If you are a fan of garlic like my wife and I are, you will love this garlic crusher from the MoMA Store. Designed by Inkeke Hans in 2005, this little kitchen wonder is just the tool to pulverize those little cloves of goodness. Perhaps one of the best features of this garlic crusher is the fact that it is made of 18/0 stainless steel, which means that you can use it to get that garlic smell off of your hands. After crushing just wash your hands with the crusher and the stainless steel takes all the smell out of your hands. The garlic crusher is available at the MoMA Store for $16.

It always warms my heart to see someone who loves Charles and Ray Eames as much as I do. Seattle based Orange Peel Enamel makes wonderful enamel pendants, all of them super hip modern designs. My favorite of course is this ode to the Eames' called "I love Eames". Each pendant is made individually by hand, and fired at 1500 degrees. The detail and design of the pieces are truly top notch, and the prices very reasonable $25. A web site is in the works, until then check them out at etsy. Orange Peel Enamel at etsy.

Inleaf makes some great modern pillows, and other textiles. Each of their pieces are heavily influenced by nature, and bring the outdoors inside in a minimalistic modern way. Designed by Swedish designer Lotta Helleberg, each pillow uses a real leaf for the hand printing process making each piece wonderfully unique. The woodland fern pillow shown to the right is currently on sale over at Elsewares for $52. Make sure you check out the rest of the Inleaf collection too.

Get it at Elsewares for $52.

I have a sister who is in a family way, so I am always looking out for baby goods for her. gDiapers look like a great little system for the eco conscious parent looking for an alternative to cloth diapers. The fashionable outer covers are reusable, and the inner absorbent center is completely flushable. So what is the flushable center made of you ask? Tree farmed fluff pulp of course. So rest assured just because it is easier on you doesn't mean its bad for the environment. Available in 4 fashionable colors, including our favorite grassroots green. Pricing seems very reasonable (although I admit I am no diaper pricing expert).

Check out the gDiaper website for pricing and tons of other info for the sceptical. Via babygadget.

Leather wiz kid Jason of MAKR has finally gotten around to launching an online store. He has some great looking leather goods as usual, you really have to appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into all of the pieces. If you remember we did an interview with him a while ago when he was first starting out. Looks like he is making some good steps toward his goal of MAKR sustaining him financially. So if you are looking for a wallet or card holder, get out there and support the little guys. Check out the online store for prices.

Here is another good deal from the sale section over at the MoMA store. Its called the Flatlight because before assembly it is completely flat. Flat packing products is a great way to save money in shipping, and having the consumer assemble their own stuff is a good money saver too, just ask Ikea, they've been doing it for years. The Flatlight is designed by Dick Lundgren of Sweden, and is made of PVC and steel. It is about 15" high and 7" wide, and is on sale for $49. Get it at the MoMA Store for $49.

Just a quick heads up for all you Furni fans. I got an email from Mike the other day about their upcoming friends and family sale. He told me I could pass it along to the GRM family. Check it out:

As an extra bonus, for a limited time we are offering “friends and family” discounts to anyone who get’s this e-mail, all you have to do is create an account at our online store, then drop us a line at info@furnicreations.com with your name in the Subject line and we will shift you into our “friends and family” category, so next time you logon on you will be able to shop with the special pricing structure (15-40% off everything in the store!)

So, if you are thinking about getting some Canadian goods, or just want to be on their friends and family list, sign up now.

For those of you who don't know about Flokati Rugs, its time we let you in on a little secret. They rock. These traditional Greek rugs are the perfect covering for any penny pinching modernist. They have been around for a long time, for a little history check out Flokati.com. The great thing about flokati rugs is that they are both affordable and timeless. Its not a look that is going to look played in a couple of years. Prices will depend on the shag factor. Longer pile, higher price. If you go with a short pile (rated in grams/m2) a typical 5' x 8' can be had for just over a hundred bucks. There are deals to be had though. Check out overstock.com for a 13' x 10' for only $379. Or you can always check froogle. Just stay away from the colored ones please.

Border Wallpaper-by-Numbers isn't new to the blog scene, it got a fair amount of coverage a while ago, but it is new to the MoMA Store. These whimsical and stylish 6" borders would look great in a kids room. The borders come in three different colors and pattern, and include paint by number style graphics. You can go ahead and fill them in with paints or colored pencils, or you could just leave them the way they are. $20 will get you 20 feet of 6" high border. Available from MoMAstore.

I don't do too much here on fashion, but this is one I just couldn't pass up. Katrinakaye over at Etsy has made a lovely union of original Mid-Century Scandinavian prints and good old sturdy army messenger bags. The result is a wonderful collection of one of a kind bags that are as affordable as they are original. Katrinakaye lives in Amsterdam, but fortunately shipping is very reasonable on these bags. Most sell for around $30 and ship for around $7, which is a great deal for the sturdy stylish bag you are getting. So far the feedback on these bags has been very positive. She should have a webpage coming soon, so stay tuned for more news.

Check out her Etsy page for all her great bags.

While $18 is a little much to pay for a stainless steel bottle opener, you have to admire the simplicity of this little guy. Named the Marli bottle opener, it was designed by Steven Blaess for Alessi, this top popper measures just over 2" squared. If you can't live without one, drop by Moss Online, and get yours today. Available at Moss Online for $18.

If you are a big fan of the retro mid-century modern look, then you will love these plates. These classic modern prints were designed by Charles S. Anderson of Popink. Printed on melamine plates these make a perfect casual dinner plate, that is totally dishwasher safe (but not microwave friendly). Each set comes with four different colored plates, each one as groovy as the last. It looks like Elsewares only carries one design, which happens to be my favorite, but if you are looking for variety head on over to Popink. Popink not only has a bunch of other designs, they have a wonderful collection of royalty free, and rights managed designs and prints that any MCM geek would swoon over.

Fashion Plate sets available from Elsewares for $40.

I don't know what this carafe has to do with a gallery, but Crate & Barrel was right on when they described this Gallery Carafe as "... sculptural minimalism". Simple and elegant this carafe is just the thing to fancy up your kitchen, whether you are using it for a fine wine or kool aide for the kids. It is handblown in Slovakia, which sounds pretty fancy if you ask me. The price is pretty right on too, only $19.

Available from Crate & Barrel.

If you were into the look of the Algues, but weren't quite up to the adventure of stringing them all together to make a proper screen, then perhaps the Fusion Partition is for you. Don't let the name fool you, just because they are called a partition doesn't mean that's all you can use them for. These funky modular pieces are the perfect stater kit for some affordable wall art. In case you haven't noticed, 3d wall coverings are the next wallpaper, and we happen to love the idea. The Fusion Partition is sold in a set of four panels (about 11" square each) for a mere $20. They come in a couple of different colors (slate shown to the right) and fit into any decor. From CB2, $20 for four.

I thought that I would give everyone the update on our Fatboy Dog bed. We finally got around to ordering it a couple of weeks ago, and have had it for about two weeks now. We ended up getting it from Design Public. We decided to get it in brown, although the orange was quite tempting. That is one of the downsides to ordering online, you never know exactly what the color will turn out like. The brown is about what we expected. The cover is a very tough nylon that will hold up well over time. It is also removable, so you could throw it in the wash. Ainlsey loves it, although it did take him a little bit to get used to the bean bag effect.

If you liked the French Floral Plates that we featured a couple of weeks ago, then you have got to love these French Floral Lamps by TAÏR MERCIER. Like the plates, they are made of polypropylene and have silhouettes of red or white poppy flowers on them. These little guys are a great deal at only $35 each. I didn't notice it last time I posted, but Taïr Mercier also has some nice placemats that feature the same pattern as the plates and lamp. According to Elsewares, "Taïr Mercier is a husband-wife design team making classic french style affordable from their Paris studio." It's good to see someone overseas supporting the affordable contemporary movement.

Available from Elsewares for $23-$35.

For those of you looking to breath a little bit of life into your old Ikea sofa, how about a new slip cover. Sure you probably already have a couple laying around that you got with your sofa when you bought it, but admit it they are looking pretty sad. Replacing a sofa doesn't fit everyones budget, but I bet most people could scrape together $250 and get a new slip cover. Now before I go on, I must admit that I am not usually a fan of slip covers, but I will make an exception here. These slip covers from Bemz are quality and look like they fit great. They have them for a couple different Ikea sofas and they have a pretty decent selection of colors and fabrics too.

Check them out here.

I usually make an effort to only blog about items that are currently available for purchase. I think that is generally one downfall in the whole blogsphere today, everyone is in such an effort to be on the cutting edge that the don't worry about people never being able to get any of the cool products that they blog about. Today I am making an exception to highlight some projects from a very talented industrial designer Ian Gonsher that has some great affordable ideas. The first is the D_light shown above, which is a simple flat packed polyethylene lamp, that would be very affordable to produce. I also was impressed with the idea of the cardboard table. Sure the whole idea of cardboard furniture is pretty lame if you ask me, but if you are already shipping something in a cardboard box, why not include a template to make a hip table for free.

Make sure you check out his website. More pics after the jump.

The guys from Furni have been making the rounds in the blogs lately, starting over at cool hunting and then over at joshspear.com. After seeing some of their work, and being very impressed with the pricing, I decided to get together with them for an interview. They were kind enough to take a time out to talk about some of the challenges to designing affordable modern furnishings, and what they are doing to join in the affordable modern revolution. They also hinted at some great new products that they should have rolling out very soon.

Check out the full interview after the jump.

GRM: OK, lets start with the basics, tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you got involved with the whole Furni deal.

FURNI: About four years ago I fell prey to "corporate" downsizing and found myself applicable for 10 months of unemployment assistance, about that time Devin a childhood friend (my business partner) had arrived back in Montreal after relocating to Calgary with his family a few years before. He also was applicable for unemployment benefits due to the fact that he had moved back to Montreal with his "common-law" girlfriend at the time. So there we were, to guys with allot of time on our hands, not particularly raring to get back into the "9 to 5" . After learning that Devin had taken cabinetry classes and done some production work he was asked to do some cabinetry for a friend of the family, he needed a hand lugging round materials so I was happy to oblige. Within a couple weeks of finishing that job we made the decision to approach the local "employment services" agency to see what funding we were applicable for if we were to start our own business. We managed to secure a small grant, rent a shop and through word of mouth start working full time on custom projects. Just like all businesses we began to experience down time........coupled with an itch for a little more creative control. Let's just say installing wainscoting and building Bookshelves weren't keeping us creatively fulfilled! So basically about 6 months ago we decided to speculate to accumulate and ceased taking on "contract" work and began to design a line of our own. Early december we finally had something to show, and have been trying to get as much exposure/feedback since.....

GRM: It sounds like you both spent some time where you didn't exactly have a lot of money. How did that influenced your new product line?

FURNI: Pricing!!!! it really made us focus on our price point, all of the pieces in our line were cut, sanded, veneered, stained and finished by either Devin or myself. They kind of become part of you, so when it's time to sell them you want to charge an arm or a leg. Ultimately we decided it was super important to get our stuff into the hands of people like our peers who could not only appreciate it, but actually afford it. So we kept the prices to a minimum, deciding not to make the pieces incredibly expensive, as I find most modern furnishings are, rendering them basically unobtainable to the very people who we felt could truly appreciate them......maybe not the most economically viable business model...but an honest one.

GRM: Its funny you should mention pricing, it's obviously a big thing on my mind when I consider what I should put on the website. As I was looking through your pricing on your site I was thinking to myself "not too shabby". Then I realized it was all in CAD, which means it is even more affordable when I convert to USD. So to me you guys are kinda the poster children of the grassroots modern revolution, making quality modern goodies at an affordable price. So the question, how do you do it, and is it sustainable?

FURNI: Actually we are not sure at this point!!! Obviously we know our cost of raw materials and the amount of time it took to make the products, but there were so many hidden cost involved in putting the line together that it's really gonna take some time to figure out how "profitable" it will be. As it stands right now if we can sell the balance of our inventory (approx 400 units) in the next month or two we should pretty much break even.....which, I will be more than happy with, cause we have been paying ourselves a minimum wage throughout the production process, so breaking even actually means that even with minimal production and a little online presence our business is viable. If we get enough orders to make another production run things are gonna be much easier/quicker as all the designs and dimensions are finalized and our suppliers have been sourced.

GRM: What do you think is the biggest obstacle when it comes to making modern design affordable?

FURNI: I think it's volume. Most "modern" pieces are expensive because they are produced on a relatively small scale. The only way to keep down the price of the end product is to be able to keep the raw material cost to a minimum, as an example, we could look at the digital displays we used in a couple of the pieces, the unit cost decreases substantially from ordering one unit to let's say 1,000 units. So for modern to be more affordable, it actually has to become more "mainstream" so it's able to generate enough orders to keep the price down. In essence,volume is what makes a product affordable....but it also makes the market stagnant and stale, It's a huge catch 22. I am hoping to find some sort of balance.

GRM: Now that you are starting to get some exposure, and things are picking up a little for you, what are your plans for the future?

FURNI: not to loose momentum or focus .......it's taken us four years to get to this point (with more than a few temporary distractions) Now, with both the orders and feedback coming in from visitors to the site, I see a clear path ahead of us. The interest is definitely there so next sites include getting a rep and sourcing a couple other small woodshops to help us shorten the production time. We've also been busy working on two new prototypes that are going to be available soon...

GRM: Any hints on what the new prototypes are?

FURNI: I just finished a prototype called the Kaupus "SP" I basically mounted a really sweet "Vifa" speaker (high quality from denmark) into the base of the Kaupus light, it fires upwards and uses the acrylic shade to amplify the sound.....you can hook it up to any amplifier and have a sweet sounding lamp!!! The second prototype is actually on it's way from oversees, it's the only place we could get the raw materials. It's a bamboo cutting board with three interchangeable prep bowls......we have to assemble them at our shop so I won't feel totally separated from the manufacturing process!! This is the first time I've worked with a supplier oversees and I'm interested to see the results.

*Here's a pic, it's "For yours eyes only" as we don't want to put it out there till we have the product to back it up!

(They were nice enough to let me post the pic, as long as you know it won't be available until Feb. some time.)

GRM: Sounds like you guys are doing some really exciting stuff. Make sure you keep us posted over here at GRM.

Any comments on this? Take it to the Forums.

OK, so maybe you don't usually think of polypropylene plates as exotic, or hip, but these French made dishes certainly have style. Printed on the translucent plates are silhouettes of poppy flowers in either red or white. Available in a set of four, they are priced to sell at only $26. One thing I really like about these plates is that they are durable enough for everyday use and abuse, but have that little bit of flair that you need in your daily life. They are also dishwasher safe, which is a must around my house. Available from Elsewares for $26 for a set of four plates.