bltd

Am I reading this right, $369 for walnut wood shelves? Seems entirely suspicious, doesn’t it? Yet it seems to be true. Designed by Sean Dix, this shelving unit with slightly upturned ends has a distinct multi-cultural feel, which is no surprise when learning that Sean Dix has lived in Europe, Hong Kong, Fiji and the Philippines.

Available in a choice of American walnut or white oak.
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This ergonomically shaped case is made of recycled natural cork and has easy access to ports and controls. It’s also lightweight, which is nice as you don’t want to lug around extra heft in addition to the iPad. For more pictures and instructions on putting the case on correctly, visit aprodukt.

Need a bit of inspiration when heading out the door? These coat hooks from Blend Design will do the trick. Choose between ‘Keep Moving Forward’, ‘You Make It Happen’, and ‘Live Your Life’. I can think of a few others that I’d like to see (‘stop your whining’ ‘get over it’ etc.) but they wouldn’t necessarily be labeled as inspirational.

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These stools by Semigood Design are fantastic. Each piece is designed and handmade to order in their Seattle workshop (hence the lead time of 2-4 weeks) and all wood used is FSC-certified. While it is a ‘ready–to–assemble’ product, it should take you no longer than 5 minutes to have it ready for use. Stock colors are Red/Orange, Smoke, White, or Blue.

Available in a 17″ stool, 26″ counter stool or 29″ bar stool.
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The Placa Lamp is a charming little light that rests on a simple board. This plinth-like base sets off the lamp and switch elements, making a sort of stage to set items upon. The double and triple versions have additional lamp shades, which add to the stage feel (almost like actors conspiring). To purchase, please contact the Show Me Gallery directly at geral(at)showme.com.pt.

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Designed by Makio Hasuike, this briefcase unzips around the perimeter so it can lay fully flat (see image below) and allow several points of access. If you like the look, I suggest you check out the other bag designs at Makio Hasuike’s website or visit MH WAY, where it is also available to purchase for € 105.

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Remember the LINK Furoshiki, the Japanese wrapping cloth that can also be a wall hanging, a scarf, etc.? Well, 100% of sales of that and the LINK x Hennie Haworth will go to Japanese Disaster Relief until the end of March.

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Gandia Blasco has quite a few nice options for the floor these days. This Arabesco Wool Kilim Rug Red has a large central pattern that is offset by the small zigzagged edging, giving your room a focal point without introducing too many busy details. Also available in blue.

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If you haven’t donated to the relief efforts in Japan yet, please consider taking a few moments to do so. Whether you donate directly to American Red Cross or buy one of the many posters/prints/goods whose proceeds will go directly to aid efforts, every little bit helps.

Shown above: Shinjuku, 6:43 by Joseph O. Holmes from 20×200. All of the proceeds from the sale of this print benefits Japan Society’s Earthquake Relief Fund.

Designed by Søren Rose Studio for Muuto, the Reflect Sideboard is heavily influenced by traditional Scandinavian furniture. Natural oak wood gives the piece warmth while the curved drawer fronts give detail and interest.

Also, don’t forget you could win an Eero Aarnio Ball Chair from Finnish Design Shop… you have until April 21, 2011.
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Another design classic for you on this Thursday…

Made from industrial steel rods, Harry Bertoia created his iconic seating collection in 1952 at the invitation of Florence and Hans Knoll. Bertoia was given free reign to create what he wished, and the result was a reflection of his interest in metal work and open forms. Bertoia says, “If you look at these chairs, they are mainly made of air, like sculpture. Space passes right through them.” A fixture of mid-century design, the chairs are now available in a variety of finishes with or without replaceable seat cushion, back pad, or full cover. The popularity of the chairs (and the royalties he received) allowed Bertoia to return to sculpture soon after completing the collection.

Knoll is the only authorized and licensed manufacturer of the Bertoia Collection which has been in continuous production since 1952.

To learn more, visit Harry Bertoia’s wikipedia page.

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If you’re planning on following Kris’s Paper-free Living guide, then just ignore this little filing cabinet. You won’t need it. However, if you’re the type to hold on to hard copies no matter what, this cabinet is pretty decent for modern-yet-affordable office storage.

Locking file storage accommodates legal or standard sized files.
Available in Black or White.

If you’re in London this weekend, you might want to drop by London’s Somerset House to check out JOY OF LIVING, a charity project organized to raise support for Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres. Over 100 new and established UK designers have created a piece of artwork that expresses the joy of living all on a single sheet of A4 graph paper. Each artwork is priced at £250, and you won’t know who made it until the piece is purchased. If you’d like to donate directly, visit the Just Giving website.
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Update: 20% discount on TravelTeq’s iPad Case (for the first iPad, not the new one). € 180 instead of € 225, which is a tad more affordable.

Is this the mother of all iPad cases, or what? Luxury doesn’t come cheap, but it sure looks nice. The TravelTeq case is handmade from Florentine Vacchetta leather and is adjustable to 3 different positions. If you’ve ever had a favorite leather bag, you know that this case is going to wear well and develop that nice patina… and if it lasts longer and looks better than other cases, maybe it’s worth every penny. Maybe.

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Goodness knows you’ve seen the Sapien bookcases around. I was reminded just how much I like them when seeing a few side by side in the apartment of Christopher Hitchens (in The Sunday Times: here’s the only photo I could find). The shorter bookcase holds up to 50 books, while the tall can accommodate up to 70.

15% off DWR’s semiannual sale ends March 22, 2011.
Short Sapien Bookcase, $198.00
Tall Sapien Bookcase, $298.00
Support BLTD by buying at DWR.