All posts filed under: Things for Decorating

Omnioutil bucket

Published by

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

Published by

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.

modern-twist

Published by

  I was drawn to the modern-twist booth at this winter’s New York Gift Fair by their unique collection of food-grade, hand-screened silicone placemats. Based in the San Francisco/Oakland area, modern-twist makes a range of products, from bracelets to coasters, in a manner that allows them to be both a socially and environmentally conscious company. Free of BPA, latex, and chemicals, their products are good enough to literally eat off. The line of  12” x 16” KIDZ mats, starting at $17 each, are filled with child-friendly scenes by contributing artists that can be doodled on with washable or dry erase markers and wiped clean again with a damp cloth. Adults can have fun too, with a line of silky smooth silicone place mats in subtle geometric and floral designs. Other product designs from modern-twist include trivets, coasters, wine glass markers, jewelry boxes, pillows, and a line of silicone bracelets that will appeal to kids of all ages.

WC Line by Josh Owen

Published by

Instead of just hiding the toilet plunger in his new collection of bathroom accessories for Kontextür, designer Josh Owen intentionally mimics the traditional wooden handle and rubber base shape. Available in April, the WC Line includes a covered waste bin, toilet plunger with a storage dish, and a toilet brush with a storage vessel, in white, red, or black. The locally sourced wooden handles and the full silicone rubber parts are washable; a handy feature if it takes you a few moments too long to figure out which piece is the plunger. $121.50.

Mast Eco-Humidifier

Published by

Based in Gifu, Japan, Ohashi Ryoki Ltd. makes a line of award-winning masu, or traditional wooden boxes for drinking sake. Made from the same traditional cypress wood as masu, this sailboat-shaped humidifier from the company features cypress veneer “sails” that help the water in the boat evaporate while giving off a sweet smell and keeping the air from getting too dry. This natural humidifier actually helps the water evaporate ten times faster than it would in a glass of water, but as the sails are natural wood, they will eventually discolor and need replacing. A truly unique product that is functional and well as beautiful — my favorite combination.

Prizm Stand

Published by

Resembling a sort of primitive Decepticon, the Prizm Stand from Hubb Innovations is a two-piece aluminum stand for phones, tablets, and MP3 players. Introduced at this month’s CES, the Prizm stand is made from aluminum alloys and precious metals formed into two identical parts that slide together. The low-profile stand comes in anodized colors including green, blue, pink, purple, red, yellow, and black, as well as premium metals like 14k gold, antique brass, antique copper, antique nickel, and carbon fiber. Ranging price from $24.95 to $34.95, the stands are a good gift idea for  sci-fi geeks, architects, engineers, or transforming robot aliens.