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Modern clocks come in pretty much any shape and size imaginable. These Time Paper clocks depart from the shape of traditional cases in favor of a flattened poster. Stating at $63, they’re a bit pricey for what they are, but hey, how hard could this be to make? Any Japanese readers out there feel free to chime in on some of the product details, I’m not going to trust Google Translate on this one.

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From a distance or first glance you may notice something a bit funny about these maps. A closer inspection will reveal that the graphics are actually made entirely from type. It’s easy to assume that such a daunting task would have been delegated to a computer program, but you’d be quite wrong. Every word has been manually placed, a process that took hundreds of hours to complete. At the moment, Chicago and Boston boston are available. They are made and ordered to print through Zazzle, so prices start at $15 for a 11 x 16, all the way up to $195 for a monumental 52 x 78” poster.

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These colorful bowls remind me a bit of Loyal Loot’s Log Bowls, except made in sustainably harvested mango trees. I can’t imagine any room or tabletop these would look bad in. Each measures 6” in diameter and are available in white, blue, or green.

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You certainly won’t find anything like this to at your local big box hardware store. These house numbers from Seattle-based Object Creative are made from bent steel and are available in brushed stainless steel, rusted mild steel, and a multitude of powder-coated colors. I could seeing people getting really creative with the material showing through the numbers, or perhaps backlighting them. Each number measures 6.25″H x 3″W x .5″D and is priced at $19 each.

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Extremely talented, and perhaps a bit strange (what’s up with the chemical suits?), Italian design group Recession Design has created a whole line of modern furnishings for in and out of the home, and provided all the assembly plans free to download. I’m really digging the pastel palette and overall design layout too. Over 30 projects are available to download as a PDF at their website. Warning: the instruction are in Italian.

The fear of plastic chemicals leaching into our foods has resulted in some interesting new products these past few years, and a return to more traditional materials like stainless steel, glass, and ceramics to carry and transport food. Looking out for the younger crowd, these Planetbox lunchboxes are made from high quality stainless steel for a a clean, safe, reusable, and really cool looking lunchbox. In the case your kids don’t think their lunchboxes are cool enough as they are, they can decorate them with fun magnets.

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Shh…it’s a secret.  At a first glance these Air Mail envelopes from Sweetie Pie Press are nothing out of the ordinary, but when held up to a light source they reveal a secret message, and in this case, an uplifting and comforting one. This is a first in series of envelopes so we’re definitely looking forward to seeing the upcoming ones.

Continuing their line of energy-saving products as part of their Conserve line, Belkin recently released the Insight, a plug-in energy monitor that will track electricity consumption of any device plugged into it (wattage), carbon dioxide produced, as well as the actual monetary cost of energy usage. Definitely useful for the gadgets you leave on all day like your computer, but it will also aid in finding and keeping tabs on the not-so-obvious devices that draw power unbeknownst to you.
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Cheeky San Francisco-based Betabrand inject a bit of style and added practicality to farmer’s market bags. The Cornucopia converts from an over-the-shoulder tote for shopping to a backpack for hauling everything home. Instead of one large void, the bag features separate zippered compartments to keep your foods tidy and organized. A bit pricey for what it is, but I’m sure it can be used for other carrying tasks besides trips to the market.
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It was only a matter of time for something like this to come out. The U-Socket adds two additional USB ports next to your traditional power outlets, providing a charging station for your electronic devices without having to turn your computer on.

Finally, someone created a glass reusable water bottle that’s designed properly and looks awesome too. Other alternatives I’ve seen get pretty close, but I feel like this design certainly nails it. Besides the bamboo sleeve adding quite a bit of style, it fully protects the glass interior. Glass provides an always guaranteed safe drink and can accommodate hot or cold beverages. The parts of the bottle easily disassemble for cleaning and are dishwasher safe, except for the bamboo sleeve.
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I just stumbled across this neat set of cast concrete desk accessories from Israeli design group Umamy. Simply titled “Concrete Office Helpers”, this line of organizers are sure to add a bit of industrial-chic styling (and quite a bit of heft) to your desk.  The entire set currently costs $300, but individual pieces can also be purchased.

Best Made Company is best known for their expensive, hand painted, and elaborately packaged axes that have received quite the amout of press since their release. Their latest in repurposing and remixing products comes in the shape of these “Everywhere” posters, which are wood block prints on found vintage maps. These are in very limited quantities for the first run, so act quick if you see one that you like.

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As the picture suggests, even the most modern and bare interior spaces can benefit from a colorful nature-inspired centerpiece, in this case a rug in the shape of a tree stump. Remind anyone of Ryan Nash Gill’s Tree Prints? Comes in measurements of 1, 2, and 3 meters in diameter. No official price is listed, contact the artist for purchasing info.

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It was impossible not be charmed by the To:Ca Wood Clock when it was first introduced in 2002. After a few years and many many imitations later, designer Kouji Iwasaki has come up with the most obvious solution to refresh the design of the clock: make it available in different sizes. The Mini, as it sounds, measures at 6 inches wide, while the 10 Digit model expands to 15 inches.  The extended width makes room for a calendar, a new feature for the series. It’s also the first model to feature an alarm clock, which of course is an improvement, though you need to have a large enough bedside table that can accomodate it. The 10 Digit sells for $240 and the Mini at $120. I’ve only seen it available at a Japanese retailer, so if you see it anywhere else for sale please chime in below in the comments section.

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