Because sporks are such old news. This twin one cutlery designed by Lekue takes the lonely fork and knife and brings them together in perfect chopstick bliss.

Twin One Cutlery

via

I'm SoHo bound today.  Any suggestions of must see shops, leave them in the comments.

Photo by Anita Boldt February 1980. via

Kaya is a graphic designer and illustrator currently based in Alberta, Canada whose charming style instantly put a smile on my face!  Most of her work is up on Flickr, including this lovable little sloth pictured above - I just want to squeeze him!  She's also putting together an illustrated 2012 calendar that I'm excited to see finished - even though the idea that another year is nearly upon us is CRAZY.  If you like what you see though, be sure to check out more of her work through the link below.

LINK: kaya-h.blogspot.com

While my iPhone seems to be doing  pretty good job of dragging me out of bed in the mornings, I have to admit that the looks of this Safe Travel Clock by Lexan are pretty enticing. It's more than just good looks too. This bamboo and bioplastic alarm clock will run of batteries or solar power, making it the perfect travel companion.

Lexon Safe Travel Clock

I'm not much of a wallet user, but I am a complete iPhone addict.  This leather wallet sleeve by RETRO MODERN may just possibly be the perfect combination of wallet and iPhone case. Think of it as a svelte clutch for the guys.  Each wallet is hand made from genuine soft leather and has several pockets for all your necessities and a snap closure to keep them all safe. Pricing is a little steep starting at $80, but if you compare that to buying both a case and a wallet, it seems about right.

RETRO MODERN leather iPhone wallet sleeve

I just woke up after being up for over 40 hours straight, so I think it's only appropriate that I post about the Nights dish towel by Korea based Knife in the Water. About:

Inspired by vintage vera scarf design, they are the moons of many sleepless nights, dreams, and memories...

Screen printed on 55% linen 45% cotton with eco-friendly water-based navy & toffee inks.

Nights Dish Towel

I'm just going to go out on a limb here and make the claim that Schoolhouse Electric Co. knocked it out of the park with their newest lighting collection!  I love the Ion and Matter lamps especially, but check out more of there newest products here and decide for yourself!

LINK: schoolhouseelectric.com

Today I'm serving up some more letterpress goodness.  This time in the notebook form. These cross stitch patterns were designed by Abbey Hendrickson, founder of Aesthetic Outburst and printed by Rachel of Pistachio Press.  They are available for purchase for $7 each or $18 for a set of 3.  Alternately if you are feeling lucky, you can head over to Aesthetic Outburst today and try and win one in their giveaway.

Cross Stitch letterpress notebooks $7

Call me crazy, but I am totally in love with these quirky little wall ornaments from Flora Grubb!  They're available in gold, red, orange, and lime.  Though they're sold as outdoor items, I can't help but think you could create a really cool installation inside with a few dozen of these.  (You might put quite a few holes in your wall, though...)  Where and how would you use these?

Wall Ornaments from Flora Grubb: $8.95 ea.

[via poppytalk]

Back when I was regularly obsessing over Japanese Ofuro bathtubs I did a lot of reading on hinoki, a type of cypress that is used in traditional Japanese woodworking. Ultimately I decided that making a tub out of hinoki wasn't affordable or practical for me.  A tissue box on the other hand, is an entirely different issue. This hinoki tissue box is simple, beautiful, and it turns out very practical. Hinoki naturally has a wonderful smell (think cedar) and natural antibacterial properties. Just the thing for the next time you have the sniffles.

Hinoki Tissue Box $35

Jackpot!!!  I haven't seen a single store of objects this well curated since my post on Mjölk. Only this time instead of amazing scandinavian design, Objects of Use has beautiful traditional accessories for the home and garden. The modernist in me loves these simple honest products made of traditional materials. The cleaning and gardening tools are absolutely epic. I honestly didn't even know that an asparagus knife or english oak dibber existed before yesterday, now I'm pretty sure I'll die if I don't have one.

The good news is that the prices are very reasonable, the bad news is that they are located in the UK.  I did contact them to see if they ship internationally, and they do.  Most of the items are fairly small so shipping shouldn't be too expensive.

Objects of Use

I'm happy to report that Capree is not the only one heading to ICFF this year. My bags are all packed (mostly) and I'm heading out late tonight. I'll be spending a week in New York during ICFF and then I'm picking up a car and wandering my way home for a 2,500 mile 4 day adventure. I'll definitely be looking for some travel advice on that one.

In the meantime, make sure you "like" Grassrootsmodern on Facebook or follow me for play by play NYC action, including live coverage of ICFF and a handful of design related soirees. On the schedule for tomorrow is Storm King and DIA:Beacon.

Any NYC readers or fellow ICFF attendees, find me, and lets hook up.

Put a bird on it?  Naw. I say put an owl on it. I mean come on, just look at those cute little owl eyes staring back at you.  Who can resist that.

Not a fan of fowl? Prefer something a little less cheery and fluffy. Get your grumpy on with this black and pink clouds and bolts card.

Lots more letterpress goodies on the Etsy Letterpress store.

Beauty in simplicity - that's what these teak measuring spoons from Chabatree are all about.  Sustainably harvested from plantation-farmed wood, these spoons have zero chemical finishes and are 100% food safe.  Just don't think about putting them in your dishwasher!

Teak Measuring Spoons by Chabatree: $20

It's been a long while since I have actually used an alarm clock besides the one on my phone, but this little guy from Anything Design looks like it would like to live in my bedroom. Recipient of a RED DOT AWARD for 'Best of the Best' in the product design category, 2009 the Anything Alarm clock is available in five smashing colors: Orange, White, Black, Yellow or Turquoise.

Anything Alarm Clock $69

Sigh. I really REALLY need to start collecting some good art work. I love these Giclée prints by Australian based Cul-de-sac. They manage that perfect balance of retro MCM flair with a clean modern aesthetic. Each print is part of a limited edition run of 20 prints. Get em while they're hot!

Cul-de-sac Giclée prints $AU$650

We love Etsy here at GRM, but the one thing that seems few and far between on Etsy is good modern furniture. That's one reason I was so excited to stumble onto the Kart Chair.  That and the fact that it is gorgeous. Designed and made by Harbenger Duo in Houston Texas, the Kart chair is made of walnut veneered birch plywood. It ships flat, and will only put you out $350, which for a hand made custom chair is incredible.

Kart Chair $350

I once had a Rubik's cube and I spent a long time learning how to finish it. This Rubik's cube definitely takes it to the next level, that is assuming you don't know Braille. Let's be honest though. If you had this, it would do the exact same thing that most Rubik's cubes do. Just sit around.  At least it would look good doing it.  Speaking of sitting around, this prototype will be sitting around MoMA NY, starting in July and will be on display until November 2011.

White Braille Rubik's Cube prototype

It's called a Yogurt Bowl, I just call it stunning. To that I would add that there are a whole slew of things that I would use this bowl for, yogurt being just one of them.  The bowl itself is made of white blown glass and the lid is teak, and looks like it would double as a fantastic little plate.  The number one thing I would do with this bowl if I had it? Just sit and stare at it.

Yogurt Bowl $25

When Arian Behzadi isn't busy with his Biological Sciences major (emphasis in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior - whoa), he's creating gorgeous collages and commissioned design work.  I guess this is what happens when your left and right hemispheres try to one-up each other.  Nice work, Arian!

Check out more of his work on Flickr.

More pics after the jump!