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Less and More: The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams

Less and More: The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams -- $ 78| Buy it here | [via Cool Hunting]

I’m a bit young to have a direct personal attachment to Dieter Rams‘ work, but it goes without question that there is an absolute timeless quality to his work. Whenever I visit MOMA’s design section, I always find myself gravitating towards  his collection (that, and of course the Jaguar XKE Roadster).  So, I’m quite excited about this new (808 page!) book that covers the full breadth of his work, just full of endless inspiration.  Anyone want to buy me an early birthday gift?

Editors: Klaus Klemp, Keiko Ueki-Polet
Language: bilingual German/English
808 pages, full color, PVC cover, in slipcase

[posted by Simon on March 16, 2010 at 8:35 am. Copyright BLTD LLC, 2010.]

Bird by Andrew Zuckerman

Bird by Andrew Zuckerman -- $ 37.80| Buy it here

Let me tell you, this book is a real beaut. More than 200 photos of 75 different species make you see birds in an entirely different way, as the stark white background highlights every color and texture. It’s a sight to see, whether you’re a bird enthusiast or not.

Also, if you haven’t see it yet, the video is worth a look.

(photo excerpts and video to follow)

Read more…

[posted by katie on March 1, 2010 at 7:14 am. Copyright BLTD LLC, 2010.]

This is For You

This is For You -- $ 9.99| Buy it here

Maybe you know of Rob Ryan’s paper cut outs? Yes? No? Well, either way, this book is cheeeaap and might just be worth buying for a flip through.

Hardback. 7.75” x 6.25”

Regular $17.00, SALE:$9.99

Also: Rob Ryan’s Etsy Shop for screenprints, and Rob Ryan’s blog.

More pics: Read more…

[posted by katie on February 26, 2010 at 6:50 am. Copyright BLTD LLC, 2010.]

Billy Book by Ikea

Billy Book by Ikea | View it here | [via MocoLoco]

Ikea is celebrating 30 years of Billy with a a series of special events, sales, limited edition custom printed bookcases, and this book, a visual history of the past 30 years of the now gold standard for inexpensive bookcases. I’ve only found it online on their international site, so if anyone has seen available in the states please leave a comment.

Bonus! Here’s some interesting facts for you all:

-The Billy Bookcase was created by Gillis Lundgren 1979, the fourth employee for Ikea.
-The factory where the bookcases are made knocks out 15 Billys a minute; 3.1 million a year.

That’s a lot.

[via MoCo Loco]

[posted by Simon on February 9, 2010 at 7:12 am. Copyright BLTD LLC, 2010.]

I Swear to Good You Are God at This

I Swear to Good You Are God at This -- $ 25.00| Buy it here

Maybe you’ve seen this little book by Holiday Matinee? If you haven’t, you’re in for a treat. It’s full of 25 creative people (and their projects) who’ve escaped the hum-drum and are now doing what they love to do. Sounds like just the thing to give you a kick in the pants, doesn’t it? If you’re sitting on a good idea but too scared to get it going, a read through this might help you believe the risk is worth it.

More on Dave Brown’s vision & company: Holiday Matinee.

[posted by katie on January 29, 2010 at 5:00 am. Copyright BLTD LLC, 2010.]

Copy: 21 ready-to-copy good ideas

Copy: 21 ready-to-copy good ideas -- $ 17.00| Buy it here

Does anybody know what ideas are to be discovered within Atypyk’s CD of ‘ready-to-copy’ good ideas? I’m awfully curious.

CD MAC/PC

[posted by katie on January 21, 2010 at 8:08 am. Copyright BLTD LLC, 2010.]

Nook eBook

Nook eBook -- $ 259.00| Buy it here

Oh, shall we enter into the foray that is the eBook market? Yes, we shall, though you’ll have to go here and here (or here) to get your comparison fix with the Kindle.

* E ink® Vizplex™ electronic paper display reads like the printed page.
* 3.5 inch color touchscreen LCD.
* One touch control and navigation.
* Swipe to browse your library displayed via full-color book covers.
* You can read for up to ten days without recharging with wireless off.
* 2GB (approximately 1500 eBooks)
* Expandable microSD slot (buy an extra 16 GB memory card and store up to 17,500).
* Free wireless from Barnes & Noble via AT&T. *Disclaimer: 3G network not available in all areas
* MP3 player

Pre-order.

[posted by katie on October 21, 2009 at 6:23 am. Copyright BLTD LLC, 2009.]

Wary Meyers’ Tossed & Found: Unconventional Design from Cast-offs

Wary Meyers’ Tossed & Found: Unconventional Design from Cast-offs -- $ 18.15| Buy it here

Man-oh-man, this book is one heck of a treasure. If you have any interest in junk/thrift/antique shops, then you’ll most likely appreciate the Meyers’ talent in transforming castoffs into delightful objects, and boy, are they delightful. There’s a lamp made from a pastry bag, a wonderful Blue Willow Canoe, a half painted dresser (Lichtenstein inspired), the ‘le french’ dresser (shown upper right) where scrolly letters were screwed onto the drawer fronts, Chippendale chairs changed into skeleton chairs, and so ever much more. And, not only are these projects shown in their before stages and after, but the Meyers include their sketches and instructions on replicating the idea on your very own castoff, giving you the tools to make your own interpretation.

What some view as trash, Linda and John Meyers see as raw material. The wife-and-husband team—subscribers to the “reduce, reuse, recycle” ethos—have perfected a design strategy that will save you money, help the planet, and provide hours of DIY fun. The strategy? First, visit a yard sale, construction-site dumpster, or even your own attic. Select something that somebody (even you) thought had outlived its usefulness. Then, transform that castoff into a piece that’s interesting and usable.

See more at Wary Meyers’ site.

[posted by katie on October 3, 2009 at 7:00 am. Copyright BLTD LLC, 2009.]

The Handy Book of Artistic Printing

The Handy Book of Artistic Printing -- £ 40.00
  (convert currency)
| Buy it here

Man, this book is chock-full of late nineteenth century letterpress design. I tend to lean towards simple design, but there is something altogether fascinating in the full-on fanciness of that period. Whether you like intricate embellishments in your graphics or not, this book does provide a context for the rise and fall of this particular aesthetic, which (don’t you know) all ties into the trends and preferences of today. It’s also interesting to see how both artistic printing andlate nineteenth century interiors share a “penchant for spatial saturation, eclecticism, and excess.” (pg.172)

Authors Douglas Clouse and Angela Voulangas explore the style’s origins in the British Aesthetic Movement and analyze its distinctive features: idiosyncratic color harmonies, eclectic choice of type and ornament, compartmentalized compositional strategies. They also present a landmark portfolio of letterpress printing samples, drawn from some of the most important public and private print archives. More than 150 examples of period ephemera, printers’ own tour de force promotional pieces, and specimens of type and ornament are reproduced, many for the very first time since their initial circulation more than a century ago.

$40.00 (£23.50), Buy it here.

[posted by katie on September 9, 2009 at 12:25 pm. Copyright BLTD LLC, 2009.]

Domestic Art: Curated Interiors

Domestic Art: Curated Interiors -- $ 40.95| Buy it here

This book sure has its fair share of interesting homes. Detailed photographs of layered interiors might just bring out your collector’s side and have you itching to display all sorts of strange paraphernalia (in the most elegant sort of way, of course). Even if you tend towards the minimal, the rich rooms might inspire you to add a different sort of detail here and there.

The selected houses in this book were pulled from the pages of PaperCity, from the years 2000 to 2008. Roughly a decade of design alchemy and clinking highballs. The editors of this book foraged for both the musty and gutsy and the soaring and sensual, from a 500-square-foot bedsit to a mid-century organic architectural wonder thirty seven glorious projects, from follies to disciplined mansions, from Dominique and John de Menil s International-style house with its interior by the great couturier Charles James to artist Christian Eckart’s abandoned 1940s warehouses polished to gleaming architectural wonder.

$40.95, Buy it here.

[posted by katie on June 17, 2009 at 2:15 pm. Copyright BLTD LLC, 2009.]

next page »

Play and Display Frame (Set of 3)

KUSA

Adónde Stoneware

Duoplane DVD Shelf

Indoor/Outdoor Furniture

cake picker upper

Plank Table Lamp

“Missy’s Dreamer” Pet Bed

P-Hook Bookmarks

Mercer Sectional

[Art]ifact

Botanist Bench

Jean Prouvé

+336+ SMS Mirror

pixel colored pencils

Alba Cushion

Soft Washbowl by Hella Jongerius

ES