As you might have heard, its Valentine’s Day on Saturday, so here are a few gratuitous images of the incredibly designed treats from Chocolate Bar, a chocolate shop with stores in the West Village in New York City and Manasquan, New Jersey. No matter what your plans are for Saturday, it’s always a good excuse to indulge in a little chocolate, if only with your eyes. Enjoy! All images courtesy of Chocolate Bar.
To keep busy during the long New England winters, landscape architect Neil Best, co-owner of Magma Design Group in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, began building birdhouses that meet Audubon standards. These one-of-a-kind works of art are made of salvaged materials including slate roof tiles, metal strapping, recycled wood, old tin boxes, and rusted signs. Designed to provide maximum comfort for Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, and Nuthatches, these handmade bird cottages offer roof and floor ventilation as well as thresholds surrounded by metal or stone to prevent squirrels or predatory birds from widening the openings and gaining entry. The birdhouses can be back-mounted or attached to a pole, and no tools are required to open and empty the houses after the last resident has left the nest. Prices range from $350 to $500, depending on style. magmadesigngroup.com All images courtesy of Magma Design Group.
Brooklyn-based Areaware presented their Spring 2015 collection at the NY NOW show this week in New York City. During my visit to the show last Sunday, I stopped by Areaware’s busy booth showcasing work by designers Runa Klock, Joe Doucet, Bryce Wilner, Daniel Martinez, Daphna Laurens, Brendan Ravenhill, Bower, and Object + Totem. Here is a roundup of some of my favorite new designs on display during the show, which wraps up tomorrow at the Javits Center. 1. Bottle Openers by Brendan Ravenhill These clever bottle openers use a single bent nail as a lever to pry open your beer or soda bottle. A small circular magnet on the top catches the bottle cap, while a second magnet lets you hang the opener on the fridge when you are done. 2. Stick-Up Sticks by Bower These simple magnets are cut at various angles so they point in different directions when attached to your metal surface of choice. Made of painted beech wood and magnets, they can add a bit of color and function to lockers, fridges, …
Last week I got to get a sneak peek at the new products available at the MoMA store in New York City and through its online shop. Here, in no particular order, are my five favorite new gifts, gadgets, and gear now available through the store. 1. Amish Scooter This scooter-bicycle hybrid has been crafted by the Stoltzfus family, an Amish family in Pennsylvania, since 1978. This substantial scooter lets adults move on two wheels without worrying about balance and knee strains. It comes with a kickstand, basket, and rear brake and handbrake with black or orange powder-coated steel frame and fenders. I’m partial to the orange myself. Black, $360, Orange, $320. 2. Porthole Infuser Designed by the Chicago-based design firm Crucial Detail, the shape of this table-ready infusion vessel was inspired by submarine portholes. It can be used to create and hold 13 ounces of cocktails, infused oils, dressings, or whatever you want to conjure. Made of tempered glass, ABS, stainless steel, and silicone, the Porthole Infuser is dishwasher safe and comes with four recipes to get you started. 2” wide x 7″ …
Designer Jeff Woolf knows the importance of having a helmet on when biking — he nearly smashed his head open on a curb after getting hit by a car. Woolf created the Morpho Helmet after noticing that folks using bike share programs (such as in London) tend not to use helmets because they were too cumbersome to carry around all day. It was a design problem he wanted to fix — he knew if he could create a helmet that could fold flat, then he could save lives. According to the makers of the Morpher Helmet, the number one reason people don’t wear helmets when riding a bike is that the helmet is too bulky to carry around all day, and while 92% of bike scheme cyclists don’t wear a helmet, 83% say the reason is due to lack of portability. Woolf’s new folding bike helmet design will let you ride to work or school safely, and then easily slip your brain-saving helmet into laptop bag or backpack. Although Morpher folds and unfolds quickly, it was also designed to surpass all relevant safety standards. Currently aimed at all cyclists, the …
The AllSwell Notebook is a slim, travel-friendly journal made in the U.S. from recycled materials. Launched by Laura Rubin, founder and creative director of Left Left Right (LLR) Consulting, the 8.5” x 6.5” notebook is essentially two journals in one, including a lined “WRITE” side and a unlined “DRAW” side perfect for sketching. A percentage of the proceeds will go to A Walk on Water, an organization that provides water therapy through guided surf instruction to specials needs children. The notebook has 96 blank pages: 48 lined and 48 unlined. The interior covers feature custom designs by illustrator Alessandra Olanow. $21.00. http://allswellcreative.com/pages/find-us All images courtesy of AllSwell Creative.
