Sigh. I really REALLY need to start collecting some good art work. I love these Giclée prints by Australian based Cul-de-sac. They manage that perfect balance of retro MCM flair with a clean modern aesthetic. Each print is part of a limited edition run of 20 prints. Get em while they're hot!
Cul-de-sac Giclée prints $AU$650
We love Etsy here at GRM, but the one thing that seems few and far between on Etsy is good modern furniture. That's one reason I was so excited to stumble onto the Kart Chair. That and the fact that it is gorgeous. Designed and made by Harbenger Duo in Houston Texas, the Kart chair is made of walnut veneered birch plywood. It ships flat, and will only put you out $350, which for a hand made custom chair is incredible.
My little color-loving heart nearly exploded when I saw Emmanuelle Moureaux's portfolio. This French-born, Tokyo-based architect has made a name for herself through her signature use of color. Much of her work is in the commercial realm, but there are a few private residences that are worth checking out, so be sure to take a look at the rest of her portfolio!
I once had a Rubik's cube and I spent a long time learning how to finish it. This Rubik's cube definitely takes it to the next level, that is assuming you don't know Braille. Let's be honest though. If you had this, it would do the exact same thing that most Rubik's cubes do. Just sit around. At least it would look good doing it. Speaking of sitting around, this prototype will be sitting around MoMA NY, starting in July and will be on display until November 2011.
It's called a Yogurt Bowl, I just call it stunning. To that I would add that there are a whole slew of things that I would use this bowl for, yogurt being just one of them. The bowl itself is made of white blown glass and the lid is teak, and looks like it would double as a fantastic little plate. The number one thing I would do with this bowl if I had it? Just sit and stare at it.
When Arian Behzadi isn't busy with his Biological Sciences major (emphasis in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior - whoa), he's creating gorgeous collages and commissioned design work. I guess this is what happens when your left and right hemispheres try to one-up each other. Nice work, Arian!
Over the weekend I received a couple good Kickstart submissions that I wanted to share with everyone. The first one (shown in the video above) is Freakers. Basically it's a knit sleeve for your beverage container of choice made with all sorts of fantastic colors and patterns. Sounds a little cheesy I know, but they actually look pretty cool.
Next up is a magnetic vase idea called Lusion Bloom. It's a vase that is held up by a magnetic vase that sits under a tablecloth. Pretty cool idea...
Love em or hate em, you can find out more on Kickstarter.
I'm not sure what I like more, the white on white room, or the stacking shelves shown in it. The One Shelves are made from powder coated aluminum and walnut. According to the Studio Juju the designer they are;
A set of small boxes that can be nested together to take up the least amount of space and expanded without tools to form a big shelf.Stack and arrange to fit different spaces.
A step up from the milk crates you have been using.
One of the things I love about "design" is that it can be applied to everyday objects that often seem mundane. Alessi invited three three young designers to reinvent the light bulb, and this is what they came up with. Almost as nice as the Plumen light bulb. Like the Plumen, it will unfortunately only be available in the UK
This cardboard child's chair is made from recycled paper and claims to support up to 132 lbs! It arrives looking like a small box, but once you open it up all the components for building your own chair are inside. I love that you can decorate and paint it, too (or let your kids do that part)! Clever, clever, clever.
DIY Cardboard Child Chair by MUJI: $30
The sparrow keychain is a cheerful little way to store your keys. The pink or green bird not only makes a great place to hang your keys, but it also doubles as a whistle. When you get back home, simply set the bird back in his house until you are ready to go again.
Studio Gorm has done a fantastic job taking the common peg to a whole new level in a simple but interesting way.
Peg is a family of furniture with diverse parentage. the shaker peg rail, the korean wall hung table and the lowly shop broom. a flexible furniture system made up of simple components, which can be assembled in a variety of ways to accommodate a multitude of scenarios. it can be just as easily disassembled, using no tools or fasteners. all components can be hung from a peg rail on the wall creating pleasing abstract compositions.
I am not usually too big of a fan of wire furniture. That being said, ANONandCo is an Australian based design group that is doing some fantastic work with bent wire. Whether it's the humble clothes hanger to this Dove stool, I'm really impressed with their work. The Dove stool is available in black, white or orange from their online store.
Forget "birds", I say put an angle on it! (FYI: funky lines and playful angles are a sure-fire way to my heart.) This set of nesting shelves can be stacked or mounted on the wall - it would be fun to get a few sets for a large wall or paint them in subtle gradations. Endless possibilities and arrangements!
Angle Nesting Shelves from West Elm: $99 / set of 3
I have an ever growing appreciation for simple materials in interior design, so when you combine porcelain, steel, and a cloth cord together with a little Swing Jib Lamp inspired styling, you have a winner in my book.
You can tell the weather is getting warmer when Capree and I start blogging about watering cans again. The BOCA watering bottle has got me scrambling for something green so I can justify buying it. Made of porcelain it has two spouts, one for fine streams, and one for pouring. It even has a felt ring to catch any droplets of water left behind.
A piggy bank for minimalist savers! This wooden cube is equipped with a clip to hold friendly reminders of what exactly it is you're saving for - a nice detail to have in moments of weakness!
About:
Designed by Markus Gläser and Jan Eilts for Side by Side, a collaboration between young designers and workshops for the disabled. Made by Ruperti Werkstätten in Germany.
Piggy Bank Fritz available from Plastica: $68
Periphere is a Montreal based brother and sister design team that is focused on designing and making custom hand made furniture. They have a straight forward clean design aesthetic, and an attitude I really appreciate. This is my favorite snippet from their bio page that explains why they do what they do;
The freedom to do our own thing on our own terms precedes all. We don not care much about the financial returns. The excitement for design solely justifies our work. In the end furniture is still furniture. We do not pretend to create art, nor change the world. We put forth suggestions that hopefully contribute to inspire, elevate and bring all of us to a better and more interesting place.
It seems like the weather if finally starting to turn warm here in Utah. This summer I'm looking forward to a couple of lazy nights sitting around a fire pit doing absolutely nothing. I think this Wok Fire Pit would do just fine. Available in a 33" or 37" size it can be used to burn logs or it has an optional gas burner that can be fitted. S'mores not included.
Back in 2005 when I was just starting the blog (I can't believe it's been 6 years!) I blogged about and did an interview with Jason Gregory from MAKR. Back then Jason was just getting started making fine leather goods. Just this week I stumbled across his site again, and I'm happy to report it looks like the business is alive and doing well. He still has a myriad of leather goods, and he has added some nice canvas bags to the lineup as well.
Check out his blog too. It totally has me obsessing over this key.
