If you are in Salt Lake and you are looking for a screaming deal on a contemporary concrete sink, jump for joy. I just spotted these "prototypes" on KSL for $25 each. According to the ad, they may have some slight blemishes, but for $25 I think that could be overlooked.
It's hard to believe it's that time already, but the 2011 Ikea catalogue is officially available online! I haven't had a lot of time to go through it yet, but so far I'm most excited about the induction cook top for $1,000. We love our induction, and this will bring them down to a much more reasonable price.
What's your favorite new item?
Flat-packed, self-assembly lamps are all the rage, right? I'm definitely digging this one by designer Simon Karkov for Normann Copenhagen.
Simon says about the design: "I have worked on Norm 06 for the last 3-4 years and just like many of my other projects I had to leave my idea for a while and look at it again a couple of months later. The design is inspired by nature, by the lilies and the water lilies. Norm 06 nicely follows the Danish design tradition for lamp shades with its shielding of the bulb and the soft light."
Did you hear that? This baby took three to four years of serious thinking, but can be yours for a mere $66 and a few minutes of assembly time. Fair trade, really.
Norm 06 Lamp available from Design Public: $66 - $128
I post a lot about dog products (what can I say, I'm biased), but I thought I ought to give the cat lovers amongst us something to smile about, too! Enter Modernist Cat, a Seattle-based design studio bringing the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic into the realm of dual-purpose pet furniture. From end tables to stools, each piece functions as a beautiful hideaway, play area, or den for your feline friend. Handcrafted from Russian Baltic Ply, each item is made to order and built to last. Be sure to check out all the available designs here or here.
Modern Cat Furniture by Modernist Cat: $199 - $299
A friend of mine recently asked me for recommendations for a good teapot. While I don't necessarily think that the Oiva Teapot by Marimekko is the end all of teapots, I do think it is one of the nicer ones I've seen in a while.
What's your favorite teapot/kettle?
Wow! These ceramic pieces from Sometimes She Does are super fresh (and fun)! My favorite pieces are from the Foresta Collection, including these amazing bowls. Whether you choose a mug, a bowl, or a plate, you can feel extra cool by knowing that each piece is completely unique and one of a kind. Be sure to check out all the available collections here. For more images, check out the Sometimes She Does flickr stream!
Ceramics by Sometimes She Does: $24 - $52
In 1948 the Museum of Modern Art in conjunction with a group of retailers and manufactures organized the "International Competition for Low-Cost Furniture Design". The purpose behind the competition was thus:
To serve the needs of the vast majority of people we must have easily moved, stored, and cared for; in other words, mass-produced furniture that is planned and executed to fit the needs of modern living, production and merchandising.
Seems like we could use a little bit of that now a days. Donald R Knorr was co-awarded first prize in the Seating Units category for his side chair entry. The design was manufactured out of a sheet of metal painted in crack resistent paint. It was produced by Knoll.
This photo was captured for the April 1949 issue of House and Garden Pictured standing left to right: Don R Knorr, Robin day, Clive Latimer, Professor Georg Leowald. Middle row left to right David Pratt, Charles Eames, Alexey Brodovitch James Prestini. Front row left to right John McMorran Jr., John O'Merrill Jr.
Read the original press release about the winners.
Side chair images courtesy of MoMA
I spotted this great* poster from Olly Moss for his friend's upcoming Mad Men party. I don't know about you, but I can hardly contain my excitement for the new season! Only two more days! I've already exhausted all the little online games, including the one where I was offered a position as Senior Partner and the one where my dog played the part of Roger Sterling. And really, you can only Mad Men yourself so many times... or can you? So, let's hear. How excited are you for the new season of Mad Men? Any themed parties in the works?
See more: www.ollymoss.com
*minus the misspelling of Jon Hamm!
Last week I introduced a new project going up near downtown Salt Lake dubbed House 2 (as it is the second house the architect designed for this lot). Today I'm happy to announce that there is some great progress on the project. We are stepping into it a couple weeks in, and to date the footing foundation has been poured complete with radiant tubing in place. All the concrete will be exposed in the finished home and it has already been sealed and saw cut. There are some imperfections in the finish (aren't there always) but to me that is some of the charm of exposed concrete. Framing has started and will likely be finished in the next week or so. It's exciting to see the home taking shape, and I can already tell there are going to be some great spaces. In the photo above you can see the Architect looking out on the courtyard that is accessed from the kitchen and bedrooms. I can't wait to see that the huge open space in the foreground get filled up with a nice sliding glass door.
More pics after the jump.
View from the kitchen area looking through the future slider into the courtyard. Hard to tell from the photo, but the slider will 8'+ tall.
Another view from the livingroom/kitchen area. This time looking down the hallway towards the bedrooms. You can see all the radiant tubing poking out of the concrete on the left.
This gives you a little perspective of how the house sits relative to the neighbors. It's a typical skinny downtown lot but the design should still afford a lot of privacy.
Who's Bob you ask?
Bob's Your Uncle is a Boston Based wholesale gift and greeting card company founded by Martin and Michele Yeeles in 2001. Originally from England, they moved to the states in 1993 "just for a year or two" and have been in Boston ever since.
My favorite find are their melamine plates and trays, especially the Arrow set. Clever, unique, attractive, and like all melamine goodness, ohh so affordable.
Melamine tray's and plates from Bob's your uncle. Starting at $20.
I remember when shopping for wall tile I was looking for something other than the standard dimension tiles. While it sounds simple enough, it proved to be difficult to find, especially in the sub $10 sq/ft market. That's why I was excited to hear about the Intensity line by Atlas Concorde. It comes in a 12" x 36" wall tile, and it can be had for around $6 sq/ft. It's available in a variety of colors and textures, some of which are nice and some a little over the top.
US Distribution by Daltile
It's always sad when a good architect passes on, and this week Germany mourns the passing of a great one.
Gunter Behnisch, a former U-boat commander who became West Germany's top architect, died on Monday aged 88. His radical modern designs, including the Munich Olympic Stadium, marked a departure from the bombastic architecture of the Nazi era and shaped the face of the new German democracy.
Pictures of some of his work after the jump.
Photo's and quote via Spiegel.de
These ceramic pendant lights are pure silliness (or irony, or playfulness, whatever you want to call it). I'm trying to think of a proper setting or use for them, but I'm coming up a little short. A kid's room, perhaps? A cabin? Where would you put them?
Flashlight Pendant Light available from GSelect: $36
Just to show that shelving doesn't need to be complicated, here are two DIY looking projects that I have come across lately.
The first one uses some simple wooden ladders as a support for the cabinets. I'm thinking that you might be able to find something at Ikea to help you pull it off.
Shown above is the Container System 1530 by Postfossil. Made of simple plywood boxes that are held together by standard foldback paper clips. Pretty simple. Once again,you might even be able to pull off the same look with some simple boxes from Ikea.
More here:
Container System 1530 by Postfossil
Modular Multi-Ladder Step Shelf System
Alright, folks. Here's the skinny. We're getting ready to get down with a kitchen makeover. Notice I did not say "renovation" or "remodel"; just a face lift (so don't get too excited)! New kitchen cabinets, though immensely appealing, are not in our budget. We've settled on a simple, white paint job to spruce them up, but I need your help! As avid DIYers, I'm counting on you for some tried and true tips.
Have any of you tackled a kitchen cabinet painting project before? Do you have tips for keeping track of which door goes to which cabinet? Specific products you'd recommend? Dos and don'ts? Please share your wisdom! I'm all ears.
(For your help, I offer you some modern kitchen eye candy. Sorry, that's all I have.)
Images:
1: doorsixteen 2: (Left) NeilDennis (Right) PeachHeights 3: It's Great to Be Home 4: doorsixteen 5: KathrynIvy 6: WinslowTaft 7: Freshome 8: doorsixteen
Capree recently posted about the amazing Eames Blocks from House Industries. Today while I was looking for some old videos of Alexander Girard I found a great little video from the House Industries crew about all their Alexander Girard offerings. While the prices aren't cheap ($75 - $410) they do look pretty amazing.
Alexander Girard objects from House Industries
This new coat rack / wall hook from Areaware was inspired by the iconic wire hanger (hence the name), though it reminds me more of a paperclip. Whatever it makes you think of, there's no denying its versatility: from magazines to jackets it's a pretty functional store-all! Available in chrome-plated steel or white powder-coated steel. Currently available for pre-order; ships September 10th.
People are always surprised when I tell them that I think wallpaper is making a comeback. We've posted about some great stuff in the past, and these great graphic designs from Aimee Wilder are no exception. Which design/color is your favorite?
Aimee Wilder Wallpaper from Design Public $140
It's that time of year, folks! CB2 has just announced new products for their Fall catalog and I couldn't be more excited! I already posted about the Hive Storage Unit, but I think my favorite new product is the Bertoia-inspired Hatfield Rocker. Of course, the Clover Chair is looking pretty sexy too. It's a tough call. What are some of your favorite new products?
See all the new products here.
Image:
1. Hatfield Grellow Rocker - $199
2. Stripe Throw - $29.95
3. Repeat Wall Sconces (Set of 3) - $79.95
4. Switchback Rug - $299
5. Clover Chair - $349
6. Pablo Side Table (set of 3) - $129
The Fia Carafe offers a nice twist on the traditional glass carafe. The straight lines are contrasted by the glass ball used to cap it off. When not being used as a lid, the glass ball can sit underneath the carafe. Available in amber, clear, pink or black.
Fia Carafe $69 from Design House Stockholm