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For his series of Facet Lamps, designer Brendan Ravenhill drew inspiration from industrial light fixtures. Cleverly though, he forgoes manufacturing processes such as spun metal or ceramics that are traditionally used to create these lamps, and utilized an array of cut and bent sheet metal, creating a geometric pattern that is uniquely modern, yet still evokes the spirit of the original industrial shades. I don’t know if the light shining through at the bends was intentional or a byproduct of manufacture, but either way I love it.

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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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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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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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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.

Well, looky here. This folder transforms into a carrying-box with just a few steps. So if you have just a short stack of papers, the file is perfect… and if your short stack becomes tall, make the file into the carrying box to accommodate. Pretty smart.

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Oh my, these space-inspired tapestry pillows are going on my must-have list pronto. I mean, come on, how do I even resist a tapestry pillow with space imagery? It’s simply not possible. See below for more of the collection.

Shown above:
Spacewalker 1, $150
Blue Moon, $150

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‘Winebreather’ sounds like some sort of derogatory name you’d call an oenophile, but, in fact, it’s the name of this decanter. Place the decanter mouth-to-mouth with a wine bottle, flip it, and then watch as the wine washes down the sides of the decanter, partially aerating it. I’m not sure if it would qualify as a magic trick, but there is something nice about watching wine slowly move from bottle to decanter, sort of like an hourglass.

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How much do you like these bookmark sets? I might love them, I really might. Each bookmark has a re-usable glue like a sticky label, so they’ll last for a few months. When I was looking around for images to use for this post I found a whole bunch of other Stipee Bookmarks around $8.00 from Japanese Gift Market. My favorites are the Savanna and Forest, mostly because I like the landscapes, but there’s more than a handful of other ones to choose from (Numbers (color) could be fun to use too).

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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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