Wooden toys are so timeless, aren't they? I love these animal pulls and rattles from Etsy shop The Wood Garden. All of their toys are handcrafted from sustainably farmed hardwood trees. The husband and wife duo behind The Wood Garden began creating natural wood toys for their own children before turning it into a full time business. Be sure to check out more of their unique wooden toys - each handcrafted and finished with certified organic flax seed oil.

Wooden toys from The Wood Garden: $11 - $34

We've featured some pretty cool watering cans here on GRM in the past, but none quite like this one. Designed by French-born Pascal Charmolu this innovative watering can is made of 18-0 stainless steel. It has a flexible silicone hose with a built-in magnet that allows it to be attached to the can’s body when not in use. The hose makes it easy to hit the right mark when watering. Available in red, white and brushed or polished stainless steel the watering can is on pre-order for a late November delivery.

Available from A + R for $96.

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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.

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 from reclaimed 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.

Driftwood Bowl: $29 - $49 Upcycle Elevated Bowl: $25

Over the years I have featured quite a few pieces of cardboard furniture on Grassrootsmodern. It's because the base material is free, and with a little creativity and some DIY motivation you can actually make some pretty good looking stuff. If you've ever thought it would be cool to make something out of cardboard, but you've never really known where to start, you're in luck! I was browsing through Instructables and I saw this nice little tutorial on how to make a cardboard bench. The same ideas will apply to basically any cardboard furniture, all you need is 1) A Saw 2) Lots of cardboard 3) Glue... lots of glue.

Full DIY cardboard furniture instructions at Instructables.

Last week Capree blogged about the new modern homes that are being built in the Utah super suburb Daybreak. The $206K price tag sounded too good to be true, so I had to go check it out for my self. I admit that I was pleasantly impressed. The homes themselves were well built and the majority of the interior details were well done. Interior surfaces were fairly high end, including nice glass tiles in the kitchens and bathrooms. The ikea interiors made me feel right at home. Overall they are an amazing feat for $140 a square foot land. Sure the .10 acres you get isn't a ton of land, but at the price point you really can't beat these house. As much as it might pain me to say it, these homes are probably the best example of affordable modern in Utah, maybe in the whole country. The biggest downside to the whole thing is the location. Besides feeling like you lived in a movie set (which really didn't bother me to much) the rather extreme south west location may be a deal breaker. To me it would mean an extra hour of commuting every day. To see lots more pictures and get more details head over to Utahmodern.org.

Solaris Collection

More pictures on Utahmodern.org

Oh, IKEA. You never cease to amaze me with your clever ways. Meet the SUNNAN Light - a handsome little fellow free of wires and powered by the sun! With a full charge (9-12 hours of sunlight), this desk lamp will put out 400 to 500 lux at its starting point. After 3 to 4 hours, the light intensity will decrease to about 300 lux. Uses LED bulbs.
SUNNAN Light from IKEA: $20

I grew up with chickens and had to go out every morning to collect eggs, so I admit the novelty of having those feathered foul in your own backyard has worn off for me. Backyard chickens is a rising trend however, and if you have ever thought about getting some chickens of your own you should definitely check out this chicken coop. Designed and built by Modern Coops, each coop is made of recycled cedar and sports a fiberglass roof. The base model is $525 and there are various add ons that you can add from there. It's so good looking, it almost makes me want to get chickens again. Almost.

Available from Modern Coops

Almost a year ago we posted about a wind turbine that Philippe Starck had been working on. The object was to make it attractive and affordable. Unfortunately it looked like it was going to be unavailable as there has been no mention of anyone actually building it. Now it looks like the designer wind turbine might actually be more than vaporware. While the details are still pretty sketchy, it appears that the UK branch of Pramac will be producing the turbine, and according to their website it should be "available soon". There is even rumor of a new three blade vertical axis ‘Darrieus’ style turbine (shown left). We just hope that something actually gets made, and that it is close to the original rumored price of $800 – $1,200.

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This swanky desk lamp would look great in any minimal or contemporary office space. It certainly has an 80s feel, though. Something from the set of American Psycho, perhaps?

About:
Three strips of bright white LED bulbs provide all the energy efficient light you need for your tasks at hand: reading, brainstorming, composing, surfing or social networking on your computer or checking your PDA. The base glows vivid blue for mood and a modern, memorable ambiance. Plugs into an electrical outlet.

Optic Desk Lamp available from Chiasso: $78

It's hard to find a good hanging pot. Most of them come off looking like some 70's macrame´ project. This new one Plant Pod from Perch happens to not only be good looking, but very functional as well. It features an interior planter with drainage holes, and an outer dish to contain it all. And everything is hung up using a natural leather cord. Like all Perch goodies this pot is made with low-fire ceramic, non-toxic glaze; natural leather cord tanned with vegetable-based dyes.

Available from Branch Home for $98

Blame it on the hours spent reading The Boxcar Children as a little kid, but the idea of living in an old shipping container is fascinating, especially if it looks like one of these structures from IC Green, Inc. From 320 square foot studios to 2400 square foot homes, these container dwellings are excellently designed and score major points in sustainability. Aside from the recycled shipping container bones, the insides boast their own green features: radiant flooring, green (living) roof, dual flush toilets, etc. I have to say it: ingenuity at its best!

About:
IC Green is the next breakthrough in housing and sustainable green structures. Designed to be architecturally pleasing yet affordable, IC Green manufactures and pre-assembles a wide-range of structures from small backyard cabanas and office space to expansive residences.

IC Green combines the skills and design excellence from our in-house architects and builders to deliver you a fully engineered, affordable and high-quality product that exceeds most finishes of many high-end custom homes.

Learn more at icgreen.net.

I will never, ever, ever get over the amount of talent that is bursting out of Etsy. It blows my mind, really. With so many incredible shops, it's sometimes hard to pick who or what to feature! This time around, though, the handmade pillows by Liane of Enhabiten were an obvious choice. Aside from the great design and craftsmanship, I was really impressed with her earth friendly efforts - all materials used are organic, sustainably grown and/or vintage.

Pillows by Enhabiten: $30 - $75

Loving these unique wood tiles from Spanish company Kuups. Through a specialized process, Kuups has created a high-quality product that can withstand heavy use both indoors and out, wet or dry. Available in over 10 different woods (all sustainable and Pan European Forest Council certified) and 13 different styles, these tiles are a fresh, modern approach to flooring.

Learn more at www.kuups.es

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NineteenSeventyThree is a UK-based design company specializing in paper goods. Husband and wife team James and Emma Emmerson started the company based on the desire to explore their own creativity. Aside from their own work, they also commission artists from around the world to design cards, wallpaper, and gift wrap. I really love the retro-look of the Claudette series, which is available in greeting card, postcard, and notebook form. As an added bonus, all their products are made from recycled materials and they only ever print with vegetable based inks. Oh, plus their cellophane bags are compostable and biodegradable! Talk about a product you can feel good about!

Paper goods from NinteenSeventyThree: £2

I can understand how you might think I'm developing an obsession (healthy, of course) with wooden toys. I mean, the evidence is there (here and here, to be precise). There is just something sublimely appealing about them - tactilely, aesthetically, and cool-factor-ly. Take these toys by David Weeks, for example. Hardwood limbs, elastic muscles, endless poses - AWESOME. They're even made from sustainably harvested beech wood so you can feel good about life. Seriously, what's not to like? I for one am standing strong in my love for wooden toys - join me if you like!

Wooden animals for cool kids and hip adults available from Design Public: $55 - $125.

I don't have cats, and it's a good thing. I'm not sure I could handle the whole litter box thing. If I did have a cat, and did need a litter box I would definitely have my eye on this new one from ModKat. Combining both form and function this may be the best looking and useful litter box I have ever seen. It features "rooftop" access to help give you cat privacy and keep kids away from the place of business. Inside is a reusable liner to hold the kitty litter and a handy little scoop with integral brush hangs on the side. It's available in several colors and goes on sale this summer for $180. If you preorder before June 14 and use code modkat20 you can save yourself $20 off that price.

Available from ModKat for $160.

Come on cat lovers, tell me what you think....

Because this week is Bike-to-Work Week, and Friday is Bike-to-Work Day I'm following Capree's example and sharing my favorite bike, the Trek District. Not only is the bike absolutely beautiful but is also has a belt drive instead of a chain drive which makes for a perfectly silent, and grease free ride. The District was originally scheduled to ship in November of last year but these beautiful bikes are just barely getting into the hands of customers now. TrekDistrict.com has some great reviews from some of the first buyers in Holland, Paris and New York. In my opinion everything about this bike is perfect except the hard to swallow $900 price tag.

Check out TrekDistrict.com for reviews and photo's.

What's your favorite bike? Are you riding to work this week?

I have a somewhat embarrassing/sad/pathetic confession to make. It has been over 10 years since the last time I rode (or even sat on) a bicycle. I know if I got one, I'd spend all my Summer days riding around town, enjoying the weather and the sights, like I did as a kid. This bicycle from MOOF may just be the thing to get me back to those good old days. From its powder-coated aluminum frame to its solar-powered head and tail lights, this sleek bicycle has just about everything I'd like in a cruiser. Unfortunately, it only comes in one color (though a lovely color it is) - I would die for a yellow-green version!

MOOF Bicycle [designed by Sjoerd Smit] - $600

I love things made out of felt. It's such a simple material that has a great feel to it and can come in a ton of fun colors. I have to admit though that whenever I see cool felt coasters or place mats I always think to myself, man that would be so easy to make myself if I just had a roll of felt. FilzFelt is a felt lovers paradise. Not only do they have all sorts of goodies like felt pillows, coasters, trivets, etc, but more importantly they sell all their felt direct by the yard. All their felt is imported from Germany, and they offer all sorts of tips on how to work with it yourself.

FilzFelt