12.17.2004

I seem to currently have a cufflink fixation.



"Taeguk" cufflinks designed by Korean Industrial designer Young Se Kim, who won an IDEA (Industrial Design Excellence Award) and his works have been named ”Best Product of the Year” by Business Week. Today I had to stop at A.I.Friedman , my very favorite art supply store because not only does it sell art stuff, it sells photo albums, art books and picture frames and very well designed accessories for home organization. I stopped by to get two frames for photos I printed for my parents for Christmas, and as always, I did a quick sweep of the store to see what's new. That is when I spotted the cufflinks from Acme Studios . Acme also has some Frank Lloyd Wright cufflinks and pens that very well may show up in this spot some day soon.

12.16.2004

Sterling Silver initial cufflinks:



From RedEnvelope. Great font, clean styling, personal without being goofy or whimsical, all for under $100. (Of course, I'd like my to be the letter "W", not "K" or "S".)

12.15.2004

Someday… works by my favorite photographers.
I would love to have both of these pieces by André Kertész:



"Washington Square with Arch" was taken by Kertész in 1966 (but printed later) from his 12th floor apartment at 2 Fifth Avenue. How much would I love to have that view from which to photograph people passing by?



"Buildings and Skyscrapers at Night", 1940s

12.14.2004

I have found a new cute animal I long to cuddle:



Just look at that face! Opossums are great because they have a silent "o" (What else gets to have a silent "o"?) They are also North America’s only marsupial and are related to my Australian friends, the kangaroo and koala. Mother opposums can
carry their babies on their backs .
And, being someone who likes really tiny baby animals, I was awed to learn that at birth the babies are so tiny that 10 can fit in a teaspoon!

12.11.2004

Poul Kjaerholm's "PK22" chair is a very sleek chair that would look great in our bedroom:



Briar thinks this looks much too similar to Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona chair , which she finally let me get last year. However, they are actually quite different. Yes, they are both black leather with metal legs, but that is where the similarities end. The PK22 is a pretty rare chair, whereas the Barcelona chair can be seen in most Banana Republic stores (don't get me wrong, I like Banana quite a bit). And Poul Kjaerholm was a mere toddler when Mies designed his "modern throne".
Kjaerholm won the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennial in 1957 for this chair design and his other chairs and tables won a variety of awards. Starting today the Tribeca store/gallery R 20th Century is running an exhibit of Kjaerholm's work. Briar, guess what we're going to be doing one of these weekends before the end of January?

12.09.2004

Cole Haan's Durham Chelsea waterproof boot:



I have a confession— most of my shoes are about a half size too big. It's incredibly difficult to find a men's size 6 (which is what I really, truly am)or 6 1/2 (what I can make do with, especially if I'm wearing thick socks), so I usually try to make a size 7 work. And guess what, it just doesn't work. I was walking to the subway today in boots I bought about 2 years ago and I realized how very uncomfortable it is to walk in too-big shoes. So, the first thing I did when i got into the office was check to see if Cole Haan makes a cool boot in size 6. And this is it. Luckily, it's even waterproof. Briar, this would be a good Christmas present (hint, hint) but it's over our $100 limit.

12.08.2004

The Lytegem Lamp designed by Michael Lax:



I think this is the cutest little light— it almost looks like a pet. I'm not alone in thinking it's cool— it was recognized by the late noted industrial designer Jay Doblin as one of the 20th century’s 100 great product designs
Design Within Reach is selling this commemerative edition light from Lightolier and I think it would be a perfect reading light for over our bed. It's head swivels 360° and the light intensity can be changed from low to high using a switch located on the base.

12.07.2004

Tiffany's Almond cuff links:



I'm not usually a big fan of Elsa Peretti's jewelry, but this is an exception. I like the sculpural shape of these sterling silver cufflinks. I also like the fact that the back side looks as good as the fronts.

12.06.2004

The classic Knoll Studio Credenza:



Florence Knoll designed this credenza in 1961 and it's still in production today. The old version has leather tab door pulls, but the new ones have stainless steel pulls. I want either version, but only in the maple wood and preferable with a slate or maple top, although they don't seem to make them with wood tops any more.
Florence was an architect who had studied under Mies van der Rohe and worked for Marcel Breuer and Walter Gropius.
According to her biography on Design Within Reach's website, "In 1943, she was taken on as an interior designer for Hans Knoll [who ran the Knoll Furniture Company] and re-directed the company’s product line from the Scandinavian style to International style. She also married Hans Knoll and as a partner in Knoll Associates, Inc., Knoll Textiles, Inc. and Knoll International, continued to run the business after her husband’s death.
Florence Knoll’s own designs are reserved, cool and angular, reflecting her modernist sensibility and perhaps the influence of childhood friend Eero Saarinen. While she is modest about her own accomplishments, it was through Florence that Knoll began to manufacture modern sculptural furniture.… In 1948, Knoll also acquired the rights to produce Mies van der Rohe’s furniture designs," including his Barcelona chair, one of my very favorite pieces of furniture.
To have a custom-made suit (or two or three) is my dream. Especially the suits from Seize sur Vingt on Elizabeth St:



Ignore the smarmy guys, just check out the suits. Seize sur Vingt is known for elegant and youthful suits with clean, slim, contemporary lines. One article described it as a shop that promotes the idea of a power shirt for those who never think about ties. I know, Briar, you like ties, but I really prefer suits without ties. And I think in a suit like these, no one would miss the tie.

12.05.2004

Today's very special covet goes out to J & P—



What could be better than boobies? I found these at RateMyBoobies.net, a site that can eat up quite a bit of time without you (or at least, me) realizing it. Of course, these are not meant to replace or in any way upstage my darling wife's breasts, but I didn't want to share hers with the world wide web.

12.03.2004

B&B Italia Diesis sofa:



Last night when I came home from work after way too many hours away, the first thing I noticed was the large rip in the arm of the couch made by the cats. It has gotten much, much larger in the last month and it's really annoying me. What I want it a nice leather sofa that the cats won't scratch and the pet fur won't cling to. A leather one would also be good for the porcupine (or hedgehog) I'll be getting someday— I have a feeling their quills could do some damage to fabric just as cat's claws do.
This one was designed in 1979 by Italian designer Antonio Citterio. It's so contemporary that it looks like it was designed this year. It would go perfect in our wonderful new apartment.

12.02.2004

My object of desire today is not a material good. Instead, it's Spike the Porcupine:



• I think I've been longing for a porcupine for 5 years now and I know that Bri is going to say I can't have Spike because he has a home, but … I would really like a porcupine just like him. He would be a great addition to our menagerie.

• According to what his family wrote on PetoftheDay.com, "He snuggles me like a big teddy bear! He is very affectionate and loves everybody. Porcupines are nocturnal but Spike is far from normal. He likes to be awake when the people are. We have never had a problem with quills because they are protection for the porcupine and only raise their back if they feel threatened or danger. Spike has no idea what a threat is so therefore always has his quills down. His favorite friends are our two dogs and three cats. He plays with all of them and likes to snuggle with the cats [I guess because they are soft]. He jumps right up on our dogs and they wrestle together and he'll spin around in circles and run through the house ."

12.01.2004

The Leica Digilux 1 Digital Camera :



• The future baby (and all the products that go along with her) has been on my mind quite a bit recently, maybe because of Sunday's NY Times Magazine, which focused on kids and design. Of course, the first crucial item we'll need is a new digital camera.
• According to reviews, the shutter release has virtually no lag time. This is crucial. Suprisingly, the newest Leica digital (creatively named the Digilux 2) has a slower shutter. Sometimes the original is best.
• Just look at how cute it is.