It's gardening time soon, friends! Around this time of year, I'm always keeping my eyes peeled for cool modern (and affordable) garden tools and accessories. This watering can from Sprout Home fits the bill perfectly. Made from polystyrene and completely recyclable, this glossy little number also holds 2 liters of water. Not too shabby. Available in yellow or green.
Cayman Watering Can from Sprout Home: $16
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.
Talk about a garden party! Crate&Barrel adds a nice modern twist to the classic outdoor stacking chair with this colorful collection. A few in white, aqua, and yellow would definitely cheer up my sad little backyard. Which color or color combo would you spring for?
Backyard Stacking Chair from Crate&Barrel: $32
I've been posting a lot of Kickstarter projects lately, and I keep finding more great ones. Gypsy Modular based right here in Utah is this weeks find. They have designed CNC cut modular furniture for kids that can be assembled without any hardware. They have stools, tables, chairs and more. The styling reminds me of some other modern kids furniture I've seen before, but the prices seem crazy inexpensive. Stools are $25, chairs are $45. I believe those prices include shipping.
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.
We love Kickstarter projects here at GRM. The latest great project that we have stumbled upon is Blockets.
Blocklets are a system of interlocking pieces that can be used to make anything, from sculpture to furniture, and soon Arduino-based robots. Made of laser-cut wood and acrylic, they snap together with a satisfying 'click' and they feel great in your hand.
A $25 pledge will get you a basic Blockets kit with 86 wood and acrylic pieces.
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
Did you miss Pecha Kucha night SLC two weeks ago? First off, shame on you. Second off, don't despair, video is now available. There were some fantastic speakers, and I highly recommend browsing through the rest of the videos after the jump.
A special thanks to everyone that made it out. Over $950 was raised to help with the Architecture for Humanity project. Donations are still being accepted online.
Salt Lake City Mid Century Modern Realtor Mony Ty listed this amazing home this month. I had a chance to walk through the amazing 4,660 square foot home a few weekends ago, and it was nothing short of amazing. The home was originally built in 1962, and had a tasteful pool added in 1982. The home was designed by one of Utah's most well know mid century modern architects John Sugden who drafted for and was mentored by Mies van der Rohe. The influence of Mies is obvious as the home has extensive use of steel and glass.
An open house will be held this Saturday from 10:00 to 4:00.
Back in 2008 Larry entered our Affordable Modern Kitchen contest. It looks like he has more tricks up his sleeve than making beautiful inexpensive kitchens. He does chairs too!
The Deca lounge chair was fabricated over the last 5 weeks as a student project at CCS. The chair is felted wool on foam over a plywood shell. The cushions for the piece are down filled and were sewn by my patient wife Mandi. The chair is mounted to a solid stainless steel base with rosewood feet and rear stretcher bar.
I love seeing the process that goes into furniture making, and you can see a great series of photo's at Larry's website.
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.
White vase + geometric MCM shapes = Love. These ceramic vases from Ferm Living would look great in any modern home. Equal parts mid century, scandinavian and minimalist modern they are like the chameleon of modern vases.
White Ceramic Vases from Ferm Living $30 - $57 euro.