I absolutely love it when designers take common materials and rethink how they should be used. Especially when that material is something as inexpensive as styrofoam. The Lior N2 pendant (polyester scratching lamp) is made of polystyrene. It starts as a clean simple form but changes both in it's light quality and shape when scratched. Absolutely beautiful. More photo's after the jump.
I popped into Urban Outfitters the other day to check out any new home good they might have when I spotted these mid-century inspired pots and mugs. I love the available colors and the pretty, two-tone design. The overall shape and feel was quite nice, as well.
The coffee pot is available in lime and the tea pot in red, but the mugs are available in four coordinating colors: black, red, lime, and slate blue. Check them out in person if you can, or order online. The mugs are currently on sale! Made of glazed earthenware.
Fin Handle Pots + Mugs: $16 pots / $8 mugs (currently on sale 2 for $10)
Sol Linero is an Argentinian illustrator and animator with a cheerful, retro aesthetic. I love her Tea Time series especially as well as this beautiful spot she did for the EACH campaign. You can find prints through her Etsy shop or The Working Proof, where a percentage of sales goes towards Doctors Without Borders. Be sure to check out the rest of her portfolio at www.sollinero.com.
Candy-colored and sized just for kids, with a price tag parents will love, the Kapsule Chair by Karim Rashid is made of sturdy, injection molded polypropylene. The chair separates into two pieces (think plastic Easter eggs) to stow away toys and other objects - a hole in the back allows for quick deposits. Light weight, compact, and child friendly. Available in purple, blue, orange, or green.
Kapsule Chair by Karim Rashid available from GNR8: $49
I love a side table with a little personality. The Modern Pointer Utility Block from Zuo Modern manages to grab my attention in a good way. Available in several different colors to match your interior.
Modern Pointer Utility Block available from Evinco Design for $75 (free shipping)
When I spotted these cutting boards by designers Karen Olze and Gisa Wilkens, I just had to smile. There's a certain childlike wonder behind the concept that I absolutely adore. Look at the grain and what do you see? A moonscape? A golf course? It's exciting to see designers bring this kind of playfulness and creativity to what is otherwise a very utilitarian object. Made of acacia wood, these cutting boards are available in a variety of motifs/styles. Check them out and see if they don't bring a smile to your face!
Cutting Boards available from Sleek Identity: $36
The more I delve into the world of modern design, the more I am drawn to the classic scandinavian design. It's clean, functional and manages to be organic and warm at the same time. These Design House Stockholm tables are my crush of the day. I'll take one in each color please.
Design House Stockholm table available from Huset for $90.
Bai Design has a whole collection of cool clocks in a very wallet friendly price range. I love the ones with a little touch of retro, like the clocks pictured. My favorite is probably the kitchen timer combo (top left) - nothing beats form and function! Check out all the styles and color options here; I'm sure you'll find one to suit your fancy.
Clocks by Bai Design: $25 - $60
For all our SLC readers, just a reminder that we have some great events coming up next week. Thursday April 29th at 6:30 will be the Utah Premier of Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman at the Salt Lake Library. It is free to the public. We will also be announcing the winner of the "For the Love of Mod" photo contest and showing some of the top photo's that were submitted.
Friday is the Utah Heritage Foundations annual Preservation Conference. There are a lot of great education sessions including on dedicated to Affordable Mid Century Modern Resources at 10:30.
Saturday is the annual UHF Historic Homes tour. This year it is in the lovely Federal Heights area and includes a fantastic Mid Century Modern home.
Please visit the UHF website for more information and to purchase tickets for Friday and Saturday's events. Also if you haven't already make sure you stop by the SLModern Facebook page and become a fan to get all the latest information about Mid Century Modern events in Salt Lake City.
Oh, hey there. Can you guess what this lamp is made of? FELT. Big surprise, right? I'm totally obsessed with the material! The Icosa Pendant is inspired by Buckminster Fuller's iconic Geodesic Dome. Taking its cues from the crystalline structure, this light deceives with soft, wool felt and a warm glow. What more could you ask for?
Icosa Pendant by Ross Menuez: $150
David Joseph-Goteiner is my kind of guy. When he sent me an email, the opening line immediately caught my attention. “Where are all the affordable, simple, comfortable chairs?” My thoughts exactly. He went on to explain his personal manifesto.
After failing to find an affordable, simple, and comfortable chair, I decided to begin my quest to design and fabricate my own chair. Using my three years of experience in the metal shop, I jumped into this challenging independent “senior project.”
Today, I’m over halfway toward my goal: to create four prototype chairs that are affordable, simple, and “sustainable.” I will pitch these four prototypes to manufacturing companies in an attempt to get one of them mass-produced.
He currently has two of his chair designs complete and is well on his way to completing his third. Make sure you check out his blog "Four Chairs, a Foray into the Design World" and give him plenty of feedback about his designs and mission.
Fourprototypechairs.blogspot.com
Mud Australia is a porcelain manufacturer based in Sydney, Australia. Their line of ceramics consists of handmade vessels for the kitchen and home in gorgeous, modern shapes and colors. I particularly love the MUD Plates, with their slightly wavy edges - a perfect combination of minimalism and handmade imperfection. The MUD Platters are another favorite, available in 7 unique shapes and 14 colors. Check out Mud Australia's full line here.
Ceramics by Mud Australia available in the U.S. from Horne: $14 - $160
Buying a sofa online is always kind of hard. I often see no name sofa's for crazy cheap prices, but I lack the confidence in the retailer to pull the trigger and actually buy one. The decision is a little easier when it is a more well known store like Chiasso. They currently have a sale on their Clarke Sofa and Hamilton Sofa, both of which are 50% off. While I'm not completely in love with the look, it's not bad at all, especially considering the sub $500 price tag.
If time is money, then it's time for tea! This coin bank from Megawing is a fun (and functional) new take on a classic object. Drop your loose change in the pot and when you need a few extra cents, just pour! Available in white ceramic.
Teapot Coin Bank available from MollaSpace: $32
Dieter Rams is and industrial designer that was the chief of design at Braun from 1961 to 1995. Watch the film (linked below) and revel in the wonderful product design from that came from Braun while he was there.
Dieter Rams :: Less and More interview
In just a few quick steps, these file folders transform into carrying boxes or storage trays - a nice thing to have around these days. You never know when you might have to clear that cubicle!
Transformer Filepack: $10 / set of 3
I saw these on Gilt the other day and fell in love with them. While the idea of a porcelain dinnerware set for baby who is just learning to eat sounds scary, there are some thoughtful design elements that make it a decent idea. The plate and bowl are nice and thick so they look like they are actually pretty sturdy. It also seems to me that the added weight might actually make it so they don't slide around as much. The mug? Yeah it is going to get broken, just don't fall in love with it and it will be ok.
Baby Nambe 3-Piece Dinnerware Set on sale for $25 from Nambe
In case you missed the announcement, or discounted it as April Fools' Day fodder like I originally did, Herman Miller has released five new colors and two new bases for the Eames Molded Plastic Chairs series. The new colors are aqua sky, java, wafer, greystone, and sparrow and they join existing colors black, red, white, light blue, and lime green. Two bases, the stacking/ganging base and the 4-legged base, will join the existing wire base, rocker base and the recently reintroduced dowel leg base.
These new colors/styles are already available online and it looks like the prices are all pretty universal, regardless of which retailer you go through. Though, YLiving is offering free shipping. Take note that there is an 8 week lead time no matter who you purchase the new chairs through. Looks like we'll have to wait a couple months to get our greasy little fingers on one of these after all!
Why does everything have to be less cool in the USA? The Sunbeam USA website is about as exciting as plucking nose hairs, while a quick glance at the Sunbeam AU website shows a whole different side of Sunbeam. Suddenly it is full of thoughtful well design products that I would actually like to have in my house. For example the sleek Designer Series Glass Kettle or the wood and aluminum Otto Fan above. Anyone in Australia want to let me live with them for a couple years?
I am so enamored with these linocut prints from artist Eric Rewitzer of 3 Fish Studios! It's hard to pick a favorite, but the Womb Chair print may have stolen my heart... for now, anyway. (Hey, I'm fickle.) The whole MCM Furniture Series consists of 12 prints, all based on classic designs and sold in limited editions of 100. Each hand pulled linocut print is signed and numbered and printed on a 6 x 8" sheet of white BFK paper. Available individually or as a complete set.
Mid-Century Modern Furniture Series by Eric Rewitzer: $25 each or $250 for the set (12 prints total)