Simple though they may seem, these sustainable wood Animal Boxes from Karl Zahn carry deep symbolic meaning. Each represents "a 'power animal' -- a totem for our individual ambitions." With hollow cores and the addition of hinges, they provide a beautiful, figural hiding spot for small objects. Made in USA....read more
As a kid growing up on the shores of Lake Erie in western New York, Kiel Mead had a "love affair" with driftwood, which he collected for display at home. Now a designer living in Brooklyn, Mead works primarily with found objects, refashioning them in new and interesting ways. Mead makes clever and colorful use of driftwood with these unique, one-of-a-kind hooks, which are stained......read more
Another year, another edition of Metaproject. The brainchild of designer and Rochester Institute of Technology professor Josh Owen, the annual student challenge lands hopeful industrial designers an actual project with a real client. For Metaproject 03, the client in question was Areaware, the NYC-based producer of everyday objects which we've featured prominently in our Shop. The brief? Create......read more
Designed by Brendan Ravenhill for Areaware, this bottle opener is designed with ultimate functionality in mind. Carved from walnut wood and featuring a contrasting black painted handle, the simple bottle opener contains two small magnets—one that allows the opener to stay on a refrigerator door when not in use, and another that catches the bottle cap after its been opened to avoid the......read more
Forget plastic, battery-powered robot toys. The Areaware Cubebot, from designer David Weeks, is the only way to go. Made from sustainable cherry wood and inspired by the Japanese Shinto Kumi-ki puzzles, the Cubebot is a non-traditional take on the toy robot. His elastic-band muscles and durable wood limbs make him impervious to breakage. And when its time for him to rest, he folds into into a......read more
The clean and striking IF Mode is aimed at commuters of the mobile generation. The IF Mode avoids oily chains, complex tubes with hidden dirt traps, and the clutter of traditional bike features. Meant for city commuters, it looks at home folded up on a subway or in an office....read more