All posts filed under: Things for Decorating

Artifact Uprising Desktop Calendars

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With the end of the year soon approaching, what better time to upgrade that calendar you got last year from your local dry cleaner? These elegant (and affordable) desktop photo calendars by Colorado-based Artifact Uprising can make a nice holiday gift for home or office desks. Made of solid walnut, the Walnut Desktop Photo Calendar (starting at $30) showcases a dozen of your favorite photos in a year-round display. It features a brass-coated clip and peg stand, making a modern statement.   The Brass Easel & Calendar (starting at $55) combines a solid brass easel with premium quality papers with your favorite snapshots.   The Wood Calendar (starting from $25) is handcrafted from reclaimed pine. Artifact Uprising partnered with the non-profit SKCAC — a group that provides jobs for adults with intellectual disabilities — on this design.   Last but not least, the Solidwool Calendar (starting at $40) is made of a sustainable composite material made from British sheep fleece. Like the others, it features 12 sheets with custom images.   All images courtesy of …

Hilma af Klint Capsule Collection at the Guggenheim MuseumStore

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A new collection of products inspired by the works of Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) will be available for purchase at the Guggenheim Museum Store in fall 2018. Klint was a Swedish artist and mystic whose paintings were among the first examples of abstract art. The products were created in celebration of Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future, the first major solo exhibition in the United States of the Swedish artist at the Guggenheim Museum from October 12, 2018 to February 3, 2019. Created in close collaboration with a female-driven roster of designers and artisans, the collection will feature apparel, jewelry, accessories, and home goods, as well as a suite of postcards, large format posters, and more. Designs by Michele Quan, Margaret and Colleen Clines, Karen Konzuk, and Maya Luz, among others, and will be available exclusively in-store through the Guggenheim Store and online beginning October 11, 2018.   Images courtesy of Guggenheim Museum Store.

biobroidery

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Albuquerque-based Meridith McClure specializes in crafting biology-inspired hand embroidery she calls biobroidery. The 24-year-old artist works as a seasonal field biologist and began embroidering in 2016 in order to keep herself busy while working in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Biobroidery was created out of McClure’s passions for biology and embroidery. “As a biologist, my favorite things to embroider are my favorite things to also identify and study in the field, such as plants, wildlife, and insects,” says McClure. “I like to focus on native species, as I both know more about them from my work, and am passionate about the promotion and conservation of native species.” McClure says that an average piece can take her as little as a few days to as long as a few months, depending on how much time she has to devote to it. She is currently finishing up several projects such as hoops and patches of native cacti and desert grasses. “My next project will likely be Melampodium leucanthum, the Blackfoot daisy,” says McClure. Some of the pieces feature intricate …

Pangea 3D Wooden Contour Maps

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Using bathymetric data, Pangea’s 3D maps depict the contours of the ocean floor, revealing the often unseen beauty that lies below the surface. Combining modern surveying techniques and CAD technology with the art of cartography, these handcrafted waterscapes are made from layers of Baltic birch plywood. Carefully considering the scale and composition of each map, the company sources accurate bathymetric data (underwater topography) for each location before laser-cutting the plywood sheets to form the contours of the ocean floor. When finished, each map goes into a hardwood frame and is finished with a layer of glass. Maps arrive within two weeks and ship in a wooden box. In addition to a standard line of maps from Boston to Sydney, Pangea also offers one-of-a-kind custom maps through its online map builder. Pangea Maps donates $50 USD for every referred sale on its website to The Ocean Cleanup, an organization developing advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. The Ocean Cleanup aims to remove up to 50% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in five years. …

Rollbe Compact Rolling Ruler

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Rollbe is a super compact measuring tool around the size of a quarter that comes in a small leather carrying pouch you can slip in your pocket. Does the market really need another ruler? Well, Rollbe has been on Kickstarter for just a few days and has already raised almost $20,000 – far beyond the initial goal of $6351. I’d say there’s a huge market. Designed for both the Metric and Imperial systems, Rollbe’s rolling design allows it to measure both straight lines and curved surfaces by rolling from point to point. It’s handy for home owners, architects, engineers, interior designers, fashion designers, decorators, art students, or anyone who needs to precisely measure irregularly shaped things on a regular basis. Rollbe comes in two versions, the coin-size 4”  ruler and the 8” ruler for more professional use. To use it, you simply place the start mark on the starting point of the surface or line you want to measure, and then roll and count full rotations by following the ”radius indicator”, then add remaining units. …

Highlights from Alessi’s New Collection

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The Italian accessories brand Alessi has brought together a range of collaborators — from star architects to new talent — for their Spring/Summer 2017 collection of tabletop products. Below are a few of my favorites from the new collection. Forma Grater by Zaha Hadid The Forma Grater was the late Iraqi architect’s final project for Alessi. Like many of her works, its shape was inspired by organic, natural forms that have been smoothed over time by water and wind. It consists of two elements: a sculptural black melamine base holding a mirror-polished stainless steel grater. $80 Va Bene by Miriam Mirri The Va Bene cooking utensil for testing pasta, vegetables, and other hot foods is produced via a complex sheet metal processing technique of molding, cutting, and welding to create a form that recalls part of a musical instrument. $45 T-Timepiece by Titus Wybenga Inspired by the shape of an antique pocket watch, this infuser was a result of the “Life in Transition” workshop organized in collaboration with Dutch University TU Delft, with a mission …