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– Cardboard ‘Landmark’ play houses for small pets (via designboom)

– Exciting? Dyson Hair Dryer

– Radio: How ArchDaily began

– Remembering Prince

– The real reasons you procrastinate — and how to stop

– The Power of Ten by Charles and Ray Eames (just a reminder)

– The 10 best jobs for introverts (so says Business Insider, I’d like to add ‘design blogger’ to the list)

– ‘Ghostbusters’: Then and Now

– Smart: Traveller T-Shirt

Enjoy your weekend!

You just can’t go wrong with a Case Study Planter; they’re a classic choice. There’s no drainage hole, so they’re ideal for indoors (place your plant with its plastic sleeve inside the planter, so excess water may drain). Plus, with a choice between metal and wood stands and a variety of ceramic colors and sizes, you’re sure to find just the right home for your green friends. A smaller size might be a an excellent Mother’s Day gift, perhaps?
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Um, say goodbye to your productivity, because there’s patterned Washi Tape that you can color. Now you have an excellent excuse to give people gifts, and those gifts don’t even have to be particularly special or amazing, because you colored the tape with your own two freaking hands. You’ll have to make a point of this or else your hard work will be ignored and forgotten, and that is just not acceptable.
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You could use another notebook or two to jot down your brilliant ideas, yes? Especially if it/they had a pleasing abstract multi-colored illustration on their covers, right? Playtype has a set of notebooks and postcard books with the minimal designs you see here, so you’ll have no shortage of places to put your thoughts.
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It seems like outdoor furniture is either really nice and super expensive or pretty cheap and not great quality. The Penelope Lounge Chair seems to fit comfortably in between those two extremes, as it is made from a powder-coated steel frame with handwoven waterproof plastic as its seat and back. Hairpin legs and a wide seat add modern styling to the otherwise minimal design. It’s stackable, too.
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Mother’s Day, already? Yep, it’s just around the corner (May 8th). While you’re wrapping your head around that May starts next week, you may as well look at some stuff that a mother just might like. Best order soon to make sure your gift gets there in time. Take a look at our Gifts category for more ideas.
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What do you get when you take a small marble slab, a wooden sphere and a little gold bar? An iPad stand from Ladies & Gentlemen Studio, of course. Made exclusively for Poketo (one of my favorite shops), this stand will look like a sculpture with or without your tablet, phone, letters, or books.
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It’s unlikely that you know a lot of people that love Frank Stella’s art and needlepoint, but in case you know just one, this set would be an excellent (and extravagant) gift. The set is a limited-edition needlepoint cushion, brought about by The Mesh Canvas, a collaboration between Frank Stella, Art in America and Artspace, and “allows the viewer to become involved in the creative process.”
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David Trubridge is well known for his puzzle-like, open-weave light fixtures. With the new Beau Pendant, the same overlapping segment idea is used to direct light downwards, hiding the light source. The light is flat-packed, keeping with the company’s longstanding eco-conscious aim, and is available in a natural, caramel, or black stain.
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Here’s the perfect little (and inexpensive) birthday gift: the Happy Birthday Crank Music Box. If you’re more into composing your own original tune, you may like the Make Your Own Music Box Kit– it comes with an instruction booklet. There’s also lots of other melodies (You’ve Got A Friend, If I Only Had A Brain, Wedding March, etc.) should the occasion be something other than a birthday.
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– Kram/Weisshaar’s SmartSlab Table has hidden tech to cook food and chill drinks (video below) (via Curbed)

– Why do honeybees love hexagons?

– Apps to help you understand the environment

– Uh, do you need/want some Lump Nubbins sculptures? Because I sure do.

– Old fashioned razor that takes old fashioned razor blades: Rockwell Model T Razor and Razor Blades

– Canvas and leather Asum Bags

– Book of Tongue by Noiz Architects—Keisuke Toyoda and Jia-Shaun Tsai

Have a great weekend.

Simplistic side tables always get my vote, but these cross over into the minimalistic category, which has me making imaginary placards in their honor. They’re just so serious, and would be especially great next to a silly chair or sofa (you know the term: juxtaposition). With several shaped bases in solid white marble, black marble, or green Swedish marble, you’ll have to consider a cluster (if you can afford it) of tables together for maximum impact. Or just get one, and admire its pedestal-like presence.
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Sometimes a dish drainer is unavoidable. Instead of settling for the normal/terrible options at the local big box store, please do consider this rather simple plastic option. Use it in the sink for soaking (saves water) and then set it up on the counter to drain (the drain may be repositioned in order to fit your particular layout).
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Sofas are the most important of furnishings, right up there with mattresses. After all, we spend lots of time on our sofas- reading, watching shows and movies, sleeping. So, you might as well invest in something you really, truly love, right? For a recent project I looked and looked for the right sofa: it needed to be at least 8′ long, low, streamlined and soft. As in, take-a-nap-on-it soft. As is my usual luck, Montauk Sofa, which is not in my state, and only has showrooms that required me to get on a plane to see the sofa in person, had the right match: the Harris Sofa.
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Do you like mapping out certain weeks, jotting down what notes you need to write to whomever deserves it? Keep track of your agenda with this fill-in ‘Social Preparedness Kit’ calendar from Egg Press. It’s laid out on a minimal white page, with plenty of room to get your social p’s and q’s organized.
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