Toaster Concept

Designer Sung Bae Chang has just unveiled a new kitchen appliance concept - the Scan Toaster. Using a flexible “module” unit heated by wire, the Scan Toaster can burn images or text of your choice onto your morning toast.

Affluenza: August 13

Affluenza, definition of: a high-design pushcart for the homeless:

http://www.gregortimlin.com/2006/shelter-cart/

"The project was not seen a solution to the social problem of the homeless but instead as an method of raising awareness about the issue."

*

The "did you ... have a ... stroke ... or did ... I ... have ... a stroke [Editor's note: Baby by Baby Ruthless!]" NotCot caption of the week:

http://www.notcot.org/post/12609/

*

A Bunch Of Open Flames Is The New Bowls Of Rocks, part of a continuing series:

http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/08/06/anne-colombos-fire-sculptures-bring-the-heat/

*

The Dolce Vita chair and table set:

http://www.youngdesigner.it/lombardia/sedia-e-poggiapiedi-dolce-vita-di-stefano-bigi/

In fifty years, some goof will get it tattoo'd on his arm:

http://awfultattoos.blogspot.com/2007/07/sorry.html

*

Link Dump! I just remembered for the first time in like two years that I had a Delicious account. Here are the design bookmarks I'd saved over there:

http://www.jargonboy.com/product.html
http://www.elsewares.com/commerce/Telegram-Stationery-Set.html
http://www.betterlivingthroughdesign.com/gregory_calendar.html
http://www.sebastianbuescher.com/Workpages1/25.html
http://www.greenergrassdesign.com/floraandfaunabytado.html
http://www.chiasso.com/store/Item.aspx
http://www.bolaffi.it/sezione.aspx
http://www.bimbambanana.com/index.php

*

Affluenza will not rest until Mika gets a modern rocking horse:

http://www.moderntots.com/go_play/product.php?productid=16932&cat=332&page=2

Affluenza: Update

That $1000 iPhone app? Somebody bought it...by mistake. Ha ha, you suck.

Also, Ben writes in to point out that those flower and leaf placemats are almost a hundred dollars each, which is hilarious and totally ridic. The placemats are neat, but nothing that Target can't sell for a couple bucks.

Affluenza: August 6

PICK OF THE WEEK
A hilarious app for your iPhone that costs a thousand dollars and does nothing except remind yourself and others that you can afford to spend a grand on a useless piece of software:

http://www.todayandtomorrow.net/2008/08/06/armin-heinrich/

I know that I make fun of conceptual artists a lot on here, but this is great. Good job, Armin.

*

AQHayon Mirror, with lasercut edges:

http://www.gnr8.biz/product_info.php?products_id=843

*

Flower and leaf placemats:

http://www.couturelab.com/browse/PT6SC56C13.html

*

I absolutely love these La Valise document holders:

http://design-milk.com/la-valise/

*

Carry On Diluting That Brand Name!, a new series:

Vivienne Westwood and "jelly shoe" maker Melissa:

http://inkandwater.blogspot.com/2008/08/jelly-uh-westwoods.html

Globe-Trotter and J. Crew:

http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Shop_By_Category/bags/luggage.jsp

(I like the black, but the cream--which are sold out now--were really something. I love Globe-Trotter's stuff, but seriously, if you're gonna drop almost two large on a SUITCASE, are you gonna do it at friggin' J. Crew? Maybe they'll throw in a free repp tie belt!!!)

*

Secret Love Letter Necklace:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_list_8&listing_id=13897050

I think this might be the first time I've featured something on Etsy without making fun of it.

*

Anthropologie's Hedgerow Bedding:

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=890051

Oof: "This two-tone garden scene takes you behind the white picket fence, where an enchanted den of grasshoppers and small perching birds is revealed." Mr. Giada, calm down!

*

An Open Flame Is The New Bowl Of Rocks, part of a continuing series:

http://www.radius-design.com/rshop/uni-flame-p-784.html

*

Despite the fact that it's made of cardboard, I think this is actually one of the nicer cheap chess sets I've seen:

http://www.betterlivingthroughdesign.com/2008/08/newwave_chessboard.html

Come on: "Daniel Young, a New York-based inventor / designer. discovered that simply by cutting slits into the fluting of corrugated board he could harness its extraordinary capacity to hold and release inserted flat objects, like chess or checkers pieces." They make it sound like he was Prometheus delivering the gift of fire to Humanity...

*

It's A Log You Idiots, part of a continuing series:

http://design-milk.com/albero/

*

The Rabbit Hand Mixer:

http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2008/08/01/rabbit-hand-mixer-why-not/

That is, a hand mixer that looks like a rabbit, not a hand mixer used for pureeing rabbits. Sorry.

*

Plush Tears (my new band name, PS)

http://fredflare.com/customer/product.php?productid=4200&cat=103#

*

FINALLY:Oh, come on...you just made this to get featured in Affluenza, didn't you?

http://www.notcot.org/post/12442/

Seriously, you're just fucking with me now.

Affluenza: July 23

An Open Flame Is The New Bowl Of Rocks, part of a continuing series:

http://aplusrstore.com/product_detail.php?show=product&pid=308


*

Bluelines, the website of the defunct MSL magazine, disappeared for a while, but they came back the other day with a new post promising new features and a new idea from Lena.

What was Lena's new idea? A few hours later, we found out.

*

Beautiful Phillip Lim shirt:

http://www.aloharag.com/highseas/product.asp?s_id=0&dept_id=4670&pf_id=PAAAAACBLKOPFBFM

The picture doesn't do it justice...those aren't stripes, they're folds in the fabric.

*

The Pearwood Writing Desk:

http://www.furniturestoreblog.com/pearwood_writing_desk

*

The "Wow Jean, what a cowinkydink!" NotCot Caption Of The Week:

"Love this new Got Milk site! (yes, i found it from my own ads!)"

http://www.notcot.org/post/12071/

*

Check out these utterly gorgeous couture motorcycle helmets by Jérôme Coste

http://www.core77.com/couture_motorcycle_helmets

I gotta ask, though: it takes you SIX concussions before you start in on helmets???

*

Molly sends us the following reconnaissance report on YesStyle.com:

Hip and masculine: yes indeed!

This bag IS REVERSIBLE!

Cute: anything by rootote.

An engrish baby t, and another.

Roborabbit. (Really diggin' the 'Googims' brand...check out the adorable animal t-shirts for fat babies! Then again, maybe it's the fat asian baby that makes them so cute. )

Dodostyle is taiwanese for 'adorable'.

Anna Sui scarf (meh)

A recommended gift "for him." This pendant will not ship to Zimbabwe or Tahiti.

Banana! Cheese! Eggplant! Donut!...Potty sniffy cutie??

Finally: there was a girl in my high school who went to Asia to become a model. She came back a year later with fabulous clothes and a drug problem. The PeopleStyle part of this site reminded me of that story. And also made me feel like I'm trolling for teens online or something.

Oh, and one more then i shut up: please just scroll through this. Very amusing fashions in there.

Thanks, Molly!

Affluenza: July 16

It's A Log You Idiots, part of a continuing series:

http://pfeiferstudio.com/detail.aspx?ID=444&Name=Eco-Friendly-Stool-Table

Being "eco-friendly" now includes painting a log, selling it for two hundred bucks, and flying it across the country. Take THAT, climate change! We're doing our part to save the Earth!

*

There's a line of expensive candles called BOUGIE? Seriously?

http://www.pierreherme.com/retrait-boutique/familly.cgi?id=12&cwsid=9536phAC194316ph4081804

Oh man...that's, like, too good to be true...

*

An official Battlestar Galactica toaster concept:

http://www.nbcuniversalstore.com/detail.php?p=61221&v=sci-fi_battlestar-galactica_comic-con.

*

Two things I hate--UO and Ben Sherman--combine to make an adorable car coat:

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&id=14724645

*

The This-Post-Sponsored-By-Babelfish NotCot Caption Of The Week:

"Voltaflex | New Body Parts | more an action using the human body false!"

http://www.notcot.org/post/11945/

*

Special correspondent Ben sent this one in, and I'm going to turn it over to him:

This is sort of a neat-ish idea, but with an ugly design a really stupid execution:

http://blog.longnow.org/2008/05/09/the-birth-clock/

Now you're stuck with a clock surrounded by jagged broken glass as a reminder of your momentous decision!

A similar idea, but much better and low tech: daruma!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daruma

Wikipedia's description is wrong, though. When you start an endeavor, you fill in one eye at the beginning of your travails. You fill in the other eye once you have completed the task. (Switching it from hard work to luck is so fucking American, of course. "Make a wish!" Jesus.)

Thanks, Ben.

*

Alessi Orientales Lily Pond Sushi Set:

http://www.fitzsu.com/alessi-orientales-lily-pond-sushi-p-5923.html

Hey, fitzsu too, pal...

*

Kudos to Design Milk for catching this:

http://design-milk.com/um/

I love RJupiter's comment: "saw the design from this company years ago. interesting but nothing new." It's a giant penis-shaped chandelier. Have you really seen so many of those that you're jaded and bored by the very mention of them?

*

Molly caught this settee at Target:

http://www.target.com/Button-Tufted-Chaise-Settee-Floral/

From the site: "You don't have to be French royalty to make room for dapper and demure, just get furniture with fancy names." DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO!

*

PICK OF THE WEEK: Nike's magnificent table tennis shoes:

http://www.certifiedrandom.com/articles/nike-tt-star-classic-pro-table-tennis-sneakers/1858

Please note that the trim around the sole is the back of a table tennis paddle. Suh-weet! Ho boy, do I want a pair of these. My tweed Converses are starting to look a bit scruffy.

None of the sites that have featured this shoe have mentioned this, but Nike made footwear and accessories for all of the Olympic sports this year. Yep: every single one. I wonder if this is their table tennis entry, or some OTHER Nike table tennis shoe.

*

Kawaii Lagerfeld!

http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk200/discohouse/?action=view&current=karl.jpg

Believe it or not, you can get this at Urban Outfitters...there are also Michael Jackson and Ziggy Stardust shirts as well, but I can't find them.

*

These Pamela Johnson designs are quite fascinating, and AAAAGH! THAT MODEL! WHAT THE FUCK!

http://mafrangine.blogspot.com/2008/07/hot-date-on-monday.html

AAAAAAGH! JESUS CHRIST SHE'S LOOKING RIGHT INTO ME! GET IT OFF GET IT OFF!

*

It's A Rock You Idiots:

http://tortoiselife.com/new/itempage/rock_vase.html

Part of a continuing series?

Affluenza: July 9

An Open Flame Is The New Bowl Of Rocks, part of a continuing series:

http://www.idasia.org/leave-the-light-on/

Extra points deducted for "cleverness."

*

All-Wax Candle:

http://www.bookofjoe.com/2008/07/all-wax-candle.html

*

Rosendahl Digital Watch:

https://mca.destra.com/store/view.asp?pID=207 (Thanks, M. Thyme!)

I never thought I'd say this, but I like that animated menu, too.

*

Mike & Chris make yet another Affluenza appearance with this lovely top, called for some reason "Pacey In Smoked Taupe."

http://www.rarechic.com/product_view.php?id=444

This entry should prove once and for all I don't just feature clothes because I'm attracted to the models. Who's her agent, Jim Henson?

Speaking of iffy models, I also like Heidi Merrick's fall 2008 line:

http://www.heidimerrick.com/collection/08/fall/index.html

*

Always happy to see a new toaster concept:

http://gizmodo.com/5022706/the-nahamer-t450-toaster-eliminates-toast-popping-for-toast-dropping

Still holding my breath for the toaster concept made out of a log, which browns bread using an open flame...

*

The ingenious Bubble Calendar:

http://www.bubblecalendar.com/2009BAH.htm#height_417

*

Finally:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank-sparrow/2620270964/

My thoughts exactly!

Affluenza: Special July 4th "This Is What America Means To Me" Edition

Affluenza: July 2

Marian Bantjes has converted a Nigerian scam email into a gorgeous and intricate print:

http://www.bantjes.com/index.php?id=217

*

Look at these incredible Roberts radio:

http://www.belowtheclouds.com/2008/06/26/klassisk-design-fran-roberts-radio/

British, of course.

*

Feed your dog out of the emptied carcass of a dead pig!

http://nerdapproved.com/household/poor-pig-pet-bowl-poochie-has-an-insatiable-thirst-for-blood/

Kinda.

*

Ant-shaped salt and pepper shakers for your next picnic:

http://nerdapproved.com/bizarre-gadgets/ants-salt-and-pepper-shakers/

*

A preview of Richard Chai's new GO line for Target:

http://www.nylonmag.com/?section=article&parid=1641
http://jezebel.com/5020320/recessionistance-richard-chai-for-target-first-look

*

Hello, gorgeous:

http://www.pashley.co.uk/guvnor/index.html

But why saddle such a gorgeous bike with such a stupid name? Unless it was named after legendary street fighter Lenny Mclean:

http://theinternetgaragesale.com/images/guvnor.jpg

*

A dry erase refrigerator:

http://www.amana.com/content.jsp?pageName=NewProductPageShowroom

*

An official Barbie doll is about to be released that's based on Hitchcock's The Birds:

http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MTL9663

Hey, did her and Ken ever get back together?

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/feb2004/nf20040217_1253_db042.htm

*

Swiss Medicine Box:

http://swissmiss.typepad.com/weblog/2008/07/swiss-medicine.html

Affluenza: June 25

Fill In The Cat: http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2007/02/12/fill-in-the-cat-by-nel-studio/ * These aren't quite logs, you idiots, but they're still pretty ugly: http://design-milk.com/organic-design-nature-collection/ Still, nice of Jamie over at Design Milk to do my job for me! Sigh, now if only Contemporist would find an entry for An Open Flame Is The New Bowl Of Rocks... * Wait, whaaaaaaaaat? http://www.contemporist.com/2008/06/17/gaya-fireplace-from-safretti/ * Azzedine Alaia's flat lace sandal: http://www.brownsfashion.com/pages/product/product.asp?... * The Genuinely Funny NotCot Caption Of The Week: "Control a real submarine over the internet!" http://www.notcot.org/post/11370/ * Orange Beautiful's gorgeous line of typographic notecards: http://www.roadsidescholar.com/2008/06/20/orange-beautifuls-type-line-letterpress/ * I'm not crazy about this Fred Flare reusable shopping bag: http://fredflare.com/customer/product.php?productid=3627&cat=108 But for some reason the "1st / Last" graphic is really intriguing. Here's a question I never thought I'd ask: is Fred Flare quoting the Sermon On The Mount? Matthew 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. (Later, after the Sermon, Jesus was disappointed to discover that the frozen daiquiris he'd brought for everyone had melted: "Many are thawed," the Messiah lamented, "but few are frozen.") * OH MY GOD. Not too many things render me speechless, but this "ice cream koozie" has done the job. http://www.prepara.com/pint_sleeve.php That's so American, we should cast a giant one in bronze and put it on the Washington mall. (thanks, Molly!) * Speaking of ice cream, though, I approve of this Cuisipro Ice Cream Scoop http://www.wrapables.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=C57237 It's more of a post hole digger than a scoop, which seems to be a good solution. * The title of their homepage proclaims: THE SLANKET, THE BEST BLANKET EVER http://www.theslanket.com/ I like a company that believes in its product. I totally want one of these, by the way. So does your mother. (That sounds like a dirty joke, but it's not. I'm sure your mom would love to get one of these. * A preview of Gucci's ridiculous "limited edition" 8-8-2008 line: http://viacomit.free.fr/index.php/2008/06/23/8-8-2008-limited-edition-by-gucci/ * I know this seems like a tiny thing, but if you've ever used hex keys, then you know how gobsmacked I am at the genius who decided to color-code a set: http://pbtoolsus.thomasnet.com/item/rainbow-series/... * We've talked about how distasteful and tacky most luxury watches are. And sure, this one is excessive beyond all measure: 400 large! But unlike most of the insanely expensive watches that make the rounds every few months--goddamn, is it a beautiful watch. http://dvice.com/archives/2008/06/chapter_one_wat.php * I can't believe no one thought of a Blue Screen Of Death t-shirt before: http://www.errorwear.com/shirt-bsod95.php Heh. Good job on matching the exact shade, too. * Single-serving caulk? That's such a good idea I can't believe GE came up with it: http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2008/06/ge-caulk-single.html Now let's get to work on smaller and cheaper packets of spices, 'kay? * Round-Toe Flats with Detachable Strap: http://www.yesstyle.com/en/Product.aspx?pid=1011047917&section=bags& * Affluenza, definition of: a personalized cattle brand--from Williams-Sonoma!--for your grill: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cw140_1/index.cfm?pkey=cctlnew

Affluenza: June 18

Kazuharu Sakura's cool leather (!) keyboard: http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-16218-Kazuharu+Sakura%3A+Handmade+keyboard+art%21.html I believe the blank keyboard here is an affectation, but a lot of hacker-types get blank keyboards on purpose, to help learn the keyboard by heart so their eyes can never leave the screen, or to really learn their dubious DVORAK layout. Or because it looks hella l33t. Anyway, people are starting to take keyboard design seriously, and I think this Das Keyboard is pretty tempting: http://www.daskeyboard.com/ Who needs mechanical key switches when you can just make a macro that plays a "click" .wav every time you hit a key? (j/k) * Holy crap, you guys, check out Emil Kozak's Barok'n'roll wallpaper: http://www.wallcollection.com/gallery/item/12 You HAVE TO click to see the larger image. Give it time to load, it's totally worth it. * Cute and cartoony Branch Shelf: http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&partNumber=WE-PRODw276&retainNav=true&parent_category_rn=&cmsrc=SCH&parentId=branch+shelf+ It's from West Elm, and it's almost a log, and I like it? This is gonna be a weird week, I guess. Oh, and congrats to West Elm for not putting a rock on the shelf. Seriously, good job. * I like this Issey Miyake watch okay, aside from GRR! the giant logo: http://www.2modern.com/designer/Issey-Miyake/Issey-Miyake-Twelve-Watch-SILAP011 I'm sorta only linking this, though, so I can link to this Pet Shop Boys song that rhymes that designer's name with "tacky." In your face, 70-year-old Japanese fashion dude! http://youtube.com/watch?v=GjyY7oi4EGw More music videos should just be crap the band taped off foreign television. I hear the new My Chemical Romance spot is all Eastern European game shows, and I can't wait... * Oh sweet, a new toaster concept: http://www.idasia.org/post-it-on-your-toast/ You write a message on the top of the toaster and it burns it on the toast and there you go. * I don't usually link to Contemporist posts, because anyone interested in Affluenza should be reading it daily already. But I couldn't miss the chance to link to this incredible gallery of Singapore design firm CRISP: http://www.contemporist.com/2008/06/12/inconversation-a-series-by-crisp/ * Oyule, a clever lamp set: http://www.66degrees.com/#/pid=1085 Six-fiddy, though...nice try, you guys. * Jean-Michel Cazabat Mamai Perforated Flat in Gold: http://www.revolveclothing.com/DisplayProduct.jsp?product=JEAN-WZ16&c=Jun+03&n=n * VVhat the hell is this? http://www.vvork.com/?p=7002 I guess F.T.B.I.T.T.T.D. was already taken... http://gawker.com/news/james-frey/james-frey-11021.php * Fuck the bullshit, it's time for a link dump: http://freshome.com/2007/08/08/modern-fireplace-from-chimney-anthrax/ http://mocoloco.com/archives/004405.php http://freshome.com/2007/07/12/sha-do-lamp/ http://www.productdose.com/article.php?article_id=6308 http://charlesandmarie.com/blog/modern_living/2007/07/27/felt-2/ http://www.productdose.com/article.php?article_id=6284 http://freshome.com/2007/07/25/natural-stone-bathtub/ * On Sunday, the New York Times had a great article about "green fatigue," the exhaustion a lot of consumers are feeling after being confronted endlessly with allegedly eco-friendly products: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/fashion/15green.html * Bulbcaps are neat silicone shuttlecocks that go over bare light bulbs in lieu of lampshades: http://www.mollaspace.com/product_info.php?products_id=259 * Check out these great Interior Europe wallpapers, and the cool new Design Milk banner: http://design-milk.com/iewallpaper/ * The [Editor's Note: Boo! Bad spelling and grammar] NotCot Caption Of The Week: "Amazing untonned of Niko Bellic by Pixeloo - [Editor's Note: Yay! GTA IV]" http://www.notcot.org/post/11344/ (Ah man, and I was gonna lay off NotCot this week because of whatever mysterious trauma has claimed Tastespotting. Look, I know that "untooned" isn't exactly in the OED, but come on: you got "Niko Bellic" right, for Christ's sake. Also, I think you really mean "untooning") * This Honeycomb Table Lamp is a steal at fiddy bucks: http://www.wrapables.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=A57180&prodlist=cj * Here's one for the long-time readers: remember that piggy bank that was cast from a real dead piglet? Well, don't worry guys, turns out he's in a better place now: http://www.betterlivingthroughdesign.com/2008/06/ivory_bank_pig.html * Hey, they're gonna start selling Topshop clothes from the UK at Barney's now. Here are the first imports: http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/2008/fall/main/newyork/womenrunway/topshop/

Affluenza: Web Exclusive

Molly sends us this log/couch, spotted in the lobby of a hotel in Monteagle, Tennessee:

It's a log you idiots!

If it's any consolation, this was presumably the work of rustic woodworkers and not a high-fashion designertard trying to pass off a tree stump as a sidetable that "explores the tension between nature and artifice" or some such shit.

Thanks, Molly!

Affluenza: June 11

"Seasoned Douglas fir coated with natural silver"...forty-two large!

http://www.mattermatters.com/search.asp?Mode=Product&ProductID=278

I sorta feel like this is such a perfect storm of everything Affluenza is
against--conspicuous consumption, selling logs--that I should sorta end this feature right here. How could anything possibly be stupider than this? Well, stick around...I'm sure we'll find out.

The really amazing thing is how this has even disgusted the normal design bloggers:

http://www.betterlivingthroughdesign.com/2008/05/periodic_table.html

*

Speaking of the design bloggers: TMI, Allie! Geez!

http://purecontemporary.blogs.com/behind_the_curtains/2008/06/modern-dog-beds.html

Thank You For Sharing. It Means So Much To Me.

*

Nite Bedside Table:

http://www.scandinaviandesigncenter.com/Products/eur1/Trademark/MAZE+International/4319/Nite+bedside+table&currencychanged=1

*

Cool anatomical models:

http://www.kikkerlandshop.com/toys---games-puzzle-games.html

Wholly Mammoth for the win!

*

Space Invader crop circle:

http://www.likecool.com/Space_Invader_Crop_Circle--Other--Gear.html

Clever.

*

The Mangled NotCot Caption Of The Week:

"So hot that not need to thaw food, only adding the Ketchup is great!"

http://www.notcot.org/post/11127/

*

Those of you who've been to a theater with me in the last six months know that I won't shut up about how hot Anne Hathaway's coat is in the Get Smart poster:

http://www.cinematical.com/2007/11/14/exclusive-get-smart-poster-premiere

Well, this isn't it--the belt and cuffs are wrong, and fug--but it's close enough that I can shut up about it. Phillip Lim, natch:

http://www.eluxury.com/estore/browse/product_detail.jsp?id=11736662

Color: coconut!

*

This awesome owl-shaped Japanese transistor radio (with dials for eyes!) could have been yours for only $77:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Midnight-Owl-Transistor-RADIO-Japanese_W0QQitemZ160245300285QQihZ006QQcategoryZ932QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

*

Famous sufferers of affluenza include Brad Pitt:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=a2F8oiAAsg.s&refer=muse

Affluenza: May 28

Super-cool "Ghost Wallpaper":

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/wallpaper-graphics/icff-2008-trompeloeil-ghost-wallpaper-051268

*

I guess it was inevitable that someone would hit on the obvious idea of making a high-waisted miniskirt...

http://buy.jodiarnoldnyc.com/h07-3025.html

...but doesn't it look like she just took a normal knee-length skirt and hiked it up like Urkel?

*

Beautiful handmade fixed-gear bike from Jonny Cycles:

http://jonnycycles.com/trackpix10.html

Gosh, it's lovely.

*

The architecture photography of Ben Benschneider:

http://blueantstudio.blogspot.com/2008/05/ben-benschneider-architecture.html

Seriously??? Your name is "Ben Benschneider"? Wicked.

All of these shots are neat, but mostly I'm posting this because holy crap that glass-bottomed pool above the hallway is INSANE.

*

City Lounge:

http://coolboom.net/landscape-design/city-lounge-by-carlos-martinez/

Five minutes later? Mad covered in homeless.

*

FicklestiX (sic) offers the world above-average wall-decals, humiliating brand name.

http://www.ficklestix.com/

*

Beautiful, shockingly cheap Japanese dioramas:

http://www.betterlivingthroughdesign.com/2008/05/tatebanko_paper_diorama_kits.html

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This Week's Inexplicable NotCot Caption:

"pencils and art by GhostPatrol. The Australian based designer moved slowly - his creative mind and idea from stenciling wall to create the pencils art project. Doing all the painting to a single pencils until get the desire image."

http://www.notcot.org/post/10903/

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This fractal bureau has been everywhere the last couple of weeks, so let me just put the Affluenza seal of approval on it:

http://nickpapageorgia.blogspot.com/2008/05/takeshi-miyakawa.html

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Jesus Christ, look at this:

http://nickpapageorgia.blogspot.com/2008/04/flore-de-crombrugghe.html

Hey, asshole: if you hate people who waste water taking baths so much, FUCKING DON'T MAKE BATHTUBS.

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Catherine Malandrino's embroidered circle dress:

http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/31382

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Skygarden lamps, designed by Marcel Wanders, are huge metal half-domes with intriguing plaster work on the inside:

http://www.roadsidescholar.com/2008/05/22/marcel-wanders-skygarden-lamp/

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NettoCollection's cute Polar Bear Rocker:

http://www.fawnandforest.com/products/843-polar-bear-rocker

"NettoCollection sees the health of our children as inseparable from the health of our planet..." Teach them well and let them lead the way.

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I'm not sure if anyone needs 1470 tools--I'm reminded of those useless kitchen knife sets with 36 different mediocre blades when you really just need one good one--but check out the amazing photography of the set:

http://dvice.com/archives/2008/05/8600_craftsman.php

I think I just found a wedding present for Adam.

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Even better: this "limited edition ratchet featuring a classic Craftsman Midnight Black titanium finish" which comes in "an engraved cherry display case."

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00944744000P?vName=Tools

Wow, Sears...you just blew my mind a little.

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Custom movie posters created for the Alamo Drafthouse:

http://thepublics.wordpress.com/2008/05/08/pop-cult-popcorn/

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The Telescope Walking Stick:

http://www.hammacher.com/publish/75064.asp

It sorta weirds me out that Hammacher Schlemmer is offering a product that I find pretty cool AND at a suspiciously affordable price.

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"Here's the idea...we sell a hollow steel cube and a sledgehammer, right? And then the buyer can smash the cube into a supremely uncomfortable vaguely-chair-like shape. I present to you: the Do Hit Chair."

http://www.marijnvanderpoll.com/

"But Marijn van der Poll, nobody would ever fall for something like that!"

"Have you ever read a design blog? Those idiots will feature ANYTHING."

Affluenza: April 30

These bird trays are so freaking beautiful and mysterious. They're possibly my favorite thing to be featured here in weeks:

http://www.eggmercantile.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=21&products_id=613&osCsid=f7ab7dbf2ed9f1cddd58e5d809e06a04

It's weird that they make a reference to the 80s CBS drama Beauty & The Beast. How random is that?

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Welcome, new readers. This is a feature I run every Wednesday that I call Affluenza. What is it?

Affluenza is a $4500 bean bag chair made of steel:

http://www.mobcollection.com/index.asp?navid=39&layid=58&csid1=6282

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I guess this pepper grinder is okay and all, but what makes it a puzzle?

http://nickpapageorgia.blogspot.com/2008/04/wooden-puzzle-pepper-mill.html

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

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It's A Log You Idiots, part of a continuing series:

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=860022

I'm genuinely shocked that this is the very first time Anthropologie has appeared in IALYI. You'd think they'd own this series so bad I'd have to just put them in a Hall Of Fame and disqualify future entries.

These Holey Stumps don't *quite* fit here--they'd have to be unpainted to meet the requirements--but they're so fucking stupid and ugly that I have to point them out anyway:

http://www.designpublic.com/shop/thout/10728?a_aid=9ac4448f&a_bid=

It's more or less a log you idiots!

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Now HERE'S a Toaster Concept for you...it has an entire microwave oven hanging off the side:

http://us.lge.com/products/model/detail/home%20appliances_cooking_countertop%20microwaves_LTM9000.jhtml

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The Pets Observation Porthole:

http://www.hammacher.com/publish/75098.asp?promo=QSearch&ls=EG#

Affluenza is everything Hammacher Schlemmer has ever sold.

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Even though I'm a huge board game snob who could rattle off at least five obscure mystery games better than Clue--Mystery Of The Abbey, for starters--I couldn't end Affluenza without featuring this deluxe edition of the game:

http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1392487

Beautiful. Now do Traders of Genoa.

Affluenza: April 23

Another week, another amazing Phillip Lim link:

http://www.lagarconne.com/store/item.htm?itemid=2021&sid=7&pid=

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There are three things notable about sculptor Robert The:

1. His clever book-based assemblies:

http://www.artistaday.com/?p=1400

2. His name, which I really hope isn't fake. Robert The!

3. His innate ability to say stuff like this: "Obsession with the semiotic erosion of meaning and reality led me to create objects that evangelize their own relevance by a direct fusion of word and form."

Wow, I am truly in awe. I thought I was being clever with that 'transcending the dominant paradigm' schtick, but Robert The must be wearing a mortarboard 'cuz he just took me TO SCHOOL.

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And here you thought those "teddy bears with light bulb heads" from last week were bad:

http://blog.2modern.com/2008/04/design-from-arg.html

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Being "the most beautiful folding bike ever" isn't exactly a difficult achievement, but this thing is freaking gorgeous:

http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-one-finally-a-goodlooking-folding-cycle

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The design blogs have been pretty enthusiastic about this, but I must be an artless clod or something because all I see are a bunch of chairs and a couple of planks:

http://www.dezeen.com/2008/04/19/bench2-by-jo-nagasaka-schemata-architecture-office/

I'm used to being unimpressed by design bloggers, but mystified is a new sensation.

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I like Blik and the other wall art designers, but aren't all their prices a little suspicious? I mean, fiddy bucks for a vinyl sticker? (Even those super-corny Target rip-offs were expensive.)

Ikea is all "fuck that" and lays some hurting on the price-fixing vinyl sticker conglomerates:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70132337

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Watercolor, ink and graphite works on paper from Bill Frederick:

http://www.roadsidescholar.com/2008/04/21/bill-frederick-watercolor-and-graphite-art/

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It's Ten Logs You Idiots, part of a continuing series:

http://www.vivre.com/control/product/~category_id=357/~product_id=40787

A steal at $1750! Seriously, though, if any of you are thinking about getting these, drop me a line...I can get you *twenty* tables for the same price.

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Remember that beautiful Audi Auto Union Scale Replica Pedal Car I posted last August?

http://nexus404.com/Blog/2007/08/10/strictly-limited-audi-auto-union-scale-replica-pedal-car/

Well, here's the noveau riche version:

http://www.flylyf.com/ferrari-go-cart/

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"The iPod case is made out of meat."
"Meat?"
"Meat. It's made out of meat."
"Meat?"
"There's no doubt about it."

http://item.rakuten.co.jp/sastore/krb-3n-r/

http://www.terrybisson.com/meat.html

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As a dude, I guess I probably shouldn't be writing about fashion, because I always get duped by the models. A few times a week I see clothes that I think I should totally feature here, only to look closer and realize the clothes are hideous and I'm just really attracted to the model. Here are this week's examples:

http://www.meganpark.co.uk/collection.php?dir=aw07/wwear&pic=5

http://www.freepeople.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.detail/productID/e069d758-7538-41c8-8043-1acb4615fa3f/categoryID/eb344a5e-2eb4-44f2-9bd1-39502a8fe6d1

That first one is particularly bad...it looks like something a Greek-American grandmother would wear on a day cruise.

I'm too lazy to look this up, but I don't think this is the first time a Free People model has been featured here. Bravo, you guys really know how to sell women's clothes to straight guys! Now don't get skeevy like American Apparel and there will always be a place on Affluenza for your ugly clothes.

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"Glenn Gould performed for 21 years seated in a folding card chair modified by his father to be height adjustable. That chair accompanied him around the world in support of each of his recordings and performances, and now resides on a pedestal at the National Library of Canada. Exact replicas of the skeletal, cushion-less chair are available for €990":

http://www.glenngould-chair.com/inglese/chair.htm

http://www.metafilter.com/70900/Glenn-Goulds-chair

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The newest entry in the Affluenza Shopping Directory:

http://www.viceland.com/int/dd.php?id=1336

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Penguin UK is reissuing hardcover editions of the terrible James Bond novels to tie in with the terribly-named sequel to the terrible reboot of the terrible movie series.

Hey, the covers are neat, though:

http://thepublics.wordpress.com/2008/04/15/girls-girls-girls/

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Anna Sui's spring '08 collection:

http://mafrangine.blogspot.com/2008/04/wearable-punk.html

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Famous sufferers of affluenza include George Clooney:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/04/14/080414fa_fact_parker

"Clooney was sitting on a long pale sofa, alongside Sarah Larson, his girlfriend. Bowls of chopped salad were on the coffee table in front of them: when Clooney's electronic pepper grinder was activated, it sent a beam of light shining down onto the lettuce, like a police helicopter."

Affluenza: April 16

Oh my god, check out this stunning Endovanera casual jacket from David Hershberger and Mitch Mosley:

http://www.tobi.com/product/8918-endovanera-pullback-jacket-jackets-casual

Look at all the pictures to see the three different lapel configurations it's capable of. "Timeless yet quite fashion-forward" sums it up perfectly. And, at $400, the price isn't exactly affordable, but it's at least surprisingly non-retarded.

Here's a jacket for women with a similarly versatile lapel:

http://lagarconne.com/store/item.htm?itemid=1062&sid=7

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It's A Log You Idiots, part of a continuing series:

http://charlesandmarie.com/lifestyle-gems/quintessentials/tech-toys/details/product/2gb-natural-usb-memory-stick/ (Thanks, Adam!)

http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/product.php?productid=20219

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Temporary tattoo paper for your inkjet printer:

http://www.craftycomputerpaper.co.uk/products-Inkjet-tattoo-paper_267.htm

Everyone's getting Affluenza tats for Christmas.

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Very clever mirrored tic-tac-toe board:

http://www.bemlegaus.com/2008/04/espelho-da-velha.html

and a high-design foosball table:

http://www.eleventhegame.com/

Hey, why not?

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A bowl with a spoon notch:

http://dvice.com/archives/2008/04/bowl_has_perfec.php

This seems like a good idea, but how often does your spoon fall into your bowl? I mean, when you're not eating an entire box of Cocoa Pebbles out of a mixing bowl, that is? I don't think it happens that often.

Here's another item that solves a non-existent problem...the SofaBOX:

http://swissmiss.typepad.com/weblog/2008/04/sofa-box.html

It's a sofa that secretly turns into a, uh, box. But...why would you need that? What can you do with a box that you can't with a sofa? Sit on it?

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What the HAY-ULL?

http://www.belowtheclouds.com/2008/04/11/31-studenter-skapar-5-stolar/

http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2008/04/the_suck_uk_ted.html

http://interiordesignroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/konstfack.html

"I don't really think of myself as a designer, really. I think of myself as a professional questioner....with this piece, I'm making people question their assumptions about whether chairs need fulfill a sitting role, and if tables should be functional eating surfaces. In fact, you might say I'm subverting the dominant paradigm..."

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BrickArms, the Lego minifig armory with an impressively extensive product line, have released their 2008 line-up:

http://brickarms.com/

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Every once and a while a product comes along that just gives you a headache. Admit it -- you know what I'm talking about. It's curves and shape makes you forget how to use apostrophes correctly. You don't even care about the ludicrous price --- you MUST feature it on Affluenza.

I see countless modern and contemporary home products each day. Most evoke feelings of disgust, but only the really special ones send me into a tizzy -- frantically trying to figure out the best way to mock them on this link dump.

Enter the Peel:

http://purecontemporary.blogs.com/behind_the_curtains/2008/04/perfect-peel.html

I know how you're feeling. Migraine-y. Nauseated. Am I right?

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Christiaan Postma's Calendar Wallpaper:

http://design-milk.com/christiaan-postma/

Love it, but...you have to get your office re-papered every year?

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Antonio Citterio's Flat.C shelving system is beautiful:

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/read.php?CATEGORY_PK=&TOPIC_PK=2715

Blah blah blah: "[T]he shelving system has [been] designed to house books and technology items such as a stereo and television set." Oh, so it's flat and horizontal, then? Amazing!

UPDATE: I think maybe I prefer the DeKast:

http://www.dekast.eu/#height_416

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Constantin Wortmann's Cobra Candlesticks:

http://www.georgjensen.com/English/Collections/Living/Candleholders/COBRA%20Candlestick.aspx

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I was all prepared to hate on Maarten Baas for his useless wobbly desk and his...inexplicable collection of junk:

http://www.dezeen.com/2008/04/10/studio-baas-den-herder-in-milan/

but I actually really like that first piece, the gorgeous hardwood version of a plastic patio chair.

Boy, these avant-garde designers have such a great goddamn gig: if you don't go along with their stupid "experiments," then you're just too middle-class to understand.

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"24 hours before your special day, the Hot Spot™ on the interior surface of your Remember Ring™ will warm to 120º F for approximately 10 seconds, and continue to warm up every hour, on the hour, all day long!"

http://www.alaskajewelry.com/remember-rings-never-forget-anniversary-p-2040.html

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THEM: I love Baby Ruthless, but what's this Affluenza thing Johnny does every week?

YOU: Affluenza is a twenty-two hundred dollar tepee from Design Within Reach.

http://www.dwr.com/product/tools/view+all+tools+for+living/tepee.do?prfrm=1&cmp=AFC-GB9049936277

Affluenza: April 9

If I liked illustrated pillows--I don't--I would like this illustrated pillow:

http://www.jennarose.ca/2008_spring/home_decor/pillows/rooftops.html

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From GeoCities, the cutting edge of high design, comes the work of Tamsin van Essen:

http://www.geocities.com/vanessendesign/index.html

Oh brother...the Medical Heirloom series "appears to have been affected by various hereditary diseases – osteoporosis, psoriasis, acne, cancer, syphilis. As heirlooms, the jars can be passed down through the generations of a family in the same way as the medical conditions: a legacy of ill health."

Students!

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An interview with designer Nikolay Saveliev:

http://futureshipwreck.com/?p=186

"I like the idea of a consolidated aesthetic totality; what you make looks like what you listen to, sounds like what you wear, and speaks like what you believe in. In simpler terms, my girlfriend might look like she's in a band I'd listen to, my haircut looks like it belongs in the chair I'm sitting in, and the work I'm designing might be written about in a book that I would read. Even my cat has to figure in there somehow. It's a meticulous thing to maintain..."

Proper.

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A reader writes that this spatula is "just (strangely) viscerally gross," and I couldn't agree more:

http://www.kitchencontraptions.com/archives/017343.php (NSFW)

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Gas masks are pretty played out, but these are amazing:

http://www.diddovelema.com/designergasmasks/index2.html

I hope these become a thing.

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I'm not sure what a "lifestyle globe" is, but how lovely:

http://www.designerblog.it/post/2520/devign-lifestyle-globe

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Oh puke:

http://www.revolveclothing.com/DisplayProduct.jsp?product=COMM-MZ18&c=Common+Projects&d=b

Apparently their target market is "that guy who only dresses up twice a year and thinks nobody notices his dress shoes are really Doc Martins."

Oh puke, times a million:

http://www.oki-ni.com/invt/js0018navy

"These shoes feature laser-cut cutouts from the shoes' sides - exposing the wearer's feet and providing a stylish but airy solution" to ever getting laid again.

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Less than overwhelming response for the Celia Birtwell for Express line:

http://racked.com/archives/2008/04/08/flops_celia_birtwell_bows_at_e.php

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Any attempt at wit or subtlety fails in the face of this monstrosity.

http://interiordesignroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/evolution-by-nacho-carbonell.html

WHAT. THE FUCK.

Nacho, this is a FAILURE. It sucks, and you should feel bad. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you're not cut out for the career you're pursuing? I'm not kidding, this isn't a joke, and I'm not trying to motivate you to try harder. The sooner you admit to yourself that you might not have it in you, the sooner you'll find a way to be happy in your life. Not everyone has to be creative. Thank your parents and your friends for their support, get your resume together, and find a way to pay back your student loans. There's no shame in knowing that you weren't able to best a challenge of overwhelming odds, that after using all of the resources and talents you had at your disposal you looked inside of yourself and found yourself lacking. Passion wasn't enough, and believing in yourself wasn't enough. There's a certain honor in walking away, in quitting, in working an honest job and then saying "I'm home" to the simple conventional chair and the simple conventional table where you eat your dinner. I can tell you from my own experience, man to man, that it may never be easy, but it gets easier every day.

(Bitchin' name, though. "Nacho!")

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This cute Eddy Rocker is probably intended for nurseries, but I bet you could pull it off elsewhere:

http://www.zacandzoe.com/nurserybedroom/ddeddyrocker.html

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I guess I'm being really negative this week, so let me try to JESUS CHRIST HOW RETARDED:

http://www.coroflot.com/public/individual_file.asp?individual_id=125143&portfolio_id=492789&specialty=4&sort_by=1&c=1&

Boy, the home design and fashion world has been really uninspiring this week. I didn't even have a single entry for this until Monday. I flipped through the new Domino in about ten minutes, then tossed it.

HOWEVER, let's end on a good note. No, wait, not just a good note, but a hilariously awesome note. Ready?

***KARL LAGERFELD APPEARS IN THE NEW GRAND THEFT AUTO GAME***

http://men.style.com/news/blog/2008/04/karl-lagerfelds.html

He's creating a custom radio station for the game, that you can play as you drive around, as well as providing "off-color commentary." (!). Sadly, he's not a playable character, but how awesome would that be? All beating up hookers with your elaborate gothic pewter rings?

Okay, now I have the strength to carry on. See you next week.

Affluenza: April 2

One thing you may have noticed these many months is that I almost never feature clever watches. This is because 1. I hate the logos all watches are allowed to sport on their faces, and 2. I hate cleverness.

Having said that...until otherwise noted this is the official watch of Affluenza:

http://www.watchismo.com/modern.php?cmd=view&id=314

Now somebody just needs to create a computer monitor with the words Nobody Cares burnt softly into the display.

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Molly sends us this bathtub bookcase combo:

http://www.bornrich.org/entry/bathtub-with-book-storage-for-bookworms/

Born Rich dot org! I haven't been this jealous of a URL since Skulls Unlimited!

http://babyruthless.blogspot.com/2007/10/skulls-unlimited.html

See also: BOOKSHELF, "the home of interesting bookshelves, bookcases and things that look like them":

http://theblogonthebookshelf.blogspot.com/

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Remember this, from last week?

http://eluxury.com/estore/browse/product_detail.jsp?id=11711529

Maison Martin Mariela gets a short write-up in this week's New Yorker:

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews/2008/04/07/080407goav_GOAT_avenue_marx

It's Nathan Barley's favorite shop!

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An Open Flame Is The New Bowl Of Rocks, part of a continuing series:

http://www.menu.as/Default.asp?ID=2853

There's also this one, which I can't actually find on their site:

http://charlesandmarie.com/blog/modern_living/2008/03/28/lighthouse/

"Oh, you think you're eco-friendly? Check it: I spent the morning scrubbing SOOT off my walls...how you like me now?"

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Have you noticed there's been a shortage of OMGs on the web this week? It's because everyone used their's up gushing over Phillip Lim's unbearably adorable child-sized versions of his stunning designs:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/buzz/Kid_By_Philip_Lim

Spending more than $20 on an item of clothing for a toddler goes beyond affluenzic and into the realm of offensive. And spending more than $200 is clear evidence of a diseased soul, and should be grounds for having your children taken from you. (Not kidding.)

On the other hand: OMG cute!

http://www.thisnext.com/item/6667D706/Phillip-Lim-Childrens-Trench

(faints)

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Check out Eric Tan's cool X-Men poster:

http://erictanart.blogspot.com/2007/12/i-need-sleep.html

It's beautiful, isn't it? Too bad nobody reading this is allowed to buy it when it's released. Sorry, we're all adults now.

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The illustrations of Jerry Seguin:

http://www.roadsidescholar.com/2008/03/26/jerry-seguin-illustrations/

Some of you may be wondering why I link to Roadside Scholar's blog entries whenever I feature something she's covered, though I don't do this for any other of my sources. Two reasons:

First, Gigi is an incredibly friendly person who always takes the time to answer her readers' email and comments. Though I think it's fair to say that she and I have differing worldviews, I find her sincerity and attentiveness to be warmly appealing.

That makes her a good person, but the reason I link to her site is that she's also a good blogger. Look, I read a lot of home decor blogs, and almost none of them attempt to do anything original or new beyond "here's some cutesy disposable crap I found on another blog" or "here's some insufferable avant-garde crap I found on another blog." But Gigi puts a lot of work into creating original content for Roadside Scholar.

Of particular note is her Let's Chat series, a collection of short interviews with artists and crafters. Also impressive are her massive Etsy link collections, in which she manages to find some pretty interesting stuff lurking unawares on that empire of mediocrity.

So, all things considered, I think Roadside Scholar deserves the traffic. I bet you think I'm gonna end this uncharacteristic rave with a snide self-deprecating joke, as a sort of defense mechanism against unseemly sincerity, but I'm not. Suck it, haters.

Affluenza: March 26

Brocade Home, a perennial favorite of Affluenza, has a gorgeous Ribbon Quilt:

http://www.brocadehome.com/bh/catalog/product/product_detail.jsp?productId=bh_prod119130

How comfortable does that look? Too bad no self-respecting guy--or even me--could get away with owning it. Head's up, ladies...buying this quilt greatly increases the chances you'll get me into your bed one day. (Doing some sit-ups would help, too.)

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I guess it was inevitable that Express would get in the "designer collection" game, but, wow, Celia Birtwell is a hell of a catch:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/buzz/Express_Designer_Collaborations

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Maison Martin Margiela's Knuckle Duster:

http://eluxury.com/estore/browse/product_detail.jsp?id=11711529

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Banpresto DangerBomb Clock, which requires you to disconnect the right wire to make the alarm stop:

http://www.audiocubes.com/product_info.php?products_id=2395

Perfect for carry-on luggage!

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It's A Log You Idiots, part of a continuing series:

http://pfeiferstudio.com/detail.aspx?ID=369&Name=Corrales-Cocktail-Table

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The Flemming Dress, by Rag & Bone:

http://www.shopbop.com/flemming-dress-rag-bone/vp/v=1/845524441815298.htm

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Gigi, over at Roadside Scholar, points us to Hope Gangloff, who works with ballpoint pens, drawing from photgraphs:

http://www.roadsidescholar.com/2008/03/19/hope-gangloff-illustrations/

And Jaime, at Design Milk, shows us these incredibly charming illustrations from Janice J, which are reminiscent of picture books from the 70s:

http://design-milk.com/artist-janice-j/

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Here's a CLASSIC example of a designer ruining their work through over-thinking: Yasser Ballemans' Beautiful Times is a really cool standing digital clock that's almost an installation piece...

http://www.vvork.com/?p=6371

...except it's not actually a clock. It only shows "beautiful" times, like 12:34 or 5:55 or whatever the fuck. So basically it's a huge digital clock that doesn't work. Great.

Also: uh...wasn't this a Depeche Mode album?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:The_Singles_86-98_-_Depeche_Mode.jpg

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Do people actually use those pasta serving measurers? If so, this one is appreciably nicer that those plastic deals you see hanging off the shelf at the grocery store:

http://ooh-shiny.net/?p=4032

On the other hand, you can get those at Big Lots for like two bucks, and this one has to be imported from Germany and costs "24,50 €," whatever the hell that means. Did a cat jump up on the keyboard???

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An Open Flame Is The New Bowl Of Rocks, part of a continuing series:

http://www.cribfashion.com/fireplace/fire-magic.html

This is sort of a borderline entry, since these are intended for outdoor use, and aOFitNBoR was created to highlight the stupid trend of using open flames in INTERIOR decoration. However, three things put these over the top:

1. This was a reader submission. Honorable mention, Melanie...

2. I actually sorta like the first one.

3. The other two are rendered in hilariously pitiful CGI, possibly by the same team who did Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing" video.

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I like this convertible sofa from Urban Outfitters, especially in grey:

http://design-milk.com/urban-outfitters-converts/

Also from UO, this cute squid brush:

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&id=14230411

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Okay, this is the last straw:

http://purecontemporary.blogs.com/behind_the_curtains/2008/03/love-it-or-leav.html

Affluenza out!