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The saying is: Money makes the world go around. Fair enough—the lights
have to stay on. The essential emollient, money manages to insinuate itself
into all of our lives. And those who refuse to entertain the reminders that
design is a business—whether it’s conducted in a studio, in-house or freelance
setting—are always welcome to join the Starving Artists Guild.
» Continue
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The Latest and Greatest Gadgets and Accessories (cont'd) |
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Figure 1. Unica Home Glasbauspiel Blocks, $750, 888.898.6422,
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NOT FOR BLOCKHEADS
Bruno Taut, one of the most prominent architects of the Neues
Bauen movement, was first a leading figure of expressionistic
architecture in Germany before he met with international attention
in the mid-1920s for his housing projects in Berlin. His first
building of note was a domed glass pavilion he designed at the
Werkbund exhibition in Cologne in 1914, which was made entirely
of colored glass building blocks. Stemming from his love of glass
as a building material, Taut later designed a little set of glass building
blocks. Of all the building block sets that came out of the 20th
century, his was the only one to be made out of this fragile and
often temperamental material. The colorful Glasbauspiel Blocks
are manufactured by Vitra and come complete with an octagonal
box for storage.
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Figure 2. Flax Art & Design Valise Sets, $40, 800.343.3529
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SUITCASE SAVVY
Flax Art & Design offers another way
to break out of the travel accessory
mold: Harken back to those childhood
years with its unique Valise Sets.
Edged in contrasting colors with metal
hinges and hardware, the valises nest
inside each other to store away neatly.
Take them out and show the world
your colorful outlook on life’s journeys.
Made in Europe of laminated fi -
berboard, the sets come in blue/white,
yellow/red, mint/yellow, purple/pink,
and black/brown. Set of five valises in
sizes ranging from 6Q x 4U x 2U to
14 x 8U x 3U inches.
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Figure 3. Senseo Coffee Machine, $70, 800.211.9610
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LEAVE THE ATTITUDE AT THE COFFEE BAR
Love that frothy mustache left after downing a Venti
of fancy cappucino? Now you can get it without having
to deal with the bitchy barrista at Starbucks. Sporting
a sleek design and reasonably priced new flavors, the
Senseo Coffee System brews up your choice of one or
two “sensational” servings of normal java—but with a
layer of froth that would make any cappucino jealous—
all in under a minute. $3.99–$4.99 gets you 16 packs
of flavored “pods,” like Paris Vanilla Bistro, Killarney
Irish Creamery, and Vienna Hazelnut Waltz; or 18
packs of traditional musts such as Mild Roast, Medium
Roast, Dark Roast, and Decaffeinated. Choose
between a blue, black, or white system.
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Figure 4. Modernseed Snap-Step by TRUCK Product Architecture,
$69, 866.301.9635 |
BABY STEPS
Concepted by former graphic
designer Melissa Pfeiffer,
Modernseed, “the place to
find modern stuff for modern
kids,” is a wellspring of
hip furniture and fashions for
children. “I wanted to create
the resource for all things
modern for the mini,” explains
Pfeiffer on her website.
“The seed was planted.” And
up sprouted quality products
with a design aesthetic, like
the Snap-Step by TRUCK
Product Architecture. This
stepping stool combines necessity
with charm, offering
tots a fashionable way to
step up to the sink or other
not-so-kid-friendly appliances.
Made of Baltic birch
and nontoxic painted wood.
13 x 14 x 11Q inches. |
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