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Have an enjoyable first-weekend-of-December. Hopefully you’ve started your holiday shopping, because it sucks to wait until the last minute.

And now, our fourth installment of Gift Ideas, by none other than Stefan Boublil, the creative director of the apartment. He’s got a gold star by his name and a pretty good list of achievements to date (just google him).

Stefan’s list of gifts to get this year:

1. As Little Design As Possible – The Work of Dieter Rams, $90.00
the most insight i have ever gained about design is from this book.

2. Falcon Enamel Pie Dish, £4.40
in the kitchen, only use the beautifully bare minimum.

3. Old Time Slingshot, $25.00
always in my back pocket in case a client gets out of line.

4. Geneva Sound System, $2,299.00
getting this, right after buying the chemosphere from benedikt taschen…

5. Air Quote Mittens, $65.00
there is nothing “funnier” than out-of-place quotes, is there?

6. Eco Highlighter Yellow, $2.00
i don’t read paper much any more these days but when i do, i go old school highlighting.

7. R6 by Six Eight Seven Six ‘Brecon Pilot Bag’, $265.00
and the lord sayeth: one can never have enough grey satchels.

8. Tecnica Moon Boot®, $100.00
the only boot i wore as an entitled kid in the alps and the only boot i wear as an arrogant grownup in nyc.

9. “Big Jug” of Pure Organic Maple Syrup, $68.00
one finger through the hole and start dripping. if you will.

10. Penultimate App, $0.99
you’re only as strong as the ideas you remember. this is how i do it.

11. Custom Inspector Stamp Production, $23.00
if you’re going to carry business cards, at least make a show of it old man!

Thanks Stefan for sharing.

For more on Stefan, visit the apartment and/or the apartment broadcast.

Whoa. If you’re not a fan of the taxidermy trend, have I got something to share with you. Bend Seating has trophy heads made of metal. And they’re geometric, engineered from a mathematical formula. And this makes them awesome. Wall art? Heck yeah. Coat hook? Yes please.

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This tray/bottle stopper is something to consider, as it gives empty (or half empty) bottles a purpose. There’s an especially nice option when using several different types of bottles with different heights, as it would give your table a useful centerpiece for hors d’oeuvres (aka appetizers) while saving space. Designed by Carlo Trevisani for Seletti, the Appo Tray is made from cork.

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A calendar after my own heart… it shows the entire year with no gaps between months. It reflects how time actually passes, a seamless transition from one month to the next. After considering the efficiency of this format, a regular calendar just seems clunky (flipping pages, why bother?). One side is vertical, the other horizontal, so take your pick.
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A big thanks goes out to our newest sponsor, Voice Art Gallery.

Voice Art™ is high quality giclee art that is created from the sound of your voice. Yes, from your voice! Voice Art™ bridges the gap between sentiment and design. Since your voice is like a fingerprint each design is 100% unique and personalized. Voice Art Gallery’s groundbreaking technology makes it easy to create beautiful artwork that can motivate and inspire.
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Now, why has this not popped up on the collective radar before now? It’s a magnetic pencil with no varnish (cedar wood, eco friendly), so you can keep it handy on the nearest metal surface. It’s also worth noting that paperclips and other paraphernalia might stick to it, depending on the magnet’s strength.
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Here is our third installment of gift ideas, handpicked by our very own Kris Bernard, Founder and Editor-at-Large.

Her picks for gifts to get this year:
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Remember this little guy? Well, if you’ve long been admiring its bottle brush limbs, you’ll be very happy to hear it’s now 50% off, which makes it almost affordable.

reg. $375.00, sale $187.50
Designed by Kuno Prey.
58″ high, 44″ widest branches, 22″ base with quick assembly

Originally available from Unica Home.

Ah, now this is a must have for us forgetful folks. Each note sticks to itself to form a band, making a perfect wrist reminder for important times, notes, etc. So smart, and needed over here in the states as soon as possible (retailers, take note!). Currently the only retail site is in French, so a little translation might be necessary.

Block of 100 sheets.
designer: Doriane Favre
dimensions: 21 x 4 cm

We’ve asked a few people behind our favorite sites to share their gift ideas, and thankfully, some of them had a moment to send over their lists. I check even*cleveland often, and I was happy to hear that Stephanie could participate.

Here are her picks for gifts (to give or get) this year:

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Have you ordered your calendar for 2012 yet? It’s definitely time to do so, if you haven’t already. If you’re the type that likes to write down daily lists this calendar is a good fit as it has a gridded blank space for your notes. It also features 365 different drawings by Ryan McGinness and can be archived as an entire package when the year is done.

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If you’re a klutz when it comes to chopsticks, this might be a good alternative. It’s a knife and fork set that interlocks to become a pair of spring-loaded chopsticks. Now, while this seems quite clever, I doubt that many people in a restaurant would congratulate you for bringing your own utensils, so perhaps this is more of a stay-at-home item.
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Maybe a decent throw will keep you from turning up the thermostat this winter? This colorful rhombus/triangle design will look just at home on the back of the sofa as it will tucked around your legs for warmth. 100% new wool, in various colors (or colours, as they say).

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Cyber monday, blah, blah, blah. I’m sure you’re busy clicking on all the deals flooding your inbox, and the best of luck to you. While you do that, some older posts will get some much needed updates here on BLTD, with current links and prices.

If I drank coffee, I’d make it out of this coffeemaker; there’s something awfully nice about the simplicity of no buttons or blinking lights. Made out of an hourglass-shaped glass flask, this coffeemaker was invented by a chemist, and therefore brews coffee by a chemically correct method. All that’s needed is coffee, hot water, and a separate Chemex bonded filter (sold separately).

Dishwasher- and microwave-safe. Set of 100 filters sold separately.
Designer: Peter Schlumbohm, 1941
Size: 9.5h x 6″diam.

(Originally posted Aug 27, 2009.)