bltd

I’m steadily making my way through featuring the various new lamps from Blu Dot’s collection, and I have to say I’m mightily impressed with the offerings. This Watt Table and Floor lamp are weirdly futuristic, but in an entirely good way. The steel panels angled together look like some child’s drawing of an alien ship, or a gross exaggeration of a pixellated spider with only 5 legs. Or a simple steel lamp entitled ‘Watt’. Nonsense aside, they’re cool looking and would give an edgy sort of atmosphere to a room.

Floor lamp, (inches) 44.75h x 21w, $299.00
Table lamp, (inches) 22h x 12.75w, $199.00

Check out these new pillows from De La Espada. Sure, they’re quiet in terms of color and pattern, but sometimes you need that in a room, especially if you have other pieces that tend to overwhelm. Personally, I’m pretty taken with the Chicken Wire Cushion ($180.00) because of the pattern and slightly undercover country vibe. Small Jax Cushion ($145.00) shown on left.

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Fans of chess can now draw up their own chess board wherever they want, thanks to this Chalk Chess set by SUCK UK. Each piece is regulation sized, though obviously once you draw enough boards, your pieces will change slightly as you use them (but that won’t matter, will it?).

Also available through SUCK UK’s shop for £10.00 and Useful Thingsfor $19.95
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Right now it’s raining here in London (cold, windy, etc.) and on the streets just below my window I’ve seen two people so far that are trying to keep soggy newspapers above their heads in hopes of keeping some part of themselves dry. More than several are without any protection whatsoever, and the elements have soaked them through and through. Now, silly them, if only they had something like this handy bag here, they’d be better off for sure.

So, yes, it’s a bag that looks like a newspaper and unfolds as a newspaper would when you’re caught in the rain. Reminds me of the Newspaper print laptop bag by mitemite that I posted a while back (and bought). Just one thing to note, though, there’s no zippers on the tops of the compartments, so if you do hold the bag above your head, watch out that you don’t spill your contents all over the sidewalk.

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Not that I know much about canes, but these appear to be the best looking ones that I’ve ever seen. Omhu is a newish company aiming to provide well designed objects for those that need help with simple tasks such as walking, bathing, or reaching overhead. Omhu (om-who) is Danish for “with great care”, and the company takes their inspiration from Scandinavian furniture, bicycles and skateboards. The cane you see here is made from a light weight birch laminate with an aluminum shaft and is finished with your choice of six bright colors of American bicycle paint.

Available in three sizes 31″, 34″, 37″ and six colors: purple, green, orange, black, cream, and light blue.

To learn more, visit Omhu’s website.

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Do you remember the post a while ago on Dallas Clayton’s Awesome Book for kids? Well, now he has some equally awesome tote bags.

Shown above:
Good/Bad Tote
PMA Tote

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Another Country has a lovely collection of handcrafted wood furniture. What you see is exactly what you get; there’s honest construction along with a pared back traditional style that’s refreshing to see. Each piece is produced by hand in a small workshop in Dorset, England.

The season’s festivities are upon us and with Thanksgiving just around the corner you might want to check out these tea towels. 100% natural eco cotton and 95% guaranteed to be the best host/hostess give ever. The reindeer one (below) is my favorite.

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You in the market for a bluetooth speaker? This one is a tiny bit larger than 6”³ long and weighs less than a pound. Frequency range of 60Hz-20kHz with an output level of 85dB @0.5m… also has 3.5mm audio. Available for pre-order.

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Now that we’re well into November, it’s time to get next year’s calendar sorted. I’ve already ordered my desktop planner (moleskine, what else) and I thought that perhaps you might need a little reminder as well. So, whether you work from a wall calendar or a desktop version, or both, get to it quick so you can start keeping note of important dates in 2011.

Shown above, the classic Stendig Calendar designed by Massimo Vignelli, 1966.

Available from these retailers:
stendigcalendar.com: $30.00 plus shipping (mail or fax order)
crateandbarrel.com: $34.95 (not including shipping)
samflaxny.com: $29.95 (not including shipping)
arango-design.com: $35.95
kenknightdesign.com: $38.00 (includes shipping)
unicahome.com: $38.75 (includes shipping)

Okay, if you’re looking for a special sort of present, this might be just the thing to snap up. This photo album by Debra Folz stands on its own corner due to a reinforced front and back cover, which gives it a magic sort of ‘objet d’art’ feel. And better still, a removable binding allows the pages to expand outward, allowing a wider glimpse of the whole story.

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I fully admit I’m a sucker for graphic rugs, and this red and white dhurrie by John Robshaw looks like it’d be a perfect fit for a hallway. Plus, it’s machine washable, so as soon as it looks a bit dingy, just throw it in the wash (cold water, I’m guessing).

Machine washable.

2.5′ x 8′ runner, $275.00
6′ x 9′ area rug, $795.00

White pillowcases seem so boring when competing against David Shrigley’s version. With these you’ve got a built-in bedtime story for whenever your brain just doesn’t have the energy to make up its own, which is probably often, am I right? I’ve long liked Shrigley’s stuff and certain items seem to be the perfect sort of gift for those that appreciate hand drawn text and such. Also, if you like the look of these pillowcases, don’t forget about the Miranda July pillowcase set, which is equally delightful.

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Talk about a thin folding chair, this one by Christian Desile is less than an inch thick when closed. Maybe you like the sustainable bamboo, or maybe you’d like the Black/White Laminate ($375) which can be opened up either way so you can choose the preferred color (see pic below). Also worth mentioning is that the chair can be hung on the wall when closed as a sort of graphic wood artwork (if it’s to your taste). What’s most impressive though is that 100 chairs closed and stacked side by side takes up only 2 linear meters.

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If you’re a devout follower of Jesus of Nazareth, just think of how much better your life will be with this salt and pepper grinder. Every time you need some extra spice, you’ll be reminded of your beliefs. Nice, right? I’m not one to lean towards any particular religion, but man, I sure do appreciate religious iconography, especially when it comes in this form.