Since I'm an aspiring minimalist (it's a struggle), I've been trying to implement the paper free lifestyle described in this Lifehacker article. I've been scanning in my old paperwork and shredding it and saving everything to my tiny USB key. I've been a little paranoid about what would happen if I lost it or it got wet, but I do back it up to two separate harddrives just in case. This particular one is 8 GB (which would be enough to hold a lifetime of data) and it's shock and water resistant.

As a self-described minimalist, I usually don't like the idea of allowing room for trinkets and such, but it is rather unrealistic to think that in your life you aren't going to acquire some mementos along the way. I like how Marlon and Jace use display domes (as seen in their Apartment Therapy home tour) to create distinct display areas without making the space look cluttered.

[posted by kris]

I love the super slim red arms on this clock.

Glass wall clock with metal dial. 12" dia (30 cm dia)

[posted by kris]

The same designer who brought us the Cutting Table No. 1 has now released this special edition of 10 Ísbjürn / Ice Bear Rugs. Playing with the ubiquitous animal skin rug idea, there's part play and part serious commentary on luxury goods.

The Ísbjürn / Ice Bear is made from 15 Icelandic sheepskins cut up and sewn to resemble the old butchers diagrammatic posters that visually informed you of which part of the animal's carcass you were buying to eat. Similarly when you look inside a fur jacked and between the lining, the first thing you notice is this luxurious high priced garment is made up of hundreds of tiny scraps of skin sewn together. Though it looks like one pelt on the outside, a fur garment is made of scrap and waste. This here product plays with this exact idea of waste products sold as luxury products modules of death / component of flesh / diet of consumerism / objectification of life And of course branding the concept of like and animals into consumers resource, where the teddy bear appearance wipes it all away with the characterization and naive comical portrayal of a polar-bear rug, the decorative paragon of man over beast.

In an edition of 10.
3 meters, full size.

[posted by katie]

Two new(?) items from Muuto that I'm particularly liking are this vase and carafe.

Closely Separated Vase: (also available in yellow, 10.6" h), $162.00, Buy it here.
by Michael Geertsen for Muuto

Abstract bowls, plates and cups are merged in an intuitive way. Reminding us of the beauty in disharmony and how old things can lead to new, if we change our perspective. The object works on its own, but is given a function if flowers are added.

I'm Boo Carafe: (3.39" dia. x 10.8" h), $94.00, Buy it here.
by Norway Says for Muuto

Boo is like the skin, or a balloon surrounding the water with openings that tell the simple story of fluid motion in and out of the glass. The carafe exudes a strong personality, as if it's saying "I'm Boo, who are you?"

[posted by katie]

The Rug Company recently joined RugMark, the foundation dedicated to ending child labor in the handmade carpet industry. If you're not familiar with either you can follow a few links and find out that this is a very good thing, because a major player in the rug industry jumping on this particular boat signals a shift in industry standards of child-labor-free carpets.

The prices are a little higher, but the particular peace of mind of knowing that a rug is child-labor-free seems well worth saving up for...Plus, there's some pretty intriguing designs by some kind-of-quirky designers that The Rug Company has up their sleeve...I'm kind of in love with some of the stranger ones, too many to show them all, but here's a handful:

(shown left to right)
Swirl by Paul Smith
Carmelina by The Rug Company
Overleaf by Marni
Love Heart by Vivienne Westwood
Palette by Fiona Curran

$32.50- $230.00 per square foot, from a 3'x5' to a 18'x12' (this means anywhere between $485.00 to $49,680.00(!))

To learn more, visit RugMark Foundation

[posted by katie]

This little device looks slightly insane, but perhaps that's appropriate considering the amount of other devices and peripherals we have to attach to our computers/ipods/bodies/lives.

Famed designer Ora-Ito designed this hub to work with Mac or PC. Its globe shape, glossy white polycarbonate finish, and flexible cables give it a distinctive, out-of-this-world look. This new model simplifies the formula, ditching the firewire ports, fan and light to provide you with seven USB ports. Each port is linked to a colorful LED that illuminates through the casing when plugged in. The Hub is also great for charging your iPod, camera, cell phone and other devices that charge from a USB port. Bundled with 8 flexible cables, an external power supply, a USB extension cable, and a flower petals kit, the LaCie USB 2.0 Hub comes fully equipped for making all of your connections.

[posted by kris]

Update: Now on sale.

I'm really kind of in love with this piece by Tord Boontje, and the texture will really soften up a modern space.

"There are six distinct shapes of flower combinations, in three different tonalities, which creates an intriguing composition that's all about movement, texture and color. A witty approach to a floor covering, Boontje brings the experience of walking through a meadow into an interior space."

[posted by kris]

Fantasize about digitizing your life?

Turn all those dusty LPs into digital gold with this USB-ready turntable, or get started on that career as a DJ. Both MAC and PC compatible, it's easy as pie with a plug-and-play guarantee and easy-to-use software that'll have your hot tracks jockeying on the decks and on your MP3 player. The belt-drive turntable has two convenient start-stop buttons for multiple setup options, as well as anti-skating, 33 1/3 and 45 speeds (plus a 45 adapter), RCA and USB lines out, a 1/8" stereo input, a built-in pre-amplifier, a cartridge and stylus, and rubber feet that won't slip. The turntable also comes with all the software and cords you'll need to get set up in a jiffy.

[posted by kris]

Here's a perfect little weekly planner for the analog set. I like that it allows you to keep track of movies you've seen.

Besides our great weekly pages, we built in other sections to organize aspects of your life that don’t happen on a daily basis. There are easy reference pages for personal information, your important dates (like appointments, events, travel), special occasions, gifts, and entertainment interests (books, movies, music). We’ve also included mini reference calendars for 2007-2009, address book entries, and notes pages. We’ve even made a bookmark that doubles as a list of dates to remember so that your important days are always at hand. The (approximately) 5.5\” x 4.25\” book is perfect-bound and printed locally by a family-owned press with vegetable-based inks on 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

Thanks Vicente for the link!

[posted by kris]