I've got nothing for you today - literally

Better than nothing - Poster, originally uploaded by midwich.

"This typographic A2 poster has been created in an ASCII style. The hundreds of hand drawn (pencil) dashes make an optical illusion which form the letters. If you look closely (see larger size) you can see the letter forms hidden in the dashes."

For more information and to see other posters check out Binary & The Brain"

Tansu step chests - furniture design with staying power

My favorite piece of furniture, and something that I treasure, is my Tansu step chest. It is the only piece of furniture that we willingly paid full, perhaps over, price for simply because I had always wanted one. Four or so years ago, I happened upon a Chinese antiquity shop filled with gorgeous chests, accessories, and statues. As I wondered through the store, I ended up in its basement where I found this particular piece. I called my husband and pretty much sobbed that it had to be mine.

The Tansus chest originated in Japan sometime in the 1800s. These chests were designed to enhance the minimal aesthetic of Japanese homes at that time and hold every day items such as food and clothing. They were also known for being minimal, practical, and portable.

[source]

The Tansus step chest is one of the earliest examples of Japanese cabinetry. Utilitarian in its design, these chests often bridged the literal gap between floors or served as room dividers sharing the same drawers and openings on both sides. They were also designed to be moved easily and quickly in times of disaster. Larger chest handles served as pole inserts so that the chests could be carried on the backs of two people.

[source]

My step chest is identical on both sides. It comes apart in 11 different sections, including the base.

Besides its functionality and practicality, I love how these chests fit seamlessly into any decor. This beautiful piece of furniture is steeped in history and remains relevant today.

Classic Tansu in a modern loft. [source]


Custom cabinetry that mimics Tansu [source]

Handmade mod Tansu chest by Wook Woodworking on Etsy (Northampton, MA)

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Combined shelves from CB2 [source]

To see more great Tansus chests, visit this Flickr group here.

BONUS: While researching this post, I came across these great ideas that relate to the shape and functionality of Tansu. These would be perfect in small spaces.

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What to do with those old incandescent lightbulbs

1243 incandescent lightbulbs illuminated by one single low energy light source. What Watt? is a homage to this soon to be defunct icon. Designer - Tim Fishlock, London.

Time lapsed video of its construction.
What Watt? from Tim Fishlock on Vimeo.

original source: Contemporist

Another great bookshelf idea - Reader's Nest

Save your place and shelve your favorite books - a design collaborative by David Design

Munkii Vintage Bookshelf

This is a fantastic line of bookshelves designed by Jaren Goh for a furniture company in Singapore, Munkii. These bookshelves combine baroque and contemporary styling, perfectly melding the two into a piece that is functional, whimsical, and relevant to our time. I love them! For more pictures, visit Design Milk or the Munkii website. [originally seen on Design Milk]

Fred and Friends - a quirky company with huge design flare and a great sense of humor

This post started simply as a shout-out to a friend, Jason Amendolara, the art director at Fred and Friends. One of his designs popped up on Jay Leno on September 22.



Since I hadn't stopped by his blog in a while, I hopped over there and was blown away with some of their newest offerings.

First, Fred and Friends, is a quirky Rhode Island company that features useful products with a sense of humor. You've probably seen some of their items, such as the "pick your nose" cups, in boutiques across the nation or in a magazine. Why do I love them so? I believe that our everyday life, as mundane as it may get, needs laughter. And if I can get a smirk out of a the pot holder I grab at dinner, then that is brilliant!


So, here are a few of my favorite 2009 F & F products. Oh, who am I kidding! I love them all. Take at gander at their 2009 catalog here.

Jason - Way to go, man! Way to go!

Fred & Friends - thank you for bringing levity to everyday life!

Give yourself a different perspective of your home - through the eye of a camera

Have you ever caught a glimpse of a room in your house through the reflection in a mirror? Did this perspective feel new to you? Seeing your house in a mirror or through the eye of a camera can give you insight on your home's decor....or lack thereof.

Earlier this summer, I thought I'd take some pictures of different items/rooms in our house for this purpose. Inspired by other bloggers, I also wanted to see if I could make our super cheap, hand-me-down thrift store pieces (some moved multiple times since....college) look decent through the camera lens. Surprisingly, it actually made me feel a bit better about what I have.

Here's a glimpse of our dining room. Our current style is pretty eclectic. While I lean toward modern or contemporary (i.e., this modern house), my pocketbook steers me otherwise. So, over the years I've purchased based on money and what I could find. We do have a few pieces that we've splurged on, but overall we've simply made our stuff work together...for us.

Give it a try. Go through your house and take some shots. I bet you'll be surprised. Be sure to share your discoveries with me! I'd love to see them.

For more detailed pictures (with notes), visit my Flickr set "our home" here. I'll be featuring some other rooms/perspectives in coming weeks. If you like this feature, stay tuned.

Trompe l'oeil curtain perfect for hiding clutter

[source: Details Magazine]

Never worry about your messy room again with this trompe l'oeil curtain by Bauke Knottnerus. Scaled life size, it's the perfect room scape for the illusion of cleanliness and serenity. Do they come in house size slipcovers?!

Was I the last to know about solar powered watches?

I am the accidental collector. I don't collect anything on purpose, but after years of accumulating, I end up with collections of things. One of said collections is of watches. Without the intention of saving them (and many I didn't), somehow I've ended up with at least 20 or more.

My first was a Cinderella watch that came with a similar figurine as the one shown below. I remember loving that watch so much that I wouldn't wear it for fear of scratching it.

One of my most valued is an antique wind-up my mother gave me from her childhood in Vietnam. I don't know the whole story behind it, but it must be at least 65+ years old.

I've had Swatch Watches in clear and solid black (at the time, it had to be the all black one with no numbers). Do you remember the Swatch Guards and wearing multiples?! It's hard for me to admit that these are considered vintage now. We're only talking the '80s!

I also have dress watches, cheap watches, and fake name watches. Around Christmas, the last of my battery operated watches died. I was going to gather up the bunch and schlep out to our local mall's watch shop to buy new batteries for all of them. Of course, procrastination got the best of me and by the 25th I was still watchless. Luckily, hubby surprised me with this great Citizen's Eco-Drive solar powered watch. Yup! I'll never have to wind it, replace batteries, or whine about the aforementioned again. How cool and who knew?!

So, if you are in the market for a new watch, consider going green! Oh, and apparently, the people who wear it are unstoppable, just like the watch:

3 interior design rules I live by

The pieces of furniture shown here satisfy two of my personal rules in interior design:

1) Always have something black in a room. It grounds the room.

2) Add a touch of whimsy (even if your style is very traditional). It could be something as small as a picture or as large as a piece of furniture.

3) Always add life to your main living space with real plants, particularly large leaf plants with up lighting. Tip: you can give a large plant height and presence by putting it on a pedestal or small table.

designer: Giuseppe Canevese Design
year: 2004
manufacturer: Ennezero, Italy
graphic artist: Guido Crepax (1933-2003)

source: Better Living Through Design

New Shadow Chair by Duffy London

"A chair that integrates shadow into its structure. At first glance it is a simple chair that seems to defy gravity by standing upright while only having two front legs, but on closer inspection the shadow is part of the chair and made from steel, which is attached to a metal frame built inside the chair." By Duffy London

|| COVETED || Eames Rocker (RAR)

Sweet, sweet surpirse

I'm pretty new at this blogging stuff but am coming to really enjoy it. More than anything it has connected me to some really great people, whom I'd never have known.

Whenever possible, I like to roll down blogger street and see what's going on with my new friends. What better place to start than in my own blog roll (to your right). So, today I clicked on psilology and much to my surprise, saw that I was given a blog award! Let me tell you, that is a nice way to start a day!

So, I am going to pay it forward by bestowing this award to 5 of my favorite blogs:

1) Scoutie Girl - just an awesome indie blogger blogging about indie designers...Jan rocks!

2) Arts in RI - a great group of extremely talented, hard working, and nice RI artists!

3) ecolect - an awesome resource for sustainable design!

4) kidoinfo - a wonderful parent resource!

5) Making it Lovely - great design from my old haunt, the OP!

I'm a huge fan of all the blogs in my blog roll, so it was hard to choose! Thank you, psilology! You made my day!