gift ideas – Page 15 – DesignApplause

Wool felt birdhouse.

Dec 11, 2010

i’m the first to admit that these birdhouses look more like alien spore than a potential nesting place for your garden’s winged visitors, but that’s also why I love them.

The long cord/rat tail is used for tying it to a tree branch, and the soft, dark and warm orb that hangs down is like a bird paradise. Made from 100% hand-felted wool, they’re not only sustainable, but they’re made by hand by a women’s NGO in South Africa that uses natural dyes and the run-off form the wool felting mill to water their rooftop garden, the produce of which is sold locally to support their efforts. Cool bird house, cool cause. Win, win. Sprout Home (Small-$49, Large, $58)

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It's Tops!

Dec 11, 2010

as if we weren’t still gushing over those delightful herman miller miniature chairs, now they’ve asked design studio kleinReid to make them a lovely set of minis too.
For inspiration KleinReid turned to the huge Eames’ toy collection and came up these three beautifully crafted wooden tops. Made from solid walnut, the tops come in three different skill levels, easy, medium and hard and range from 4″ – 4.75.” Whether in motion or at rest they’re a pleasure to hold to just to look at, and would make for the ultimate stocking stuffer. ($199)

designer: kleinreid

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Retool. Jonas damons's tool set.

Dec 11, 2010

I don’t know if it makes me want to build stuff or just gaze at it longingly, but Jonas Damon’s Tool Set is a thing of beauty, whether it’s used for its intended purpose or not.

Damon’s idea was to take the ubiquitous aluminum or rubber-coated flashlight and its metallic friends the ruler, screwdriver and level and recreate them into more than just functional and forgettable tools. This tool set makes the user reconsider items previously dismissed as beyond the reach of good design, and makes you appreciate the effect that design has on user experience.

This is yet another gem from Areaware, which carries lustworthy design objects for the home and more from Damon too. Tool Set, $95.

designer: jonas damon

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Clever everyday nail bottle opener.

Dec 10, 2010

you probably thought you’d never need another bottle opener, but that was until you saw brendan ravenhill’s genius twist on a simple concept.
It’s just a rusty nail, a magnet and a piece of wood but it’s downright delightful to use. That’s because Ravenhill uses wonderfully soft and smooth wood that arcs perfectly into your palm, and the clever redirection of an everyday nail makes this simple but amazing. Don’t believe me? Go tell MoMA, where you can pick one up for $20 and pop the bubbly all holiday long.

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Fuji instant camera holiday fun.

Dec 10, 2010

a polaroid-like instant camera.

Consider the Fuji Instax Mini 7S Instant Camera an update on the boxy and now defunct Polaroid camera, and unlike the Polaroid, the Fuji Instax has an LED exposure indicator. Plus, at 5″ x 5″, it’s a lot less bulky than its predecessor and its curvy body would have even Zaha Hadid swooning. Even the most camera-illiterate person on your gift list will become a instant (pun!) photographer with its user-friendly interface and fool proof operation. It retails for $130, but you can get it at B&H for just $65. Score!

producer: fuji

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USB battleship.

Dec 6, 2010

i know what you’re thinking. not another USB port.

How many USB-organizers does a person need? And you’re right. If you already have one you probably don’t need one more. But needs aside, how can you not want this super cute, super clever USB Battleship, a 5-port USB hub designed by giffin’termeer. However, cuteness wasn’t the first or even the second consideration during the design phase. It was the idea that a boat is simple and sleek on the bottom, but the top half “is usually covered with radar equipment, guns, lifeboats and other necessary structures. In other words, chaos, like the physical area of our workspaces. The thought was the a boat could be an organizing image.” Put this friendly little boat to battle on your crazy desktop for only $23.

designer: giffin’termeer
retailer: kikkerland

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Balloon speaker and other magical things.

Dec 6, 2010

the holidays are a perfect excuse to buy those neat little gadgets you lust after all year but can’t find a real reason
to buy.

Japanese design studio Yuen To is king at making fun and affordable devices that may not be necessities but do a lot to enhance our enjoyment of the everyday. The Balloon Speaker ($45), for instance, plugs into your iPod or iPhone, projecting the sound while allowing you to remain perfectly mobile.

They also make a small, globular light that suction-cups to your computer screen or other surface, designed as a solution for those with nocturnal habits who don’t want to wake those with regular sleeping habits.

My favorite is the Magic Umbrella that collapses into a plastic holder, saving your bag and hands from a sopping wet umbrella – genius. And it’s a perfect fit for a stocking.

designer: yuen to

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A new bamboo bike.

Dec 2, 2010

bamboo is lightweight, strong and it grows quickly.

Why it’s not a more ubiquitous material is lost on me. It’s best known use, in recent years at least, is bicycles. It’s no surprise that after its inception a few years back, several designers have jumped at the chance to work with bamboo on bikes of their own. The latest design comes from the Mexican startup, Bamboo Cycles. Their fixed gear, single-speed model features metal angles, a curved rear support and weighs in at less than 20 pounds. If there’s a bike-lover on your holiday shopping list who’s been extra nice this year, this two-wheeled beauty is a moderately priced $325.

producer: bamboo cycles

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Ikea, the book.

Nov 13, 2010

no one has made good design affordable and available to the masses like ikea.

I dare you to find a starter apartment or starter home without at least one piece of Malm, Lack or Expedit. The designs are ubiquitous; Some even frequent the auction circuit, like the 1994 Verner Panton Vilbert chair (pictured).

But what about the design team? Who are they and how do they do it? And while we’re on the subject, how did Ingvar Kamprad found a weapon of mass production like Ikea at age 17? Answering these questions, it turns out, is no easy task. It took Scandinavian design authority Staffan Bengtsson 450 pages to do it in Ikea, The Book, available online at Sweden Book Shop. Can you think of anything more appropriate to adorn your Klubbo coffee table?

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Mobile tail for the iPhone.

Nov 11, 2010

i’ll be the first to admit that the mobile tail looks pretty silly, but that’s why i like it.

Besides, you get the idea that a design group that spells its name with two extra o’s like Sutdiooo Factory, has a sense of humor. Not only does the Mobile Tail solve an actual problem like the need to read the news or play a game (seriously, who doesn’t get cramps playing Words with Friends?) or just operate your iPhone in general, hands free, but the design itself is compelling and, as an added bonus, it makes you smile.
The simple act of propping up your iPhone can be achieved easily enough, with an easel-like stand à la the iPad or even just a more straightforward suction cup add-on. But Studiooo Factory based their design on the idea that our phones are like pets, so why not give them a tail?