Archive for February, 2010
During a recent trip to the FDNY Museum in Soho, fellow Brooklyn-based graphic artist Grotesk photographed a number of wonderfully-designed vintage patches that depict various BK-neighborhood firehouses. While they aren’t available to purchase, you can check out about 20 more below. These are screaming to be reproduced as T-shirts. Anyone want to collaborate? [TWBE via Grotesk]
This is no ordinary postcard. No, friends, this is some esoteric, cro-magnon, carve-your-thoughts-on-wood-because-paper-doesn’t-yet-exist type of product. Made by those cheeky guys over at Suck UK, the Wooden Post Card ($12.00) is both an entirely too time consuming method of communication and a satirical reminder about how out-dated sending letters has become. Let’s be honest: these days, shock and awe ensues every time a real, handwritten letter comes floating through the mail. It’s just like the phone book; an unusual part of the past that newer generations view as abstract notions of how it once was. Anyhow, if you’re feeling the need to send an extra personal message to someone, buy this card and use a sharp object to carve a haiku into it. Just don’t mess up because then you’ll have to spend another 12 bucks. [Werd via A+R]
Putting a modern spin on the oft-terrorized garden accessory, London-based makers of “out of the ordinary” products, Vitamin Living, have designed a line of Urban Gnomes that feature a variety of double-sided personalities. Each of the 12 gnomes ($120.00 each) stands 8″ tall and is able to be sand-filled as to withstand the elements. However, their imperviousness to taunting and punting by neighborhood kids is questionable, so leaving the delicate and easily breakable product artworks indoors is perhaps a better idea. Check out some more standouts from the collection below.
Last week we featured Julien Jaborska‘s wildly popular bike tire belts, and now we’ve got another imaginative piece of hold-up-your-pants wear to share with you good people. Coming from a trio of fellow Brooklynites who work under the moniker ‘You and Me The Royal We,’ is this belt that’s made from wood. Well, technically the strap is a piece of leather printed to resemble wood grain, but the belt buckle itself is an actual piece of bark from a tree. That’s right, someone went out into the forest and chipped bark off a tree so they could make this wooden belt ($90.00). Awesome.
Just in time for spring rooftop-party season, prolific NYC-born and -based designer Thomas Paul, who has a seriously impressive collection of home-decorative items, is set to release this series of aquatic-themed outdoor throw pillows. On second thought, the five piece set, which runs from $80.00-$120.00 bucks each, might be better suited for fancy soirees in the Hamptons. Check out the lobster one below. [Velocity Art and Design]
It’s unfortunate that traveling is inherently paired with the physical act of having to move from one place to another, especially when said place is far away and thus must be ventured to via airplanes and worse, the airport. Never has the possibility of teleporting been more attractive; someone needs to write to Obama and see if we can’t make it happen. While there are some exciting whispers about high speed train travel becoming a reality here in America in the near future, for the time being we’re stuck with getting nude photos snapped of us every time we fly. All things considered then, these Schlep Luggage Tags ($14.00, set of six) from Boston-based company, Bob’s Your Uncle, are pretty indicative of how people feel about most forms of long-distance transportation. Buy a set and passively voice your discontent! [Bob's Your Uncle]
I can proudly admit that my Inbox is empty–due to an OCD-level of reading, deleting and organizing rather than a lack of messages–71.4% of the time, so I suppose someone should buy me Nerd Merit Badge ($5.99) No. 2 for achieving such a feat. Collectively, we’ve also “Been Boinged” (NMB No. 4) and offered, begrudgingly, our fair share of familial technological support (NMB No. 5). All in all, we are the proud owners of four of the six badges currently in the series, not counting the Foursquare ones. If you understand what any of the previous sentences mean, then you probably deserve one of the 1.5″ fully embroidered badges, too. [Notcot via Nerd Merit Badges]
Organize the mess of papers, bills, photos, concert tickets, matchbooks and condoms that populate your desk with this set of sleek and colorful Pantone Storage Tins ($24.00). Not to mention that after said stuff is inside the tins, which you’ve adorned with fancy, here’s what’s here, labels, you can use them for decoration.
Made from “sustainably-harvested” cherry wood, designer David Weeks‘ latest series of Cubebots, which have just been made available for pre-order ($25.00-$390.00) in three different sizes, are like Transformers for Tree Huggers. The product comes packaged as an inconspicuous cube of Jenga-like pieces with slots, eventually allowing the finished product to hold a number of different, and apparently break-dancing-inspired, poses. The largest and most expensive version (shown below) stands nearly two-feet-tall and has an awesome 31″ wingspan. [Areaware]
Add a spot of decorative yet functional product art to your kitchen or dining room with these Totem Cups (set of four, $84.00) from Toronto-based designer, Rob Southcott, made for fellow Torontonians, producteurs imm Living. The stackable set is made from ceramic and stands 8.5″ tall.
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