I've mentioned GIlt before, and even though I don't usually get too wrapped up in discount designer websites I continue to find myself quite smitten with GIlt. While it started out as a mostly women's site with a couple of home items, it has had some nice additions as of late. The Gilt website now has a mens specific section as well as a travel section. In addition, they have a great iPhone app that will even remind you when sales are starting and let you purchase straight from the app. Speaking of sales, starting today they have some Areaware goodies on sale, and later in the week some Alessi. I've also got my eye on the Adiadas Consortium and Timbuk2 goodies. As always, GIlt is for members only. Sign up here.
If you love classic mid century furniture and live near Scottsdale Arizona, mark your calendars. Jason Hill will be showing his latest work in a solo exhibition Dec 4th - 12th at the Scottsdale Design Within Reach.
Hill premieres “Tulip/Swan/Diamond/Egg”, his latest series of silkscreen prints this December at Design Within Reach, in Scottsdale. The new artworks are screen-printed interpretations of iconic chair designs by Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, and Arne Jacobsen. Four different designs will be available in a limited edition of ten prints, each retaining it's own delightfully handcrafted character.
About Jason Hill
A prolific print maker, photographer, and painter, Jason Hill has exhibited work 30 times in the last four years. Best known for his artful depictions of historic and mid-century Arizona architecture, his work is cherished by hundreds of collectors around the world. His solo exhibitions in Phoenix include “Retro-Futurism,” “Visions of a Modern Oasis,” “Polynesian Pop!" and "Icons of Phoenix.”
I AM SO EXCITED! I love CB2 (in case you didn't know that by now), but my favorite things are always the Christmas ornaments and holiday decorations. My husband can attest - our tree is about 70% CB2. I think with these new ornaments it might get bumped up to 80 or 90% this year.
Where are your favorite places to get ornaments? Do you know of any other shops selling affordable, modern-looking Christmas/Holiday decor? Share!
While I'm a big fan of metal lunch boxes, I have to admit that these insulated ones from Dante Beatrix are probably a lot more functional. Made from laminated canvas they help keep your kids food fresh for lunchtime. In addition to being a good insulator, the canvas also makes it extremely durable and easy to clean. There is even a name tag on the back just in case some other lucky kid has a identical monkey lunchbox.
The bent ply stool certainly isn't a new theme, but the Peque stool designed by Marko Brajovic is certainly a wonderfully fresh looking design. A multi year collaboration between Marko and Brazilian bamboo manufacturing company TIVA Design, the Peque is as high tech as it is good looking. Built out of FSC certified MDF and Bamboo and finished with water based non toxic paints and varnishes it's good for the planet too.
A dollhouse for the eco-kid: Earth-friendly dollhouse is a natural fit for the eco-conscious family. House features a play wind turbine, solar cell panel, a barrel for collecting rain and recycle bins. Shade canopy can be pulled down to prevent or allow wind and sunlight (or little brothers) from coming through. Furniture sets included.
If you're serious about being green, shouldn't your kid's dollhouse reflect that too? Probably. This toy puts its money where its mouth is: the home is constructed of replenishable rubberwood while the furniture and accessories are all made from recycled materials. It seems a little pricey at $229, but you pay for what you get. I mean, can you really put a price on instilling earth-friendly values that will eventually save you (and them) much more than the cost of the toy? Of course, do you need a toy to teach them these principles? Conundrum!
I'll admit there's a lot of junk on Flickr, but every now and then you find some real gems, like these shots from Lori Andrew's interior design portfolio. She has such a great sense of design and I love how she is able to combine styles to create truly unique interiors. I don't know about you, but whenever I see such great interior shots, I want to rearrange my whole house! Lots of inspiring images after the jump!
Check out the whole set here.
With the waning daylight it is becoming evermore apparent that we need to finally get a pendant light put up over our kitchen table. While we originally had planned on putting a nice (1) Nelson Bubble up, we are definitely looking for other budget options too. Lights like the (2) Sol Pendant Lamp from CB2 are simple and have a nice pop of color, but at nearly half the price of a bubble I'm not sure it's worth it. Ikea has some nice options, from the ultra budget (3) KNAPPA to the slightly more expensive (4) KULLA or (5) BRASA. Lastly there is the prospect of doing a DIY similar to (6) MOOOI Random light (or the super budget UK knock off by (7) Wilko). All the choices have my head spinning. Any suggestions?
I love that these can be used as individual waste bins or connected together for a complete recycling system. They're available in eight colors and are great for small spaces and/or garages. Mount them to the wall to free up floor space!
About: Within little more than a meter, TOP separates more than 100 liters of waste. The lids of the light grey plastic bins cover up the bags but also identify the contents of each via colors. TOP is handy...literally: it can be operated with one hand. A nudge to the counter-balanced handle opens it automatically, and another nudge closes it. Each bin can hold up to 25 liters, and comes with a series of stickers to help distinguish contents.
Having spare change is not a big problem for me as I rarely pay for anything with cash these days, but if you are the kind of person that usually ends up with some extra coinage in your pocket this coin storage may be heaven sent. Designed to hold your keys and whatever other random items you keep in your pocket, and be a coin bank to store those unwanted pennies it's the best of both worlds. Available in white or black with a wood bottom.
If you've been looking around for some affordable artwork, consider these fun, 60s-style mod illustrations from Spanish designer Blanca Gómez. Blanca sells her digital illustrations through her Etsy shop Cosas Minimas for about $30. If several prints strike your fancy, consider taking advantage of this offer: a set of 4 for $75!
I love it when people think outside of the box. For instance, why does a smoke detector have to attach right to the ceiling? What if it was a attractive orb that could be snapped onto a pendant light? Snapalarm does just that. Winner of a Red Dot design award, this is the first smoke detector I have seen that completely breaks free of the typical design. Available in black or white to fit in with your decor. So is a wart on a lamp cord better looking than a wart on your ceiling?
I like when you find a "kids toy" that appeals just as much to adults, if not more. In fact, I'm half tempted to add this to my own Christmas list - forget coffee table books, I'll take this as a coffee table toy!
About: Infinitely restackable, Dado cubes give kids a chance to learn about building, balance, volume and color gradation in an ever-changing format. The cubes catch the interests of a very wide age range, plus, whatever form they take, these are great left lying around as a modernist sculpture. They're even a fun size-match challenge to put away. Adults will find themselves reshaping their, ahem, abstract vision of utopia long after the kids have gone to bed.
I can't wait to see this! Coast Modern is an independent documentary about the rise of modernist architecture on the West Coast. I haven't been able to determine a specific release date, but it is tentatively scheduled for release this fall.
About:
Filmmakers Michael Bernard and Gavin Froome will take us on a journey from Los Angeles to Vancouver; from 1922 up to the present exploring modernist architecture on the West Coast. A core group of architects embraced the Coast with its particular geography and values and they have left behind a legacy of beautiful and inspired dwellings. Today, architects have picked up the thread and they continue to explore and celebrate the principles established by their predecessors.
Intimate interviews and unprecedented access to architects in the film include Arthur Erickson (Vancouver), Fred Bassetti (Seattle), Hernik Bull (Berkley), Michael Folonis (Santa Monica), Dion Neutra (Los Angeles) -son and partner of Modernist pioneer Richard Neutra- , Barbara Bestor (LA) and others. Legendary photographer Julius Shulman will also be featured along with the photographs that brought world attention to the work that has been done in Southern California. They will all share their insight into the Modernist Movement, and its relevance in our lives today.
Viola Park. What sounds like a cheesy movie title about a retirement home romance, is really a new line of cabinetry from the brilliant labs of Henrybuilt. I think it would be safe to say that the majority of our readers agree that Henrybuilt makes some absolutely beautiful cabinetry. I even loosely based my kitchen design off of some photo's from their site. I also think that those same readers would agree that Henrybuilt is priced way out of their grasp.
Enter Viola Park. Priced somewhere between Ikea and Henrybuilt, Viola Park combines the stunning clean looks and quality construction of Henrybuilt with a price point that is not completely unattainable. Sure, you'll still probably spend $10k on cabinetry for a decent sized kitchen but it just might be worth it.
I have a thing for high end audio equipment, especially anything that involves tube amps. Shown above is a beautiful prototype tube amp that was designed by Koichi Futatsumata of CASE-REAL for a Japanese electronics manufacture Elekit. While I haven't been able to ferret out any pricing yet, or even find out if this thing has gone into production, I have my fingers crossed. If if is anything like the rest of Elekits DIY tube amp kits, it promises to deliver great sound at a comparatively inexpensive price.
Fabulous Stationery always has a great assortment of modern designs and their new holiday cards don't disappoint! Like all of their cards, the holiday line is available in multiple colorways and is 100% personalized! Enter your own custom greeting or message for unique and memorable note cards this year!
Check out the full line of modern holiday cards here.
The arts and architecture have always been heavily connected, and this Saturday that tradition continues. As part of the DOCOMOMO's US Tour day Salt Lake Modern is hosting an evening of Arts and Architecture in this beautiful home designed by John Sugden.John Bell, the current owner of the howe will be displaying his art and will be talking about how living in a mid-century home has changed the way he paints.
If you are looking for something to do tomorrow, make sure you check DOCOMOMO's website to see if there are any local chapters next to you.
GO! Pet Design's bowls and feeders are not only aesthetically pleasing, they're also eco-conscious. Whether you choose the Driftwood Bowl (handmade in Brooklyn out of locally reclaimed wood) or the Upcycle Elevated Bowl (made fromreclaimed PVC pipe) you can feel even better about feeding Fido. If you've got the skills, you may even want to try creating your own version of the Driftwood.
Even though it's been almost two years since we moved into our new house we still have a lot of white wall space to fill on our walls. Whenever I see a photo like this one from Surface Flik, it makes me want to go right out and buy a nice big wall decal. The $85 for this tree decal seems like a bargain for how much visual interest it would add to my white walls, and of course since they are vinyl decals I would have the piece of mind of knowing they were easy to remove if it just didn't work.
Has any bought any large vinyl wall decals? Do you love it or hate it?
The bent ply stool certainly isn't a new theme, but the 
Lots of inspiring images after the jump!
