A quick heads up for all our Gilt fans. Make sure you check out the PAD outdoor powder coated aluminum planters. I'm especially loving them combined with the short stand

PAD outdoor on Gilt $22 - $110

Better hurry, they're going fast!

Joe Papendick takes the idea of what a bird feeder should be and turns it right on its head. In fact, they look more like works of art, sculptures that just happen to function as feeders. Each of these steel beauties is hand-welded by Joe in his St. Louis workshop. The price for such a unique, finely-crafted object? Surprisingly affordable. Joe says "These new pieces represent my continued effort to offer designs that are both interesting and affordable. From where I stand the 'interesting' part is just as important as the 'affordable' aspect." A man after our own hearts!

Check out Joe's shop to pick up your very own modern bird feeder!

Bird Feeders by Joe Papendick: $65 - $84

SLC crew rejoice! You have been looking for that perfect MCM couch for a while and now you found it. Original white wool fabric looks to be in amazing shape and the padding has been completely replaced. It was purchased from the Green Ant three years ago, so you know it's legit. Asking $750 OBO.

See the Craigslist ad here.

We're in the early brainstorming phase of turning an office into a guest room, and I love the idea of including this Bubble Rack from Wallter. It's super playful, while still being incredibly functional. You can hang pretty much anything from it - there's even a spot for keys! A shelf in the back would be perfect for magazines, too. Made of powder-coated steel, this quirky coat rack is available in white or orange.

Bubble Rack by Wallter: $145

P.S. Check out the Wallter facebook page; they're currently offering a pick-your-prize giveaway from now until July 1st!

With the weather turning nice, we've been spending a lot more time outdoors with Wrigley. Our first hike up the canyon made us realize that a) our dog gets really thirsty, really fast and b) we need something better than an awkwardly sized tupperware container if we're going to be doing this with any amount of regularity. This travel bowl from Popware seems like the perfect solution. Not only is it collapsible (less than 0.5 inches thick!), but it easily attaches to a backpack or leash. And, at under $10, I might even consider getting a second one for the car!

Available in two sizes in either turquoise or pink.

Collapsible Travel Bowl by Popware: $7.99 / $9.99

I posted about the $649 Chelsea sofa a couple months ago and people were pretty excited about it. The jury is still out on quality, but a couple people have ordered, so we'll have to wait and see. If you liked the price of the Chelsea, but were looking for something a little more simple, the $699 Portebello sofa may be just the ticket. Unfortunately it has the same 8-12 week lead time though. Any takers?

Portebello sofa available for $699 from Fashion 4 home

Does anybody else know about Decopedia? It's an extension of Deconet which is an online marketplace for modern and mid century modern furnishings. While Deconet has a plethora of wonderful furniture for sale, unfortunately most of it is overseas.

Decopedia is a dictionary or encyclopedia for everything related to modern design. It lets you search for furniture by designer, manufacture, or browse by category. It's a great way to learn about some of the less well known designers and discover new favorites.

Decopedia

I don't have kids, but I need this in my life - now! This modern play house is comprised of modular nesting boxes, mix-and-match furniture pieces, and vinyl clings. Did I mention it's only $20? I'm pretty sure I could spend a completely inappropriate amount of time playing with this... To see it in action, check out the sweet little stop-motion video below:

MoMA Modern Play House: $19.99
[Modern Play Family sold separately: $12.99]

Here is another great documentary by the folks at Design Onscreen.

William Krisel, Architect

MIO sure has this flat pack thing down, don't they? I love their new Pop-Up Basket - it's an interesting twist on their laser-cut sheet metal, formed-by-the-user technique. They even adapted it into abicycle basket, too! Made of locally sourced, recycled content steel, these baskets are sturdy despite their delicate appearance. The regular basket is available in red, white, and aqua, while the bicycle basket comes in white, black, and green.

Pop-Up Basket by MIO: $65 / $75 (bicycle)
[Ships June 15]

Paul Mcobb, Arne Jacobsen, Mogens Kold. If those names pique your interest, you might want to check out Janus Home. While the prices aren't Ikea, they do have a lovely selection of unique Mid Century Modern and Scandinavian furniture and accessories.

Janus Home

BBQ season is upon us! Celebrate with one of these candy-colored grills from Bodum. Its portable size - only 13.4" diameter - is perfect for tailgating, camping, grilling on terraces - you name it! Made of enamel-coated steel with chrome-plated steel legs, it has a heat-resistant silicone handle with silicone lid clips for easy carrying. Available in black, white, green, yellow, orange, and blue.

FYRKAT Charcoal Picnic Grill by Bodum: $49.95

When I was a kid, my Dad had a goldfish named Sharky that he swore did all sorts of tricks. I never actually saw him do anything special. Tricks or not, I'm sure he would have liked this swanky Fish Hotel. Maybe we could have even gotten him a girlfriend and stacked them two deep.

Fish Hotel available from Unica Home for $25

Enzo Mari had a great idea in 1974. Design a chair that is simple yet attractive, made of inexpensive materials, and to keep costs down even more, let the consumer put it together. All this with the idea that good design would be attainable to the masses. He would call it the Sedia 1 Chair. Artek has recently released the chair for sale to the public. Good news right? Wrong. Somehow it seems that the 219 Euro price tag misses the original spirit of the project. So close, yet so far away.

Sedia 1 Chair available from Finnish Design Shop for 219 EUR

Well, first things first. This is pretty much the coolest pillow I've ever seen. Also, I can't help but think of teenage rap duo Kris Kross, which may or may not have had some (small) amount of influence during my formative years. Seriously, who doesn't want to jump, jump? (Though, to be fair, House of Pain probably still has the best song about jumping around...)

Chris Cross Pillow by Fine Little Shop: $37

Here are some great colorful sturdy little tables for a kids play room. Made out of steel covered in fabric, these nesting tables could make great play things in a kids room. Available in a variety of colors the 17" and 13" cubes combo will set you back $159 shipped to your door.

Kids Round Cube Tables $159 from Evinco

I spotted these super fun, abstract paintings on Etsy and had to share! Leah of Studio Zen is based out of Washington state and, when she's not outdoors enjoying the wonders of Nature, spends her time joyfully creating original art. Combining acrylic paints, oil pastels, and colored pencil, she creates delightfully cheery and colorful pieces.

Leah has this to say about her work: "My art often reflects my need to add happiness to the world around me by celebrating color, nature, life and love. Since everything here is original and created by me with my own two hands, you will not find pitch perfect lines or computer-generated perfection. What you will find are unique artworks created with love and attention to detail. Creating art makes me happy and I hope it brings happiness to you as well."

Check out the Studio Zen shop for more original paintings at prices that are sure to make you smile!

Original Art by Studio Zen: $28 - $130

I have been geeking out lately about the Case Study House program, and I was amazed and surprised to find that Arts and Architecture still has all of the original Case Study house articles available on their website for free. It's an amazing wealth of information, and a must read for anyone interested in Mid Century Modern Architecture.

All images from Arts and Architecture.

It's pretty much a known fact that I'm a total sucker for textiles. So when I saw these rugs from Swedish designer Lena Bergstom, my eyes widened and my heart did that little fluttering thing it does when I get super excited about something. And then I let out what might have been an audible squeal.

The Bjork Rugs have such a beautiful textural quality, the result of weaving cotton and wool fibers together. Aptly named (Bjork is Swedish for Birch), these rugs definitely call to mind those beautiful trees. The designer explains, "I've been inspired by the rough black and white trunk which has a strong graphical presence and a unique structure. The leather edging alludes to the inside of the bark."

While these rugs certainly aren't cheap, the quality and beauty far surpasses anything you might find at your local IKEA. Plus, hello, leather edging. That's just fancy.

Bjork Rugs by Lena Bergstom: $250 - $750

Inspired by Design is a new online video series that is sponsored by Kohler. It focuses on "extraordinary architecture, sustainable and affordable construction, and progressive design shaped to the needs of the people who use it". I was admittedly skeptical at first, but after watching some I am actually impressed. The first couple episodes cover everything from a shipping container studio to die for, to prefab housing by Res 4, to my personal favorite the 100K house project.

Inspired by Design