swiss.army

Found on The Fancy, this Prehistoric Swiss Knife from Jay Mug is an awesome concept. If the designer starts selling this awesome toy, gift, and, arguably, tool, I'm down to buy.

styptic.matchstick

One of the best things your can do for yourself is invest in a quality shave set. Regardless of how you shave and the quality of your materials, it's inevitable that you'll get a nick or cut sooner or later. The Hommage Styptic Matchsticks are a stylish solution for nasty mistakes. Styptics are used across the medical field and contract blood vessels to stop the flow of blood. Dip in water, apply to wound, presto! Each book comes with 20 matches and, by the looks of it, the box contains three books. Available for $50 from Hommage.

sisley.paris

I'm shameless when it comes to gimmicks and cheap tricks; in fact, I thoroughly enjoy them. As such, I readily recognize when something lacks substance. This blog is about image -- modern design, architecture, and reputation -- and many of the featured items sacrifice utility to achieve the perfect facade. That's cool.

That being said, you have to trust me when I say something's not a gimmick. A large part of the common sense in me believes all formulas for hair, face, and skin products are basically the same. There is no magic.  But months ago I was at Neiman Marcus and a sales person put Sisleÿum for Men on my face before I could object. She sent me home with a 0.1 ounce sample and encouraged me to use it after every shave. I did exactly as she said and I fell in love.

Sisleÿum for Men works amazingly. It truly prevents any and all shine from appearing on your face; the lotion feels absolutely amazing on freshly shaved skins (I've tried many alternatives); the smell leans toward masculine but doesn't reek of generic men's locker-room cheap crap; and, for some reason, my face simply looked amazing. Why the preface on gimmicks? 1.7 ounces sells for $265. That means my 0.1 ounce was worth more than $15. That being said, my sample lasted for weeks. More importantly, it's your face. Can you ever invest too much on your face? Ask for a sample, try it out and see for yourself. I haven't tried any other Sisley products but this one is liquid gold.

easy.bed

I love how the bedding departments at department stores stack their duvets atop one another for easy comparison. When you lay on the six or so, it feels amazing. Of course, you'll never get that same comfort from a single duvet but you have the opportunity experience the slow sinking and total luxury if you simply replace your bed and frame with Linda Topic's Simple Stacked Comforters. Found on Dornob, the design was a "semi-serious" approach to replacing the costly mattress and frame. Dressing your bed has never been this easy and the shades of gray -- inspired by Belgian skies -- make it a great piece for the modern bedroom (perhaps the guest bedroom to be on the safe side).

stair.case

It's a shame Steve Jobs is leaving Apple but appearing on 313 of Apple's patents is a great way to leave a legacy. The iconic staircase is instantly recognizable and marks, in my opinion, a permanent addition to modern classics. The opportunity for great design is often under-appreciated but Apple's staircases are effectively monument and centerpiece. The first picture highlights Apple's original staircase patent filed in 2002.

Great staircases do not need to be limited to commercial use. The staircase/slide below, found on The Fancy, was designed by Alex Michaelis; obviously kid-friendly, the slide is also a great solution for the heavy drinker. Siller Stairs designed the second staircase and their website features many amazing designs worth exploring. The last creation is the product of John Maniscalco Architecture. Found on Houzz.com and built for a home in San Francisco (Russian Hill), the staircase features a simple yet compelling design perfect for the minimalist looking to merge aesthetics without excessive attention.

spinning.tops

Tobyšlo's Spinning Top Diamond Collection is the latest modern reimagination of a classic product Found on MocoLoco, the tops symbolize opulence in shape and offer an embedded diamond; symbolism vs. actuality, depending on your budget. Three students at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague designed the piece and price is available on request.

camara.bed

This bed is absolutely beautiful -- perfect, if you will. It's incredibly unfortunate that the Nueva Linea website fails to provide any specifications and their suggested retailers don't list the furniture. It seems one must fly to Spain to receive any information on the Camara Bed but I love it nonetheless. I'm very picky about bedding and only two other beds have reached this blog (see BoConcept's Limo Bed and Metrofarm's Oversized Bed). If you can find anymore information, please comment below.

Also read my post about choosing high-quality sheets for your bed: bed.sheets