Modern Playhouse for Kids: Imagination Goes Mod

2010-09-04T17:42:41Z

Give your kids a creative place to play with this great design from Modern Playhouse. These modular, sustainable play structures for kids take the traditional treehouse one step beyond. Designed by Gitane Royce - a construction professional, environmentalist and mom to a three year-old - Modern Playhouse is made to inspire a whole new generation of artists, designers and dreamers! This handcrafted playhouse is easy to assemble and durable to withstand endless house of play, homework and naps. Strategically placed windows and doors let natural light in, while a nature-inspired color palette gives this playhouse the perfect finish. And in keeping with the company's eco agenda, Modern Playhouse is made by local craftspeople using locally sourced materials, contributing to low environmental impact and a small carbon footprint. "These structures embody what sustainability means to me as an environmentalist and as a mother," says Royce, founder and designer of Modern Playhouse. "Not just green production, but green living - in the form of a design that fits in with the décor of any home, that creates a flexible and durable space, and that is never truly 'outgrown'." For more info visit Modern Playhouse.

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Cool Kids Chairs by Plust: Wood-stock

2010-09-04T16:39:26Z

Versatility is key for growing kids and their changing needs, which is why we love these cool changeable chairs by Italian company Plust. The modern Wood-stock collection by designer Alberto Fabbian adapts to the little ones from day to day, and if you have kids you know that one minute they're tiny tots and the next they're ready to take on the world! These cool chairs are made of polyethylene and boast interchangeable beech elements, so you can go from short stool to chair to a tall stool ideal for crafts and homework. Simply swap out the little legs for longer ones. Now, if only raising your kids was this easy! Check out this cool collection at Plust.

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Animal Inspired Furniture by Fratelli Boffi - Animalia

2010-08-21T14:19:41Z

Italian design brand Fratelli Boffi is revealing a little of its wild side with the new Animalia furniture collection. And it's clearly got some animal magnetism - pun intended. This modern furniture collection by English designer Nigel Coates is inspired by the shape of hooves and horns, long lean legs and creature curves, animal life! The concept is complemented beautifully by the variety of materials used, including natural wood frames, glass and animal skin upholstery. The collection encompasses chairs, modular sofa sets, stools, "Stag" tables and a fabulous snake-inspired mirror - everything to give your own living room an animalistic edge. Check out the full collection by visiting Fratelli Boffi.

Check out some more photos:

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Rotomolded Stools by Plust: trendy Italian designs

2010-08-18T05:06:38Z

Italian furniture brand Plust is breaking the boundary between sculpture and furniture with the Armillaria furniture collection. The Armillaria rotomolded stool by designer Odoardo Fioravanti is perfectly comfortable sitting in a corner, placed for viewing and admiring as opposed to using (how pretentious!), or grouped around your favorite coffee table with hot appetizers, cold drinks and spirited company. These stools come in a palette of trendy tones like white, yellow curry, taupe, ivory and black pearl, and the ergonomic design lets you lean back, rest your feet and take in your surroundings. Visit Plust for more info.

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Fashionable Storage Cabinets by Casamania: luggage inspired

2010-08-16T22:29:09Z

Casamania is leading the craze for cabinets! No longer just a functional place to stash your stuff, the fashionable Valises luggage-inspired cabinets by designer Maarten De Ceulaer offer stylish storage systems that look as great as they work. Ideal for clothes, shoes and accessories or every imaginable kind, this is one storage system that looks as good - or even better - than the clothes it contains! The Valises cabinets feature six modules, each in various sizes and dimensions and stacked like the suitcases from your latest trip abroad. Up close, the leather-look exterior even features "stitching," adding authenticity to this original idea. Check out the Valises storage cabinets at Casamania.

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Knitted Cover Chairs: Jumper by Established & Sons

2010-08-15T01:43:01Z

Thanks to the knitted cover used in place of traditional upholstery, the Jumper chairs from Established & Sons look so cozy and inviting. Knitted in the same way as a sweater, Jumper's cover looks and feels just like a wool jumper, it even buttons up on the bottom of the chair. Underneath the cover is solid wooden frame with bent steel legs. Once the garment is knitted it is "washed at a high temperature, shrinking the fabric and eradicating its stretch. The resulting cover has an exceptionally engineered form with a high level of durability". So you see, these chairs are not only good looking, they're durable too. What an adorable design by Bertjan Pot. Let these chairs put a smile on your face with their heart-shaped backrests and the bent legs that suggest some resemblance to jumper monkeys. If you like these chairs then you may also like the brick upholstered furniture by Established & Sons.

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Ready To Assemble Tables Made Luxury: ScrewTop by Joe Doucet

2010-08-14T06:21:30Z

World renowned American architect and designer Joe Doucet has sent us photos of his latest creation - ScrewTop, a series of ready to assemble tables designed with luxury in mind. Noticed something unusual? This elegant table design doesn't hide its assembly hardware! Here's from the designer: "From an environmental standpoint, the benefits of shipping an object with as small a footprint as possible are numerous. Unfortunately, flat pack furniture has long been associated with "cheap." ScrewTop, proudly displaying its construction as a design feature, takes the idea of self assembly and elevates it to a fetish." If you're ready to assemble one then visit www.joedoucet.com for more information.

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Brick Upholstered Furniture by Established & Sons: Bricks & Mortar

2010-08-14T04:59:13Z

This funky brick upholstered sofa, loveseat and chair set by Established & Sons is a real treat. I think it can be a great fit for a loft with exposed brick walls and beams. I really dig that darker gray color but two-color combination will do too. This would be a conversation piece - they'll say "Wow, even your furniture is decorated to look like brick." And you'll go "Isn't it cool?" At that point tell them you got it from Established & Sons. On a serious note, it's a nice and fun design - no matter how I look at it ... it's all 'brick' to me, ha-ha. There is brick looking wood flooring, brick looking wallpaper, brick looking ceramic tile ... why not brick like furniture.

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Friday Fun: useless or not so designs? You decide

2010-08-06T19:05:57Z

We've picked up a few designs from the surrounding blogosphere for you have a laugh or to admire or both or neither. Maybe useless maybe not, you decide...

Sleepy Lamp by Studio Klass

Coffeemaze by Erdem Selek

Plastic Bottle Watering Can by Nicolas Le Moigne

Wheel Seal Umbrella via DesignBoom

Rustic Dining Table Designs: Iconoclast by Izm

2010-08-06T01:12:29Z

There is something intriguing about this rustic dining table design by Izm, the Iconoclast table, or maybe it's just a good photograph ... but it does "breaks away from conventional 4 leg designs" as suggested by Izm. Re-inventing the common dining table is where many designers try to prove themselves, and designers Jerad Mack and Shane Pawluk have achieved that using rustic walnut hardwood and asymmetrical design. Their idea of modern aesthetics is influenced by their industrious rural roots: every line has a function; every detail is a utility. The result is telling: in actuality, they've built a sturdy dining table with reinforced legs ... but the appearance is very dramatic and rustic modern. We like that. Shown in smoked walnut. Contact Izm for pricing.

Translucent Ash Wood Lamp

2010-07-07T03:01:57Z

These amazing floor and pendant lamps are made of real ash wood! The designer Ieva Kaleja managed to preserve the rustic wood log detail on one side of the shade giving the lamp its dramatic look. These translucent ash wood lamps, dubbed The Wise One, "generate an aura of visceral energy and vitality around them". They fit equally well into a rustic rural environment and in urban dwellings, bringing the touch of nature to modern decor. Completed by skillful craftsmen, each lamp is unique: "each log has been selected for its individuality, thus preserving the individual character of each tree." The diffused light appears to delicately shine through the thin ash wood, as if it is the sunlight getting through your covered window at the sunrise. What a captivating design ... Visit Mammalampa for details.

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Arched Floor Lamp by Lucente - Semjase

2010-07-06T03:58:47Z

An interesting lamp design where an arched shape that is commonly found in table lamps, is taken to the floor, to create the Semjase floor lamp by Lucente. This huge arched lamp is composed of three curved metal elements and a sanded Pyrex lampholder, adding to its modern techy but elegant appeal. The light is directed upward thanks to a metal leaf positioned just below the bulb. This floor lamp is an easy fit in any modern urban decor space. It looks especially in place next to that curved sofa. Visit Lucente for details.

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Extra Large Mirrors: large floor mirror by Philippe Starck

2010-06-30T04:12:44Z

This extra large mirror is a 1998 design classic by Philippe Starck, produced again in 2010 by Italian AGC Flat Glass Co., as an eco-friendly and safer version. This beautiful large floor mirror now comes with safety features such as a polypropylene film applied on the back to prevent the pieces from flying around in the case of accidental breakage, and the layer of lead is reduced to less than 0.1 %. The manufacturing process uses no toxic materials or hazardous substances. But of course, its uniqueness is in its unquestionable aesthetic quality. The CAADRE chic extra large mirror looks spectacular on the floor or the wall, in this silver glass frame. Or choose the neo-baroque style frame with engraved glass or even a fun frame with an integrated lamp. In any version, this mirror is a piece of Starck's striking personality. Contact AGC for purchasing info.

Bent Plywood Chairs by Emmemobili

2010-06-28T03:44:58Z

Plywood has become a material of choice for many modern designers, and these bent plywood chairs from Emmemobili is another great example of cool furniture that can be created with plywood. The Dogon chairs by designer Ferruccio Laviani are bent from a single flexible sheet of plywood decorated with laser fretworks. The padded cushion is upholstered with fabric, velvet or leather. These plywood chairs are available with two different back heights. Visit Emmemobili for more information.

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Metal Lounge Chairs - Futuristic Chair by Heron Parigi

2010-06-26T02:40:51Z

Metal furniture manufacturer and design house Heron Parigi has created this stylish metal lounge chair, the Luft. Luft is a steel and aluminum chaise lounge with automatically adjustable backrest and footrest. The precise mechanism allows for easy blocking and releasing of movement in any position. The base structure is composed of large steel leafs making this a sturdy and comfortable chair design. The backrest, the seat and the footrest are aluminum and are upholstered in soft high quality leather. The headrest is also adjustable. For more info on the Luft lounge, visit Heron Parigi.

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