OK, this one just made me laugh. Equal parts whimsy and poltergeist?
The Flying Chairs Mobile is the latest design from Flensted Mobiles, a Danish company providing over "50 years of movement". The chair frames are made from cut and folded card. Ready-assembled, they simply need to be opened out before the mobile is hung up. Flat packed for easy shipping.
Flying Chairs Mobile by Flensted: $41.50
A quick heads up for all our Gilt fans. Make sure you check out the PAD outdoor powder coated aluminum planters. I'm especially loving them combined with the short stand
PAD outdoor on Gilt $22 - $110
Better hurry, they're going fast!
It's hard to be a fan of mid century modern architecture without becoming a preservationist. There is so much good design out there that is currently at risk of being ruined. The two that hit my inbox this week were the Neutra designed Strathmore apartments (1937 picture shown above) that may be overshadowed by a 6 story apartment complex across the street, and the Paolo Soleri Amphitheater (shown below) that is slated for demolition.
For information about how you can help in either of these causes, please see the links below.
Joe Papendick takes the idea of what a bird feeder should be and turns it right on its head. In fact, they look more like works of art, sculptures that just happen to function as feeders. Each of these steel beauties is hand-welded by Joe in his St. Louis workshop. The price for such a unique, finely-crafted object? Surprisingly affordable. Joe says "These new pieces represent my continued effort to offer designs that are both interesting and affordable. From where I stand the 'interesting' part is just as important as the 'affordable' aspect." A man after our own hearts!
Check out Joe's shop to pick up your very own modern bird feeder!
Bird Feeders by Joe Papendick: $65 - $84
We're in the early brainstorming phase of turning an office into a guest room, and I love the idea of including this Bubble Rack from Wallter. It's super playful, while still being incredibly functional. You can hang pretty much anything from it - there's even a spot for keys! A shelf in the back would be perfect for magazines, too. Made of powder-coated steel, this quirky coat rack is available in white or orange.
P.S. Check out the Wallter facebook page; they're currently offering a pick-your-prize giveaway from now until July 1st!
I'm absolutely in love with Vessel Architectural Pottery! I was all excited when I first saw prices as low as $90, until I realized that was for the stand only. If you are looking to get into a pot/stand combo you will be pushing $300. Who knows, maybe you could get just the stand and pair it with a nice Ikea pot until you could save up another $200.
With the weather turning nice, we've been spending a lot more time outdoors with Wrigley. Our first hike up the canyon made us realize that a) our dog gets really thirsty, really fast and b) we need something better than an awkwardly sized tupperware container if we're going to be doing this with any amount of regularity. This travel bowl from Popware seems like the perfect solution. Not only is it collapsible (less than 0.5 inches thick!), but it easily attaches to a backpack or leash. And, at under $10, I might even consider getting a second one for the car!
Available in two sizes in either turquoise or pink.
Collapsible Travel Bowl by Popware: $7.99 / $9.99
I posted about the $649 Chelsea sofa a couple months ago and people were pretty excited about it. The jury is still out on quality, but a couple people have ordered, so we'll have to wait and see. If you liked the price of the Chelsea, but were looking for something a little more simple, the $699 Portebello sofa may be just the ticket. Unfortunately it has the same 8-12 week lead time though. Any takers?
Portebello sofa available for $699 from Fashion 4 home
I didn't know this ever happened, but now that I do, I can say that my life is complete.
...though I still don't like Ford.
About:
Charley Harper painted homes designed by Rudy Hermes as photo montage backdrops to introduce the 1960 Fords in November 1959's Ford Times magazine, with the tag line "Wonderful New World of Fords".
You can see the whole set here.
Does anybody else know about Decopedia? It's an extension of Deconet which is an online marketplace for modern and mid century modern furnishings. While Deconet has a plethora of wonderful furniture for sale, unfortunately most of it is overseas.
Decopedia is a dictionary or encyclopedia for everything related to modern design. It lets you search for furniture by designer, manufacture, or browse by category. It's a great way to learn about some of the less well known designers and discover new favorites.
I don't have kids, but I need this in my life - now! This modern play house is comprised of modular nesting boxes, mix-and-match furniture pieces, and vinyl clings. Did I mention it's only $20? I'm pretty sure I could spend a completely inappropriate amount of time playing with this... To see it in action, check out the sweet little stop-motion video below:
MoMA Modern Play House: $19.99
[Modern Play Family sold separately: $12.99]
MIO sure has this flat pack thing down, don't they? I love their new Pop-Up Basket - it's an interesting twist on their laser-cut sheet metal, formed-by-the-user technique. They even adapted it into abicycle basket, too! Made of locally sourced, recycled content steel, these baskets are sturdy despite their delicate appearance. The regular basket is available in red, white, and aqua, while the bicycle basket comes in white, black, and green.
Pop-Up Basket by MIO: $65 / $75 (bicycle)
[Ships June 15]
Paul Mcobb, Arne Jacobsen, Mogens Kold. If those names pique your interest, you might want to check out Janus Home. While the prices aren't Ikea, they do have a lovely selection of unique Mid Century Modern and Scandinavian furniture and accessories.
BBQ season is upon us! Celebrate with one of these candy-colored grills from Bodum. Its portable size - only 13.4" diameter - is perfect for tailgating, camping, grilling on terraces - you name it! Made of enamel-coated steel with chrome-plated steel legs, it has a heat-resistant silicone handle with silicone lid clips for easy carrying. Available in black, white, green, yellow, orange, and blue.
FYRKAT Charcoal Picnic Grill by Bodum: $49.95
When I was a kid, my Dad had a goldfish named Sharky that he swore did all sorts of tricks. I never actually saw him do anything special. Tricks or not, I'm sure he would have liked this swanky Fish Hotel. Maybe we could have even gotten him a girlfriend and stacked them two deep.
Fish Hotel available from Unica Home for $25
These knife blocks are sexy, minimal, and made from that favorite of renewable resources: bamboo! Due to their slotless design, each block can hold an assortment of different sized knives, while the removable bamboo skewers inside provide a more hygienic alternative to traditional knife blocks. Small and Large sizes available in white, black, red, and orange. Each knife block is hand-crafted by fair trade artisans in Vietnam.
Knife Block by Ekobo available from Lekker Home: $55 / Small - $150 / Large
Enzo Mari had a great idea in 1974. Design a chair that is simple yet attractive, made of inexpensive materials, and to keep costs down even more, let the consumer put it together. All this with the idea that good design would be attainable to the masses. He would call it the Sedia 1 Chair. Artek has recently released the chair for sale to the public. Good news right? Wrong. Somehow it seems that the 219 Euro price tag misses the original spirit of the project. So close, yet so far away.
Sedia 1 Chair available from Finnish Design Shop for 219 EUR
Well, first things first. This is pretty much the coolest pillow I've ever seen. Also, I can't help but think of teenage rap duo Kris Kross, which may or may not have had some (small) amount of influence during my formative years. Seriously, who doesn't want to jump, jump? (Though, to be fair, House of Pain probably still has the best song about jumping around...)
Chris Cross Pillow by Fine Little Shop: $37
SLC crew rejoice! You have been looking for that perfect 