get yourself detained at customs for only $15 each....
Toys
August 11th, 2010
Enjoy the rush of being pulled up at customs, the tedium of hours in a cold room being interrogated by someone who doesn’t speak a word of your language? We’ve got just the thing for you! Perhaps better in concept than reality, Vancouver’s ‘The Cheeky‘ – headed by chief lunatic Colin Hart, whose life’s work is to collect “ideas that mock convention and challenge pointlessness” – have produced these rather witty luggage identifiers that, if we were remotely serious and dour, we’d probably advise you against using. But, we’re not – so go ahead, have fun, but just maybe not if you’re flying into Dubai…..
with a bit of skill, dedication, oh, and seventeen months....
Toys
July 28th, 2010
27 year old Atlanta resident, Harrison Krix, is a rather skilled prop maker. At least he seems to know his way around “sculpting, resin casting, chroming and vacuum forming” – and that’s an awful lot more than we even understand. So, when commissioned to produce an exact replica of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo’s famous Daft Punk helmet, Krix didn’t baulk at the idea – or perhaps he did at first – but set about spending the next 17 months (yes, 17) doing so, with of course, many trials and tribulations along the way. Happily, for us, he’s documented the process on his blog, and, with the help of photographer Jennifer Barclay, has produced some rather amusing pics of himself enjoying the helmet around Atlanta…..
New York studio luxe-up the humble 'ping-pong' table...
Toys
June 9th, 2010
Not usually high on anybody’s list of desirable objects, the table tennis table is usually covered in cobwebs, bright (but faded) green and invariably used to stockpile another load of crap on top of it in the garage… but then, it seems just about everything these days gets the luxe treatment, ergo the humble ‘ping-pong’ table can now be added to your imaginary Wallpaper*-approved abode. Claiming to redefine the ping-pong table for the “after hours athlete” – New York studio, aruliden have considered the social element of the game for their exclusive Puma design, incorporating a containing section for drinks, snacks and ‘other’, whilst the surface allows for scores, directions and insults to be sketched upon it! All yours for close to 5,000 USD, no word yet on UK retailers…..
iconic furniture brand deliver 'Festival Season' must-have...
Toys
April 28th, 2010
Inspired by the nomadic Ayoreo Indians of Paraguay, ‘Chairless‘ is a vision of simpicity designed/stolen by Alejandro Aravena for Swiss design giants, Vitra. It’s a chair that’s not a chair, an action that has become a product…. as Aravena himself describes, when we want to drink we instinctively “put our hands together and create a kind of bowl”, when we want to see into the distance we “put our hand above our eyebrows shading our eyes”, and “when we sit on the ground, we intuitively put our arms around our legs”. Whilst the bowl and visor have long been a part of our lives, the cloth band used by the Ayoreo Indians has not, until of course now, as it has been industrialised by Aravena into ‘Chairless’, a new concept in seating that allows us the freedom to sit comfortably wherever we may be…. Vitra, if you’re listening, we wouldn’t half mind giving these a go at Glastonbury…. you know where we are!
quirky, original, beautiful, oh, and we've got six to giveaway.....
Toys
February 18th, 2010
Seeking an innovative solution to bring lasting enjoyment to an age old gift, the greeting card, London based designers, A Studio for Design, decided to… erm, well… put a garden into a postcard!?!? Yes, bordering on the unhinged it may be, but entirely charming it is too, as the conventional element of the card remains intact – it’s postable, has space for a written message, and features a lovely little images – yet the ‘Postcarden‘ also comes with seeds, instructions and a pop-up garden plot that will grow and keep for 2-3 weeks… successfully achieving their desired extent of it’s enjoyment lifespan. Taking the shape of three distinctly British environments, the Postcarden is available as a city, a botanical gardens and a charming allotment, all printed in Wales by ‘Ethical Packaging’, with the seeds also sourced within the UK.
Postcarden Giveaway
we’ve got 2 of each design to giveaway…..
Tomorrow’s weekend edition of our bi-weekly newsletter will contain our exclusive ‘Postcarden Giveaway’… if you’re not already signed up then you had better click here right away…..
the garden shed gets a luxe makeover....
Toys
February 17th, 2010
Tucked away in the corner of your suburban garden like the bastard offspring of a traditional garden shed and a lunar landing module, the Archipod is a whole new reason to work from home. Centered around the concept of removing the tie between work and home, the Archipod allows for an external working space without the cost, bureaucracy and inconvenience of building an extension or out-building. Of course it’s not just your office you could set up in your ‘pod… it’s an ideal space for a mini recording studio, a rather luxurious playroom for the kids, or perhaps just loading with tools and acting as a designer replacement for your shed… whatever you do with it, you’ll have endless hours of fun watching the neighbours reaction to the wooden spaceship that’s taken up residence in your cabbage patch….