The Optic Clock was originally designed by Joe Colombo in 1970, just one year before his tragic death. It was originally available in black, white or red. In 1988 Alessi re-released the clock and it was manufactured for almost a decade. It is now available (for the third time) in black or white for $78.

Optic Clock

photo via

Salad lovers, rejoice! Homemade vinaigrette just got tastier… or at least better looking. The Squeeze Bottle by Royal VKB (the same folks behind that beautiful black + white carafe setwe wrote about before), is as functional as it is stylish. Use it to mix up your favorite dressings, garnish dishes with ease, or set it on the table with the rest of the meal – it looks so good, you won’t have to worry about transferring the sauce to another container. Score! Made from stainless steel and polypropylene.

Squeeze Bottle by Royal VKB available from All Modern: $13 – $26

A while ago we featured the $649 Chelsea Sofa, and thanks to some loyal readers we were able to get some good feedback about the quality. I’m hoping we can do the same with this $399 Carson Sofa from Scandinavian Designs. The style isn’t quite as good as the Chelsea (ok it’s a long ways off) but $399, come on! Sure you get what you pay for, which in this case is synthetic leather, but it looks better quality than some of the low dollar urban outfitter sofa’s. Check out the slightly more stylish Carson Chair for $225 too.

Carson Sofa and Chair $225 – $399

“Could this have been Don Draper’s PC?” This question was posed by computer designer Jeffrey Stephenson, after he accepted a challenge to build something in the Mid-Century Modern style. From the tapered legs to the floating tabletop, it certainly screams MCM to me! Stephenson wasn’t content to just make something that looked good, though. This red oak computer enclosure has integrated twin fans at the bottom as well as an exhaust vent at the top, ensuring proper heat disbursement and functionality. Aside from these great features, I love the playful touch of the geometric panels, which Stephenson painted to look like “nicotine-stained ivory”. A nice touch, indeed.

Be sure to check out more images and details about this Mid-Century-inspired computer enclosure here.

[Thanks to blogger/design/twitter buddy Wayne Dahlberg for the tip!]

Looking to kill a little time while your Labor Day vacation is winding to an end. Check out “The Full Spectrum” a video by Dwell.

About:

For our first video in a three-part series about color, senior editor Aaron Britt drops by the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation to discuss the life and work of Josef, who is often referred to as the ‘Father of Color Theory’.

Yes it’s all in German. Yes it’s still worth watching.

Everyone have a great Labor Day weekend!

Oh, hey now! What’s this? Fun new prints from EVRT Studio? Don’t mind if I do!

About:
Designer Brian Everett developed EVRT Studio as a creative outlet for custom design, illustration, and photography. Combining different techniques such as painting, hand drawn elements, photography and graphic design, allows him a unique approach to designing wall art.

These prints can be had through Design Public, but check out his portfolio for more! Available in sizes ranging from 16×16 to 36×36 and 16×24 to 24×36 inches. Printed on cotton canvas.

Prints by EVRT Studio available from Design Public: $100 – $180

Continuing on our obsession with unique and stylish birdhouses and bird feeders I bring you the Solar Birdhouse by oooms. A modern and green take on the classic wooden birdhouse, the Solar Birdhouse has a small solar panel on the roof that feeds power to a small battery. At night, the perch lights up. Ingenious and beautiful.

Solar Birdhouse $95 from oooms

Remember those fancy designer axes from Best Made Co. we posted about last year? At the time, the idea was thrown out that they’d make a pretty great DIY project for anyone who could no longer be satisfied with just a plain, wood-handled tool. (And really, after seeing those axes, how could you be?) Fortunately, Chris from Man Made DIY set out to create his own version of a Best Made Co.-inspired hammer, even offering up a step-by-step, how-to guide to recreating the look yourself. So, grab your favorite axe, hammer, or shovel – anything with a wooden handle, really – and head on over to Man Made DIY to see how it’s done!

[Thanks to Chris for the tip!]

I fully admit to being an Eames fanboy, and there aren’t a lot of things done by Charles and Ray that I don’t like, but the original Hang-It-All was one of them. Apparently I’m not the only one that felt that way as Herman Miller has released a new limited edition version that trades the brightly colored wood for walnut. It will only be in production for a couple of months and is available at a $70 premium over the original version.

Walnut Hang-It-All available from DWR for $250