Lighting That Rules (LTR)

The search for the perfect light is something that will forever engage our various interns here at CLI. Sometimes, we admit, the Editor in Chief, finds herself spending hours and hours contemplating the ideal light, the light to shine on all lights, the light to illuminate the world!

But, my friends, we have found something quite awesome. From a company called Rich, Brilliant, Willing, comes the cool "Newtility Lighting Collection" and "Branch Floor Lamp" and they are quite something. We find the clever design to be not only quite visually pleasing but also quite utilitarian! Lighting that includes electrical outlets! Our world today is soo gadget-rich that sometimes I think it would be useful to have electrical chargers installed in our elbows or knees! Oh! That reminds me of the movie "The Matrix" -- why don't we just start charging our iPods using our own body's BTU's? That is the next design challenge.

Anywho, check out this cool company and its lights here:

http://www.richbrilliantwilling.com/Projects?

Book sharing!!

This cool Spanish lady named Joan Rojeski (I think she's Spanish) designed this cool "Primer B" book-sharing device thing that kind of looks like and acts like a mail box thing, but for books! So, say you have a book you no longer want, but you are too lazy to

1) donate it
2) recycle it
3) ask your friends if they want it
4) give it to someone as a present
5) sell it to a used bookstore

...then this is just the thing for you! Now you can leave your books in your lobby or downstairs area of your apartment building, and leave the book there for your neighbors to take! I actually really like this idea, and think it can be used for other things, like delivery menus, DVD's, CD's and Netflix or something! Or maybe even recipes or a cool poem. Or maybe even a magazine or newspaper! The possibilities are endless, my friend CLI reader!

Actually, I think Joan meant something more like this: "We would pass on books we no longer needed by displaying them in a clear box attached to this mailbox, designed by Joan Rojeski, to catch our neighbours’ attention.

If they see a book they would like, they can knock the neighbour’s door and borrow the book. We remove the desired book and slip it into their box. This encourages interaction between neighbours and the re-use of books."

Anyway, check it out here: http://www.joanrojeski.com/

Cool shelves for your house!!

I'm kind of in love/like with these cool Swiss and US shelving systems by a company called Loadbearing. They are configurable to your liking and come in any color you select (within their selection). And they are not THAT expensive! Made from galvanized steel, these shelves are super strong (hold about 220 pounds for each shelf) and I just think they are marvelous!

Check them out here: http://loadbearing.com/

The best speaker ever!

This cool Scandinavian speaker is currently occupying my thoughts. Called the "Libratone" this cool little speaker does just that...it liberates us from the usual oppression we experience from mundane and commonplace speakers that require wires, lots of space, and ....more wires! The Libratone actually lets you listen to music wirelessly from any iPod or iPad or iPhone, or any other system with that allows a transmitter to be plugged in. And not only that, the Libratone comes in cool colors with felt! FELT! Felt is something that is quite nice to look at, and it's also eco-friendly! The cost is not THAT bad at around $600, but it's too much for our intern at the moment! Oh, and they aren't actually on sale yet, but will be available in the US starting in 2011!

From the website: "Libratone is not just another speaker - it's something entirely different. Regular speakers have closed cabinets that provide one-way sound: That means, your audio experience depends on your position in the room. Libratone, on the other hand, works like an acoustic instrument filling the entire room with sound. The tweeters and midrange drivers disperse sound in different directions, reflecting it off the walls, providing 360° sound. We call it FullRoom™ sound - and yes, it's patent pending. FullRoom™ means that no matter if you're walking, dancing, working or playing, and no matter how far you are from the speaker, the audio experience will stay the same."

Check it out here: http://www.libratone.com/

For those of you with bikes!

Ladies and gentlemen, like most urban dwellers, many of us at CLI have bikes! Bikes are fun to ride, are a good way to exercise and save us from having to walk! Many people in our neighborhood have very cool, stylish bikes that probably cost anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500, or even more! And many of these people dare not leave their bikes outside during the night, inviting some hungry bicycle thief to take what is not theirs!

Luckily, this dude (Chris Brigham) invented this really great Bike Shelf! The Bike Shelf is well-designed, thoughtful and even has storage for books, bike helmets or other things one puts on a shelf. I quite like it. One of our interns who owns a bike, however, is quite anal and doesn't like having dirty bikes in her house, so this wouldn't work for her. But for many others, this is a great invention. They seem to cost around $250 to $300, and you can check them out here:

http://knifeandsaw.wordpress.com/furniture/bike-shelf/

The perfect table

I don't know about you, but I've always wanted a bench table of sorts. Bench-seating allows for more people and looks more stream-lined than tables with boring chairs. The real reason, of course, is because I just like benches because I think they look cool and invoke memories of camping in the American pastoral.

The Germans do it best here:



http://www.zeitraum-moebel.de/eng/produkt.php?Produkt=FLOWBANK&Seite=1

A long hiatus

...and we are back!

Dear CLI Readers:

We are sorry to have abandoned our posts for soo long, but our intern just got married and has been busy preparing for and adjusting to married life! A thousand pardons! To bring CLI back to life, we thought we might inject some humor into your day. Perhaps you are currently at your office suffering from an impossible number of annoyances? Perhaps your boss is hovering over your desk now and breathing down your neck? Or worse yet, could it be that one of your co-workers won't stop blabbering about his/her weekend? We have just the thing for you, if the latter is the case! And they are only $8 each for a set of...I'm not sure, but buy them anyway!




http://www.cooperhewittshop.org/?path=item&topid=3&itemid=328

Something that is really pretty!

Our intern has today made us very happy by discovering yet another cool product from Voos Furniture. We are totally fans of this place. It is insanely cool.

"Jilt" by James Lear is made of solid maple and is, as described above, really pretty. The light-colored maple reminds us of warm beach furniture, or maybe something else entirely? Something about this maple makes me think of maple syrup for some reason. Does it have the same effect on you, dear reader?

http://www.voosfurniture.com/#/storage/jilt

Pillows!

One of our new interns today was exploring in Williamsburg and discovered these cool Carton Pillows at the coolest of the cool, Voos Furniture. How we at CLI love this store! It is probably one of the best stores around. No joke! Those who visit New York and do not venture to Voos Furniture are really missing out. Really!

Check out these awesome pillows. I think they're made from recycled polyester. Nice!

http://www.voosfurniture.com/#/others/carton-pillow

His Holiness, The Great Twiggy Lamp

First of all, who wouldn't love a lamp named "Twiggy"? Second of all, I totally love the lamp named Twiggy. Third of all, I really want this lamp and wish it wasn't $600+! Sheesh, can't a person get a lamp for under $200 anymore these days?

Having said that, this lamp is awesome, and it's made in the USA. So that has to count for something. It's also an LED light, which will last around 9 years or something. For real! And, the "design focuses around two ball & socket joints which allows for an extremely versatile wall mounted lamp that can be moved to a multitude of radial positions. The lamp is constructed of anodized aluminum, available in black and red. Available with exposed cord or without cord for wiring directly into wall."

I want one!

http://objeti.com/twiggy.html

This day bed = love!

I had a "day bed" when I was a child, and to be honest, I really didn't like it. (No offense, Mom!) It was kind of corny and cheesy, and it put me off to day beds forever. No longer! This "Day Bed One" by "Another Country" has brought my day bed infatuation back to life. I love that it can be used as a coffee table, seating area and a bed! And how pretty is the cushion? Very beautiful! The Day Bed One are made in England by a very small wood working shop/company, and I think they do nice work!

From the website: "The base of our day bed is solid European oak and shares the screw leg system of our dining table. The mattress is made for us by Naturalmat in Devon and has a Latex core wrapped in organic coir and wool, perfect for sleeping and completely hypo allergic. The mattress is upholstered in Bute fabric and has a six-button detail."

While this beautiful piece of furniture is not cheap, you can rest assured it was made with very good quality!

http://www.anothercountry.com/products/day-bed-one

Bed!

I love this bed. It looks like it's floating in the air, like a cloud. Or a bird. Or a plane!

It's from the Pianca Collection, and it's quite new. I also love this bedroom with the cool wall and wall art.

Apologies for the lack of posts lately -- we have been caught up in a frenzy!

Check it out here (there are more pictures, too!)

http://milanofurniture.com.au/shop_proddetails.asp?prodID=118

Jeeves Coat Rack!

A famous person once said "One can never have enough coat racks" -- I agree. If I had space in the "foyer," this would be my rack of choice. Speaking of which, isn't "rack" a cool word? Like "rack of lamb" or "nice racks"! The possibilities are endless.

The cool thing about this "rack" is that you can check out your hair before you leave. Nice! Too bad it's kind of expensive.

Check it out here:

http://www.atworkdesign.com/products/313/jeeves-coat-rack

Eco-radio!

I love this "Safe Radio" by Lexon and/or Elium Studio. You crank this baby for two minutes and it gives you half an hour of listening -- and it can be used as an MP3 amplifier (hello, IPod friend!) The Safe Radio is made out of maize bio-plastic and bamboo covering gives a nice matte finish. Yay for eco-friendly radios. (It also recharges on the AC). I want one!!

http://www.lexon-design.com/la-81-safe-radio-bamboo.html#

Made in South Africa!

This is one of the most exciting things I've seen lately -- a Swedish (Tor Palm and Mattias Rask) and South African collaboration. Neat-o!

Essentially, the two Swedish design students went to South Africa to find good wood workers, thereby creating more jobs in the country, and also of course designing some really cool stuff. I really like the playfulness and color of this project. It's also great to create more jobs where they are really needed. If I had the time and wherewithal, I would totally love to take classes at the South African Furntech - which offers skill development training in "furniture manufacturing, looking to improve the quality of the south african wood and furniture industry, offering accredited training programmes as well as support / incubation for small and micro enterprises."

I've only picked out two pieces -- one is called "Sideboard" and the other is "Floor lamp" - Enjoy!

Something else I want

By far, one of my most favorite stores in the world is Wonk furniture in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I own some Wonk furniture, but lately I have been eyeing this baby. I think the name "Rubix" conjures up past memories and fondness for the world-famous rubix cubes. Indeed, while I was never personally adept at using the rubix, us children from the 1980s certainly will appreciate its nostalgic effects on our mortal souls.

The Horizontal Rubix can be made using any color you like (check the website for color swatches) and can even be made using bamboo! Who couldn't love a store called Wonk?!

http://www.wonknyc.com/furniture/horizontalrubix/?img1=1&cat=cabinet

Hella! Please marry me!!

Ladies and gentlemen,

Hella Jongerius had done it again! She has designed another piece of true art. In fact, when I first laid eyes on this beautiful image, I fell in love. That is the effect Hella has on people! She can inspire an IRS accountant to write poetry! She can stir a passion even in the most jaded of souls!

Thank you, Hella, for being a genius! The Bob Garden chair is simply gorgeous!

http://www.jongeriuslab.com/site/html/work/bob_garden_club_chair/01/

Key plank!

I really like this cool little "Key Plank" available at this cool Canadian store called "Up to You." Our lovely intern tells us that recently she went, but got there too late as the store closes at 6pm!! WTH? Who closes at 6pm? Anyway, we apologize for the not-so-great picture, but this was the only one available.

Check it out here:

http://uptoyoutoronto.com/ -- do a search for "Key Plank" in the search box.

Canadian bags made from recycled stuff!

Recently while in Toronto, the CLI intern met this cool lady that had a cool bag. Luckily, the lady with the bag was kind enough to tell our intern where her bag was from. Thus, the subject of this post is "Mari Cla Ro" or "Mariclaro" - a Canadian company that makes bags out of 99% recycled material. The materials they use range from used tires to seat belts to leather (I think). Their bags are super duper! We're kind of annoyed at our intern for not buying at least one bag, but not to worry! Etsy sells these bags! You are in luck!

Check them out here:

http://mariclaro.de/ca/bags.html

Cheese Loving in Toronto

Dear CLI readers!

The name of this blog is, of course, Cheese Lovers International, and so we apologize for not posting too much about said love. In the hopes of nullifying you, we hope you might like this picture taken recently on a trip to Toronto, Canada!

Love,

Cheese Lovers International
Editorial Board

Bedside table that looks like a birdcage (or something)

This little bedside table really reminds me of a birdhouse or something. It's super cute and perfect as a little storage area. I also love that it hangs from the wall. The "Studio 1" is soo popular that it's sold out online! It only costs 79 euro, which is not a bad price at all! Oh, and check out the way you can hang a book on top of it! Genius!!

http://www.ferm-living.com/studio-1/