bltd

It’s friday! Go have a great weekend.

So, if you peruse the decor magazines, you might have seen the ads for the Design by Conran collection at JC Penny. Have you had a chance to take a look? Yea/nay? Of what I think are the winners, first up is the Elder Chair, and despite its shape reminding me a little of Chairy or some other kid’s show chair, I like the classic proportions and generous size. It looks like the quintessential curl-up-and-read-a-book chair. And, hey, you’ve got to respect the lovely cobalt blue hue, even if it’s a bit too bold for your living area.
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Simple and utilitarian are two of my favorite adjectives when describing gadget sleeves and bags, so of course this collection by Charbonize gets a spotlight. Using vegetable tanned leather and recycled wool felt, each piece is created by hand in their workshop and follows the aim of “being simple, timeless and functional”. And don’t worry, the wool is anti-piling & water repellent.
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Gah! Pinhole cameras handmade from wood! On Kickstarter! Cue the various photography buffs plonking down $50 or more for their very own. I did, and I’m congratulating myself right this very second. Elvis Halilović of ONDU has designed these small, simple to use, and affordable pinhole cameras. There are 6 different sizes to fit your favorite film size (from the Leica 135 format to the 4˝ x 5˝ film holder camera) and you can currently back his project on Kickstarter. See video below. (Also, bookmark this for future gift idea for a friend/family member who likes photography.)
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It’s just what you need, isn’t it, a pink*, perforated metal table? With all the recent talk of the Met’s PUNK: Chaos to Couture, there’s nothing wrong with straying a little from your regular furnishings and updating a coffee table, especially if that table packs a punch. And what packs a punch like a (let’s say it together) pink, perforated metal table?
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A portable light with magnetic points? Do go on. Depending on where you place the lamp, the light will change, and as there are various surfaces on the metal bookstand/shelf, you’ll have fun messing around with different vantage points. Right now this lamp is available for sale by emailing Galula Studio directly: store(at)galulastudio.com.
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Coffee for one, coming right up. This all-in-one drip coffee maker and mug has all you need to brew a fresh cup, other than coffee and water, of course. A stainless steel filter (wash and reuse) rests on top of a double walled mug, and a nesting lid that fits both- to catch drips or keep your coffee warm. There’s also an option to add the Pot set (+$5).
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Speaking of height-adjustable desks, if you want something that looks less like a keyboard stand and more like an antique worktop, turn your eyes towards the Adler Table. It has a hand-operated crank, made from solid steel gears and a chromed, cast iron handle. The height range is from 27in to 42in (a little less than the X-Table) and is available in a variety of sizes, types of wood, and the steel legs can be powder-coated in almost any color.
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Well, the time has come*. A desktop 3D printer is now available for sale for just over $2 grand from MoMA Store**. By all accounts, we should be prepared for a global meltdown in the retail sector in the next several years as 3D printers find their way into our homes, as we’ll be able to print out anything we want with just a simple CAD file. So, will you be one of the first to own a Replicator®? Details below.
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Yes, it did take a while for MoMA to feature New York City in its Destination series, but at least they have now, and we’ve got a nice selection of home-grown design to consider. You’ll see a few things featured here on BLTD, of course, the first of which is the Blokket by Chelsea Briganti. Blokket is a pouch made of a silver and nylon material that blocks cellular signals. So, if you want to fully dedicate your attention to your dining partner, you can take your phone out of the equation by placing it inside the pouch. You could also just completely turn it off, which is the obvious solution. However, the Blokket also protects against identity theft by
unauthorized RFID readers, which means your slip chipped ID cards and/or passport is safe from prying radio frequencies when inside, especially useful if you might be involved in espionage. Take a look at the whole Destination:NYC series over at the MoMA Store.
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Degree, Quattro, what are we here, a drugstore? Despite that bad imagery, turn your eyes toward the new Quattro LED Task Lamp by Robert Sonneman and Peter Polick. If Mondrian and Rietveld come to mind, you’re not alone- the black, yellow and red finish along with the rectilinear form are spot on De Stijl, and if you’re not familiar with those names, do yourself a favor and follow the links (it’s difficult to fully appreciate modern design without knowing its roots). Back to the lamp- it uses Flat Panel LED technology to produce an even and glare-free light. There’s also touchless dimming control thanks to an optical sensor. Also available in black, white, and aluminum finish if the red/yellow/black doesn’t suit your taste.
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Any piece of furniture that incorporates cork into its design has my attention, and this table by Patrick Norguet for Kristalia is no exception. A removable table top/lid means it is also a storage piece, and that’ll no doubt be useful wherever it ends up. You have a few options: white or black rotational polypropylene, with or without a genuine cork coating; white, black, or cork lid, all in either round or square.
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Fun bookends? Yes, please. WAKA WAKA’s Shin Okuda turns ordinary plywood into these colorful bookends. They’re sold in sets of two, in mismatched colors, mind you, so tell your books to stand up straight for their semi-crazy and exciting new friends. You DIYers might feel an itch to replicate these with your own shapes and colors, and, if so, go for it, as you’ll only need some plywood, glue, paint, and some sort of metal bookend to sandwich between the wood (right?).
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And here we have another face-off, and this time it’s in the realm of wood and marble coffee tables. Yes, they’re not exactly the same, but there are the similarities in materials and dimensions, so why not see if you can guess which one has the $1800 price tag and which one has the $600 tag?
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Here’s another bag called JetPack, but this design reuses workers’ safety vests to make sure you remain visible at night, biking or walking. With a cross-body style, the shoulder strap and two stripes on the back reflect light, giving you an effective ‘HEY! I’m here!’ visual cue to any vehicles around you. See below for details.
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