Grassrootsmodern

Thomas Paul Sea Life Plates

Creede — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:52:54 +0000

I’ve always been a big fan of melamine plates. They are super durable which is nice if you have kids, and they are a nice medium to print graphics on. I stumbled across these Thomas Paul sea life plates, and I am loving them. It looks like I’m not the only one loving them too, as many retailers are backordered. The set includes the four plates shown above for $28, which is admittedly a little steep for melamine plates. Also available is a nice melamine tray.

Available from Burke Decor for $28 for the set of four.

undrgrnd.com

Creede — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:22:38 +0000

Outdoor enthusiasts who know about websites like Steep and Cheap know just how addictive the one day limited quantity super discount sites can be. Now design junkies can rejoice and share in their addiction, undrgrnd.com is here to feed our hunger for affordable design. Here is the way it works. Undergrnd collects new and open box furniture and furnishings from stores like Design Public, and then offers them for sale on their website at deeply discounted prices. There are no returns, and shipping anywhere in the US is a flat 15% fee. To keep things interesting only type of product is available a day, and only for 24 hours. For example the Thomas Paul rugs shown here are 50% off, and will only be for sale for another 30 minutes until todays deal shows up. To get the good deals, you’ve got to check the website daily. I’ll do my best to get the word out if I see great deals too.

Check out the crazy deals at undrgrnd.com.

Ikea 2009 Kitchens

Creede — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:42:07 +0000

The new Ikea catalog is out, and I’ve had a chance to glance through it real quick. Some of the things I am most excited about are the kitchens. It seems like there are a lot of new cabinet styles and colors that I hadn’t seen before like the SOLAR beech cabinets (top right) and the APPLAD orange and white combo (bottom right). While I love most things that Ikea does, I still think that kitchen cabinetry is one of their stronger points. Not only are they able to make good looking affordable modern kitchen cabinets, the level of quality is really quite good. They use all high end Blum drawer slides and components that really give them a nice feel. When we get ready to redo our kitchen, there is definitely some Ikea in the future.
Check out the new catalog here.

Design tip? White floors…

Creede — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:39:08 +0000

I have some good friends who have recently purchased a wonderful old Mid Century Modern home in Salt Lake City, and they are in the middle of updating the interior. While looking at kitchen appliances online at Jenn-Air they found this picture entitled “Scandanavian Oasis” and completely fell in love with all the white. The cabinets and appliances will be easy to reproduce (Ikea and Jenn-Air) but the white flooring has got them (and me) stumped.

So how do you get white flooring like the one in this picture?

Las Vegas Market Websites

Creede — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:41:43 +0000

I wanted to share some of the websites of the vendors I visited at the Las Vegas Market. They are not necessarily affordable, nor do they all sell directly to the public, but it will give you an idea of what most “modern” wholesalers are selling. They are listed below in no particular order. Surprisingly a lot of them have pretty lousy websites. Enjoy your curated virtual market…
Modern Materials and Design - A Utah original. More updates soon….
Sitcom - They design for West Elm amongst others. Check out the Audrey line.
Tema Home - Good European design and construction from Portugal. New site soon…
Focus on Home - Southern California designed and produced. Very nice in person.
Vig Furniture - They had a few nice lines.
Acco Furniture - Lots of designer knock offs.
Zuo Modern - Best website, large selection.
Nuevo Living - Carry the Obelisk outdoor seating.
Mobital - Nice design from our northern neighbor.
Alphaville Design - Comprehensive modern line and accessories.
K & D - Modern and Contemporary, extensive line.
Pangea Furniture - Looks like a lot of Asian imports.
Selamat Designs - Not all modern, but had some nice things.
Against The Grain - Original designs, made in the USA.
Creative Elegance - More good stuff made in the USA.
Furnitech - Modern furniture for your home entertainment system.
Pampa Export - Brazilian modern furniture exporters.

Mini Spindle Lamp Base

Creede — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:21:06 +0000

Urban Outfitters does a pretty good job at kicking out good looking products at an affordable price. It’s always good to check it out in person first though, as the quality sometimes is not the best. This Mini Spindle Lamp may be small in size at only 12″ high and a 4.5″ diameter, but the price is small to match at only $19. The shade is not included in the price, but should be easy to pick up pretty cheap. Definitely stick with white on white for a nice clean looking affordable lamp.
Available at Urban Outfitters for $19.

via BLTD

Case Study Planters

Creede — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:42:12 +0000

I am totally in love with these Case Study Planters from Modernica. Available in Sage, White, or Charcoal these great mid-century planters would look equally great indoors or outdoors. The wooden base is really what makes the pots look great. At $149 for a small, and $189 for a large they are not cheap, but they are a pretty reasonable size. The small sits at 19″ high and has a 12″ diameter, while the large is 21″ high and 14″ diameter.

Available from Modernica starting at $149

Las Vegas Market Review

Creede — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:36:31 +0000

I’m officially back from the market and unfortunately if anything, it has only made me more cynical. I have never seen more cheap Mies, Eames and Knoll knock offs in my entire life. While there were some original designs at the show, most were made overseas. It really got me thinking. If something is made in China or Vietnam, is it really any less quality than if it were made here stateside? Is it possible to produce quality original pieces here in the states and still have them be considered affordable?
I will have a follow up post listing all the good companies that I came across, as well as elaborating a little more on some of the things I posted about while at the market.

Tema home

Creede — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:20:09 +0000

The biggest surprise to me here at the show is the lack of original design. It seems like I am surrounded by knock offs of classic mid century pieces. I just wandered into Tema Home and it was a refreshing stop. They have a great line of furnishings designed in house and produced in Portugal. More info to follow.

Day two

Creede — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:13:51 +0000

Day two is off to a good start. So far some of the best accessories I have come across are from SLC locals Modern Materials Design. Check out some of the pictures below and stay tuned for more details.