bltd

Admittedly, I know next to nothing about sound equipment. I’m content with my cheapo turntable and the speakers that came with my cd player. Not only do these look really cool, but I’m told they are worth the high price.

Thanks Mike!

[posted by kris]

On my daily walks to work, I see the new graffiti from the night before, and then on my way home I see that has been painted over by a shop owner or City Beautification volunteer. One morning, I saw some young men painting graffiti on Hollywood boulevard, (with the marks and symbols that I’ve always acquainted with gang activity), and then on the way home I saw some people from City Beautification painting over it with a paint to match the background. It was sort of lovely to be witness to both the defacing/refacing processes.

I have always marveled at graffiti and the fact that no one has come up with a device for stopping it.

Anyway, that’s what I think of when I see this pendant lamp featuring a mural of Brooklyn graffiti.

If you’re the type to take notes or write down your daily observations, these notebooks make it easy to mark the date.

Art museum catalogue designer Atremio Croatto created these striped tone-on-tone blue Notebooks (2007) for the Milan-based Nava Design, which specializes in highly stylized paper products. Clever page headers allow the diarist to circle the day, month and year for accurate tracking of observations. Perforated sheets make passing notes a snap. Sold in packs of 5.

Pocket (Small)- Set of 5: H 5″ W 3.5″, $40.00
A5 (Medium)- Set of 5: H 8.25” W 6”, $50.00
A4 (Large)- Set of 5: H 11.75” W 8.25”, $60.00
Buy it here.

[posted by katie]

Welded cut tubes make up this super sized lighting ornament.

Small: 15.75 x 15.75”, $299.00
Medium: 19.75 x 19.75, $390.00
Large: 23.75 x 23.75”, $494.00
Buy it here.

If you eat pasta often, this might just make the task a little more streamlined.

Sagaform’s latest piece of Scandinavian design is a simple device which combines three kitchen tools in one. First, the handle end of the tool can be used for measuring out portions pasts, secondly the “fork” end of the tool is used to pick up your pasta and sauce, and finally you can grate your parmesan using the built-in grater. Simple and functional, another great-value item from Sagaform.

$16.00,
Buy it here.

Remember the fun of those Hypercolor T-shirts? Now you can relive that same experience with a pillow.

These highly innovative pillows change colors when touched (black to green / blue, red to violet, burgundy to purple). Simply place your hand or body on the pillows and your natural heat will cause the thermosensitive layers to react. Only the touched area will temporarily change color; the original look will reappear within one minute. The pillows are available in two textures–Snakeskin (rigid) and Lambskin (smooth).

Please note that this product can only be used indoors.
Made of crystallized thermosensitive snakeskin or lambskin layers, cotton / poly stuffing

Medium: 17″x17″, $150.00
Large: 25″x25″, $200.00

Buy it here.

You know how sometimes in movies people throw a glass at whoever they’re mad at and it ends up smashing against a wall? These glasses would do some serious damage…other than that, they look pretty cool.

“These fantastic glasses are a great combination of real concrete and glass and work perfectly for any occasion. A dirty Martini will work just as well as a neat Hendricks or any other high octane beverage. But, they also do a great job as water glasses because their design is so timeless and simple…”

$30.00

This little light is pretty cute, and sure, it’d be great for a kid’s room, but I’d say it would look good in other areas too.

• handmade of 100% recycled wood
• perfectly suited to the nursery and to living areas of the home
• removable front panel for access to lightbulb
• wired for North America

made by hand by a Dutch carpenter in Leiden, the Netherlands
$296.00,
Buy it here.

While this utensil is most certainly classified as a ‘luxury good’, I would be very curious to see/hear if it’s worth the price tag.

The sterling silver TUKAANI is a hand made eating device for Asian food consumers in the West.
It may be held as traditional chopsticks. But unlike the disposable wooden chopsticks, TUKAANI is hand washable and much easier to set on – and use at table.
The matt surface and taut movement allow steady grip in the hand. The curl at the end of the TUKAANI provides eased food picking and delivery to the mouth. The loop also allows easier hanging, storage and display.
The Toucan’s bill provided inspiration for this cutlery project

1 TUKAANI: € 293
1 100% linen serviette: € 16
1 holder: € 48.50

Buy it here.

I’d say this blackboard is a good buy not only for the spare & simple design, but also for where your dollars will go.

Challenging the idea that a message board needs to be hidden behind a door, this Blackboard, made by Side by Side, has a quiet presence that is suitable for any kitchen, office or kid’s room. In a size that’s specifically made for residential and small spaces, this functional design is frameless, which leaves a lot of space to write, and makes erasing easier. Based in Germany, Side by Side is a nonprofit mentoring program that matches a craftsperson with a mentally or physically disabled apprentice to create a team that brings a designer’s work to fruition. These workshops are subsidized by various welfare organizations in Germany, so that all profits can go directly to the people handcrafting these products. Side by Side is successfully fulfilling two missions: To create modern, useful objects and to bring a social environment and professionalism to a wider portion of the community.

Painted MDF; lacquered maple; chalk; sponge.
H 20″ W 14.25″ D 3.5″
$110.00, Buy it here.

Here’s a handy solution for wet towels or linens that can fold flat when not in use.

For more than a hundred years, the Iris Hantverk company has employed visually impaired artisans to handcraft high quality products using traditional Swedish methods. Anna Doll created this oak Towel Drier for dish cloths, bath towels or any other linens. Mounted in a kitchen, bath, laundry or sewing room, the five rods of this compact design fold flat against the wall when not in use. Made in Sweden.

$110.00,
Buy it here.

This honeycomb-like shade looks like it would cast a nice filtered glow.

designed by heath nash for artecnica, this tyvek-based lamp ships flat and expands into a series of honeycomb structures. the key to the rigidity of this shade lies in an interior white-coated steel sphere that provides spacing between the light source and the tyvek. uses a 60W incandescent max

available in two sizes:
small: 15″ diameter x 17″h, $178.00
large: 38.6″ diameter x 21.5″h, $290.00

Buy it here.

These could look pretty interesting depending on how you choose to arrange them (as in, the more creative the better).

A dynamic addition to any space, this set of 25 polypropylene flowers have embedded magnets that allow them to mount with a simple tack or magnet. Five sizes of flowers ranging from 2.5 x 2.5 x 1″ (7 x 7 x 3 cm) to 4.5 x 4.5 x 2.5″ (11 x 11 x 6 cm)

$37.00,
Buy it here.

A clever candleholder that captures a tiny bit of the past (or maybe you just think it’s cute…).

It’s hard to forget the image of all those little cars streaming into West Berlin after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Not surprisingly, the car, a Traband, has become a symbol of all the more positive aspects of East Germany and the end of communism – despite its smoky engine and poor performance. Now you can finally have your very own… and be rest assured that the only smoke coming out of it will be from the candle.

7″W x 10.25″L x 2.75″H
$69.00, Buy it here.

This seems like a handy thing to have when you’re a little foggy as to when your new offspring did what.

With a six-month log book to record everything from diaper changes to doctor visits, your little one’s habits and routine will soon become clear. The illuminated time capsule, featuring date, time and even a timer for monitoring naps and feedings, makes it easy to record everything when the lights are off.

Designer: Scott Henderson
$39.00,
Buy it here.