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Did you (or do you) ever play around with tangrams? Take a look at this version from Iacoli & McAllister. Simple and severe (in a good way), the seven flat shapes are rendered in laser cut birch ply with black and white no-VOC paint. It’s the sort of thing that you could leave lying out on a coffee or side table as a graphic sort of art piece, ready for a spare moment when you are able to sharpen your mental skills. Need it be mentioned that this could be an excellent gift?
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This Plus One Salt Cellar by Muuto is a good match to the Plus Spice Mill just as intended. Stone and wood are lasting materials that fit into a variety of kitchen styles so it’s no surprise that the adjective ‘timeless’ is bandied about; it’s a no-brainer (if you need a salt cellar).
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Rethink your tablescape with the Savone plates by Metaphys. Inspired by the natural formations made by bubbles, these plates have divisions that allow you to present food with accompanying seasons or sauces, thus minimizing the number of dishes. (Also, if you’re not one to fuss with seasons, sauces, and other such accompaniments, you could perhaps use these as a sort of portion control guide for meals or snacks, as they are more modest in size.)

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If you have $300 and a not-so-nice smelling room, you either buy a boatload of ugly artificial air fresheners or you buy the Hakutan. As you may know, the Hakutan is a section of White Charcoal with an extremely high carbon content; this high grade of charcoal cleanses the air naturally and remains active indefinitely. It regulates humidity (think bathroom) and absorbs odors (kitchen smells), all while looking like a small natural sculpture. And, if you should ever tire of it, you can dispose of the Hakutan by crushing it and mixing with potting soil, as it makes an excellent fertilizer.

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The Cage lighting collection designed by Arik Levy for Forestier combines the industrial aspect of protective cage light fixtures with traditional paper lanterns (a more obvious iteration is found in the In & Out Lamp small and large). This opposites-attract formula results in a successful pairing that is surprisingly elegant, and as a result this collection has moved to the top of the wish-this-was-available-statside list.
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See those tiny red letters and what they spell out? Early voting begins in several states this week, and now’s the time to motivate yourself and others to participate in this year’s elections. Maybe you could hand them out around the office, or post one in a conspicuous place on the bulletin board at your local dry cleaners or favorite lunch place. Sometimes it only takes the tiniest push to get someone to the polls (and other times it takes a bull horn).

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Very similar to the Avva S+P Shakers, the Avva Keeper features embedded magnet closures to keep its contents secure. What you put in it, on the other hand, is entirely up to you. It’s sized for those smaller things in life- keys, cufflinks, coins- that need safekeeping, especially as those small important things tend to hide or disappear completely just at the moment you need them.

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This calendar has been around a while (it used to be called the Pentagram Calendar) but that doesn’t diminish the excitement of typography aficionados who are patiently waiting for the 2013 version to hit their desk. Each month features one typeface (chosen by a prominent designer Stefan Sagmeister, Ivan Chermayeff, Tom Geismar, Massimo Vignelli, Michael Vanderbyl, Louise Fili and others, all members of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI)) and includes a description and biography of its designer. The major holidays are noted, and, as hardcore typography fans will be glad to hear, so are the birthdays of the typeface designers.

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Ah-ha, a pen and stylus, all in one. Click the top and an analog rollerball pen cartridge protracts, enabling you to write on paper surfaces as usual. Click again and the pen cartridge retracts, leaving you with a silicone tip that works with your tablet device. Dual tip, dual function. Video below.
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Here’s another minimal approach in organizing your important everyday accessories. The Blokkey has four earth magnets embedded underneath its surface to hold keys and an elastic bungee cord for phones, mail, and sunglasses. Two key fobs are included just in case you have bulkier keys. And, don’t worry if you’re not too fond of the bright color contrast around the edges as there’s a plain Walnut option as well.

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A wall lamp with a coat hook? Sure, why not? After all, an extra hook for hanging a hat by the front door could come in handy, or maybe it’d be useful in a dressing area, where all manner of accessories and outfits need adequate lighting for your fashion decisions. (If you’ve ever heard the ‘did you get dressed in the dark’ jab, that last bit was directed at you.)
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This salt & pepper set has embedded neodymium magnets to help keep the two pieces paired together as one. That’s a small detail that makes a big difference if you’re always losing one or the other in the cabinet or on the table. It would also simplify passing the salt and pepper around the table when your family or guests prefer to season their own meal (chefs: cue audible gasp).
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Trivets are one of those things you don’t think much about until you’re wondering how to protect your table with a hot dish in hand. The Myria trivet is made of rectangular stainless steel loops, which gives it a decidedly modern feel, yet the stand out feature is that it’s expandable and foldable. Designed by Anne Boenisch for Carl Mertens.

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If you prefer to stick to digital in the time-telling category, then you’ll want to check out this simple square wall clock by Braun. It’s a global radio-controlled digital clock and displays 12/24 hour time, calendar date, day of the week, indoor temperature and humidity. Everything you need really, without any unnecessary decorative features. Available in black or white.
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Time for an update. We posted these years ago, and they’ve not disappeared from our wishlists, though they have slightly changed in terms of pricing and available retailers. These Rubber X-Bands would come in handy for all sorts of office related papers and miscellany, or, better yet, for keeping a small gift box sealed as shown. Each box has an assortment of four sizes and colors, 16 rubberbands in total.
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