Why does one need a table top valet? To be perfectly honest with you, I have absolutely no idea. Still, that doesn't stop me from wanting one. If it's not exactly your thing, make sure you check out some of the other beautiful items that Cincinnati based Brighton Exchange is making. They also have some gorgeous cocktail tables and shelves. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love seeing white oak furniture these days.
I didn't even know it was possible to get an AM radio anymore. The saving grace for this one is (a) it has an auxiliary in source for your iDevice, (b) it looks gorgeous. Hand made by Devin Ward of LA, the Wooden MP3 and AM Radio is a one of a kind production. Literally. You won't find an other one like it anywhere.
I find myself strangely attracted to this moss wall hanging planter by Mr Lentz. It's a simple plank of cedar stained with walnut husks and black tea then sealed with a little flax seed oil. It's topped with a piece of dried moss. While it reads more like the ingredients for a exotic salad, it actually makes a nice piece of wall art.
Having made my fair share of furniture I can really appreciate when something not only looks good, but is extremely hard to execute. The Monarch coffee table is all about the base. It assembles with zero fasteners or glue, simply interlocking the 4 legs that make up the base. Simple, (at least to look at, probably not to make) effective, and beautiful.
From tool caddies to bookends, cutting boards to balanced wine bottle slabs, craftsman and designer Jonathan January builds them all by hand from 100% reclaimed materials. His environmentally friendly finishes are just the cherry on top of these one-of-a-kind pieces. My fave? The Sculpted Kitchen Work Station in black walnut--yum! Check out his Etsy shop for more!
I've recently been helping a friend find and restore a vintage bar cart so I have barware on the mind lately. This simple Anton Decanter has subdued modern written all over it. While definetly more on the contemporary side than the MCM side I have a feeling it's clean lines would fit in just about anywhere. Designed in the UK, handmade in Poland.
Lekker Home has a whole bunch of equally swoonable glassware and decanters worth looking at too.
Knife and Saw, makers of the fantastic bike shelf we featured last year recently relaunched their website. It's worth heading over there to check out some eye candy. I also noticed that besides their fantastic bike shelves they also have recycled cutting boards for sale. I look forward to seeing what other fantastic products comes out of their shop.
I have a lot of little obsessions in life, and bottle openers are definitely one of them. For some reason I am always looking for just the right one. I'm really liking the raw look of these bottle openers made by Adam Hogsett of 510 design and fabrication. Each one is manually machined from cold formed steel and hand stamped with the production number. The finish is a darkened steel with a thin coat of wax to prevent any rusting. The whole thing is only 3" long, so it's not too bulky, but I'm sure it has a very satisfying heft to it.
Wooden pallet chairs from the Rough South Home Etsy shop. Personally I think that half the fun is building them yourself, but if you aren't the handy type, maybe this is your ticket. $75 each with free delivery in Atlanta. They have some other great treasures on their Etsy shop as well.
I've been moving GRM over to a new server today and it's been sort of a bumpy ride. Kinda makes me want to go home and curl up in a blanket and take a nap. Specifically this brilliant blanket by Barbara Perrino.
It seems like I have been featuring a lot of great handmade furniture coming out of Colorado recently. The most recent to catch my eye is David Rasmussen Design. Based out of Carbondale, Colorado David has an interesting mix of more traditional fine woodworking pieces like the Treehouse Stools shown above, to very modern Danish inspired pieces like the Curve A Linear chair and side table.
I love wine, and I love walnut, so it goes without saying that I would love to store my wine in a walnut wine rack. The Drona wine rack made by Jonathan Malphrus of Steric Design add some interesting geometry and nice contemporary craftsmanship to the typical wine rack. This Drona has a series of large hexagons connected by salvaged cherry joinery. It looks fantastic, and holds an impressive 35 bottles. There is a smaller version that only holds 5 bottles if that's more your thing.
I'm a sucker for a pretty picture, and these product shots from Ciaffi look amazing. It's not just a pretty picture though, for $8 you get 12 handmade small envelopes with a small folded card packaged in a mini corrugated box. Is it just me, or does that seem like a really good deal?
This self described "color nerdery" quilt strikes a core with my inner color nerd. All the colors were hand mixed for just the right effect, and then the quilts are machine quilted. The flip side is a nice light gray that accents the quilting thread (detail pic after the jump). Having worked on a couple quilting projects over the years, I know how much work goes into these things. With that in mind, I'm going to call this thing a bargain at $400.
This shelframe just shot right to the top of my list of "why didn't I think of that" ideas. About:
The shelves are designed to occupy a space normally reserved for a framed picture or painting, and they act so as to frame compositions of everyday objects.
The cable tension allow the shelves to support heavy objects while the silicone pads create a self-securing system that grips the wall as the shelf becomes loaded. This also means that the shelf does not tilt to one side if heavy objects are placed unevenly.
I especially appreciate the smaller details of the shelf like the semi recessed balls on the ends of the cable, and the joinery between the sides. For the record, this shelf and a monkey hook would make for the quickest installation ever.
Lots of pics after the jump.
Here's a little insider tip for all my Salt Lake City readers with kids...
We've covered some cool Airstream remodels on GRM before, but never one quite like this. The Creative Capsule started its life as a normal Airstream trailer, but recently got completely gutted and refinished inside with one purpose in mind. Entertaining and teaching kids. Tenfour industries is using the space to teach children's craft projects and host birthday parties. They are making their inaugural appearance tonight at the Millcreek Community market from 4 to dusk.
Follow the Creative Capsule on Facebook to see where they will be next.
Powder coated steel combined with wood is like strawberries dipped in sour cream and brown sugar, absolutely delectable. When you add the option of Marimekko fabric (with the stool, not the strawberries) you have a nearly infallible combination. The Giddyup Stool is just such a combination. It's available in a number of different colors, and with a variety of wood, fabric or even leather seat options. All hand made in Portland Oregon by Quartertwenty.
Gitane workshop is a small Denver-based furniture studio founded by Scott Friedman. Scott is an architect, and it shows in the way each of the joints are carefully detailed on the Biscayne Bay Coffee Table shown above. His work has a nice mid century flair to it, and I'm a sucker for anything that is handmade. More detailed pics after the jump.
We've written about a lot of bird houses and bird feeders on GRM but never a modern hummingbird feeder, that is until today. These stoneware feeders by J Schatz are handcrafted in a New York studio and come in six bright colors. I absolutely love the contrasting colors and the simple design. I'll take one in baby blue please.
