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Articles Written by Katie

Katie

About Katie: Katie has been a product and textile designer, an art restoration specialist, and an interior designer/merchandiser. Her interests are focused on finding well designed items that improve daily life as well as reading fiction and making stuff. (View Profile)

 
 

Soma Water Filter

You know what’s impressive? A water filter from the future. That’s really the only explanation for such a well executed design, after all. The handcrafted glass carafe is a beauty all on its own, then you add the filter on, and you’ve got an excellent option for purifying water. No need to mess with finicky lids either, as the Soma has a pour-through lid that automatically opens when you add water. The all-natural filters are biodegradable, and you can sign up to have fresh filters delivered every two months for $13, shipping included.
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Purchase Information:

Price: $49.00
Available from: SOMA

Bulb Flashlight

Say what? It’s a flashlight and a low-heat LED rechargeable bulb? Sounds strange, but it makes sense, I guess. Extend the telescopic handle to use as a flashlight (up to 3 hours) or use it as a bulb in any standard screw-in light fitting. Like I said, strange, but seemingly practical. Using only six watts of power, the bulb is equivalent to a 40w incandescent bulb.

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Purchase Information:

Price: $45.00
Available from: MoMA Store

Perch Barstool

Hmm, I don’t quite understand how the same barstool could cost roughly $150 more on one site than the other. Do you? One site has it on sale, so that explains a little discrepancy, but perhaps it’s not exactly the same barstool, or by the same designer/manufacturer, or maybe someone is smoking something somewhere and the profit margins were messed up. Either way, this teak and iron base barstool has that spindly-yet-sturdy look and would provide extra seating without taking up too much visual space.
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Purchase Information:

Price: $216.00
Available from: West Elm

Prime Media Console

Hmm, this media console by Mark Daniel (of Slate Design) has the right sort of look and the right sort of price. Plantation-grown shesham wood is set off nicely by an iron base, and there’s the nice detail of a finished back in case you need to float the piece in the middle of a room. Two open shelves provide space for components with two drawers below for storage. And, yes, don’t worry, there are cutouts for managing cords.
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Purchase Information:

Price: $699.00
Available from: CB2

Luis Organizer

I’ve long admired the Uten.Silo, but somehow can’t bring myself to pay the $475 for organized bliss. The Luis Organizer isn’t a whole lot less in terms of the damage done to your wallet, but it provides the same sort of function with a minimal, geometric purity, and is handmade in Barcelona by OLI13 (so you won’t see it around as much, if you care about that sort of thing).

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Purchase Information:

Price: €300.00
Available from: OLI13

11+ Sound1 Speaker

A bluetooth enabled speaker is a dime a dozen (so to speak) these days, so what’s so special about this pair? Well, for starters, the 11+ Sound1 Speakers have absolutely nothing to offend the eyes, and one could even say they’re aesthetically pleasing. What else? Three things: embedded magnets allow the pair to be joined into one piece for storage or transport, the cables can be stored neatly within each base, and each speaker has a slight angle at its base to allow an optimal auditory experience.
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Purchase Information:

Price: $85.00
Available from: leibal

Friday Links

  • Portable Home ÁPH80 from ABATON Architects (conversation)
  • How to Stop Chasing Self-Esteem
  • Helen Friel’s paper scupltures
  • The History of the Trapper Keeper
  • Kottke: Richard Feynman explains rubber bands
  • pointerpointer
  • William Faulkner’s 1924 resignation letter
  • YouTube: Sheep teaches young bull to head butt
  • NASA: This is what the Earth will look like in 2099
  • Film: De La Espada Factory (furniture making)
  •  
    Enjoy the weekend!

    Wire Basket Table

    So, what do you get when you add a wooden disc to a Wire Basket? A small, lovely, graphic table, or just a lid for the basket, depending on the way you look at it. Both basket and top from Ferm Living, of course.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $85.00 and up
    Available from: Ferm Living

    Fold Mirror

    You might think a mirror is just a mirror, but that would be underestimating how much a small tweak can change a rather ordinary item. Marie Thurnauer has bent the Fold Mirror slightly away from the wall to give different views and angles of a room. The image above (from domus) with the Fold Mirrors en masse shows their potential dynamicity, and has me, at least, thinking about ordering at least three.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $35.00 - 70.00
    Available from: Normann Copenhagen

    Convertible Case for Apple iPad

    If you prefer to use a physical keyboard, like the Apple wireless one, instead of the on-screen keyboard for the iPad, this lightweight Convertible Case will make transporting both quite a bit easier. A magnetic closure keeps both the iPad and keyboard protected when closed, and when opened, the case can fold into a stand.

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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $49.99
    Available from: Belkin

    Drum Lamp

    Upcycling! If you’ve watched any home shows (say, on HGTV) you’re likely to have seen some upcycled stuff, with some of the results semi-impressive and other attempts being downright awful. Now, I know I’ve seen used washing machine drums upcycled into lights and tables before, but it certainly wasn’t executed in such a precise manner, as shown above/below.

    Powder-coating, rather than hand spray paint, helps convey a higher end look, as does the matching color cable and acrylic sheet diffusers. Tip of the hat goes to you, Willem Heeffer, for acing an upcycling project and offering more for sale for those of us that can’t be bothered with doing it ourselves.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: €310
    Available from: Willem Heeffer

    Indice Bookends (Grey)

    If you’d rather not infuse your bookshelf with an array of rainbow color, you’re in luck, as there’s now a subtle set of grey Indice Bookends that does the job quietly without shouting (red!orange!yellow!green!blue!). Not that there’s anything wrong with color, mind you, just that sometimes it’s nice to do without.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $25.00
    Available from: MoMA Store

    Moistly

    I’m guilty of forgetting to water plants, how about you? With this gadget we can change our ways, as it beeps and blinks when a plant is thirsty. Just stick Moistly in the soil of your plant and go about your business, and know that when the time comes, you’ll be alerted before your leafy friend becomes too parched.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $20.00
    Available from: Moistly

    Eames® Hang-It-All, Black and White

    Remember the walnut version of the Eames® Hang-It-All? Well, it was only a matter of time- 3 years, to be exact- when other color options hit the marketplace, and now you have your choice of white or black powder-coat finish. Is your response ‘hooray!’ or ‘ho-hum’? I’m leaning towards ‘hooray’ as the multicolored version can sometimes feel just a tiny bit too colorful in certain environments.

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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $199.00
    Available from: YLiving

    Turn Stool

    Stool, side table, ottoman, whatever function fits your needs, this solid Acacia wood stool will last through thick and thin. Cut out handles make it easier to shift around and an optional thick Felt Top (+$19) gives a softer surface for the backside.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $299.00
    Available from: Blu Dot