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Whoa, if you’re a sucker for black and white patterns, check out these flat woven rugs from DwellStudio. The runner is a winner, for sure, with its simple almond shapes taking the full width of pattern. Flat woven rugs are often the best choice for high traffic areas as they don’t show wear as much as a higher pile rug. They’re often much easier to clean as well.
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Whoa, are these crazy blocks or what? Brinca Dada is usually known for their dollhouses, which are actually pretty amazing, but these blocks are fit for adults and kids alike. Instead of fitting together snugly or simply, they’re completely wonky and will encourage you to play “with the simplicity of imperfection.” Nice idea, isn’t it?

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This week’s links are short, as busyness (yes, busyness) has taken up most of the explore-the-internet-for-interesting-things time:

Have an incredibly enjoyable weekend in whatever way possible.

Well, look at this. You can save a little bit of dough on this new Branch Dining Table from Blu Dot as their annual 20% off sale has now kicked off (from Oct 20 to Nov 8). The solid oak is nicely supported by black powder-coated ‘branch’ steel legs. Two sizes to choose from: 76″ and 91″.
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Talk about high rollin’, take a look at these gold playing cards. They’re not real gold, of course, they just look like it. Sort of fun, though, aren’t they?
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Never underestimate a good bottle opener; the same goes for a corkscrew. If you use it often, a well designed opener can make the experience of removing the lid of your beer or beverage even better, while using a poorly designed one can be quite irritating, and even dangerous (if and when inebriated). This bottle opener was originally designed in 1960 by Achille Castiglioni for the Splugen Brau bar project in Milan. Also, note that this is tagged in our gift guide, for your future reference.

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At the risk of sounding like a pretentious wino, when you travel with wine, you want it to make sure it arrives unharmed. And when that wine is, say, a little expensive (why else would you travel with it) you’d do well to invest $4 in making sure it’s protected. This durable vinyl WineSkin has a double closure and an interior bubble pack that acts as an insulating shock absorber. It’s meant for one-time use (thumbs down), but it is recyclable (thumbs up), so you can hopefully shed any residual guilt from your conspicuous consumption.
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If you would like a more established tableware set (i.e. nicer than what you bought at IKEA), you could do a whole lot worse than this set from Heikki Orvola. If you’re a complete dinnerware-obsessed nutcase*, you might recognize the 24h series, which Orvola designed for his own use. While perhaps the collection didn’t necessarily need improvement, Finnish designer duo Helorinne & Kallio added a little pep and pizazz (for lack of a better term) with the blue brushstroke pattern.
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Have you ever seen a nicer wash bag? It’s almost too nice to get anywhere near water, though you could protect the leather/suede with a Scotchguard-ish spray and wax. If you’ve cycled through several wash bags in your recent past, it might be time to consider investing in something that will last, not to mention that looks so darn good. It’s worth mentioning it could also be used as a case for gadgets and cables and such.
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Are you a Dieter Rams fan? Do you have a Braun alarm clock? If the answer is no, you can pay homage and ensure timeliness by choosing between the three (newly licensed) travel clocks. A quiet quartz mechanism and easy-to-operate alarm switch are available on each, with an analog display (of course).
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Sure, there’s plenty wool sleeves for gadgets nowadays (Simple iPad Sleeve and Pad Stash Sleeve, to name two), but this one has no seams or extraneous details. Perfect for a purist, I suppose. Check out the colors too- there’s some nice hues to choose from.
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Now that it’s most certainly autumn, it’s time to think about ways to still enjoy your outside space despite the chill in the air. This fire ring will hopefully facilitate many s’mores and stories, and as it’s made from 3/16 thick steel with a solid raised internal floor to contain the ashes, it’ll do the job of keeping your fire right where you want it. The recycled poly top keeps out the elements while also doubling as an off duty cocktail table. At three feet wide, it’s just large enough for a small gathering… grab your graham crackers and marshmallows.
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This modular three piece set will organize your desktop clutter in no time. You can arrange them in numerous ways to suit your needs, and take note that two sets will give you quite a few options (see photos at TUC). You’ll also be happy to hear they’re made from a a plant based bio-plastic called Cereplast.
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Looking for a different sort of portable speaker? Dominic Odbert (aka Mr. Simo) takes old suitcases and transforms them into portable music speakers. Every BoomCase is constructed in California by hand and is made to produce the best sound possible. The BoomCase will last 9+ hours on a single charge (charger included) and can also be plugged in if you prefer. Pretty fun, aren’t they? A few are shown below, but see more of the selection at Decurate.
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Regardless of your thoughts on our original ancestors, this eraser does a clever job of making an ordinary desk eraser into a small sculpture. Modern Homo sapiens is at one end, and a monkey on the other; it can be sliced into segments to show the different stages or even used as an ink stamp, if you wish. Or, just use as usual and slowly watch as one end gets worn down into the other.
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