Leave it to those brilliant folks at Normann Copenhagen to make something like a toilet brush aesthetically appealing. I always just get those crap 99¢ ones from IKEA (pun not really intended), but the Ballo brush is way cooler. Plus, did I mention that it wobbles? The rounded bottom is weighted so that it never falls over, but 'dances' in place ('ballo' means 'dance' in Italian). You know, in case you wanted to play with a toilet brush..? Who knows?
Being the big technology nerd that I am I love to read engadget. While wading through pages of cell phone posts I came across this fantastic link to a Flickr page by Andreas Fuhrimann of the Swiss architectural firm AFGH . Besides being an amazing architect, Andreas has an amazing photographic collection of some of the best industrial design from the 60's and 70's. The goodness doesn't just stop there though. He also has some gorgeous architectural sets including some stunning buildings from Mexico and Brasil.
Oh, what's that you say? You wish he had some landscapes? Done.
Or maybe you prefer some gorgeous watches. Gotcha covered again.
This is my kind of wristwatch! Clean, minimal, and available in an array of colors. I'll take one in yellow, please!
About: The 100 Series boasts a case made of machined aircraft-grade matte anodized aluminum case (37mm dia) with a satin brushed A4 stainless crown and hardened mineral crystal lens. Japanese-made quartz movement ensures accuracy of +/-20 seconds per month. It is water resistant to 3ATM water resistance, and the cell life on the battery runs to 36 months. The full-matte strap is made of highly durable UV-resistant PU rubber.
AMradio is an Etsy shop based in Michigan that has a great collection of really gorgeous vintage items, most of which are priced pretty reasonably. I love, love, LOVE this wooden mobile especially. That tree shadow box is pretty spectacular, too! Check out all their wares here and let me know what catches your eye!
I'm a big fan of cheese. Maybe it's because my parents make fabulous raw cows milk cheeses, or maybe just because I grew up in cheese country. Either way, when serving up your favorite cheese (Gruyere anyone?) you've got to have something to put it on. This cheese board from Sagaform doubles as a chopping board and serving tray. The combination of the solid oak and glass looks fantastic, and the $24 price makes my wallet happy.
It's just about log-burning time, folks! While I personally don't have a fireplace, you better believe I'd be all over this felt log carrier if I did. Choppin' logs and haulin' wood in style, my friends. That's what it's all about.
If you are in Salt Lake City this weekend this is going to be a art sale you don't want to miss. Mondo Fine Art is having a studio sale for 6 of their artists this Saturday starting at 12:00. The sale will be held downtown at the Westgate Lofts in their penthouse suites. In addition to having amazing art in a fantastic building Mondo is rounding things out with some great music as well including Theta Naught and Joshua Payne Orchestra among others.
I'm hoping to pick up a piece by Angie Renfro (shown above) for my loft. Fingers crossed.
You guys, I'm telling you. Metallics are hot right now! This collection of gold-dipped drinkware is nothing short of stunning, too. While it could get a bit pricey if you bought the whole collection, the carafe would make a pretty fantastic gift for someone extra special.
About: Midas Glassware (2010), which is dipped in a bath of gold, is the work of four Swedish designers, collectively known as Front. Driven by a desire to create unusual twists for everyday objects, their products have a story to tell – about process and material, as well as about their relationships with people. The way that the gold appears to be swishing around in the glass, as if someone is about to drink it, could be an ironic statement about luxury, or perhaps it simply speaks to the joy of sipping a glass of water or a favorite wine. How the story evolves is up to you.
The ol' wooden building block gets a modern face lift thanks to the clever folks at TEGU. Streamlined and made from sustainably-harvested hardwoods, each TEGU block contains a magnet that adds a whole new level of fun and interaction. A perfect toy for your little budding architect or as a gift for mod parents. Available as a mini set of 8 blocks in a felt pouch (yes!).
Vinyl wall stickers have been all the rage for a couple of years now, but before vinyl there were stencils. I first posted about these stencils over 4 years ago. I got an email from the Ed at Stencil1 today letting me know they were still available directly from stencil1. I was pleasantly surprised to find that besides the typical birds and tree's that they also had a good selection of retro stencils, including some of my favorite MCM chairs.
The best thing about stenciling is that you aren't just limited to walls. You could do shirts, bags, your dog... The sky is the limit.
What is your favorite stencil and where would you put it?
Migy is an illustrator / Londoner currently relocated in Buenos Aires, Argentina for the winter (a man after my own heart - I dream of relocating to warmer climes from November through April. Dang you, S.A.D.). With Migy's cheerful and humorous illustrations, though, I think I'll make it through at least one more winter. If you're looking for something to put a smile on your face, check out his portfolio here.
James (Jim) Flora is best-known for his wild jazz and classical album covers for Columbia Records (late 1940s) and RCA Victor (1950s). He authored and illustrated 17 popular children's books and flourished for decades as a magazine illustrator. Few realize, however, that Flora (1914-1998) was also a prolific fine artist with a devilish sense of humor and a flair for juxtaposing playfulness, absurdity and violence.
Cute — and deadly.
Head over to JimFlora.com to check out his amazing portfolio of work. You can ever purchase reprints of his art starting at $25.
Old world style gets an upgrade in bright, poppy colors with these Italian Glass Bottles from UncommonGoods. I can think of so many uses for these, I don't even know where to start. For now I'll just stick with water, but if you can think of a clever application, let me know! (Dish soap, perhaps? A vase? What else?) Available in orange, purple, turquoise, and red. (Drats - I really, really wish they came in lime green!)
Got a spare 1.2 million? Love modern and live in SLC? If you can answer both of these questions with a yes please contact me ASAP. For the rest of you, just come along for some wonderful eye candy.
This gorgeous 4,000 square foot modern home sits just above Salt Lake City on a 5 acre lot up Emigration Canyon. With a ICF construction, radiant heat, rainwater collection and a passive solar design this place is just as green as it is modern.
I haven't had a chance for a walk through yet, but from the pictures it looks like it has some great spaces and some absolutely amazing views.
For more info and pictures check out the 5860slc blog.
You know, it's all about the simple pleasures... Simple pleasures like eating pistachios (yum) and discarding their shells in a neat and tidy way. C'mon fellow clean freaks and OCDers, you know what I'm talking about. That's why the Double Dish from Joseph Joseph is so ingenious. It brings a whole new level of pleasure to eating olives/cherries/pistachios/any other small pitted/shelled foodstuffs: you don't have to look at a glistening pile of half chewed/sucked on food waste. It also "eliminates the need for additional empty bowls on the table", which in and of itself is fantastic. I'll take one in each color, please!
Available in white/green, green, and white/grey melamine.
In my obsession for all things white, I'm surprised I haven't come across this before. GRM reader Angie writes in;
Help with kitchen faucet selection! I am looking for a modern white kitchen faucet- the only thing I've found so far is one from Ikea. Any suggestions from you or readers?
A quick google reveals the truth of the dilemma. There really isn't much out there in the way of tasteful white modern faucets besides the Ikea RINGSKAR ($149) shown above.
Any of you savvy readers know of a better white modern kitchen faucet?
I found this alarm clock a bit puzzling at first (har har), but once I made sense of it, I realized it's quite clever! Though it's technically an alarm 'clock', Puzzle doesn't really function as a minute-to-minute clock - its sole function is as an alarm. You set your wake-up time by constructing the numbers "stroke by stroke" on the front face. Once you've created a valid time, a small light in the upper corner of the clock lights up as a confirmation that the alarm is set. To turn it off, simply remove part of any digit (or push the button on top, but that's not nearly as fun). A slightly more engaging way of managing your time!
And the felt obsession continues. This time around it's piggybacking on my modern bird house obsession. While I have no idea how functional these would actually be, I love the idea. These bird houses are hand felted by a woman's NGO in South Africa. The micro co-op uses all natural dyes to achieve the dark grey, coral, dark jade and ochre colors. Available in small or large.
Leave it to those brilliant folks at Normann Copenhagen to make something like a toilet brush aesthetically appealing. I always just get those crap 99¢ ones from IKEA (pun not really intended), but the Ballo brush is way cooler. Plus, did I mention that it wobbles? The rounded bottom is weighted so that it never falls over, but 'dances' in place ('ballo' means 'dance' in Italian). You know, in case you wanted to play with a toilet brush..? Who knows?
Being the big technology nerd that I am I love to read engadget. While wading through pages of cell phone posts I came across this 
Oh, what's that you say? You wish he had some 
Or maybe you prefer some 
Or how about 
Mind = Blown. Thanks Andreas.
This is my kind of wristwatch! Clean, minimal, and available in an array of colors. I'll take one in yellow, please!
AMradio is an Etsy shop based in Michigan that has a great collection of really gorgeous vintage items, most of which are priced pretty reasonably. I love, love, LOVE this 
I'm a big fan of cheese. Maybe it's because my parents make 
It's just about log-burning time, folks! While I personally don't have a fireplace, you better believe I'd be all over this felt log carrier if I did. Choppin' logs and haulin' wood in style, my friends. That's what it's all about.
If you are in Salt Lake City this weekend this is going to be a art sale you don't want to miss. 
I'm hoping to pick up a piece by 
You guys, I'm telling you. Metallics are 
I was daydreaming today about the amazing 
The ol' wooden building block gets a modern face lift thanks to the clever folks at 
Vinyl wall stickers have been all the rage for a couple of years now, but before vinyl there were stencils. I 
Migy is an illustrator / Londoner currently relocated in Buenos Aires, Argentina for the winter (a man after my own heart - I dream of relocating to warmer climes from November through April. Dang you, S.A.D.). With Migy's cheerful and humorous illustrations, though, I think I'll make it through at least one more winter. If you're looking for something to put a smile on your face, check out his portfolio 
Old world style gets an upgrade in bright, poppy colors with these 
Got a spare 1.2 million? Love modern and live in SLC? If you can answer both of these questions with a yes please contact me ASAP. For the rest of you, just come along for some wonderful eye candy.
This gorgeous 4,000 square foot modern home sits just above Salt Lake City on a 5 acre lot up Emigration Canyon. With a ICF construction, radiant heat, rainwater collection and a passive solar design this place is just as green as it is modern.
I haven't had a chance for a walk through yet, but from the pictures it looks like it has some great spaces and some absolutely amazing views.
For more info and pictures check out the 
You know, it's all about the simple pleasures... Simple pleasures like eating pistachios (yum) and discarding their shells in a neat and tidy way. C'mon fellow clean freaks and OCDers, you know what I'm talking about. That's why the 
In my obsession for all things white, I'm surprised I haven't come across this before. GRM reader Angie writes in;
I found this alarm clock a bit puzzling at first (har har), but once I made sense of it, I realized it's quite clever! Though it's technically an alarm 'clock', Puzzle doesn't really function as a minute-to-minute clock - its sole function is as an alarm. You set your wake-up time by constructing the numbers "stroke by stroke" on the front face. Once you've created a valid time, a small light in the upper corner of the clock lights up as a confirmation that the alarm is set. To turn it off, simply remove part of any digit (or push the button on top, but that's not nearly as fun). A slightly more engaging way of managing your time!
And the