These pieces from the Umka & Kera for World Wildlife Fund Project are (unfortunately) not for sale but the designs are great and have endless possibilities (given multiple sizes); they would be perfect as paperweights, souvenirs, keychains, centerpieces, public sculptures, etc. Found on The Fancy, you can read more at atelier29.
I'm not a fan of escalating an altercation but these cards are fun anyway. The Douche Cards, available on Orange 32 for $5/25, are a great way to be non-verbal when other communication fails. Found on The Fancy, the cards must be used with caution, as expressed by the comment of user ChrisMoore: hand it to the asshole in question and most likely get punched in the face :-p
The Casa Standing Ashtray by Blomus takes away the unseemly nature of the ashtray and replaces it with a mini monument of modern design. Available for about $400 on Lumens, make cigarettes cool again with a small investment in workplace elegance.
Minimalist design is the best but there's a certain pleasure that comes from minimalist features. With every new technology product trying to stack its resume with unnecessary abilities, the NoteSlate boasts the opposite. Available in multiple colors of frames, backgrounds, and inks, the simplified version of the iPad starts at a mere $100, looks absolutely beautiful, and minimizes distractions. Found on Uncrate, the NoteSlate can play music but that's about as complicated as it gets.
I've always been a huge fan of coffee table books (see Room With a View) but this book breaks the mold. Found on Uncrate, 3DD: A 3-D Celebration of Breasts is fairly well defined in its title. Available for $19.77 on Amazon, a review notes that the website only provides simply cardboard glasses. Bought for an extra $10 on the 3DD website, you can buy straight from the source and receive the same plastic aviators shown below.
Updated: 28 February 2010
Buy the 3D Glasses Necklace by Design Glut to complete the set. Designed by Liz Kinnmark and Kegan Fisher and found on MocoLoco, the jewelry piece is one part of their new collection.
ASUS and Bang & Olufsen collaborated to produce the ASUS NX90 Bang & Olufsen laptop with the best built-in speakers on the market. The screen measures 18.4" and comes with a Blu-ray player, as well as two touch pads that mimic turntables. Although prices have yet to be set, Luxuo is predicting somewhere from $1,799 to $2,499. Although laptops are made for portability, the size of this machine suggests it's best to leave it in one place except for special occasions. You can see additional photos and hardware specs on the Luxuo website.
I need a new keyboard at work but instead of calling the tech department, where I assume "modern and advanced" would translate into the bubbly ergonomic, I started looking online to find a fun keyboard that pushes technology without making me feel like a gamer. The Logitech diNovo Edge, available for $179.99, happily fits the bill with the TouchDisk cursor pad, touch-sensitive media controls, PerfectStroke key system, and Bluetooth technology. The disk doubles as a mouse but can also scroll pages with a simple circular motion. The scissor-key mechanism is a hybrid of a notepad and desktop keyboard. Cut from a single semi-translucent, the keyboard features black Plexiglas set in a brushed aluminum frame for a perfect combination of technology and aesthetic. I'm not willing to spend nearly $200 on an intern accessory but full-time is on its way.
Everyone has heard of Charles and Ray Eames. My first introduction was in high school when I watched Powers of 10 (available at the website with background on Wikipedia). Besides making an absolutely awesome film about space and distance, they were incredible designers that will re-appear on this blog as I come across the timeless classics. Perhaps their most classic piece is the 1956 Eames Lounge Chair which runs more than $3,500 but my most recent favorite is the Eames Aluminum Groups Chairs available at Herman Miller for about $1,749 (depending on the many customization options). Herman Miller is known for their ergonomic, earth-friendly, and innovative designs that aren't for the thrifty but made to be timeless.
Postertext creates posters out of the text of memorable scenes from classic books. With 20 posters available and more on their way, check out their complete selection for come academic beauty. See below for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea both up close and in practice.
This combination is a packaging concept by Swann Marcho that I found while perusing LovelyPackage. The functional simplicity makes them bold but useful, a compliment to any modern desk (especially if it lacks drawers).
The ASUS EeeKeyboard, found on Uncrate.com, takes a different approach to portable. I'm sure netbooks reign supreme in undersized mobility but the EeeKeyboard is a unique concept that grabs eyes. The self-contained computer would probably be better served as complimentary to a desktop but the Apple-esque keyboard still has style, even if its $600 price tag has it competing with the iPad.
Urban Prefer has released a few office supplies that would complement any modern desk. The Lipstick Energy Efficient Stapler can bind bind paper using 60% less energy than a normal stapler (trivial? nah) and has three methods of use. The Folded Paper Tape Dispenser features "a quiet, rustic fashion" that invokes "tranquility" through it's shadowing. Whatever. But, folded-paper design is nothing new and looks neat, and if you want a more complete set, check out the Bin Bin Wastebasket by John Brauer.
I had never heard about Condé Nast's Traveler magazine's "Room With a View" column before Luxist and Gilt featured the new compilation from Assouline, but Room With a View makes a great coffee table book that showcases the best part of any home or hotel: the view. Available on the Assouline website for $65, or up for grabs on the invite-only Gilt website for $55 (until it sells out), the book showcases the best of urban, rural, and countryside views.
Simple and unique, the Polaroid Mirror is a convenient desk accessory that mixes American icon with self-vanity. Available for $23 on Design Boom, the mirror will keep you "fresh-to-death" after hours at the desk.
If you like typing more than writing but enjoy the personalization of your own handwriting, Fontifier merges the two to make an inexpensive hybrid. For $9, you can print a character template, fill in the letters with your own handwriting, scan it back to your computer, then preview and buy your new font, allowing you to save it in your computer settings and use anytime in any application. If you'd rather stick to the work of experts, buy the Periodic Table of Typefaces for a practical reference that doubles as art.
If your quest for modern has you shunning the classics (see Mont Blanc), then this Bugatti Pen by Ferrari da Varese is your best bet. According to Luxist, the pen is "crafted of aluminum, and then coated in nickel, sterling silver, palladium and platinum", features an 18-kt gold nib coated in rhodium, and displays a sapphire glass window in the barrel. The pens, both roller ball and fountain, will only have 499 produced and be available for $15,000.
"I personally believe... that U.S. Americans are unable to do so... because... uh... some people out there in our nation don't have maps... and... uh... I believe that our education, like such as in South Africa and... uh... the Iraq, everywhere, like, such as... and I believe that they should... our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S... uh... or, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries... so we will be able to build up our future... for our children."
Enough Said.
Desktop World Globe by Replogle Globes.
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The Powermat wirelessly charges up to three Powermat enabled devices. Using magnetic induction, the mat can charge your phone, iPod, Nintendo, etc. and automatically turn the device off when fully charged to eliminate energy wastage. Sleek and convenient, the mat is easy to use, automatically aligning your device using a magnet. Available for $99.99, the price doesn't quite cover everything. To work, you must buy additional pieces to accompany your device in order to enable the two to work together. For a Blackberry, you must replace your battery door with a Powermat alternative for $29.99, but if you're the type that charges your dead phone for five minutes before you need to use it again, the Powermat makes the back and forth easy and quick.
Tom Ford was relevant as ever when he reinvented Gucci, but with his own brand and new film, he's front and center for good reason. The following book, released in late 2008, chronicles Ford's work for Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent from 1994 to 2004 with over 375 pictures. Vogue's Anna Wintour contribues the forward while Vanity Fair's Graydon Carter gives an introduction. The 416 page book weighs in at 9.6 lbs. and is available at Amazon for $173. Also recent, Tom Ford directed A Single Man, a film released in December based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood. The film has received an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which notes the beautiful costumes and art direction. I know Tom Ford receives negative attention for his ad campaigns (which have included full frontal nudity) and unreasonably high prices even for the luxury market, but he is one of my favorite designers and can pull off unique without overshooting it, something many designers lack.
Boasted as the "most luxurious Sharpie marker ever," the Sharpie Stainless Steel Permanent Marker steps up the venerable classic. With a stainless steel barrel and refillable ink cartridge, the traditional marker is in modern form, though only available in black. Offered for $8.99 on the Sharpie website, refills run $2.49.
