mid-century planters would look equally great indoors or outdoors. The wooden base is really what makes the pots look great. At $149 for a small, and $189 for a large they are not cheap, but they are a pretty reasonable size. The small sits at 19″ high and has a 12″ diameter, while the large is 21″ high and 14″ diameter.

Available from Modernica starting at $149

I’m officially back from the market and unfortunately if anything, it has only made me more cynical. I have never seen more cheap Mies, Eames and Knoll knock offs in my entire life. While there were some original designs at the show, most were made overseas. It really got me thinking. If something is made in China or Vietnam, is it really any less quality than if it were made here stateside? Is it possible to produce quality original pieces here in the states and still have them be considered affordable?
I will have a follow up post listing all the good companies that I came across, as well as elaborating a little more on some of the things I posted about while at the market.

The biggest surprise to me here at the show is the lack of original design. It seems like I am surrounded by knock offs of classic mid century pieces. I just wandered into Tema Home and it was a refreshing stop. They have a great line of furnishings designed in house and produced in Portugal. More info to follow.

Day two is off to a good start. So far some of the best accessories I have come across are from SLC locals Modern Materials Design. Check out some of the pictures below and stay tuned for more details.

My first day at the Las Vegas Market is coming to an end. I’m riding the shuttle back to the hotel right now. I got a late start today, and I only had a couple of hours to look around. I really didn’t even make a dent in it. I saw 5 of 16 floors in 1 of 3 buildings. Luckily most of the modern goods are concentrated on two floors. I plan on checking them out first thing in the morning.

I’ve always been jealous of people who get to go to great modern furniture fairs like ICFF. Unfortunately for me, I never have the time or the funds to make it to those shows, so I’ll have to settle for the next best thing. This morning I’m heading out for a quick overnighter down in Las Vegas for the summer Las Vegas Market. With over 1,500 exhibiting companies and 5 million square feet of space, I figure I’m sure to run across something good. I will hopefully be doing some moblogging with my iPhone now that wordpress for iPhone is out. Stay tuned..

Some of the best affordable modern finds are the secondhand ones. Unfortunately not everyone has the time to hit the second hand stores and garage sells looking for that undiscovered treasure. Luckily the kind folks over at Feel More Human are doing there best to help out the cheapskates. They have launched a modern flea market for people to be able to sell all their second hand modern goods. While it looks like things are starting out sort of slow, it’s worth keeping your eye on it, as things may pick up. Besides, you have to admit it’s a lot easier than looking in the paper for estate sells.
Modern Flea Market at Feel More Human.

I’m always trying to think of great recycled materials that could be used for making affordable modern furniture and lighting. While cardboard doesn’t seem like the most likely medium to create great lighting, the folks over at Graypants are out to show that it absolutely works. Using salvaged cardboard they sculpt beautiful modern lights that have a wonderful natural glow to them. You can purchase their wonderful lights from Velocity Art and Design in either a hard wired or plugged version with prices starting around $135, which is pretty reasonable. Of course if you are feeling a little more daring, and have access to some scrap cardboard then the possibilities are endless.

Available from Velocity Art and Design starting at $135

Via Shelterific

Proof that good design always looks good, this stacking bin has been in production for more than 30 years. Designed by Castelli Farrieri for Kartell the Componibili is made of durable plastic and available in the traditional red, or the recently introduced silver. The units are easily stackable and require no hardware to keep them secured together. The 16.5″ diameter storage unit is available in either a 2 compartment or 3 compartment configuration, both of which are on sale for $48, a huge discount over the normal price. Better move quick, these won’t stick around for long.
Available from DWR fro $48.

Well I guess it was inevitable. It seems that I have an affinity to knocking walls down. Last week while my wife was gone on vacation I decided it was a perfect time to redefine some spaces in our house. This picture is just a sneak preview, I’ll go over the whole story as soon as I get all my pictures together. Needless to say it was a huge dusty mess, and my wife was very glad that she wasn’t around.