Kaleido Trays by Hay for DWR

These Kaleido trays designed by Hay made me sit straight up when I was flipping through the Design Within Reach catalog:

Colorful, modular trays: easy on the eyes and, apparently, good for your posture.

Icicle by Thomas Pedersen

I was instantly taken with this series of tables called Icicle, designed by Thomas Pedersen and made in Denmark:

Surfboard coffee table

Icicle round table

Icicle triangle table

They're available through Mjölk, a Toronto shop that consistently serves up housewares and furniture with a pared down, elegant aesthetic. 

Polyhedra Pendant

This faceted polyhedra pendant made by RawDezign in Birmingham, England, is calling my name:

There are so many reasons to support small companies making great products like this, but the most selfish reason is to enjoy having custom options for things like cord colors! I'd go red or orange, but gold would be fancy pants, too.

Andrew Neyer

Andrew Neyer is a Cincinnati-based artist and designer whose cheeky, minimal work really makes me smile. I'm especially fond of this first print, a little art history joke:

De Still

Tote Bag™

Watch Clock

That all-white clock! See more of Neyer's portfolio and find his work for sale at YES.

Koppel Thermometer

Welp, we can stop making thermometers, because this one, designed by Henning Koppel, is perfect:

Available from Skandium in stainless steel or black; also available as a hygrometer and a barometer.

Colorblock Clutch Love

Will it shock you to learn that I love these minimal and stylish felt clutches, made by Tanya Kotyagina in Moscow? Not likely. They're perfect for someone like me who prefers to keep accessories (and everything else) simple:

White and Orange Felt Clutch

Yellow and Blue Felt Clutch

Turquoise, Blue and Pink Felt Clutch

She's got more clutches, bags, and cases for sunglasses, phones, and passports on sale here.

Harriet Anstruther and Henry Bourne

The second photo spread from today's New York Times Style Magazine captures my heart both by design and location, being a 19th century townhouse in London. The house, owned by designer Harriet Anstruther and photographer Henry Bourne, is a perfect blend of the traditional and the modern, unified by glorious pops of magenta and graphic black and white patterns:

Photos by Henry Bourne for The New York Times

Perfection. I have little to add other than when may I move in? See the entire spread here.

Indice by Hiroaki Watanabe

I just stumbled on these rainbow indice bookends designed by Hiroaki Watanabe at the MoMA Store:

Perfect for organizing your back copies of Domino before the special issue is released in April! And while you're at the MoMA Store, check out the jewelry made by Jessica and Jesse, the fine folks of Nervous System.

The Next Big Small Brand: Sweet Loren's

My friend Ricky Ferrer, designer of our (best ever in the whole world) logo, recently worked on a fantastic branding campaign that I want you to see. Rooster Design Group, the firm at which Ricky is a senior designer, runs an annual competition for small brands that need help with identity, packaging, logo, and site design called The Next Big Small Brand (if you have a small business, your design-y senses are tingling already, I know). This year's contest winner was Sweet Loren's, a ready-to-bake dessert company, and will you just look at their new branding?

Amazing, right? Ricky, you old so-and-so. Sweet Loren's should be on the shelf at Whole Foods now, so I'm gonna go pick up some dessert (and like a huge nerd, probably display the box for awhile so I can admire it!). The Next Big Small Brand begins accepting submissions for the 2012 competition starting in January, so if you want to have Ricky and the rest of the team at Rooster Design Group take an expert crack at your branding, you should check it out!

Rewrite by Gam Fratesi

When I saw this cave-like desk designed by Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi on Swiss Miss' blog over the weekend, I actually sat up in my chair and looked closer at the screen. I'm declaring it my new ideal desk because it can re-create in my office the only environment I've ever been able to successfully work and write in--a library carrel:

If you're a complete silence, no-distractions-tolerated kind of worker like me, its simple enclosed shape and neutral colors are perfect. And it's also big enough to fit a little bed for a kitty or two to curl up in, because let's face it, they'll want to take it over, anyway. Rewrite is available at Ligne Roset.

Vibrant Rugs by Sonya Winner

With three cats and a dog, we've simply given up on the idea of having rugs in our house. I guess that's what I find so many I can't live without, like nearly every single design by Sonya Winner:

Are you holding your breath yet? It looks like there's a signature in some of her rugs, which is fitting for the works of art that they are. Everyone else can stop making rugs now, I think Sonya's got it, thanks.

Pendant Lamps by Studio Snowpuppe

Nellianna and Kenneth, an architect and an industrial designer respectively, make beautiful paper origami pendant lamps by hand in the Netherlands under the name Studio Snowpuppe (I'm not sure what a snowpuppe is, but I'm sure that I want one). The lamps are fascinating to look at from all angles, making them perfectly suited for installation over a dining table or a seating area in the living room. Of their three available designs, here are my two favorites:

 Signature White Paper Origami Lampshade, size XL

Chestnut Paper Origami Lampshade in Yellow, size S

The Chestnut lamps also come in pink, grey, and white, and they're all available on Nellianna's Etsy shop.

Felt and Gravity by Amy Hunting

I spotted yet more rainbow-y furniture recently on the always fantastic Shoebox Dwelling blog. These Felt and Gravity pieces are by London-based product designer Amy Hunting:

 

You could store any number of things in the super-saturated felt pockets of these tables and sideboards and still have an overall look that's colorful and neatly pulled together. Also awesome is Hunting's Ottoman design, which features hand printed fabric covered in Norwegian motifs:

See more photos of the Felt and Gravity series on Shoebox Dwelling and Amy Hunting's site.

Pebble Table by Nada Debs

This Pebble Table, designed by RISD graduate Nada Debs, really caught my eye in the September/October issue of New England Home:

It's easy to see why, right? I love the clean lines, the modular style that can be rearranged in any space, and the candy colors table tops that can be changed around. That means if you have--ahem--a compulsion to put things in rainbow order, you can easily satisfy that need (clearly Debs is a designer who understands the rainbow-impaired). The table is available in other finishes, but lots of color just makes me smile.

UM Project by François Chambard

On sale today through Thursday at Fab.com are some delightful furniture pieces from François Chambard's Brooklyn-based UM Project (that's UM for Users and Makers). My favorites, surprising no one, are the Milking Stools and Candy tables for their colorful finishes and pleasantly rounded legs:




Last week our studiomate Nick was kind enough to trade space and help us expand our studio, so we have a nicer space than we did before. But dang, based on the pictures on UM's site, I've got some studio envy in addition to colorful furniture envy!

Shed/Shelf by Studio Gorm

This Shed/Shelf by Oregon-based Studio Gorm made the rounds on some decor blogs a few years ago, but I saw it recently on Remodelista and feel enamoured all over again. I've never seen a little house I haven't loved, and this one stores your stuff!








See more cute, modular furniture and housewares at Studio Gorm's site.