I was first tipped off about GIlt a month or so ago when they had some Jonathan Adler home stuff on their site. Eager to get some goodies at 50% off I signed up only to find all the good stuff was gone. Since then it has been a little hit and miss especially when it comes to the "home" category (lots of men's and women's fashion). Today however they have Dwell studio and Dwell kids items for around 50% off or retail. You better act quick though, the good deals go fast. I already got my Dwell finger puppets for $18!
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
Break out your college ruled notebooks and #2 pencils. It's time to get educated.
Join Elizabeth Smith, Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, as she discusses the experimental home design program (1945 - 1966) which produced iconic work by Eames, Neutra, and Saarinen, among others.
The DUKTIG Mini Kitchen is a new addition to the Children's IKEA line. It features 'hot plates' with light diodes, adjustable legs to grow with your child, and an optional top section complete with a microwave and utensil hooks. The modern style fits the parents' tastes while still offering plenty of fun for the imaginative child. The mini price tag isn't too shabby, either.
DUKTIG Mini Kitchen from IKEA: $100 - $140
I've admitted before that I am a big BIG fan of Charles and Ray Eames. Unfortunately for me I have never been able to save up for any of the Eames pieces I really want. While I'm counting my pennies, maybe I can get a little bit of my Eames fix with these new pillows and wall prints from Inhabit. Inhabit has a whole bunch of new prints and pillows, many of which have iconic silhouettes of Eames chairs and other classic Mid Century Modern pieces on them. To make things even sweeter, everything from Inhabit is currently 10% off, making it a little bit more affordable. What's your favorite new thing from Inhabit?
One of the best things about having our economy completely tank is that it has spurred the creation of more affordable modern options. Last week I blogged about ClearSpace, a Austin modern prefab company making MCM inspired prefab for just over $100 a square foot. It turns out they aren't the only ones in Texas trying to make modern affordable.
Ma Modular, also based out of Austin, is a modern prefab company that takes a building block approach to prefab. They have two standard modules, both 15 feet wide and 30 or 60 feet long, that can be combined in a myriad of ways depending on the site. The end result is a flexible modern prefab system with prices starting at $125 a square foot.
The Rock On Rocking Chair from The Wool Gather is an interesting take on a very traditional piece of furniture. Available in baltic birch ply, mahogany ply, walnut ply, or a custom painted finish, the Rock On chair is only being produced in a limited run. Once all pieces are sold - that's it! So if you're enamored with this rocking beauty, don't wait. The $725 price tag may deter some, but it seems a reasonable price for a limited edition, hand crafted rocking chair. I will admit that the only thing I'm not super fond of is the style/look of the exposed hardware. Overall, still a beautiful design.
Rock On Rocking Chair by The Wool Gather - $725
Edgar Blazona is my kind of guy. His first commercial venture was the attractive and affordable prefab/DIY studio's of Modular Dwellings. From there he branched out into furniture and created Truemodern, a line of affordable kids furniture. His latest advancement is into the world of full sized furniture for big kids like me. The first two products, the lift sofa and luna sofa (shown above) are a nice step away from the more wimsical kids pieces and show some strong MCM influence. Priced between $1399 - $1499 it looks like Edgar is doing his best to continue to make high quality modern furniture at an affordable price. Make sure you check out some of the interviews with him here and here to really appreciate the path he's taken to get to where he is.
Taking inspiration from typography, nature, and abstract form, Spin Spin creates screen printed and hand sewn goodies like these tea towels and elephants. Each elephant is made from a unique combination of different materials, including some of Spin Spin's own limited edition, screen printed fabrics. These fabrics (and tea towels) are designed and printed in Melbourne using water based, eco friendly inks. Check out more great designs in the Spin Spin shop!
I was scouring Etsy (as per usual - what can I say, I love that site) for potentially awesome home furnishings when the beautiful angles of the Kart Chair jumped out of my monitor and poked me in the eye. Whoa! I've never seen such an appealing use of plywood - on Etsy or maybe even ever. The Kart Chair sports a walnut veneer over birch plywood, top coated to perfection with satin acrylic. Each chair is made to order and shipped flat. Fun Fact: This angular beauty was recently shown at the Design Within Reach - Houston studio. If it's got the DWR stamp of approval, it must be great. Check out more of the HarbengerDuo's collection at www.harbengerduo.com or HarBenger2.etsy.com.
Here is some wonderful footage of the Miller House which was designed by Eero Saarinen in 1957. It was recently donated to the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA). The famous home is currently being prepared for public tours and should be ready in 2011.
You may remember seeing Paul's alphabet series on here before. At the time only a few letters were done and I just received word from Paul that he's completed the entire alphabet in his signature style! On top of that, he is now offering these lovely letters as limited edition prints! So if you are as enamored with these illustrations as I am, hop on it! Paul is currently offering a buy 2 get 1 free sale through his website.
12" x 9" Alphabet Prints by Paul Thurlby, signed and numbered: £27 UK / £30 Elsewhere
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.
Bloom is a UK based company started by four dads who were looking to bring fresh design to the world of baby products. The Alma crib is certainly fresh. Made of wood and stainless steel, it's almost a kick back to the days before every baby item was made of plastic. The small overall footprint (19" x 35") makes it great for smaller houses/apts or even for a grandparents/second home. Not only is it small and good looking, but it also fold up to be just 9" wide. Dual mattress heights allow it to accommodate from kids from birth to 2 years. The price is $400 which isn't cheap, but is actually a lot cheaper than most of the other "designer" cribs out there.
I got the new 2010 IKEA catalog over the weekend, which is always an adventure. There are a ton of great new items as well as new, lower prices on some old standbys. The catalog is available online if you haven't received the hard copy yet. I'm fond of the Stockholm Figur rug (pictured/pg 236) as well as a few of the new vases and candle holders. Go check it out and share some of your favorite new pieces with us!
2010 IKEA Catalog
People have been waiting a long time for prefab to revolutionize the modern housing industry by making a modern architecturally designed home affordable. Unfortunately until now most of the modern prefab homes have been as expense to build as traditional construction. That's not to say that affordable modern prefab can't be done, just that no one (besides perhaps Rocio Romero) has done it.
Luckily there is a new kid on the block looking to shake things up. Clearspace modular homes was started to "offer affordable high-quality modern prefab housing that is sustainably focused and inspired by mid-century modern architecture and design". Sound pretty good right? It is. While they are still in the process of building their first house, base model pricing is expected to be $110- $115 a square foot, which is affordable by any standard. They have several different model to offer ranging from 400 sq/ft to over 1,500, sq/ft.
I really enjoy these mixed-media collages from artist Leah Giberson. What begins as a digital photo of mundane suburban landscapes soon becomes something more meaningful and telling. From digital printouts, Leah works back into the print with paint and embroidery thread, and in the process discovers the essential elements and structure of each image.
Giberson explains, "The lines between the "fact" of the photographic image and the "fiction" of the paint are blurred at times, but not denied. I am not trying to hide the process, but rather, I am investigating where fact and fiction meet and how they influence and inform one another, creating a new and arguably truer story."
A comment on the facade of suburban life, perhaps. However you interpret Leah's work, you'll agree that her technique and style are well executed and unique.
Oh dear. Those Italians really know how to woo a girl. These modern glass tiles from Italian company EVIT are really something else. Can you just imagine a bathroom covered in those bubble tiles in clear/white? What a [gorgeous] statement that would be. Check out the full line - over 65 colors in all shapes, sizes, and sheens.
www.evit-srl.it
[availability in the US is not apparent, but contact EVIT directly for purchasing inquiries]
Oh dear. Those Italians really know how to woo a girl. These modern glass tiles from Italian company 