Because sporks are such old news. This twin one cutlery designed by Lekue takes the lonely fork and knife and brings them together in perfect chopstick bliss.

Twin One Cutlery

via

I'm SoHo bound today.  Any suggestions of must see shops, leave them in the comments.

Photo by Anita Boldt February 1980. via

I've been on sort of a wood and steel kick lately.  This chair by Portuguese design group gud is a great example of that. The powder coated steel elements create a nice contrast to the oak.

gud design

I'm still sorting through the information overload of ICFF, but I already have some favorites. Being surrounded by all that fantastic furniture really made me appreciate the difference between CNC made furniture and good old fashioned hand made furniture. In fact I'm already setting the ground rules for an ICFF 2012 drinking game that will involve taking a shot every time I hear "5 axis CNC".

KWH Furniture is one of the good guys. They are making beautiful modern furniture using traditional joinery methods and finishes.  Their credenza piece at ICFF even included hand made brass handles.  (pictures after the jump) The work was absolutely beautiful, from the smallest detail on.

KWH Furniture

Kaya is a graphic designer and illustrator currently based in Alberta, Canada whose charming style instantly put a smile on my face!  Most of her work is up on Flickr, including this lovable little sloth pictured above - I just want to squeeze him!  She's also putting together an illustrated 2012 calendar that I'm excited to see finished - even though the idea that another year is nearly upon us is CRAZY.  If you like what you see though, be sure to check out more of her work through the link below.

LINK: kaya-h.blogspot.com

Looking for a little ICFF 2011 photo coverage? Here are a few pictures I took yesterday while wandering around.  Look for a follow-up post with more information/details coming soon.

While my iPhone seems to be doing  pretty good job of dragging me out of bed in the mornings, I have to admit that the looks of this Safe Travel Clock by Lexan are pretty enticing. It's more than just good looks too. This bamboo and bioplastic alarm clock will run of batteries or solar power, making it the perfect travel companion.

Lexon Safe Travel Clock

I'm not much of a wallet user, but I am a complete iPhone addict.  This leather wallet sleeve by RETRO MODERN may just possibly be the perfect combination of wallet and iPhone case. Think of it as a svelte clutch for the guys.  Each wallet is hand made from genuine soft leather and has several pockets for all your necessities and a snap closure to keep them all safe. Pricing is a little steep starting at $80, but if you compare that to buying both a case and a wallet, it seems about right.

RETRO MODERN leather iPhone wallet sleeve

I just woke up after being up for over 40 hours straight, so I think it's only appropriate that I post about the Nights dish towel by Korea based Knife in the Water. About:

Inspired by vintage vera scarf design, they are the moons of many sleepless nights, dreams, and memories...

Screen printed on 55% linen 45% cotton with eco-friendly water-based navy & toffee inks.

Nights Dish Towel

I'm just going to go out on a limb here and make the claim that Schoolhouse Electric Co. knocked it out of the park with their newest lighting collection!  I love the Ion and Matter lamps especially, but check out more of there newest products here and decide for yourself!

LINK: schoolhouseelectric.com

Today I'm serving up some more letterpress goodness.  This time in the notebook form. These cross stitch patterns were designed by Abbey Hendrickson, founder of Aesthetic Outburst and printed by Rachel of Pistachio Press.  They are available for purchase for $7 each or $18 for a set of 3.  Alternately if you are feeling lucky, you can head over to Aesthetic Outburst today and try and win one in their giveaway.

Cross Stitch letterpress notebooks $7

Call me crazy, but I am totally in love with these quirky little wall ornaments from Flora Grubb!  They're available in gold, red, orange, and lime.  Though they're sold as outdoor items, I can't help but think you could create a really cool installation inside with a few dozen of these.  (You might put quite a few holes in your wall, though...)  Where and how would you use these?

Wall Ornaments from Flora Grubb: $8.95 ea.

[via poppytalk]

Back when I was regularly obsessing over Japanese Ofuro bathtubs I did a lot of reading on hinoki, a type of cypress that is used in traditional Japanese woodworking. Ultimately I decided that making a tub out of hinoki wasn't affordable or practical for me.  A tissue box on the other hand, is an entirely different issue. This hinoki tissue box is simple, beautiful, and it turns out very practical. Hinoki naturally has a wonderful smell (think cedar) and natural antibacterial properties. Just the thing for the next time you have the sniffles.

Hinoki Tissue Box $35

Jackpot!!!  I haven't seen a single store of objects this well curated since my post on Mjölk. Only this time instead of amazing scandinavian design, Objects of Use has beautiful traditional accessories for the home and garden. The modernist in me loves these simple honest products made of traditional materials. The cleaning and gardening tools are absolutely epic. I honestly didn't even know that an asparagus knife or english oak dibber existed before yesterday, now I'm pretty sure I'll die if I don't have one.

The good news is that the prices are very reasonable, the bad news is that they are located in the UK.  I did contact them to see if they ship internationally, and they do.  Most of the items are fairly small so shipping shouldn't be too expensive.

Objects of Use

I'm happy to report that Capree is not the only one heading to ICFF this year. My bags are all packed (mostly) and I'm heading out late tonight. I'll be spending a week in New York during ICFF and then I'm picking up a car and wandering my way home for a 2,500 mile 4 day adventure. I'll definitely be looking for some travel advice on that one.

In the meantime, make sure you "like" Grassrootsmodern on Facebook or follow me for play by play NYC action, including live coverage of ICFF and a handful of design related soirees. On the schedule for tomorrow is Storm King and DIA:Beacon.

Any NYC readers or fellow ICFF attendees, find me, and lets hook up.

Thanks to Emmas Designblogg for these gorgeous photo's by Stockholm realtors Fantastic Frank.  Not only do they represent some truly fantastic properties, they have a knack for staging a house as well. I'll take the home in picture number one please.

Fantastic Frank

More pictures after the jump.

Dog owners rejoice! Mans best friend can now rock with the best of them.

The idea behind this Hybrid Furniture design by Paul Kewton is to combine the "old school rocking chair and doghouse to generate a hybrid "furniture" that combines the idea of shelter and body relaxation and pushes its functionality to a different, more personal level."

I think it's a great looking chair, but I can't imagine my 70lb golden doodle fitting in there, or putting up with any rocking going on up top.

Paul Kewton Hybrid Furniture

Put a bird on it?  Naw. I say put an owl on it. I mean come on, just look at those cute little owl eyes staring back at you.  Who can resist that.

Not a fan of fowl? Prefer something a little less cheery and fluffy. Get your grumpy on with this black and pink clouds and bolts card.

Lots more letterpress goodies on the Etsy Letterpress store.

Beauty in simplicity - that's what these teak measuring spoons from Chabatree are all about.  Sustainably harvested from plantation-farmed wood, these spoons have zero chemical finishes and are 100% food safe.  Just don't think about putting them in your dishwasher!

Teak Measuring Spoons by Chabatree: $20

It's been a long while since I have actually used an alarm clock besides the one on my phone, but this little guy from Anything Design looks like it would like to live in my bedroom. Recipient of a RED DOT AWARD for 'Best of the Best' in the product design category, 2009 the Anything Alarm clock is available in five smashing colors: Orange, White, Black, Yellow or Turquoise.

Anything Alarm Clock $69