This little Orla Kiely-esque number caught my eye the other day; I love the mod leaf pattern and colorway especially! All my hand soap comes in pump form, so this ceramic dish won't find a place in my home, unfortunately. But if any of you are looking for a new soap dish, check it out!
"Leaf Your Soap Here" Dish from ModCloth: $13
I love simple wooden blocks. Combine that with an interactive art piece that fits on your coffee table and you have a winning combination. The Motif Cubes.
No matter how Motif Cubes are aligned, their patterns will always match to create amazing images full of beauty and harmony. Unlike a traditional puzzle or game, there is no right answer or winning move, only billions of fascinating images to be created (68,719,476,736 possible combinations). Made of red birch hardwood and silk-screened, the nine cubes (1 3/8” SQ) are held in a wooden tray.
Available in red or white.
I've mentioned if before, but I have a soft spot in my heart for balsa airplanes. When I was a kid my grandfather used to buy me a small balsa plane every time he was in town visiting. It's one of my earliest memories.
These artful flyer balsa planes are much better looking than the ones of my youth. They feature artwork by Robert Shadbolt and Maki. They are rubber band powered and require assembly. Believe me, that's the best part anyway.
Much of the furniture we buy these days is made of particle board with some sort of veneer on it. It's not just because it's a cheap substrate either, it's stable, flat, easy to work with, and yeah, it's cheap too. So what happens if you ditch the veneer? Jens Praet explores the idea with her Particle Credenza. It features your standard particle board with a high gloss lacquer. I'm actually a fan of the look overall, although I do wonder a bit about durability, especially the side of the door that appears to be cut at a 45 degree angle (see photo's after the jump).
Husband and wife team Matt and Karen are both architects and it shows in their furniture.
All the elements of the Parthenon can be seen in its early prototype The Temple of Hera II at Paestum, Italy. It is thick and squat. All the ideas and ideals of a culture are there crammed into its chubby carcass. As the Greeks stood back and looked at the form they felt it was time for a makeover. Only the physical existence of a prototype at actual size and girth set against a beautiful blue sky could have inspired them to make the counterintuitive refinements that were ultimately incorporated into Parthenon. Soorikian Furniture aspires to follow this example as a means of developing its products. The things that make a drawing beautiful do not always make a beautiful object. It is through the making and remaking of the prototype that each piece comes about.
We are big fans of the LEGO Architectural series. We were excited when they released kits for the Guggenheim and Fallingwater, but we are absolutely elated about their most recent edition.
Farnsworth House™ was completed in 1951 and the 1,585-square-foot (140 m²) house designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is now widely recognized as an iconic masterpiece of the International Style of architecture.
Maybe I'm crazy on this one, but I really do like these papered resin deer heads from Ruby's Lounge. Who know's maybe it's the dormant hick in me finally coming out. I'm pretty sure I couldn't pull it off in my house, but I double dog dare you to do it in yours.
Because we’re all hunting for something. We're all collecting our own modern trophies. What are yours?
Handmade Wilderness project $335
More work from Jen on jenkhoshbin.com
For the typographically obsessed, or any true design lover, these cards are some of the best looking I have ever seen. Seriously
Printed on premium quality, high gloss, white core playing card stock. Packaged in hard plastic case.
PechaKucha is one of my favorite events to go to. If you have never been, I highly suggest you go. This Saturday's event is part of a global fundraiser for Japan.
“After the Haiti earthquake last year, the founders of PechaKucha Night organized a similar global fundraiser,” said local event organizer Tristan Shepherd. “With all the money that was raised for Architecture for Humanity, almost $100,000, they are now building a new school in Haiti. We are hoping to receive enough donations from this event to make a significant impact for the country of Japan.”
This Saturdays event will include speakers Mikell Stringham (Happy Birthday!) of Mondo Fine Art (previously featured on GRM) talking about her non-profit Mondo Art Project, Photographer Kim Guanzon (see House 2 post), Architect Dave Brach (of the Zevon house) among other fantastic local talents.
Making this event even more meaningful, many of the 400 cities from around the world where PechaKucha has taken hold will also be hosting events on the same date. The presentations will simultaneously stream live, and then be uploaded online to make a database of positive inspiration for Japan. Salt Lake City is proud to be one of the cities participating in this important event. Donations are accepted at the door (Brewvies is a 21-and-older venue located at 677 South 200 West) or online at http://global-day.pecha-kucha.org/. Reserve your tickets online at http://pechakucha-slc.eventbrite.com/, remaining tickets available at the door. Seating is limited to 160 guests.
This quirky little pillow from ModCloth definitely caught my design-loving eye. Chairs, tables, and benches, oh my (and a few bird houses for good measure, I guess)! For as much as I enjoy a good pillow, I'd love to see this pattern on a tea towel. Which would you prefer?
Industrious Design Student Pillow from ModCloth: $30
The Don from Tinkering Monkey is every bit as dashing as it's Mad Men counterpart. Available in a variety of wood types and shade colors, this simple mid century inspired lamp is hitting the spot for me. As always it's the subtle details that really make it work, the 8' vintage cotton cord, the simple pull chain switch, and of course the clever and functional pass through for the power cord. Of course the smaller, cheaper, but every bit as charming Peggy is a great option as well.
Honestly the idea of a cloud shaped table sounds way too fairytale for me, but looking at this cloud table from Fashion 4 Home forces me to admit it's not such a bad idea. In fact it may even be a pretty good idea. When I realize that it is really three separate tables, all for under $300 I start to wonder if maybe it's great idea. Thoughts?
The Avô stool from Rul Alves' My Own Super Studio is a stunning example of simple contrasting materials done right. Rul has a great eye for detail, and the stool manages to come across looking super clean without being sterile. The stools shown above are a 2008 prototype. Unfortunately no word on getting them into production. If you hear anything, let me know.
The newest print from Tatsuro Kiuchi is now available on 20x200 and it's a beauty. If you're not familiar with this Tokyo-based illustrator's work, may I suggest you get acquainted (and cozy up) with it. His style is utterly charming!
LINK: http://tatsurokiuchi.com
In The Library print by Tatsuro Kiuchi available from 20x200: $20 - $200
More examples of Kiuchi's work after the jump!
The thing that fascinates me about cutting boards is the fact that people continue to be able to come up with fresh adaptations on the same idea. The Alessi Chop cutting board is a great example. This bamboo wood cutting board is more than just a pretty face. The concave edge allows you to slide a plate below the cutting surface, making it easier to collect what's been sliced. Clever and attractive.
Alessi Chop Cutting board $70 - $100 from Switch Modern
Well, hello geometric lighting goodness. Nice to meet you.
Available in Black or White, the Athena Pendant light is a stunning center piece that would look perfect in a modern home. I can see it either hanging over a very geometric table, or adding a playful contrast to a more organic backdrop.
Athena Pendant available from Puremodern for $315.
We've featured a couple of kickstarter projects here at GRM, and all of them have been great projects. The Seed project however may be the one with the most meaningful impact. Salt Lake City based modern design team Imbue Design is heading to Tanzania. They will be living in the slums of Tanzania for three weeks to develop real methods and material solutions to combat the problem detailed by CNN just months ago. The donations obtained through the Kickstarter.com campaign will help them fund research and development while in Africa by paying for materials, tools, and labor.
This is such a great cause and Imbue has a very elegant design solution. If you can spare a few dollars, drop by kickstarter and donate now.
Part of the fun of this birch plywood birdhouse is the at-home assembly - no special tools are required, you simply bend the main housing and keep everything in place with wooden pegs. Find the perfect spot, hang it, and admire your handiwork.
The carefully thought-out design of the BIRD HOUSE FINLAND is a home-build kit for creating the ideal bird house for your local feathered friend. Created by Tapio Anttila with cooperation from various ornithologists, the design takes into account the natural needs of birds and is suitable for small birds. The roof is also easily removed for cleaning every season.
Bird House Finland available from Finnish Design Shop: $69
Just a quick heads up for those looking for a modern doll house. The fabulous Brinca Dada doll house that we featured on GRM a while ago is for sale on GILT for $310. Normal price is $548. On your mark, get set, GO!
Gilt is free for members. Sign up here if you haven't already.
I like people that think outside the box and are able to see objects in a different light. That's just one reason I appreciate the attractive, albeit somewhat quirky Coat Check Chair designed by Joey Zeledón. By repurposing a simple and inexpensive coat hanger Joey has made a functional chair that also seconds as a hanger holder for your coat. More pictures after the jump.
