amazing. mona. lisa. laptop. artwork.

I just came across this amazing laser etching of the Mona Lisa on a laptop. Now I want to get my laptop etched! You can see Mona and a bunch of other laptop etchings (Barry Manilow?!?) over here.And that will be my last post of 2007. See you in 2008! Happy New Year, and thanks for reading! I love all of you!

stomp. ashtray.

I don't recommend smoking and in fact advocate against it so I don't need an ashtray. But if you do smoke and do need an ashtray, I'd like to point out Stomp. The idea here is that most people are going to throw their butts on the floor anyway and then step on the them put them out (hopefully), so why not have form follow function and create an ashtray that works with smokers instead of against

volcano.

Volcano is part sculpture and part table. It comes form Christa, a design house that "explores the roots of primitivism and modernism, the found and the sculptural in the everyday and the monumental." I get it. Er, sort of. There's not too much info on the site about Volcano so I'm not sure what it's made of, what it costs or even if it's for sale. But you can get the idea just by looking at

bizarre. chandelier.

I like a light that knows what it is. In this case it's a chandelier by Fambuena that looks, well, bizarre, and so it's been dubbed the Bizarre Chandelier. Nice and simple for all concerned. It's got a Polycryl body, a 20 foot suspension cable and comes in "ivory" or "white". I think that must be a misprint because it seems to come in red and white. It costs $2,335.50.

spion.

The sort-of-creepy Spion light looks like a cool, mirrored dome when it's off. But turn it on and it becomes a light that looks like something HAL, the crazy computer from 2001, might use to spy on you. (Get it? Spion...Spy On?). It was designed by Vernor Panton way back in 1971. The metallised shade is what gives it the eerie off/one effect. Seems to cost around $1,500 if you can find it.

groove. bowl.

Christoph Böninger created this amazing Groove bowl by corrugating (can you use that as a verb?) a piece of aluminum. Not sure if it's made bowl-like before or after the corrugation process, but either way it looks fabulous. I found it on this office furniture site which sells the Groove as a candy or fruit bowl, but I'd definitely put this thing in my ultra modern kitchen (if I had one, that

mosaic. light.

Mosaic is the real-world version of what a pixelated light bulb would have looked like on some old 8-bit gaming system. It comes from an amazing studio called &Design in Japan that also makes a pixelated version of the wristwatch. Sadly it seems to be just a prototype so I don't know if or when it will be available or how much it will cost, but I'm first on the waiting list for one if they make

clockwork.

Here's another awesome clock, this one by Henk Stallinga. I found it over at Propeller Modern (which sadly does not have a direct link, so check the Accessories part of their menu). It's a modern reinterpretation of the grandfather clock. The top tells time, and the bottom is the pendulum. They're not actually connected in anyway (and run on separate batteries) which is kind of a shame, but

era. ora.

Era Ora is a wall clock by James Irvine where the minute hand rotates around the outside of the clock instead of pivoting around the center sprocket. Irvine calls it "slightly irritating, because the hands are slightly different from the norm, maybe you look at it twice, if you have time." I call it genius. And hopefully some manufacturer will call Irvine to put Era Ora into production because

sit. by. sid.

If you like the graffiti look, check out Sit by Sid over at Cite. It's a modern, modular sofa that comes in seven re-arrangeable pieces covered in faux grafitti. Seems like the perfect sofa to pair with the A-Light, another graffiti-based design. Cite is one of those sites where I can't seem to find pricing, but I'll let you know when I figure it out. My guess: expensive.

al. dente.

Shower heads and colanders are basically the same thing, so why not combine them for that kitchen look in your bathroom? I can't think of quite a few reasons, but that didn't stop the creators of Al Dente, a shower head that works by dumping water out of a faucet looking thing into a colander looking thing. No idea if or how this changes water pressure, or how you'll feel about eating pasta

feel.

At first glance Feel by Animi Causa looks like some sort of couch/bed thing made out of giant tennis balls. And on second glance it seems pretty much the same. But scroll through the photos on the Animi Causa site and you'll see that it's really a reconfigurable system that can be piled and rearranged into whatever you like, thanks to the 120 "extremely soft and pleasant balls" its built out of (

omero.

I hate to use a cliche but the easist way to describe Omero is that it's like a space age version of the common magazine rack. Designed by Francisco Gomez Paz, it's made of aluminum and stainless steel and looks like just about anything but something used to hold magazines. But as you add magazines to Omero, its shape fills out nicely. The concept is awesome, but not sure how practical it

NY Design Store Map

I'm putting together a map of cool design stores in NY using Google maps. It's a work in progress and focused on Soho right now, but I'll be adding to it over time so if you have any suggestions, let me know. It's probably only 20% done at the moment but includes enough

glow. wing.

Soner Ozenc & John Wischhusen created a beautiful light in their Glow Wing, which also has one of the most fitting names I've come across. It's made from electro-luminescent plastic and can run either on four AAA batteries or on a 110V line, but is only available in blue. Each Glow Wing kit comes with wings, a body, a cable, an inverter and, if you live in Europe, an adapter. Costs $139 but

yum. brella. bowl.

Benjamin Hubert sent me a link to his recent work and, as you can see from the Yum brella bowl, he's a mad genius of design. This particular piece is a ceramic fruit bowl with a built-in banana hook, but I suggest you swing by his site to see what else he's working on. It's all amazing. My other faves are the Puff out light and the Cast candelabra. (Sorry, no direct links as it's a Flash heavy

soop. plate.

Rebelling against the axiom that kids (and adults) shouldn't play with their food, Soop created a plate that turns your meal into a game. The $27 plate looks like a game board and comes with a booklet of games (although I imagine you can figure out your own pretty easily). If my parents had had this for me when I was little, maybe they'd have been a little more successful getting me to eat my

shin. tanaka. paper. robots.

Shin Tanaka is a designer who creates robots out of paper, then takes the blank design template for the robot and invites anyone interested to design their own version. He then posts pictures of his and your robots on his Web site in a sort of mega collaboration gallery. He's got a bunch of robots online right now, including one sort of Tokyo hop hop version that has a hoody! I can't tell from

eat. drink.

David-Louis loves aluminum, lists industrialists and designers like William Morris as influences, and likes to create products that will stand the test of time. Check, check and check for Eat Drink, an aluminum placement and coaster set that adds a bit of fun to your dining experience. It's a pricey adornment for your table at £114 (that includes VAT and shipping if you live in the UK though),

cuboluce.

Franco Bettonica and Mario Melocchi designed a very literal lightbox when they created Cuboluce. It's a small (4" x 4" x 4.5") box that lights up when opened. You can angle the reflection of the light by opening the lid a little more or a little less. Although this probably falls under the category of "decorative" rather than "task" lighting, I think it would work great atop a bureau or

stefanie. sitting. in. ball. chair.

Someone named Ryan Peterson wrote in, said his girlfriend was a fan, and asked me to post her pic in the Ball Chair she'd recently bought. Here you go Ryan and Stefanie. And as we all already know: "A Ball Chair is a 'room within a room' with a cozy and calm atmosphere, protecting outside noises and giving a private space for relaxing or having a phone call. Turning around its own axis on the

richard. III.

Wow, check out th amazing Richard III chair from Baleri-Italia. They call it "the very essence of stereotypical middle-class decor, the object as a mask, a technological jack-in-the-box." I don't know what any of that means, but I'm giving that chair some hardcore mind loving right now. Created by Philippe Starck (or course) in 1985.

corner. lamp.

The Corner Lamp from Design House is a great solution if you have a room that needs some illumination and where space is at a premium. I have quite a few semi-useless corners that a light like this would not only make incrediblly useful but also pretty stylish. And at $225 it's pretty reasonable. The only down side is the shade is plastic, which might not work for some people, but I guess

cubits.

Cubits are the next generation of the semi-famous Cubitec shelving system developed by Doron Lachisch. DWR's unflattering definition of the shelving system says "...combines the exceptional strength and stability of injection-molded polypropylene with simple, modular design." Mine is, really cool semi-transparent plastic shelves that would go equally well in a high-tech garage or in some

eclipse. light.

Eclipse is a lamp cut out of a single piece of steel that puts the focus on the bulb with an artful frame and some cunningly placed reflectors. It's about two feet high and makes a perfect table lamp as well as a great statment. Costs €189,00. It was created by Ronen Kadushin, who is clearly a stylish person indeed.

qoffee.

Qoffee is an oversized plastic cup that's big enough to be used as a wastepaper basket or sturdy enough to be used as a small stool. Desgined by Rainer Spehl, it comes in white, beige, dark grey or orange. Qoffee is 34cm in diameter, 46cm high and costs £55. I have no idea why they are being displayed in what looks like someone's backyard. And an unkempt backyard at that.

plenty. chair.

The Plenty is just a concept by Design Nobis but what a concept it is. The overall design is gorgeous in a sleek-modern way and as a bonus the base is an ottoman that slides out when in use, and the arm has a built-in magazine rack. I feel certain UFO technology is involved somehow. Someone go commission this as a salable product please.

plastidermy.

Science and Sons not only makes that cool Phonofonics II thing you may have read about, they also make a cool set of "lasersmithed," life-size acrylic animal trophies called Plastidermy. Each piece comes as a set of flat parts that you assemble via slots, sort of like a kid's toy. You can also combine any three of the same animal heads to create a chandelier.

ulo.

The ULO is an unidentified luminous object from designer Angele Riguidel. Actually, it's identified as an old Electrolux canister vacuum recycled into a stylish light. ULOs come in grey and blue, with each color having slightly different accoutrements and dimensions. Both use a 40 watt bulb and cost $350.

iraq. rug.

Ricardo Casas, Héctor Esrawe, Emiliano Godoy, Cecilia León de la Barra, Óscar Núñez have created an interesting project with their Iraq rug. In their words: "A rug shaped after the map of Iraq features soldiers advancing from many direction into Bagdad. Through newspapers and television, the image of Iraq is continuously depicted with graphics similar to board games and action figures, giving it

table. mk.

Table MK was designed by Michael Kruijne in 2005 and you can find it on the Six Inch site. Although probably not suitable for formal dining (since it's made of foam and the interlocking chairs don't have any backs), it nevertheless makes a powerful statement in the looks department. If nothing else the color will certain draw the attention of your guests. As far as I can tell this isn't for

eq. radio.

The EQ is a stylish, cordless radio designed to let you listen to over-the-air tunes anywhere you want and look good doing it. It's got an AM/FM radio and an alarm clock with a rechargeable power supply that will last about 30 hours between charges. Not sure how many people will actually want this with all the MP3 players and docks out there, but it has a certain panache missing from most other

battery. eater.

Every now and then (okay, at least twice a day) some random weird thing that I have no need for catches my eye and makes me want to buy it, and today's winner is the Battery Eater. It's a little gizmo you put almost-used battery in and its eyes light up until it sucks the last bit of juice out of them. Would I ever actually use this? Prolly not. But I still want it.

bedtime. stories.

These awesome Bedtime Stories sheets are a project from Tiago da Fonseca and I went some now please. "Once upon a time there was a blanket. This blanket had several sheets containing a traditional bedtime story. Each 'page' adds a layer of linen making you warmer (or cooler) and comfier hopefully guiding you and your partner into a pleasant night's sleep." When can we buy some??? (via CubeMe)

can. someone. help. me. find. these.

I want to get these but can't remember the Web site that sells them. Anyone happen to remember? Thanks in advance if you can.

abyss. lamp.

There is no reason given for why the Abyss Lamp has its unusual name (at least on the site I found it on), but my guess is it's named after creatures you might find in the dark abyss of the sea. What I did find on the site is that the Abyss is "a high voltage LED strip and modular structure encased in injection molded opal polycarbonate segments. These segments allow the abyss lamps the

70. Or. So. Photos. From. ICFF.

I just posted about 70 photos from the International Contemporary Furniture Fair at the Jacob Javits Center in NY. There are 7 posts labeled, cleverly, ICFF Photos, with about 10 photos per post. Hope you enjoy them. The show will be open to the public on Tues, May 22, so if you're in NY and you like furniture, try to check it out (you'll have to buy a ticket though). Highly recommended. I

ICFF Photos Batch 7

ICFF Photos Batch 6

ICFF Photos Batch 5

ICFF Photos Batch 4

ICFF Photos Batch 3

ICFF Photos Batch 2

ICFF Photos Batch 1

Design. Blogfest. And. Sorapot.

Thanks to Mocoloco, Treehugger, Notcot, Apartment Therapy, Curbed, Cool Hunting, The Apartment and CribCandy for hosting the Design Blogfest last night. Here's a pic from my phone cam of the line to get in. Wow, super crowded. But lots of fun. I didn't actually see any of the bloggers themselves there, but The Apartment folks were great. I also ran into Joey Roth who had his Sorapot teapot on

la. plic.

Nathalie Dewez has created my new favorite light, the La Plic (which means "wall lamp"). It's kind of industrial looking but arty, and kind of barebones yet fully formed. Nice work Nathalie! It also "falls asleep at dawn and wakes up at the sunset, in a perfect harmony between natural and artificial light. Thanks to an electronic dimmer, the duality nature/technology is made possible." Sweet!

2D. vase.

I can't decide if I really like the 2D Vase or just think it's a clever gimmick. It's the flat shape of a vase that you put together with a glass of your choice to make a vase, which is in fact a very clever idea, just not sure how sightly it would actually be. But it's easy to store and just $14.95 so no harm in trying it. Okay, I think I officially like. Er, sort of.

cacnews.

Inspired by the formidable cactus plant, Cacnews from Sintesi is one of the more innovative ways to hold your magazines and newspapers. The site's English translation doesn't make too much sense to me so I'll include it here in its entirety: "Column in calandered steel-sheet 1,5 mm thick green, aluminium C6, orange or iron lacqueredBase in steel-sheet 4 mm thick green, aluminium C6, orange or

solar. system. chair.

In terms of "out there" design the Solar System Chair is so out that it comes from outerspace. Or at least it's sort of vaguely modeled on the planets. And honestly the planets don't look especially comfortable to sit on. But they are fun to look at. And only £99. (Via NerdApproved)

stiletto. doorstop.

The usightly doorstop gets a much needed upgrade with the Stiletto, which looks like exactly what it's named after. When something is this brilliant, there's not much more to say about it, except it's only $12 and comes with a money back guarantee.

period. table.

The elves at Brad Escalon Studio sent over an announcement about the new Period Table, which I instantly fell in love with. Not too much info on this on other than it's made of powder-coated steel and tempered glass. I like it because it's another one of those pieces that has both modern and classic lines to it, meaning it can fit in with (at least to my mind) with both contemporary and antique

paddy.

Paddy is a concept chair from Nick Melville that was part of the DesignersBlock London "Dark Design" exhibit. All the projects in the exhibit had "a slightly sinister edge but with a light hearted or humorous twist," and Paddy is Nick's take on a padded cell, here transformed into "a comfy chair for nutters." It's meant to make you feel safe and secure, giving you "a sanctuary from the rapid

bird's. house.

The designers at Industreal have come up with this concept birdhouse that let's us listen in on what our feathered friends are talking about when they're at home. Creator Simone Simonelli says, "This project is born from the idea of amplifying the words of those whom among us have little space, from the concept that the sounds of nature offers us may one day become ours souranatural hi-fi system!"

ravioli. chair.

The Ravioli Chair is the work of architect and theorist Greg Lynn, in collaboration with...his computer. I'll quote here: "By means of the opportunities afforded by computer simulation, a square surface is blown up in three dimensions into a spatial shape that can support any number of uses, offering a rest, a seat, armrests, and a backrest. Ravioli therefore constitutes a contemporary

f-598. chair.

For an orange chair the F-598 looks kind of tough to me. Hell, the name F-598 even sounds tough, like it's a fighter jet or something. It was made by Pierre Paulin in 1973 and is described as "compact, fluid and works very well in grouped sequences." Um, yeah. Sequences. Okay. Maybe not so tough after all. Each chair in that sequence will cost you $2,295 by the way. Oh, that price is tough!

tripple. chair.

Too bad this is only a concept design from Frederik Roije, but what a great concept Tripple Chair is (yes, there are really two Ps in the name). Pretty self explanatory too: it's one "design object" that incorporates a chair, a table and a light. If it existed, it would be a wood and metal frame covered with embroidered wool on cotton, available in various colors. Presumably there would be a

compositional.

This is an awesome wall sconce especially for book lovers and librarians. The Compositional not only looks like a book, its white vellum shade comes with inserts of a William Blake poem and a Schubert symphony that are softly illuminated when the light is turned on. I would suspect you could also make your own inserts, and you can also talk to the manufacturer about other custom options. The lamp

normal. room.

Anssi Koskinen sent me a link to Normal Room, a Web site where people can upload pictures of their rooms for all the world to see. It's billed as a "home for global homes, wonderful lifestyles and fabulous interior design." In other words, it's an interior design voyeur show, and like any voyeur show it's exceedingly fun to browse through. The rooms tend to be pretty interesting, presumably

candy.

Call something candy and you've got my attention. Make something this cool and call it Candy and you've really got my attention! Pearson Lloyd created this delicious morsel for public seating. The back rest comes in varying heights and each separate part can be upholstered in a different fabric. It starts at £1,340. Comes with the stainless steel bright rod legs you see here or an

spring. chair.

Yet another aptly named piece of furniture, the Spring Chair comes from Cambium Studio, which specializes in eco-friendly custom work. This baby is made from reclaimed timber and truck springs. Unfortunately it only seems to be, you know, for kids. Pricing available on the site.

superlow. sofa.

There isn't too much information on this prototype Superlow Sofa from Chris Jackson so the picture will have to suffice. If you visit the site though you'll also find a Superlow Cabinet and a Superlow Coffe Table along with a Superlow Modular Sofa so go one, follow that link.

allegoria.

Bo Reudler created this modern take on an old-fashioned cabinet using aluminium-blasted Plexiglas, a stainless steel frame and porcelain. Wow. Or as Bo says: "The old soul of an antique wardrobe has been reborn but is searching to materialise. You see what once was and simultaneously what will be. Delicate porcelain handles are a reminder that it can't quite shake the past. On second thoughts, it

soho. sideboard.

When they say the Soho is "designed to compliment a variety of styles" they sure mean it! This piece seems to literally have everything. It's interesting that creator Boca Do Lobo also describes it as having "subtle details" when there is not much subtle about this "series of styles and typologies of drawers, that count different and varied techniques from glass to wood and lacquer colour to the

cade. chair.

The Cade chair doesn't look like a chair at all, which is the whole point of its design. It was made by OVO, "a duet of thirtysomething Brazilian designers who aim to produce furniture that are functional but also entertain and stimulate our imagination." The trick with Cade is that it doesn't actually become chair-like until you sit in its elastic body and it "takes the print of your body."

tree. wall. rack.

Michael Young and Katrin Petursdottir have come up with a fun, attractive way to hang your coats, hats and whatnot with their simply named Tree Wall Rack. It's pretty much exactly what it sounds like, a coat rack that's shaped like a nouveau tree, so it looks great whether it's being used or just adorning your walls. It's made from veneered MDF and comes in either white lacquer, black lacquer or

ballerina. (you know, for valentine's day!)

Here's a cute chair for you on Valentine's Day. The Ballerina has an "aw shucks" heart shaped back made from tubular steel, painted in one of three colors. The seat is covered ("literally draped") in a lycra cover that fastens via snaps so it can be changed as desired. It runs $477 and extra covers will run you $239.P.S. Alredhead is right...there are 5 finishes, 3 paint and 2 metal.

chronarte. canna.

I saw a brief mention of the ChonrArte Canna on Mocoloco but was so blown away by it, I felt it needed its own post. This gorgeous clock uses real liquid for its liquid display, which is made up of 12 tubes that slowly fill with colored water. It's meant to represent "flowing water as a symbol for time and its passing" and also "time as an endless river." It's about 47" tall and 28" wide if

blue. desk.

If you don't have a lot of space but you do have a lot of cash and you're in the market for an acrylic desk, you might want to consider Paul Kelley's Blue Desk. Closed it looks like a small table, but pull open one side and you'll find a chair integrated into the design. The blue modern exterior is nicely paired with a more traditional mahogany interior. It will cost you $29,921 and takes 12

ear. chair.

Isn't this chair CUTE? Its big head with big ears reminds me of a wittle puppy! While you're gawking at the big ears don't miss the table built into one of the arms. The idea of the Ear Chair is to "create a room in the space available, both visually and acoustically." They were originally designed for a reception area where clients were received and meetings were held. I'm not clear if you

lulu's. hideaway.

Since this is under the Pet Project section of I.D. Chicago I'm assuming Lulu is supposed to be some type of animal who likes funky modern furniture. In this case, an acrylic geometric house thingie that's 17.7" per side, white on the outside and puruple on the inside. Gotta be honest, don't think there is a chance in hell of getting Lulu or any other pet into this 2001: A Space Odyssey looking

love. letter. light.

This one's a little complicated so I'm going to let the text on the Plushpod site (where I found this) speak for itself:"Love letter is a series of lighting sculptures which emit soft ambient lighting through the use of an electroluminescent film suspended within a translucent envelope. Using a dry erase marker a message can be written directly on the film, which will then glow like candlelight