I ended up on a sort of last minute whirlwind trip to Chicago over the weekend too look at some new things DIRTT and Corian are doing (more on that later). I snapped the pic above while taking a quick dip at the Hotel Palomar before dinner. The Marina City buildings are some of my favorites in Chicago. I have a whole camera full of other ones I need to get to, but I'm heading  out the door right now to check out NeoCon. I'll be updating the Grassrootsmodern Facebook page all day, make sure you check it out. I'll get around to the official recap later.

As a lover of abstract art and uninhibited use of color, I've got to say that Yangyang Pan's work is totally doin' it for me.  If you've got a similar aesthetic, then you must check out her portfolio (and Flickr page), too!

LINK: http://yangyangpan.com

[via 2Modern]

My kids are growing up fast, and are quickly approaching bunk bed age. I'm loving this playful custom modern bunk bed designed by Finnish design firm Aalto + Aalto. The design was inspired by a teehouse, and it's modular and can be arranged into different configurations.

Aalto + Aalto

Via

The perfect little pitcher for an outdoor fête, if I do say so myself.  Made of melamine, so it won't break... you know, in case your party turns into one of THOSE parties.  Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about.

Parrot Pitcher by Sagaform available from Burke Decor: $20

Jackpot!

Finding Hindsvik on Etsy is like stumbling into your favorite antique store. It's loaded with all sorts of wonderful goodies, and best of all the prices are amazing. Point in case.  You can pick up that amazing Danish teak tray for $35, or the vintage record cabinet for just $56, or even the vintage gooseneck lamp for just $25.

Hindsvik

Summer seems to finally be here, and whether it's heading to the beach, or a little Saturday shopping at the farmers market it's nice to have a good bag to carry around.  These cheerfully colored Carry totes by Habit seem to fit the bill just right. Available in three sizes and four colors.

Habit Carry $34 - $46

Looks like for once all the hype turned out to be true, Fab.com is coming out of the gates strong. Their opening has not only great prices on Emeco 111 chairs ($175) and Glaser prints, but they have also managed to pull in some pretty rare or hard to get items as well, such as the limited edition Emeco 125 chair, and the Plumen bulbs that have been pretty much unavailable stateside up to now.

Join Fab.com to get in on all the deals.

Obviously, what I like most about this task lamp is the sweet pop of color around the rim.  A simple DIY idea for sprucing up a similar (and cheaper) light, perhaps?  What do you think?

Cornet Clip Lamp by Tse & Tse: $195

I'm not going to lie. I just really like the word "foundry". Borough is also a nice word too now that I think of it. Borough Furnace is a up and coming foundry based in upstate New York, and they are looking to make some beautiful cast iron cookware. I've actually been wanting a good cast iron skillet for a while, so this is one that I am willing to put my money where my mouth is. Here are the bullet points for why you should drop $300 for a 9" skillet.

- The thing is a looker. Classic cast iron with a contemporary twist.

- This will be the last skillet you ever buy. Ever.

- You not only get an amazing skillet, you also support a passionate artist.

In my short adult life I know I have bought at least two or three non stick skillets, all of which eventually get sketchy and worn out. Cast Iron is like the OG non stick, only better. Plus it's pretty ideal for a conduction cooktop, which I am also a huge fan of. Plus as I mentioned above, you don't just get a skillet, you also help borough furnace to build a micro-foundry and prototyping studio that gives them the ability to explore new cast iron products and objects.

Borough Furnace on Kickstarter.

I've had my eye on the Kapu Coffee Scoop and Bag Closer ever since I first spied it on svpply, and I figured it was about time to share. Made of birch plywood this little guy is like the MacGyver or mornings, conquering coffee baddies and keeping them in their place. OK That may be going a little far. But it looks amazing right?

Kapu Coffee Scoop $26

'Noted' is a clever, if not completely playful, twist on the standard memo/chalk board.  Made from aluminum, it features a peeled corner to hold chalk (and add a pop of color).  Designed by Joe Wentworth.

Noted available from Spunique: $34

There is no shortage of "exclusive" members only shopping sites that promise deep discounts. Gilt and Rue La La are two of my favorites. The one thing that is sometimes lacking is a good steady stream of products that I'm actually interested in.  I'm hoping that is going to change in 2 days.  Fab.com is an upcoming design online sale site with prices on some of your favorite items up to 70% off retail. Their official launch is just two days away, but if you want to get in early on the action you can sign up here. As with most of these sites, membership is free, but by invitation only.  While you wait for all the great sales, make sure you check out their inspiration wall.  There is some good stuff in there.

Join Fab.com today.

What's that you say?  You haven't gotten your fill of brilliant table leg designs for the day? No problem, I got this one. Here is another stunningly simple and effective table leg that will work with almost any table top. The Tick Clip is like a giant paper clip for  a table. A little tension opens it up so you can slide the top surface in, and presto, instant table. The more weigh you stack on, the harder it holds. It's not just brilliant either, the classic hairpin leg shape looks great too.

Available soon on Tickclip.de for 60€.

Continuing with my deep appreciation (obsession) with powder coated steel and wood comes the Klemmbrett Desk designed by Manuel Welsky. This ingenious design requires no fasteners at all and uses simple leverage to hold the legs in place with the top. The contrast between the metal and wood is beautiful as always. Best of all this simple effective design translates to a very reasonable price tag of $379. I'll take one please.

Klemmbrett Desk

One of my friends recently introduced me to Younger Furniture. While much of their line is fairly unimpressive, there are a few gems hidden in there like the Apartment Sofa (top) and the LIly Sofa (bottom) shown above. Made in North Carolina, they use hardwood for the frame, and have a variety of fabric and cushion choices. A mid range fabric and the higher end Y Lux cushion price the Apartment Sofa at $1172 and the Lily at $1388 from my local retailer Forsey furniture. Unfortunately Forsey doesn't have in stock any of the more attractive Younger Furniture models, so the real question is this.

Does anybody have any feedback on comfort and durability for Younger Furniture sofa's?

Younger Furniture

A craft book for burgeoning modernists and pint-sized DIYers, Todd Oldham's book Kid Made Modern offers up loads of project and craft ideas inspired by mid-century designers and artists such as Charles and Ray Eames, Marimekko, and Alexander Girard.  Get it for your kids, get it for your nieces and nephews, or get it for yourself!

Kid Made Modern by Todd Oldham: $15

P.S. Be sure to check out Oldham's other Mid-Century Modern-inspired DIY book, Handmade Modern.

Located in downtown Toronto, Offcutstudio is the workshop of craftsman, Cameron MacLean. He uses local and exotic offcut woods, sourced from a local woodshop to create one of a kind creations like the solid maple clock, cherry wood lint remover, and wood and enamel vases. Everything is hand made, and reasonably priced.

Offcutstudio

How these colorful wooden robots managed to evade Capree's radar is absolutely beyond me. Sure, they were designed by a fairly obscure design group in Poland called Prodiz, but that's no excuse. Each robot is made up of wooden pieces with magnets that can be rearranged to your imaginations extent.

Robole by Prodiz

via

I love, love, love these porcelain wall hooks from Anne Black!  Available in a wide range of colors and two sizes, these little sputnik knobs can be used as drawer pulls as well.  A perfect atomic accessory for any mod abode!

Flower hooks by Anne Black available from Stilleben: $14 - $16

This absolutely brilliant iPhone charger/alarm hub is, well, absolutely brilliant. With obvious inspiration taken from the toaster the Day Maker "..lets you know it’s time to rise and shine with a little added spring from your phone alarm. And if you’re not quite ready to face the day, snooze on effortlessly by pushing your little slice of digital heaven back into its tray." Yes please, I'll take one.  No word on pricing or production yet, but rumor is that it may be heading to Kickstarter.

Day Maker

Via Inspire Me Now