Author: designy things

SkateBacks for iPhone 4 and 4s

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Each week, enough waste material is thrown away from one skateboard factory to fill a city bus. To help find another use for the leftovers from a Costa Mesa, California-based skateboard factory, the Portland, Oregon-based iPhone and iPad accessories maker Grove collaborated with designer Lindsay Holmes of MapleXO to create a 100% post-industrial product for the iPhone 4 and 4S. While there are three general colorways to choose from, no two SkateBacks are identical — making them more desirable for those of us that don’t want to have exactly what everyone else does. The 1/16”-thick back protector easily attaches to the back of your phone with a peel-and-stick 3M adhesive that Grove claims is removable without residue. While you’d probably want something tougher to protect your phone if you are actually skateboarding, this will do just fine for those of us that gave up that pastime longer ago than we’d like to remember (mine was black and white — what color was yours?) $49.00 U.S. Ships in 2-4 weeks from Portland. All photos ©GroveMade

Kaikado Canisters

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Kyoto-based Kaikado has been producing airtight canisters for tea and other items since 1875. Made through a manufacturing process that involves as many as 140 steps, the tea caddies, or chazutsu, have been handmade virtually the same way since the company was founded. A double-walled construction protects the leaves from humidity while helping them maintain their scent. As the joints of the lid and body are lined up, the lid descends in a smooth, silent motion while expelling air from the container. Depending on the metal you choose, the color will change over time — copper in 1-2 years, brass in 3-5 years, and tin in 30-40 years. I love how the manufacturer describes the unique patination process that happens through handling the canisters. “Gently caressing the entire body of chazutsu day after day brings out a mysteriously elegant sheen and gleam to its years. Chazutsu provides utility and pleasure as it ages gracefully with ownership.” Wow, that’s some sexy stuff. Stay tuned for a novel starring the containers called Fifty Shades of Earl Grey. Available in …

My Embroidery Kit by Lisa Grue

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Embroidery. The word conjures up the vision of wall hangings in the hallway of your grandmother’s house and delicate handkerchiefs that seem too nice for blowing your nose. Or, in the case of a new embroidery kit from designer Lisa Grue, a grinning skull that cheekily reminds you that “Shit Happens”. Created by Danish graphic designer and artist Lisa Grue, the collection is based on the concept of  Memento Mori — the idea that we must remember our mortality and pause once in a while to enjoy life. The modern embroidery kit contains everything you need to create a piece of quirky decor in the same stress-releasing, meditative way that has been done for centuries. You can pick one up for yourself, and your hippest grandma, from Grue’s web shop in June.  

knIndustrie Cooking Utensils

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These sculptural cookware lines from knIndustrie, an Italian company founded a year ago that now is sold in over 240 stores in Italy alone, were on display at last month’s Eurocucina show in Milan. The pieces are functional for the stove top, and then can be used as elegant serving dishes on the table once you remove the handle. The new FoodWear collection, designed by Rodolfo Dordoni, includes stainless steel casseroles, low casseroles, and pans that can be used on all types of stoves including gas, ceramic glass, thermal, and electromagnetic induction. The line comes with a handle in a black steel finish and two covers, in either bronze glass or polished steel, that can be used upside down as a stand for cake, quiche, cookies or other non-drippy items. Also new from the company (and designed by Dordoni) is WhitePot, which has an inner white ceramic “nanotech” surface, an external stainless steel surface, and a detachable walnut handle. The detachable handles have the added benefit of making the pots easier to store and clean …

Omnioutil bucket

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I usually like to focus on products that are brand new to the market, but these colorful multifunctional buckets from the Japanese housewares company Hachiman Kasai, introduced nearly 20 years ago, just stopped me in my tracks at the last New York Gift Fair. Made of polypropylene with a corrugated texture, the buckets come with a handle and lid that make it easy to be used for storage as well as for a small stool for children to sit on or for short moms to get down the pasta from the top shelf. The buckets are also great for washing up or general outdoor work — there is a small hole in the handle designed specifically to hold a hose so you can easily fill it up. They come in five colors and three sizes (8, 10, or 20 liters), so you can find the right bucket for the job. There is a reason they still sell these after nearly two decades.

Pod food cover

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The award-winning Singaporean design firm Creativeans displayed this simple but functional food cover at last week’s Salone del Mobile in Milan. Using a magnet and a simple crease, the food cover (a typical household item in Singaporean homes) can be folded flat to be used as a table mat, or be inverted to be used as bowl or serving tray for fruit, bread, or other items. What I like best is that you can store these flat under some plates, and then just pop them open when you need them. I see children and drunk party guests also wearing them as hats … though that is not recommended by the designers or sober adults.