​I've had no shortage of huge life changing events in my life in the last 6 months, almost all of which I've neglected to share online. First, and most important, I'm getting married (yay!) in June. Second, I'm moving to Austin (what!!) in July. I'm hoping I'll get around to sharing the backstory about everything eventually and how absolutely elated I am with the way my life is going. For now, just know I'm happy and living the life I've always wanted. 

Thrown in with all these life events came the announcement that our lease in the house my girlfriend and I were renting was up, and our landlord wasn't letting us renew. That left us essentially homeless for the last 2 1/2 months we'd be in SLC. Luckily we were able to get a very short term lease in Patrick Lofts, where I was living before I moved in with my girlfriend. I suppose it's fitting that the place we met is the place we'll be in when we leave SLC. 

After a flurry of moving and giving things away we did manage to get settled into the new place. Above is a teaser shot of our fancy new (1964) Milo Baughman sofa we picked up for $600, and some of our art. The 13' ceiling and huge curved wall are perfect for wall hanging art.* ​

It's great to see so many wonderful mid century modern pieces of furniture getting re issued. The latest to be announced is this beautiful Egyptian Stool that was originally designed by Danish architect Ole Wanscher in 1957. Carl Hansen & Son has now acquired rights to the design, and for the first time since 1970 it will be available in the US again. I absolutely love the brass and leather accents agains the dark mahogany. Pricing is likely to be in the $1,400 range. Perfection doesn't come cheap.​

Remember that Chelsea Sofa that Fashion for Home sent me a few years ago to review? Well, even back then I was a bit worried about how well the fabric would hold up to the abuse of two kids and my admittedly negligent self. It only took two years, and this sub $1,000 was looking pretty grimy. The lower cushion had acquired some stains that I was unable to get out, so last night on a whim I grabbed an old orange wool blanket I had picked up for $20 and recovered it. I was surprised how well it came out considering #1 I stitched it all by hand, #2 I was fairly occupied catching up on Walking Dead. Who knows how well the orange will hold up. In the meantime, it looks like I may need to rethink my pillow colors.

What do you think?

One of my favorite places to get coffee in Salt Lake City is Nobrow Coffee and Tea. Not only is Joe the owner a total coffee nerd, he happens to be a design nerd too. So when I heard that they were moving to a new location designed by Atlas Architects I was quite excited. When I found out my friend Jaren from Modern Union was doing the interior cabinetry and woodworking I was even more excited. 

This Wednesday was their first official day open (even though the Visual Supply Co crew dropped by earlier during Alt) so I decided to meet Jaren there for a pour over and check it out. 

The space is quite a bit smaller than their old location, which surprised me. Personally I think it's a good thing, although I know some people enjoyed being able to find a nice private corner in the old space. There is a really great little courtyard in front that will make a fantastic outdoor space in the summer. In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb and say if you are looking to sit out side in the summertime and have a cup of coffee, you won't be able to find a better spot.

While I was there we ran into Jason Foster of Atlas Architects. No real surprise considering their office is going in next door. Speaking of Atlas, they've done a really nice job with some of the subtle details of the building. The most obvious thing is the material pallet. The building is made of a cinder block with a smooth sawn face that has some nice flecks of color in it. 

It's a great look, but combined with the concrete floors and bright white Corian countertops it can be very hard and cold. To balance this there is a good amount of reclaimed wood in the space. The wood is some reclaimed beams that used to be in Trolley Square, a local trolley station turned mall. It's beautiful, warm, and really brings the space together.

To add even more interest to the space there is a beautiful (and rumor has it very heavy) section of an upright piano that is bolted to a wood face in a small nook at the end of the room. That combined with some nice industrial style pendants round out the simple, yet fantastic interior.

Nobrow Coffee & Tea - 179 W 900 S SLC, UT

Atlas Architects

Modern Union

I already have lot's of wooden cutting boards at my house, so is it weird that I want wooden plates as well? I love the contrast of the natural woods with the neon edges. I'd love to know what they use for the color. Paint? Epoxy? Anyway sign me up.

Touch of Modern : David Rasmussen

One Kings Lane has sort of been on fire lately. Today they have a pretty incredible line up of Scandinavian furniture for really great prices. Surprisingly a good deal of it is available for delivery before Christmas too. Now the hard part is picking a favorite.

One Kings Lane Scandinavian Inspiration

Whoa! Is this really Joss and Main? I signed with these guys because they were a sponsor at Alt NYC, and I've been continually unimpressed ever since. Then all of a sudden they hit it out of the park with not one, but two amazing curated sales?

First the Details magazine curated sale is spot on. They describe it as a "stylish man collection" but I like to think it applies to anyone with good taste. There are plenty of deals too, like the $219 tripod floor lamp, $518 Sofa! and many more.

The "right angles" sale catches the tail of the now fading infatuation with triangles and all things faceted. Don't get me wrong, I'm still all about the angles, I just don't see this being the big "in" thing for too much longer. That being said, they have some timeless pieces that I absolutely love. Word to the wise though, look out for knockoffs. 

Available at Joss and Main

According to Ample, the Solstice Floor Lamp is "the modern tripod lamp done right." I have to admit, it's pretty banging. As usual with any high quality modern piece, God is in the details. In this case, those details reveal solid walnut legs, hand made natural linen shade, cloth covered cord, and a solid brass socket. Icing on the cake? It's made in Seattle Washington. Ample has lots of other gorgeous pieces as well. Go buy some. If the $499 price tag is too much for you, save you pennies and skip a few dinners out. (short term lose, long term gain) Also check out the not as nice, but cheaper tripod I posted in the On Sale! section today.

Ample Solstice Lamp $499

As you know I like to feature up and coming companies that are making quality beautiful products. RX Made manages to pull that off with ease, and adds to the list of accomplishments by locally sourcing the majority of their material, and even heavily utilizing reclaimed good in their products. 

Born out of a Chicago based non profit called Rebuild Exchange, RX Made pairs local job program trainees with the design expertise of Chicago based Strand Design. The end product is an attractive group of products ranging from bottle openers to benches. 

It's clear that RX Made is doing good things and making a difference, and you can make a difference too by supporting them. They are launching their products on Kickstarter as we speak. You can help them out for as little as $1or for $25 you can get the handsome bottle opener above. Check out some of their other goods below, then head over to Kickstarter to watch their video and pitch in.

RX Made on Kickstarter 

I can honestly say that all the black friday and cyber monday deals have come and gone, and I really didn't see much that I was tempted to buy. Today however is a different story. Gilt has all sorts of coffee gear on sale, including one of my favorites, the Chemex. I have one that has the wooden section in the middle, which I love. Unfortunately the wood is starting to look a little hammered. I was just mentioning the other day that it might be nice to have one with a glass handle like this one. 8 and 10 cup sizes still available.

Glass Handle Coffeemaker + 100 prefolded Chemex Filter Squares:

• Manual drip coffee maker with an elegant hourglass shape
• Able to make coffee as strong as you like without bitterness
• Made of high quality, heat resistant glass
• Coffee only comes in contact with the scientifically designed filter and non-porous glass
• Hand wash recommended

Sizing:

• 6 cup measures 5 1/8 inches in width by 8½ inches in height
• 8 cup measures 5 inches in diameter by 9 1/8 inches in height
• 10 cup measures 5 1/8 inches in width by 9¼ inches in height

Brand: Chemex

Material: Glass

Chemex coffee maker $39-$43 

What more do I need to say, it's Micklish. It's great to see Touch of Modern featuring smaller indie artists like this. Rest assured that when you buy you are not only getting a great deal, but you are also helping out a small design studio. 

Butler shown above.

Who doesn't want a personal butler to greet them at the door and take all their personal things away for safe keeping? It seems like at least once a week you can’t find your keys, or wallet, or …, so the Butler was created in an attempt to solve this little predicament. In addition, it eliminates go-to items from just just laying around.

"The Butler is made to fit your wallet and keys in the top sleeve, your iPhone on the side slot with a concealed space for your charging cord, and glasses/hat/scarf, (or other go-to item,) on the slide out walnut piece. The backside includes a routed out section for your charging cord and extension cord." - Curtis Micklish

Product Details

— Handmade 
— Note, the iPhone, charging cord and extension cord are not included.

• MaterialsAmerican Walnut, Baltic Birch Ply
• Measurements9"L x 10"H x 2.25"D
• OriginUSA

$136 Micklish Butler

I'm always on the lookout for a good bed frame. Ever since I moved in with my girlfriend we have been sleeping on two mattresses on the ground. In all honesty it looks really good with our West Elm comforter on it, and free is the best price. Still I'm always on the lookout for something stylish and affordable. I know there has to be something out there between DWR (loving the American Modern Bed in Walnut) and bedroom world. If you have any favorite beds at affordable prices (or not) share them in the comments below.

I love pretty much everything the Danish design group Menu makes, and this teapot with cups on sale at Touch of Modern is no exception. This is a great example of classic Danish styling topped off with some simple ingenuity. The teapot has a "tea egg" that is suspended by a silicone string and can easily be lowered and raised to get the perfect cup of tea.

Product Details

— Comes with Simple Tea Infuser System 
— Set Includes Teapot and Two Cups 
— Modern Silhouette 
— Holds 1.5 Liters

• ColorsClear
• MaterialsGlass, Stainless Steel, Plastic Silicone
• Measurements7"L x 9"W x 7"H
• OriginUSA

$64 Menu Teapot and cup set

One of the obstacles to making furniture affordable is shipping. It's an easy obstacle to overlook as a consumer, but for designers it can be a major influence to the final design. Ikea is a master of flat packing furniture to realize shipping savings. A truly great piece of furniture will take what is a potential design obstacle and make it into a beautiful part of the final design. That is what has me so interested in this Pilot Stool by QUINZE & MILAN. It uses a very old solution to the problem, a threaded wooden leg. I think it looks as good disassembled as assembled. The bonus is it makes for a beautiful, simple connection, between the seat and leg, and it's easy to install. 

Pilot Stool $370

It's no secret I have been excited about brass lately, nor is it a secret that I'm sort of obsessed with geometric shapes, so it should be obvious that I like these brass mobiles from AMradio. This himmeli brass mobile is made from brass tubing and white string. Apparently it's based on a Finnish tradition. I'm just going to assume that tradition is being awesome, because that it was those Finns manage to do best. This 7 x 7 x 15 mobile is a great deal for $67. Other sizes and materials are available too and prices range from $45 - $170.  Also, make sure you check out the rest of the goodies AMradio has for sale…

himmeli brass mobile $67

I'm always on the lookout for great modern furniture built by small shop in the USA. The latest to hit my radar is Joe Joe Built It. They've got all sorts of FSC certified modern wood goodies, all at very reasonable prices considering what goes into making them.  Speaking of which, check out the video by LetsMakeMedia after the jump that shows a little of the process. 

Joe Joe Built It

LetsMakeMedia

JOEJOEBUILTIT from LetsMakeMedia on Vimeo.

Lately I've been really enamored with facets and geometry. With that in mind, I'm going to go ahead and declare that this Large Block Clock by Such + Such is amazing. Each clock is made from North American hard maple and is individually numbered. 

Large Block Clock by Such + Such $219

I am loving these "wild head" prints that Bongo Design did a while ago. Actually I love pretty much everything that Bongo has been doing lately. If you're not familiar with them, check them out.

Bongo Design