Here's a snipet of video from the House 2 project that wrapped up last year. Video (and cabinetry) by Modern Union. Enjoy!

Who says robots have to be all hard and unhuggable. These new Robot Pillows by Ferm Living are just begging for some solid cuddle time. Available in a small 15" or large 20" size, they are made of 100% organic cotton, and are 100% guaranteed to be awesome.

Robot Decorative Pillows by Ferm Living $36- $48

I'm too the point that I'm getting pretty skeptical about getting any sort of quality home furnishing items from Urban Outfitters. I'm hoping that I'm wrong about this Spectrum Pendant Shade though. I mean it looks like it is well made... Someone go check it out and report back.

Spectrum Pendant Shade

And the award for best DIY lamp shade EVER goes to....
Allison Patrick of Zipper 8 Lightning. A recent graduate from architecture school, Allison decided that she would "start a design firm making cool stuff". The result is a whole collection of amazing lighting like the Artichoke Mixed Book Page Pendant Light shown above. All of her lamps use commonplace materials like book pages, plastic bags, straws etc but with amazing results. I say we all reward Allison for being awesome and buy something from her store. It's all incredibly affordable and beautiful.

Artichoke Mixed Book Page Pendant Light $30

Apparently I'm adding obscure japanese bottle openers to my collection of obsessions. Like the cast iron tool bottle openers, this abstract crow bottle opener is made of “Nambu-tekki” (cast iron) and has the traditional japanese urushi glaze that prevents rust and gives it the black color. I have a feeling Urushi glazed cast iron is going to be right up there with felt and bent wood on my list of obsessions.

Crow Bottle Opener $25

Yep, I just checked and it's been confirmed. These ceramic vases from artist Wendy Jung are indeed the coolest things on the planet. They're available in two sizes as a hanging vase or wall mounted - and are surprisingly affordable considering they're handmade and one-of-a-kind.

Pod Vases by Wendy Jung: $29 - $39

You know, it's the little things that count. Little things like oak tea light holders hand-painted with slightly abstracted herringbone patterns. Yes, indeedy.

Herringbone Tea Light Holder by How Now Design: $20

If you have a home with any non straight walls, finding shelving that fits the space can be a challenge. Until now.

The ADAPT shelving system is a prototype of a modern and contemporary piece of flat pack furniture. The shelf shows signs of versatility, spontaneity and adaptability. It consists of a rigid metal frame structure, movable timber slats, bookends and optional hooks. ADAPT’s applications are enormously versatile.

ADAPT Shelving designed by Max Fommeld

What happens when you put work from some of my favorite local artists in my favorite local modern furniture and lighting store? A party, that's what. And you are all invited.

This Thursday April 28th at 7PM Mondo Fine Art is celebrating spring with a Spring Group Show at Light Spot. They've asked their artists to bring their freshest new work for this special event. This show will feature works by artists: Aaron Bushnell, Angie Renfro, Carlisle, John Bell, Lane Bennion, Olivia Pendergast, Pilar Pobil, Roland Thompson, Zachary Proctor, as well as featured artist Sunny Belliston Taylor. For those of you new to Mondo, this will give you a nice introduction to their artists and their work. Many artists will be present for the show. Music will be provided by Mr. DJ Jesse Walker and delicious appetizers will be provided by Fleur de Sel Catering.

A percentage of sales will go to the Mondo Art Project for future art exchanges.

Special thanks to Light Spot for hosting in their beautiful modern design space.

Full event details available here.

Another great modern house project in Salt Lake City has just wrapped up. The designer and builder was Geoff Tice, so you might notice a few similarities with the project he completed last year. The house is located at 360 East Herbert Ave, and is joining a few other modern homes as neighbors.

The original house was a 1922 brick bungalow, with two bedrooms and one bath packed into 851 square feet and a shelf basement. The new house is 3,049 square feet, with three bedrooms, two baths, a loft/study area, and a full-height basement. The second story was built on the rear half of the house, so the original bungalow still maintains its curb appeal and neighborhood feel. The photos after the jump show how much work was actually done to the house.

The house has already been handed over to the new owners, who have been busy settling in.

As always, Geoff is more than happy to share information and answer questions here, so post any questions you might have. If you want to contact him personally, you can send him an email at geofftice@gmail.com.

Coolest kitchen timer ever? It's possible... very, very possible. The only way it could get any cooler (and more functional) is if it had a magnet on the back. Just sayin'.

About:
Simply twist the top half of the unit to gradually reveal an easy-to-read analogue dial, stopping when you reach the required number of minutes and seconds (up to 1hr). Release the bezel and the unit begins counting down, leaving you free to concentrate on other tasks. The graphic dial allows you to monitor progress at a glance, even from a distance, and when the time is up, a classic alarm bell sounds to attract your attention.

Pie Timer from Joseph Joseph: $14

*Currently out of stock directly, but you can order it through Amazon or Unica Home as well.

Lately I'm really drawn to furniture that is made out of powder coated steel and wood. I think it give a really nice contrast and lends itself very nicely to the "modern" look. Sami Kallio's work is a great example of that. Both his Layer Chair and Stool use painted metal and a bare solid wood as a contrast. They are part of his latest series "THE FINNISH BLOOD IN ME". The end result is clean, and absolutely stunning.

Sami Kallio Studio

Marianne Westman is a well-known Swedish designer whose work gained notoriety in the 50s and 60s. With her consent (yes, she's still alive!), Swedish textile company Almedahls has reissued some of her most iconic designs in the form of various textiles and kitchen accessories. I particularly love these birch veneer trays, but be sure to check out all the available products here.

Marianne Westman for Almedahls available from Huset: $16 - $45

Every once in a while Anthropologie has a product that is both amazing looking AND affordable. The Milk Bottle Measuring Cups nail it on both fronts. Made of white new bone china with colorful insides this is a measuring cup set I would feel good about leaving out in the open.

Milk Bottle Measuring Cups $24

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Earlier this month I went to a fantastic textile themed art installation called Press Plush at GARFO Art Center (show runs through June 3rd) and ever since I have been really inspired by all things fabric. Along that same line, NYC based Carrie Strine happens to be doing some fantastic quilts right now, that I absolutely love. They are simple handmade quilts with a modern flair. They are being billed as everything from "Luxury Moving Blanket Throws" to "Linen Crib Quilt". To me they are all works of art.

Handmade Modern Quilts by Carrie Strine $150 - $350.

Culinarium has a great line up of kitchen related products, but the one that caught my eye is this set of stackable concrete bowls. These hand burnished bowls are so flawless that they almost look like aluminum rather than concrete. They come complete with a cork gasket and concrete lid.

Culinarium stackable concrete bowls $69.

I came across Mike Lemanski's work a few weeks ago and boy am I glad I did! He's been working as a freelance illustrator since 2010 and has already amassed a pretty impressive client list: Google, Coca Cola, Urban Outfitters, and Fortune Magazine, among others. Mike approaches is work "within the idea that design is art", and I think that really shows. Any one of his commercial projects could be a limited edition screen print, don't you think? I mean, it might be weird having a print celebrating Google Chrome's 2nd anniversary hanging in your house (unless you work for Google?), but they really are that good. Check out more of his work below to see what I mean.

LINK: mikelemanski.co.uk

More pics after the jump!

At first glance I thought that Toronto based STYLEGARAGE was just another Gus Studio retailer. Then I started noticing more and more things that weren't Gus Design. It turns out that STYLEGARAGE also makes it's own custom furniture, and they are doing a good job of it too. They have everything from chairs and tables to lighting.

STYLEGARAGE

According to designer Julia Fellner the "Yes!" lamp "...recalls memories of 'jumping for joy'. Through motion and gesture the user warps the flexible paper cube. Product and human engage in a dialog."

I'm not so sure about that, but I do LOVE the fact that she designed an amazing lamp out of low cost materials that can be easily manipulated to change shape. Yes!

Yes! Lamp

I'm admittedly horrible at following other design blogs, but one that I have kept tabs on over the years is Shelterrific. A few days ago they posted this fantastic paint chip Easter egg garland idea that they found on Modern Parents Messy Kids. What better way to spend an afternoon than raiding your local paint store and getting crazy with scissors and string.

DIY Paint Chip Easter Garland Tutorial

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