I've always been a fan of the simplistic style of Lexan products, and I have been tempted to buy some things like the tykho radio in the past. The only thing that has stopped me is that the pricing seemed just barely out of the affordable range. Because Lexan is scaling back it's line of product Unica Home has some great deals on Lexan items. Discounts are from 30% - 40% off which brings the tykho radio down to $32! Now that's what I call affordable, now the only question is do I want blue or green?
Sure, you could fill it with cheerios for your kids, but why not keep it for yourself? A perfect way to transport those chocolate covered raisins you love so much, without the threat of them melting into one giant lump. Either that or fill it with Advil. You choose.
Our son is well into the booster chair age, but we have yet to buy a booster seat. I have looked a little bit but figured that I would be next to impossible to find something that had a nice modern style to it. Then by chance I was looking around craigslist and found this vintage Cosco booster seat. Turns out that there are a ton of them out there, and they are usually available on ebay f0r $20-$30 plus shipping. They may have been made in the 70's but the style is perfect for the mid-century modern look.
Atypical materials combine to gorgeous effect in 22 Design Studio's Concrete Ring Collection. See all 8 designs available from Molla Space.
About:
Cement is the most common architectural material in Taiwan. In 2006, the founder of the 22 Design Studio observed exquisite, cast-in-place concrete architecture in Japan, and realized that the materials were capable of producing various features, appearances and values through creative design. Back in Taiwan, 22 Design Studio devised a series of rings inspired by architecture and urban life through the combination of cement and stainless steel.
I'm a big fan of "running bikes" for kids. Simple bikes with no pedals that help you kids learn their sense of balance on two wheels. Wishbone bikes have taken it even a step further. Their bike starts as a tricycle and then converts to a low slung two wheeler. When your kid gets bigger you can even flip the frame to accommodate the growing size of your little one. All that flexibility makes the $249 price tag seen not quite as bad.
>Every now and then, Crate and Barrel has a few really modern accessories, like this beautiful arced desk lamp. The Mirren Desk Lamp has an elegant marble base and an adjustable steel arm. While $199 is a little more than you might want to spend on task lighting, it might be worth it for such a classy looking piece.
Mirren Desk Lamp from Crate&Barrel: $199
Spotted these awesome vases and terrariums from Etsy seller LBrandt. Each vessel is handmade and contains a mixture of decorative rocks and/or sand as well as a beautiful "air plant". Air plants (aka tillandsias) grow without soil and anchor to just about anything. Super low maintenance and cool looking - perfect for your modern home!
I've posted about Ponoko before. The concept is brilliant, it connects designers of all kinds with manufactures. And I'm not only talking about professional designers either. If you have ever designed something and wish you could get it built, Ponoko is just the place. You can put your design on the website and have manufactures bid on building it for you. If you don't have any designs then you can always browse through other peoples and pick up cool stuff like the bloom lamp ($160) shown above.
Looking for a unique coat rack? Check out the Loop Stand by Leif Jørgensen. While a little pricey at $240, you can't beat the "cool" factor. Add some nice looking hangers and you're set. Powder coated steel tube in three colors: yellow, white, and black.
I love it when I stumble across a design that is so simple it's ingenious. Sheet Seat is one of those. Made out of 3/4" plywood the sheet seat fold completely flat when not in use, making storage easy. When you need some extra seating it can simply be opened up. Not only is it a brilliantly efficient design, but producing it would be quite inexpensive. Unfortunately I don't think this wonderful design has ever gone to production.
About: Hi we're Lab Partners, two people that love working together on all sorts of things. Especially illustration and printmaking. In fact, if we had happened to sit next to each other in 8th grade science, we would have spent most of our time doodling in each others notebooks.
We currently reside in beautiful San Francisco with our two enormously entertaining tabby cats. When we are not designing we fill our time with flea markets, thumb wrestling, and exploring the bay area.
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As my little kid starts to get older I have been thinking about how fun it would be for him to have a little modern playhouse play in. While the selection of off the shelf modern playhouses is pretty sparse and costly there are some really nice examples. My favorite outdoor example is done by modern shed and retails for $2,600. I assume you could probably pull of a DIY version for about half that. Speaking of DIY the indoor modern shelter by Studiomama is a great example of what could be done with a little imagination.
Here's one for the graphic design geeks! You've seen the Pantone mugs, but have you seen the Salt & Pepper mills? The storage jars? Or perhaps the brightly hued aprons? Awesome, right? A great gift for that graphic design pal of yours, at least. All sorts of holidays are approaching, so keep this stuff on the radar.
Here's a little whimsical eye candy to start you Monday off. Designed by WURK a young Dutch design company these playful pieces are a lighthearted twist on the ordinary. The "it hûske" project shown below is being dubbed as microarchitecture and recently has won some awards across the pond.
The company's interdisciplinary collaboration of graphic design, industrial design and architecture round out their pieces very well.
Meet the new sleeper sofa from Blu Dot! Flat Out quickly converts from upright lounging to horizontal sprawl. Playful contrast cross-stitching, kicky French seams, and a solid stainless steel base add pizzazz to the straightforward yet inviting form. $1099 Available this fall in Rust or Grey.
The video for this weeks "way back when" comes from findmetheoriginal.com, a uk website dedicated to helping people distinguish the difference between knock offs and original pieces. They have several great video's that provide a brief history of the particular piece of furniture as well as the design points that often set it apart from "inspired" reproductions.
Yup, potty. I'm going to go ahead and just say "That's one sexy potty!" as well. The new potty training chairs from European brand Hoppop have it all: looks, user friendliness, and easy cleaning / 'content' disposal. There's an amusing/creepy video that demonstrates that last part on their site. I'm not sure if there are any U.S. distributors yet, but you can order online from several UK sites, including JollyTots and KiddiCare. Price is around £14 or about $23. Once your little one has graduated to the big pot, consider one of Hoppop's colorful stepping stools.
While most things at YLighting aren't exactly what I would consider "affordable", they do have some beautiful stuff. If you've had your eye on a certain little something over there, wishing you could get a better deal on it, you may be in luck. Starting tomorrow YLighting is having their first ever warehouse sale. With savings up to 80% off such brands as Flos, Artemide, Vibia, and Luceplan you may just score some sweet new lighting for a great price. If you do, be sure to let us know what you got in the comments. The sale will run through October 2nd.
I always have my eyes peeled for a modern dog bowl that isn't super expensive and I think the Brambles Dog Dish by Eastvold fits the bil l. Made of walnut with a laminate top, this modular dog bowl can be set on the floor or mounted to the wall. At $58 it's still reasonable, although a DIY-er could easily create a similar dish. Be sure to check out the rest of Eastvold's site - they make beautiful modern furniture (a bit out of my price range, though)! Also, stop by their flickr page and check out their portfolio of custom cabinetry - impressive to say the least!
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