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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)

 
 

Custom Silhouette Mug

Now, don’t go thinking silhouettes on mugs are only for parents. We all know you have enough imagination to think of some pretty good options for silhouettes for friends and family (a dance move? pets? inappropriate hand gestures? etc.) and there’s no reason to not immortalize said silhouette on a mug. It’s the perfect gift that’ll seem uninspiring until they see the custom image- then it’ll be awesome. (‘oh, it’s a mug…how nice…OH-MY-GOD-it’s-a-mug-with-so-and-so-doing-the-ROBOT! HAhaha!’ etc.)
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Purchase Information:

Price: $40.00
Availability: Buy Custom Silhouette Mug here

Friday Links

  • The Campaign for the Accurate Measurement of Creativity
  • German court rules internet “essential”
  • 100 Thing Challenge (What Exactly Is The 100 Thing Challenge?)
  • THE CHROMATIC DIET: Sophie Calle (via showslow)
  • Contemplating Friday: Communication 101
  • Cat vs. Snowball
  • Why I Bought Boys’ Underwear For My Daughter
  • Print To 86,000 Random Printers Around the World Thanks to Google
  • “Moon Hoax Not”
  • Brilliant! The $10 DIY One Hour washing-machine-drum firepit (via unconsumption)
  • Have a wonderful weekend.

    Drifted Stool

    If you lack adequate seating in your living or work quarters, do take a long look at this stool designed by Lars Beller. A gently curved cork seat (sustainably harvested, of course) makes for a comfortable spot to rest your derrière and the legs are painted a nice, rich red. If you’re interested in other sizes or colors, the Italian furniture manufacturer Discipline is where you’ll want to investigate options. Also, designboom has several nice photos of the collection, fyi.

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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $205.00
    Available from: MoMA Store

    Queuger

    Queuger, whaa?? Exactly. The Queuger is apparently for any use you can find for it. It’s a flexible elastomer wire with aluminum core, so you can bend it or twist it any which way you want. Maybe you’ll use it to keep wires organized, or to hold cabinet doors closed, or to help ease uncomfortable handles on a heavy bag… those suggestions are based entirely on the ‘ideas’ picture shown below, but you’ll think of many more.

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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $16.00
    Available from: IPPINKA

    Raumgestalt tYten All-Purpose Bags

    The question isn’t what you would store in these Raumgestalt Tyvek bags, but what would you not store in these Raumgestalt Tyvek bags? Fish, maybe, and kittens- those wouldn’t be ideal, nor would any other living, squirming thing (except worms?), but other than that, you’re probably good to go. Tyvek is a water-resistant, tear-resistant, lightweight, and compressible material, which makes it perfect for impromptu (or permanent) storage for all manner of things about the house. Available in small (6.7″ H x 6″ Diam), medium (9.8″ H x 8.25″ Diam.), and large (14.5″ H x 12.2″ Diam).
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $20.00 - 31.00
    Available from: Fitzsu

    Postalco Encyclopedia Series Postcards

    Hey, what better way to blow your disposable income than with some beautiful postcards? Don’t freak out, it’s not $100 for 6 postcards, it’s $100 for six sets of seven postcards, with each set featuring seven different kinds of Shells, Butterflies, Apples, Mineral Rocks, Grapes, and Bugs. If you want your correspondence to be top notch, this is the way to go.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $105.00
    Available from: POSTALCO

    Verbarius Electronic Clock

    It’s your birthday! Well, it probably isn’t, but if you were one of the many (all 3 of you) that emailed in after we posted this clock forever ago, wondering where you might be able to purchase it stateside, you can now pretend it is your birthday, because MoMA Store has the Verbarius in stock. Keep your pants on, it only took five years. If you’re not familiar, the Verbarius replaces numbers with words using one of five preloaded languages: English, German, Spanish, French, and Russian. Extra points to you if you decide to freshen up your foreign language skills by switching it up every now and then.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $250.00
    Available from: MoMA Store

    Kaico Enamel Milk Pan

    Who in the world needs a specialized milk pan? Pfft, not me, that’s for sure, especially after trying to heat up milk for a matcha latte yesterday. Yes, I said matcha latte, and yes, I’m aware that it’s a very easy recipe, but I somehow made a mess of things, and now I’m thinking that my counters would not have been splattered with green milky tea if the pan I used was smaller and had had a useful spout. If heating up milk is anywhere in your daily/weekly/monthly/seasonal life, this pan would be a treat to have on hand. The Kaico series has an enamel coating over steel which makes each piece durable and thermal-efficient. Also available in the series is the Kaico Coffee Pot $130, Kaico Kettle $140, and the Kaico Pasta Pan $190.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $72.00
    Available from: MILL Mercantile

    Tiny Transforming Apartment

    What the what!?! Eight funcional spaces packed into 420 square feet- how is that even possible? Well, turns out when you’ve got clever minds put to the task, a few ingenious solutions will double the storage space. Graham Hill, entrepreneur and treehugger.com founder, is the mastermind of this small-yet-large studio space, and, after you see the video below, you can see more pics (before and after) at Life Edited.
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    Multiples Pencil Holder

    Surprise, surprise, what do we have here from a retailer that some of us completely forget about? It’s a metal pencil holder done in the loveliest shades of blue and teal, at a rather reasonable price too. The only thing that would make it better is if the base or cylinders were magnetic, though that wouldn’t add much to the functionality, it would just make it more fun.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $48.00
    Available from: Anthropologie

    Source: Rena Tom

    “Mates for Life” Print

    If a simple ‘I love you’ has lost its meaning, you better come up with something fast to get your message across. Let’s not discuss that awful holiday fast approaching, as it’s merely an excuse to buy horrible chocolates and flowers (soon eaten and wilted, respectively), but let’s do think about this print from Jacqueline Schmidt of Screech Owl Design. She has illustrated a few very special species that mate for life, and if you decide to buy this as a way to show your affection/admiration/attraction, all you’ll have to say after your loved one opens it up is “and us, of course.” And then, “what frame do you want for it?” So romantic. There’s also a lovely “Celebrate the Alphabet” Poster, $40, available with animal illustrations in color, perfect for a child’s room (or for yours if you really love animals and the alphabet).
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $30.00
    Available from: Screech Owl Design

    Core System Table

    Look closely and you’ll see powder coated steel incorporated underneath this tabletop, though it’s the beauty of solid White Oak (locally sourced) that really steals the show. A hand rubbed oil finish gives off a nice gleam and the black oxide fasteners provide a dash of contrast and detail. Each table is made and assembled to order in Strand Design’s workshop.

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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $2,000.00
    Available from: Strand Design

    Fitbit Zip

    You might have heard the 10,000+ steps a day suggestion, but it’s not until you strap on a pedometer or one of the other recent tracking devices that you actually know if you meet that minimum. I’ve posted the Fitbit before, as I currently own one and find it very helpful as motivation to move around more, but I’ve heard from friends that the $99 price tag seems a bit steep for a teeny tiny thing that counts your steps (and calories burned, flights climbed, sleep cycle, etc.). Coming in at $40 less, now there’s the Fitbit Zip. It does the same- tracks steps, distance, calories burned and syncs it to your computer- except it won’t be able to track your sleep cycle. It’s also a wee bit wider/larger and has a replaceable battery instead of a charger.

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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $59.95
    Available from: Fitbit

    Kaleido Trays

    Yes, yes, and yes. This collection of powder-coated steel trays stack together for easy storage. Just how many places could you use them in? Kitchen, bathroom, office, anywhere where you need a little help organizing the bits and bobs associated with your daily life. And, if I may say so, the colors are excellent in their unexpectedness.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $16.00 and up
    Available from: A+R Store

    Tom Kundig Collection

    Maybe you can’t yet afford an Olson Kundig house, but you might just be able to splurge on some special Kundig hardware. There’s twenty-five cut-and-folded steel products- from cabinet pulls to various door hardware- each fabricated by 12th Avenue Iron. As usual, prepare your wallet for specialty hardware prices ($19+ per drawer pull will add up pretty quickly).
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $13.00 and up
    Available from: http://www.12thavenueiron.com/