A lot has been going on over at Utahmodern.org the last couple of weeks. Tristan of Mid-Century Mod-ification felt the effects of the recession when he lost his job as an architect in a two partner firm. As luck would have it he was able to get a job doing contract work for Hunter Douglas, which has some pretty cool projects. Tristan were pulling for you and hope it turns into a full time gig!

Carina of Mid-century Modern Utah fame started up a blog and mused about Ethan Allen, shared some photo's of a sweet MCM home in Provo and announced an opportunities for locals with a MCM home to get some professional photo's taken for free. Any takers?

We've also had some more great people join our little community. If you're in Utah, love design and haven't signed up yet, head over there and sign up today.

I am really digging the work of Australian-born graphic designer, illustrator, and animator Clemens Habicht. His work is featured in a whole slew of music videos, film festivals, and various magazines, including Creative Review Magazine, The Bulletin, Antenna Music Video Showcase, and the MTV Australian Awards. Habicht's signature style is a unique blend of cut paper, ink and gouache. Check out this short clip from the Edinburgh Film Festival:

More about Habicht: He is inspired by Roman Signer, Rodin drawings, flea markets, Chermayeff collages, birds, books and music. In his spare time he likes to build push bikes and kites and fish for squid. He is represented by the Jacky Winter Group.

It looks like Ikea may have some new goodies later this fall about the time we will be getting around to redoing our bathroom. The Ikea 365 collection is expanding and includes the GODMORGON and LILLÅNGEN collections for the bathroom. The collections contains some great double and single bathroom sinks, plus some really good looking cabinets.

I'm an especially big fan of the LILLÅNGEN sink and accessories. The chunky square lines have a nice look to them, and they make for some great storage solutions for all the junk that accumulates in the bathroom.

The last thing that I am excited about is the new pendant lights from the 365+ collection. The 365+ BRASA pendant is powder coated steel and it has an inner diffuser to create a soft light. It comes in black, red or white. White is my favorite.

The last new piece of lighting is the 365+ LUNTA which looks a little like a throwback to the MCM days. Pricing an all items is of course super aggressive as all Ikea goodies are.

You can see the whole collection and all the details, including pricing by looking at the new product 2009 flyer. Which is your favorite?

My sister came across this great Paul McCobb table and chair set on Etsy for $550. It seems like a smoking good deal on a classic table, although I'm sure the shipping from West Palm Beach would kill me. The set includes a planner group table, three side chairs, and one arm chair, all from approximately 1959. The set has been refinished and looks like it is in great condition. If anyone happens to pick this beauty up, let us know!

Table and 4 chairs on Deco Don's Etsy page for $550.

Need something to go with all those great Valentine's gifts you're handing out?  Egg Press has some really fantastic letterpress cards, including a few 'sculpture cards' that are die-cut so you can punch them out and reassemble them into little 3D objects! Very cool.  

Know of any other awesome stationers? Please share!

Valentine's Day cards from Egg Press - $4.50 - $6

Thank you to GRM reader Jen of GreetQ for the heads up on the new sculpture cards!

Here are 30 great Valentine's Day gift ideas - all for $50 or less! Which one would you want to a) give and b) receive?

Top Row, left to right: Josh Jakus Wine Pocket, Fauna Pico Pillow, 2d:3d Letter Holder, Hybrid-Home Print, Heath Ceramics Bud Vase
Bottom Row, left to right: Giclee Print by Jenn Ski, Cupcake Canisters, Clocky, QUEUE 2-tone Stick Lighter, Hug Salt + Pepper Shakers

Top Row, left to right: Bud - Mavis Vase, Around Clock, Diamond Ring, Loop Candelabra, Helvetica: Homage to a Typeface
Bottom Row, left to right: CAKE Profile Votive, Thomas Paul Coral Dinner Plates, I Love You text bowl, Juggling, Fauna Mini Animal Pillow

Top Row, left to right: Norman Copenhagen Swing Vase, Big Love Spoon by Alessi, Love Print, Hearty Mug, Objects of Design Book
Bottom Row, left to right: Simple Ring, iittala - Alvar Aalto Small White Vase, QUEUE Perfume Atomizer, i valentini figurine Alessi, Heartbreak print

Tokyo Flash has long been one of my favorite sites for unique watches. The recently have broadened their product range to include bags, clocks, hats, jewelry, t-shirts, lighting and design goods. With all those new different categories it seems like it would be hard to have a line as original as their watches, yet they seem to pull it off quite well. While the "fashion" items don't get me too excited, all the design goods show off the classic simple japanese style. While some items like the Juke Tower look like they could be right out of a Muji store, others like the Erect calculator have a certain craziness that make it a classic Tokyo Flash piece. Due to the weak dollar pricing ranges between $50 - $200 on most items. It's going to cost you if you want to be the cool kid on the block.

Available from Tokyo Flash from $50+

Though I am usually a big supporter of form and function I sometimes find the absolutely pointless wrapped in a pretty package quite appealing. Take for example this "sound machine". It's a good looking little red box that is packed with all sorts of useless sounds at the touch of the button. Some of the more interesting ones include bronx cheers and shotguns, plus the old standbys canned laughter and applause. They will be shipping out this spring, and are on pre-order now for $17.

Available from Unica Home for $17.

I realize I'm on a bit of a vintage kick, but I can't help myself! There are just so many treasures to be found - not everything has to be shiny and new, right? Hopefully you're in a similar frame of mind, because I'd like to share this great vintage shop with you.  Austin Modern is the online storefront of a shop by the same name based in Austin, Texas. With a 4000 square foot warehouse full of Mid Century finds, there is sure to be something that tickles your fancy!

Prices vary, but seem to be fairly reasonable.  Check out their Etsy shop, too!

Here is a little clip from Dasfilmfest.com by Eames Demetrios on his father Charles Eames.

This may seem incredibly random, but I couldn't help but think how fascinating these vintage glove molds would be as decorative pieces. Am I crazy? Would you put these in your house as part of your decor?

Black Mold - $24
White Porcelain Mold - $34
Available from Blue Bell Bazaar.

Over the holidays last month we found ourselves crossing the border into Canada for a day and heading up to the bitter cold city of Calgary. While best known for the Calgary Stampede our trip took us there to check out a recently renovated designer boutique hotel. Hotel Arts started out as a Holiday Inn, but has been transformed into one of the hippest hotels north of the border. Filled with original contemporary art and each room outfitted with chocolate expresso modern decor the hotel has a nice ambiance. Their focus on good food is just as strong as their focus on good design, and the hotel houses one of the top ten restaurants in Canada, the Saint Germain. We really did eat some amazing food while we were there. Due to the -10 degree temperatures we missed out on the outdoor pool, but we did put our in room jacuzzi through it's paces. While all this sounds very extravagant and expensive I was amazed at comparatively how affordable it was. Room prices start at around $260 canadian ($200 USD) which compared to the $120 stay in a La Quinta in Great Falls Montana made Hotel Arts seem like the bargain of the century.

Hotel Arts Website

Check out some pictures I snapped after the jump.

Also do you know of any other "Modern" hotels? I'd love to hear about them....

I have been scouring Craigslist and other local online classifieds for a long time now to see if I could get any deals on kitchen appliances. As luck would have it, we were able to find what I think have been some pretty great deals. Most recently we found a built in GE Monogram refrigerator that was listed for $1,500 due to several dents and scratches put in it during a move. While that sounds like a lot for a dented fridge, retail is more like $6,000 so when I talked him down to $800 I knew I couldn't pass it up. All the panels need replacing, and to buy them from GE would cost another $2,500, but I have a hunch the guys at Interior Renovation can do it for a lot less. I'm just glad we didn't have to haul our old fridge back upstairs.

I first saw these dolls by Blabla a few years ago at a local boutique and have since given them to all the new babies that are born into our family. They are quite possibly the coolest dolls I've ever seen and almost make me want to have a kid just so I can rationalize starting a collection. In addition to these amazing dolls, Blabla also has clothing, rattles, finger puppets, blankets, backpacks and mobiles that all follow a similar aesthetic. So if you're looking for unique, quality children's items for yourself or a friend, definitely check out Blabla. Or if you're like me and never really 'grew out' of liking toys, I think you'll be pleased too, I mean who doesn't love a hand-knitted monkey? [They even have giant ones - three feet of knitted goodness!]

About Blabla:  Blabla's collection is designed by Florence Wetterwald and knitted by Peruvian artisans. Everything is made from natural fibers of exceptional quality grown in Peru, making the line irrestibly soft and cuddly. Florence's poetic, simple, and vibrant style combined with the ancestral knowledge of the knitters has created products which look contemporary, yet feel like old friends.

Boogaloos, Classic Blablas, and Giant Dolls from Blabla from $34 - $156.

In our last kitchen we had a 30" Bosch gas cooktop. We loved the gas, and swore that we would never have anything else. We do a lot of cooking at our house, and the two things that we didn't like about our Bosch were having to remove the grills to clean up after a night of cooking, and the 30" size. When we heard about induction cooktops, it seemed too good to be true. They are way more energy efficient than both gas and traditional electric, they have temperature control as good or better than a gas cooktop, and the glass top makes them easy to clean. The one downside is they are expensive. Our Bosch put us back $600, while the 36" Gaggenau we chose for this kitchen cost a shocking $2400. It was the one big splurge for our kitchen and I think it was worth it. There are quite a few induction cooktops out there, but to me what sets the Gaggenau apart from the others is the removable puck. The big dial used to control the temperature just sits on top of the glass and stays in place by a magnet. Burners are selected by sliding the dial in their direction, and then twisting to get the temperature you want. I love the tactile feedback of turning a dial compared to a touch control for the temperature, and the fact that it just sits on the surface means it's simple to remove for cleaning.

Check your local Gaggenau dealer for pricing (we got our for just over $2400)

After a couple weeks delay and a lot of help from our friends at Interior Renovations, our countertops are finally in. I think I had mentioned before that we decided to go with a product from Trespa called Top Lab Plus. Its a laboratory countertop or in it's technical terms, a high density phenolic resin. It is fairly similar to Richlite or Paperstone, which are considered low density phenolic resin countertops, only it is harder and not necessarily green as the paper content is neither recycled or from sustainably harvested forests. The advantage though is the cost. We decided to do a thin 3/4" counter after some inspiration some pictures over at Henrybuilt. Our cost was $15 a square foot plus shipping which put it up to around $20 a square foot. While you can cut the Trespa with a normal carbide tipped skill saw, I chose to send it over to Interior renovation to have them do most of the cutting. They actually had it all done on a CNC and then just finished the edges with some very minimal sanding. Needless to say, we were very pleased with the end result.  

We finally have a functional kitchen, but we still have a ways to go before we are really done. We have the tile backsplash behind the cooktop to do, the hood, and the whole north wall. I think that our next project will be using some of the leftover Trespa to make a matching dining room table.

We got our dog last September and since then I've become a little obsessed with modern pet products, something that Etsy has in abundance. Here are a few of my favorite shops that any lover of pets and modern design would appreciate.

Like Kittysville

This shop features custom pet beds for cats and small dogs. I love the retro shape and fabrics! Wood base - $69 / Acrylic base - $82. Custom orders welcome!

Lucky Fiona

This shop uses reproduction and vintage fabrics to create one of a kind collars and accessories, available from $9.99 - $15.99. Check out the Lucky Fiona blog for a chance to win one for free!

The Mod Dog

This shop custom makes each collar to your pet's own measurements, allowing you to pick and choose each aspect of the design. Plus, 10% of all sales goes directly to animal rescue efforts. From $10 - $20.

Naked Decor

Clever decorative accessories for the animal lover. I'm a fan of the dachshund clock. From $40 - $45.

Maybe it's the unseasonably warm weather this week, but I can't stop thinking about Spring - the clean air, the sense of hope, and the birds. I thought I'd take a look and see what the lovely people of Etsy had to offer in the way of bird feeders and then I found some of the craziest/coolest feeders I've ever seen. These one of a kind bird feeders are made from an assortment of materials - acrylic, steel, and rubber - and are all handmade and designed by Jenny of Red Yellow and Blue Ink. Unhappy with the styles that were offered in stores, Jenny set out to design her own bird feeders. She's been selling them via word of mouth since 2005 and recently added them to her Etsy shop.   

About the feeders: "This is my own design and I have made this feeder using a bevy of various hand tools. The hanging wire is stainless steel cable. A variety of colorful rubber washers on upper and underside of the roof. The body is made of cell cast acrylic, a great material that can handle extreme temperatures hot and cold. The non-absorbent acrylic is also great for maintaining a clean feeder, which is very important for the health and well-being wild birds."

I don't know about you, but I am just floored by the ingenuity and straight up style of her designs!

One of a kind bird feeders sure to delight any avian passerby from Red Yellow and Blue Ink from $60 - $75.

About this time last year I made a goal to completely plan out a modern landscape design for our backyard, with the intent of implementing it in the Spring. I read a few books, looked at a lot of websites, and did a few doodles. But, then the weather turned warm and I got distracted. Now it's a year later and I would really like to revisit this goal of designing a modern landscape for our little plot-o-land, so that when Spring rolls around again I'll be ready to take action! I've found some great inspiration on this Flickr group called, what else, Modern Landscaping.

Can anyone else suggest some awesome sources of inspiration? Have you been in this boat before? What tips and advice do you have for those of us who want to tackle a landscaping project? Your thoughts and stories are welcomed with open arms!

Images from, left to right, Marty52, modular.garden, and rolu dsgn.

While I tend to lean towards the plain white minimalist look, there is definitely a time and a place for a splash of color. If you happen to have a bunch of Ikea furniture that you are looking to spice up, Grippiks just might be the thing. Based out of Australia Grippiks they have custom sized decorative film for some of IKEA’s most popular items – BILLY, BENNO, EXPEDIT, and EFFEKTIV storage solutions, LACK tables, and MALM drawers. The stickers aren't really sticky at all but use "micro suction" to stick on, which means they are easy to take off and rearrange. At around $30 to do a three drawer MALM dresser it's not the cheapest sticker out there, but you have to admit it's pretty handy that they are all pre-cut to just the right size.

Available from Grippiks from $1 - $12 plus shipping.

More pictures after the jump.