Last week our design without reach post linked to how you could make your own satellite bowl out of chopsticks, with out having to get gouged on the price. This week for those of you that are either too lazy to make your own, or just really want one with the original design by Carlo Contin, I point your attention to the MoMA store. They have this classic piece on sale for just under $30 which is about as cheap as you are going to find an original. Throw in a couple of exotic fruits, and you have the modern look that drove dwell magazine to write the original fruit bowl manifesto (whatever happened to that anyway?). Available here for $29.95

I am always glad to see baby related stuff that I actually like the looks of. It almost makes the idea of having one of the squirmy little guys a little more enticing. Skip Hop is another great company devoted to making parenthood a little more stylish. Their new mini changing station, the Pronto! is a nice addition to their already solid line. I like the unassuming stealth look of the outside and the super mod changing pad stowed in the inside. Perfect for you couples that like to fly under the radar, but still make a statement. This little guy is loaded too. It has all the little pockets and zippered areas you need for your baby related paraphenalia.

Available for $30 at Baby Universe Via BabyGadget

Here is a link I found via Cribcandy. The website is called Design Without Reach, and it does my heart good to see another poor modernist out there trying to make waves. I mostly liked the idea that there really are other people out there that are frustrated with all the unaffordable modern furnishings. The site features a few ideas that you can do on your own to make designer style furnishings for your home. Kind of like something that you would see in Ready Made. My personal favorite were the Eames Playing Cards. If I didn't already own a set, I might even do it.The whole thing is put up by Twart Design, which incidentally has some great stuff as well.

Crate and Barrel is having another sale, this time it's up to 50% off on tons of stuff, including some furniture. I didn't see any furniture that I liked that was 50% off, but I did find this table set for under $400. Its hard enough to find a decent table for under $400 let alone a five piece table set. The table is the Quantum Dining table, nothing fancy here, white melamine and a zinc plated base. It does have drop leaf and expands to seat from 2-4 people. The chairs are a classic. C&B call them the Infinity chair, but we all know that they take their inspiration from the Jacobsens Ant Chair. They come in a beech veneer, which would have been my choice anyway. All in all, its a very good deal for the price.

Available here for $399.

It's that time of year when all the stores try and get rid of their old stock and get ready for all the new goodies that are coming. If you haven't already checked out the sale that they are having at Design Public, get on over there. They have some good deals on bedding, including most of the old Dwell line that has been discontinued. So if you have been wanting a some nice Dwell threads, here is your chance. I happen to be a sucker for this orange and cream duvet on sale for $132. I might have to actually spring for it before it's too late.

Well, it's hardly a day after Christmas, and I noticed that West Elm is already advertising for their spring line. Didn't winter just start? Oh well, some of their new stuff looks nice. This Low Platform Bed for example, seems to be a fairly good value. Priced between $499 and $649 this hardwood platform bed just screams modern with a japanese style. I personally love the simplistic modern furniture that shares its roots with much of the minimalistic asian design. This bed would be a great addition to anyone looking for a good clean look, although with it being as low as it is, I think that carpeted rooms are right out of the question. The bedside table shown in the picture is a nice match to the set, and sells for $129 each or $229 for a set of two.

Available here.

So, I have been looking for inexpensive modern shelving, and I have to admit, it's not easy. I guess when it comes to bigger purchases like shelving and furniture you really have to evaluate your needs. If you only need them semi-temporarily, say for a couple of years, and your budget is small, then it probably doesn't make sense to invest in something too nice. Of course if you are like me you would probably rather spend a little more to get something that is well built. I recently bought some shelving from Target, it wasn't expensive, but it certainly wasn't free, and the quality is definitely lacking. Synthetic wood grain, and plastic just doesn't do it for me no matter how good the design. Looking at the options, I found these shelves from Blu Dot. You have to be a fan of Blue Dot to like these, since all of their stuff is the same flavor. For the money though, I think these are a great value. The D2 pictured above is 63" H x 70" W x 15" D and sells at Design Public for just under $600. Thats really a lot of shelving for the money, and the quality looks good too (if anyone has any comments about Blu Dot quality, please share). It comes with painted metal shelves, you can choose the colors, and a particle board natural finish. I personally like the look of the raw particle board, it is a nice honest expression of the structure. If you are looking for a little more classy, you could always upgrade ash for an extra $150.

Its not often that I do a write up on something like laptop cases, but for Pinder, I will make an exception for two reasons. First, I think that they have a good product for a good price, and second, and more importantly, they support some great causes. The case is everything you need a laptop case to be, durable cordura exterior, ripstop nylon interior, YKK zippers, and 1/4 inch closed cell foam padding. Its called the Pinder Thin, and it's just that. Not too big, but just enough to protect your precious laptop for those short trips. They are available in 7 different colors, and are only $49. Now here is the part I really liked. Pinder will donate 5% of the net proceeds to charity. They actually have a list of 7 different charities, and you can choose to just donate to one, or disperse the funds among them. So, if you are looking for a good laptop case, and want to make a positive social impact at the same time, check them out.

Available here for $49.

via PopGadget

Looking for that last minute special something for that hard to shop for person? I was at Artichokes and Company today, and I saw these chocolates from Marie Belle. Let me tell you, I am not normally the type of person to get excited about some chocolates, but these were absolutely beautiful. Each individual chocolate had a different mod print on the front of it. I didn't actually taste any of them, but I hear that they are as good tasting as they are good looking. They have a holiday box set of 16 chocolates for $35 dollars, which is a little expensive for chocolates, but come on, it's Christmas. If you are feeling frugal like me, you could always go for the $7 box set of 2.

Available here.

It's hard to keep up with all the new blogs these days, and to be honest it gets pretty tiring trying to. Unless you find a blog that is aimed specifically at a small niche that is not covered in any other place the chances are you won't really find anything new at yet another modern contemporary blog. We hope that GrassrootsModern can fill the modern and affordable niche, we'll let you be the judge. If you are looking for modern baby stuff, well then, BabyGadget may be worth checking out. Modern design for the little guys has been a huge new market, but I have yet to find any blogs completely dedicated to the subject, until now. Baby Gadget is run by Jenna Park, a Popgadget veteran and toddler-chaser. Looks pretty promising to me, I even took the time to add it to my selection of RSS feeds.

Amuse Bouche is a great collection from the folks over at Precidio Objects. If you aren't familiar with Precidio, you should go ahead and check them out, they have some really great stuff, all melamine tableware. Some of their past sets have featured Jonathan Adler designs, and some Warhol motifs. Amuse Bouche is all about celebrating the little things in life, and why shouldn't we. The entire set is comprised of small dishes for "small portions, mini culinary masterpieces, and exotic condiments." I love cooking, and know how important presentation is for that special meal, now we have just the right thing to serve those mini delights on. I am not to sure about pricing yet, since I haven't found these online anywhere, but if I remember right the other lines weren't too expensive. Anyone have a lead on where to get these?

This is for all of those procrastinators who still haven't gotten out their Christmas cards. Potion Brand is a San Francisco based company that produces high quality, and tasteful cards. They have a holiday line out which we think is simply delightful. The pictures above are an example of some of the cards that they have. They come in a box of 12 for $18, which isn't bad when you consider what you pay for one awful Hallmark card. Each box contains three different designs, and there are three different box sets available. We also admire their commitment to the environment by using environmentally responsible inks.

Support our modern grassroots artists, and get them here.

We are big fans here of alternative wall coverings, especially ones that are modular, so we were obviously excited to see that hivemodern is now carrying Algues. Algues is the french word for algae, and that is exactly what these little guys are designed after. Each unit measures about 12" x 10" and they are about 2" deep. They have multiple connecting points so that you can string a bunch of them together in any design that you want. The result is a very organic looking wall covering. They are available in four different colors and come in a box of 6 for $25, just enough to get your creative juices flowing. If you fall in love with the look (and we know you will) you can always expand later.

Available here.

It seems like I am on a kid kick lately. Personally I am just glad to see some of the great modern design styles trickling down to the kids stuff. This little number from Sparkability isn't exactly the most modern piece I have seen, but I really have this thing for wooden kids toys. Its probably because that is what I grew up with. In fact, I had a little wooden kitchen similar to this one when I was a kid. One of the great things about wooden toys it that they last forever, and the are usually simple enough to let the imagination fill in all the gaps. This sweet little piece is a pretty good bargain for $100, plus if you got a mini wooden fridge your baby grub would be hooked up with the sweetest imaginary studio apartment on the whole block.

Get it here for $100.

These Clear Glass Decanters from Wrapables.com are just the thing for your fancy holiday parties you have coming up. Simple, clean, and modern, they are suitable to hold just about anything from your finest chardonnay to cranberry juice, or even just water with a slice of lemon. They are quite reasonably priced at around $20 each, and it looks like they will even throw in a free wine stopper. Available here.

Looking for something special for the little one this holiday season. How about a Zid Zid Mini Poof. A what? Yep, you heard me, a Zid Zid Mini Poof. Wow try typing that 10 times fast. This modern little stool is more than just a stool to your kid. Since it is so soft it works equally well as a giant boulder, indoor snowman, the skies the limit. The covers are removable and machine washable, so they will stay looking fresh for years to come. I love the bright orange one with the zebra, but there are others available. Available from egiggle.com.

Get it here.

Carina over at Mid-century Utah pointed out to me the other day that Laurie Smith of trading spaces has her own line of fabric. I don't have a TV, but secretly I am a junkie for those design shows, and trading spaces does have its good moments. I am usually a little skeptical about any designer lines that come from those type of shows, but I have to admit that Laurie Smith does have a nice selection of fabrics. It looks like Hancock Fabrics is the exclusive carrier, and they are all 25% off right now. Looks like it is time to break out those sewing machines, and make something mod for the holidays. If you aren't the best with a needle and thread, consider using the fabric to make some wall prints a lå the poppycotton wall hangings

Its hard to find good pendant lighting that doesn't cost an arm and a leg these days, so I was pretty excited when I came across this one over at Nova68. The Norm 03 is perhaps not for the faint of heart. It ships flat, and comes with instructions for assembling the 39 piece puzzle. No tools or glue are required, perhaps just a little bit of patience. The result is quite nice, especially for under $100 shipped. Its no wonder that it won some prizes over at Formland and Cologne.

Available here for $98, free shipping.

I have to admit  I have a serious weakness for sushi, so when I saw this new Sushi tray from Design Public, my knees about buckled. Composed of two separate wooden serving blocks that nestle inside a stainless steel cover this compact and totally complete little tray is all you need to serve sushi for two. It even has individual nooks for your chopsticks, and two carved out little bowls for your wasabi and soy sauce. Priced at $78 it is not exactly what I would call a screaming deal, but think of it this way; If you learn to make your own sushi, (which is not very hard, and loads of fun) the money you save by not going out to get your fix, will quickly pay this little beauty off.

Available here.

Here is a product that is aimed at kids, but could probably come in handy for just about anyone in the family. The Peanut Step Stool from Nest is a good example of a simple concept that is well executed. A step stool does not have to be anything elaborate, just sturdy, and hopefully a bit attractive. This stool easily pulls off both of those, plus they threw in a handle to make it convenient to carry around. Perhaps the thing I like the most about Nest though is their philosophy, and commitment to green design. I applaud anyone who can make an attractive modern product out of sustainable resources all at a price that I can afford. This stool is available directly from Nest for $54.

Available here.