Articles Written by Katie

Katie

About Katie: Katie has been a product and textile designer, an art restoration specialist, and an interior designer/merchandiser. Her interests are focused on finding well designed items that improve daily life as well as reading fiction and making stuff. (View Profile)

 
 

Cordito Cord Wrap

Here’s a very simple solution to keep your cords in order: a leather wrap with slots for your plugs and wrapped cords. I’d be tempted to make my own (I’ve several leather remnants from abandoned zip pouch projects), but if you’re not the crafty I-can-cut-leather sort, you can purchase directly from thisisground’s etsy shop.

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Purchase Information:

Price: $25.99
Available from: thisisground's etsy shop

Equilateral Nails

No, these aren’t earrings, they’re nails. Why would we need decorative nails? Why do we need decorative anything? Maybe ‘need’ is the wrong word.The purists among us might scoff at beautifying the humble nail, but, for jewelry or other small trinkets or photos, the triangle head and post (made of hand cast bronze) does justice to our finer, special things.
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Purchase Information:

Price: $28.00
Available from: General Store

LIM360 Table Task Lamp

So slender, so orange… but, don’t worry, it’s available in other colors. The LIM360 provides a super efficient lighting source to your desktop/table thanks to (you guessed it) a continuous array of high-output, energy-saving LEDs. A 360° arm rotation will come in handy, and, as an extra bonus, there’s an integrated USB port for charging mobile devices.
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Purchase Information:

Price: $300.00
Available from: HORNE

Hiya Rocker

Those of you with a mind like a steel trap will remember this kid’s rocker we posted back in ’09, but the rest of you can consider it for those little ones in your life- sons/daughters, nieces/nephews, etc. The Hiya Rocker has a small book bin in its back for storage and has a seat wide enough to accommodate two small kids. Painted with an eco-friendly non-toxic paint.
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Purchase Information:

Price: $175.00
Available from: Spot On Square

Custom Silkscreen Pet Pillow

These pillows might seem a little silly to people who don’t have pets, but if you’ve ever had a beloved four-legged friend, you’ll certainly understand. And, for anyone who’s ever considered the other way to keep their pet around, this would definitely be a less expensive (and saner?) alternative. If you don’t have a pet but like the idea of an animal pillow, don’t forget about the Fauna Pillows by Ross Menuez.

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Purchase Information:

Price: $80.00
Available from: shannon broder's etsy shop

Bike All Bike Shelf

While this bike shelf might seem a little wonky to begin with, give it a second look and consider if it might just work for your bike’s indoor parking space. While the bike itself isn’t completely off the ground, the seat is ‘parked’ on the spot below the shelf with two hooks for bags, accessories, and/or helmets. The surface above gives you a nice resting spot for phone, keys, etc.
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Purchase Information:

Price: $274.00
Available from: YLiving

Poetry Plates

From the plate to you, “I love the way you look at me, and the way you use your knife. I love the way you eat your food, you give meaning to my life.” If you’re lacking handwritten sentiments, one quick fix would be to pick up a pen and send a nice note to someone in hopes they’d write you back. The other would be to eat off these Poetry Plates and pretend they have feelings. Each plate can be customized with a special message on the back.
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Purchase Information:

Price: £35.00 - 55.00
Available from: mineheart

Nicely Noted

If you’re a little obsessed with stationery, you might want to check out Nicely Noted. It’s a subscription service that provides a batch of very decently designed letterpress cards (plus stamps!) every month. It could be just the thing to keep you on top of your snail-mail correspondence.
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Purchase Information:

Price: $18.00
Available from: Nicely Noted

Friday Links

  • Mark Abouzeid’s The New New World
  • Yao Lu: New Landscapes (via staceythinx)
  • How would you feel about having a cup of coffee in a remodeled underground public men’s restroom built in the 1890′s?
  • Creepy: ‘Horror frog’ breaks own bones to produce claws
  • Remotely monitor multiple live video and audio webcam feeds from your
    iPhone, iPod touch, iPad or Android device over WiFi: iCam
  • Have a nice weekend!

    Stool 60, Anniversary Edition

    If you get a little heart flutter anytime anyone mentions Alvar Aalto, you might just need to add a special anniversary edition of the Stool 60 to your furniture collection. The two pictured above and the variations below are colorful alternatives to the original birch version ($260). Info and links below.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $390.00
    Available from: YLiving

    100 Diagrams That Changed the World

    Chart the history of the world through this collection of the most significant plans, sketches, drawings, and illustrations over the last 32,000 years. This book is particularly interesting if you’re in the graphic design arena, but it’s just as enthralling if you care anything about the progress of mankind. From cave paintings to the creation of the iPod, you’ll get a glimpse of how people have recorded innovations and breakthroughs, and maybe, just maybe, that’ll inspire your own.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $14.88
    Availability: Buy 100 Diagrams That Changed the World here

    Sticks Hooks

    If you’ve a little ingenuity, you could whip up something similar, but for the rest of us with little time and $25 to spare, we can acquire via the internet and a credit card. Each hook is made of three sticks and provide a simple and functional storage option from bags and coats in the entryway to tea towels in the kitchen.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $25.00
    Available from: Vertigo Home

    Snooze

    I can’t even count the number of times I’ve dropped my phone while trying to turn off my alarm in the mornings- it’s got to be in the hundreds by now (coordination is impaired when you’re half asleep, after all). That’s where this alarm dock comes in- it’s got a huge, functioning snooze bar that’s easily hit when you want just a few more minutes of shut eye.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $39.99
    Available from: distilunion

    Heaven Freestanding Stepladder

    While this stepladder is a bit above the average budget, it’s really a wonderful object. Without the normal A-frame support, the ladder seems to float and the slight narrowing towards the top gives the illusion of the stepladder reaching upwards. The flat base gives structural stability.

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    Purchase Information:

    Price: £606.00
    Available from: Utility

    Hay’s Tower Blocks Paper Notes

    If you’re going to keep track of your to-do’s and odd notes on paper, you might as well make that paper nice to look at. HAY Denmark has all sorts of lovely offerings in the way of home furnishings and accessories, and we’ll just be thankful that they took the time to apply some great graphics to stacks of note paper.
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    Purchase Information:

    Price: $30.00
    Available from: A+R Store