Quilt Baby is the name of a vender on Etsy, but what it translates to for all of us is affordable modern baby goods. You not only get great designer style at a price you can afford, but you get the peace of mind knowing that you are supporting an individual artist who is passionate about what they are doing. The Pinwheels and Circles Bib shown above is built extra heavy duty to last a long time, and is only $13. The Blue Curious Creature shown stands about 12" high, and is made of super soft fleece. The price for this little guy is $20. Like all Quilt Baby products, they are both machine washable and dryer friendly.

Available from Quilt Baby for $13 - $20.

While it may be difficult to find an affordable modern rocker for big people, our little people are in luck. The Galap Rocker is small, only 15" wide, but it is strong, and can handle more than 250lbs. So I guess if you can fit in it, you can sit in it. It's simple design would make it a perfect addition to any little kids room. The best part about it perhaps is the price, a reasonable $89. Available from Piccolini for $89.

So this weekend, I was battling a bad cold, but I still had time to work on the shower a little bit. It was actually a multiple day project that started last weekend. First I had to install all of the floor drains. There is one inside the shower area, and one just outside the ofuro tub as well. The second will act as a drain for the tub overflow, and will be covered by a wooden shower mat eventually. After putting the drains in I had to frame in the ofuro tub, which meant ripping it all out again, and building a frame for it to sit in. After I got it all framed up, I poured a 1/4" skim coat of vinyl concrete to level the floor out. Next layer will be some sort of waterproof membrane, and a drypack layer to get the slope right. Last will come the tile. I also got our shower all plumbed. Until now all the plumbing in the house (except the radiant) I have done in copper. There were a couple angles in this project that made it impossible to do with copper, so I ended up doing it all in PEX. I have to admit, it was a lot easier and a lot faster. I can see why most people are crossing over. The walls all got a layer of 30 lb building paper, to help waterproof them, and then durarock paneling. Last will be the tile, and we will finally have a functional bathroom.

More pictures after the jump.

CB2 always has some great stuff. They are a great alternative to Ikea when you are looking for something that is both modern and affordable. Point in case; The Silo Pendant Lamp shown above is only $39. That is a total steal for such a classy chrome pendant. The floral wall art shown above is also another great example. While not quite as good of a deal, they still aren't too expensive at only $9 each. I wasn't really sold on them until I saw them in the room shot shown above, now I think that they look pretty sweet.

Available from CB2 from $9 to $39.

We finally got around to buying a shower. We used some left over Christmas money and splurged a little bit. We ended up with the Danze parma tub/shower combo shown above. We obviously don't need the tub part, but that lets us use the diverter that is below the faucet handle to switch the water over to the handheld faucet that is mounted on the bar. Total price for everything was close to a staggering $370. Now all I have to do is get it all installed.

The search for a good rocking chair for my wife to rock our baby in has not been an easy one. Most of the choices are way out of our budget. The Rocco Rocking Armchair is a new kid on the block as far as tasteful rockers go. Great mid-century design teamed up with the glider motion all for $650 make it one of the more affordable modern rockers. The only thing that might not be the best when it comes to rocking a little turnip head is those sharp wooden arms.

Available from Pier 1 for $650. (comments are open on original post)

Modern Twist is a new California based company that has a beautiful product line. Most of their products are plastic based like the placemat shown above. They do have some very nice cloth products as well, like their traditional Japanese Hide Box. Modern Twist has a heavy emphasis in graphic design, and has gotten a team of San Francisco based designers to to help collaborate on the projects. Last, but certainly not least, the company has a "no sweat shop" policy, and is a member of one percent for the planet. Good design, good Karma.

Comments? Post them here in our forums.

It's been a while since I have featured something from Velocity Art and Design. It's not that I don't love their stuff, it's just that I usually can't afford anything on their site, kind of like DWR. Well this week I found something that I love, and can afford. The Fractil Kitchen Towel from Tikoli is a real beauty. Great graphic design, and great colors at at price I can afford.

Available from Velocity for $8.50.

Comments? Post them here in our forums.

Whether you fancy yourself a DIY pro, or you got some new tools for Christmas that you have been dying to try out, Plan Canvas is a good place to go for some simple woodworking plans. They have several different chair designs, as well as some table designs. While the content isn't exclusively modern, there are some pieces that are at least tasteful. Most only require a very basic set of tools. Plans are around $12. If you are feeling brave and are confident of your skills you could always just look a the picture and wing it without any plans.

Available from Plan Canvas for $12. Comments? Post them here in our forums.

My wife and I were dreaming about our addition last night, and looking through all the catalogues that have been piling up around our house lately. We got to The Company Store catalogue, and we were both impressed with the Hexagon Sheets. 250 thread count and 100% combed cotton means that they are decent quality, at least way better than the $8 sheets we bought at Ikea when we first got married. The company store sells the fitted and flat sheets individual which can be a nice option. As for colors, I love them all, but I am particularly drawn to the orange and blue.

Available from The Company Store from $11-$36. Comments? Post them here in our forum.

Maybe once I have a kid, the idea of a white pillow will not seem like such a good idea anymore, but until then I wouldn't mind getting this pillow from Ser-vice. Their description is less than helpful, but somehow totally appropriate:

Nature. Respect. Check a landscape. Give a little back to an old, old soul. Show 'em you got no pity for the city. Leafy, leafy, nice motify.

Available from Ser-vice for $68.

Comments? Post them here in our forum.

I am loving these great Cherry Blossom Branches with decorative flower lights from London based Graham and Green. Available in either white or pink, these delicate lights plug in to make a great small accent light. Each branch comes with 35 individual flower lights. The price is not too bad either for how unique the product is, £16.00 ($30). It looks like availability may be spotty though, and I have no idea about shipping. Anyone see something like this stateside?

Available from Graham and Green for £16.00 ($30). Comments? Post them here in our forums.

Max in the Box is a modular furniture system that can be used in a myriad of ways, limited only by your child's imagination. It can be a table and chairs, or flipped on its side it can be a treasure chest, the sky is the limit. Lightweight, and strong, all the components are made of birch plywood with a clear varnish finish. Cubes are 14" square, price for the two stackable blocks shown above is $245 which is a little high, but still reasonable considering you are getting two chairs and a table.

Available from Modern Tots for $245.

Comments? Post them here in our forums.

A couple days ago I posted about the accent wall you can see in the background of the picture above. Eric from Modern Self definitely has the affordable modern vision. This week he is back with more goodies. In his quest for the perfect Mid-Century Modern Pendant lamps, he stumbled across the ALANG table lamps from IKEA. At $29 a piece, they were way cheaper than any other option he had come across. With a few simple modifications, the two table lamps became two pendant lamps, and the rest is history. For all the details, head over to Modern Self

Comments? Post them here in our forums.

We love plants at our house. Sometimes its hard to find a good modern pot to go with that special plant you have. I love the look of Aluminum, but it's usually way to expensive to justify. Chiasso has the small 6" size of these aluminum planters on sale, and they are a super good deal at only $14. It makes me wish that they had some of the bigger ones for that same price.

Available from Chiasso for $14.

Comments? Post them here in our forums.

Well, we made it back from Mexico unscathed. Our travels brought us close to the Ikea in Tempe Arizona, but we didn't manage to stop by. With an Ikea being built so close to our house, we felt slightly less driven to stop by the Swedish superstore. If we had gone in however, this Knappa Klover floor lamp was on my list of things to check out. The picture really doesn't do it justice, as it is 30" tall and has a 28" diameter. This thing must look pretty big, but in classic Ikea style, the price is quite small.

Available from Ikea for $69.

Comments? Post them here in our forums.

I know that the holiday season is wrapping up, but I couldn't help but share this great wreath with you. It's stylish enough that you don't even need the holidays as an excuse to hang it up. Available from San Francisco based Kenneth Wingard, this powder coated steel wreath would look good on any dark colored accent wall. I especially like it with the dark chocolate wall pictured. Overall diameter is 16", price is $60. Available from Kenneth Wingard for $60. Comments? Post them here in our forums.

Here is a simple and affordable 4 piece dinner set that anyone can love. The style rests somewhere between classic asian and clean modern and it is available only in white. For a scant $29 you get a dinner plate, salad plate, soup bowl and a mug. Just about everything you need for a dinner for one.

Available from Mikasa and Company for $29. Comments? Post them here in our forums.

Pablo Pardo is a Venezualan-born industrial designer, who now lives in California. He has a wide array of products that he has designed, but my favorites are his work with lighting. The Bella Lumina teardrop table lamp is a great example of his work. The beautiful hand finished aluminum base supports the glass shade. This lamp has a great visual balance that lights up a room even when it's not turned on. Available in two sizes 12" high and 18" high from $80-$124. Available from Uncommon Goods from $80-$124. Comments? Post them here in our forums.

Hopefully no one is getting sick of all the little stuffed animal things I have been blogging about lately. You can imagine that is the general frame of mind around our house these days. This brave little lion comes from Anthropologie (know by my friend as Anthrax for their normally insane prices) and sits 13" high and 15" wide. The simple design is a classic and sure to become a favorite for your little guy. The price surprisingly is great, only $9 (way down from the normal $38).

Available from Anthrax Anthroplogie for $9. Comments? Post them here in our forums.