A New "Old" Set Of Wheels By Harry Allen For Areaware. The Pick-Up.

above photo by Mark Rabiner for The New York Times

Designer Harry Allen loves trucks. His immaculately restored 1964 Willys Jeep was recently featured in the New York Times, but it was his fond memories of playing in the dirt that lead him to the idea of "Pickup". The beauty of any pickup truck is its utilitarian aesthetic - four strong wheels and the capacity to haul cargo and Harry turned that aesthetic into functional art as his latest piece for AREAWARE.

Below is Harry Allen at his Pound Ridge home with his restored Willys and his basset hounds, Ben and Emma:

above photo by Mark Rabiner for The New York Times

Harry had function on his mind as he cast a toy pick-up truck and turned it into a catch-all bowl. As with all REALITY products, it is the material transformation that completes the idea. The cool-looking "Pickup" is an objet d'art that can serve as a bowl for keys, coins or even a planter for small succulents.



The Pickup by Harry Allen is now available in chrome ($150) or white ($85). Blue chrome ($180), gold ($150) and orange ($85) are available for pre-order. Made of resin and marble, measuring 5 x 12 x 6 inches. Buy them here.

Have a Koons-Like Christmas With These Awesome Balloon Dog Ornaments.

I know it's not even Halloween yet and blogging about Christmas ornaments before we've even reached the end October should be verboten, but if you're on the hunt for some cool ornaments this year and want to get the good ones before they sell out, you'd best take a look at these. Not that you care, but I already bought a bunch of these this morning.

These Jeff Koons-like* puppies will hip up any tree:

Classic Terrier in metallic red:

Dachshund in metallic silver:

Poodle in glossy green:


Inspired by the wonderful Balloon Dog sculptures of Jeff Koons, these are mini modern art for your tree.


above: Jeff Koons' Balloon Dog at the Palace of Versailles. see a previous post on that exhibit here.

Urban Outfitters is now offering a pre-order sale of these fabulous metallic glass Balloon Dog Ornaments. Each is approximately 4" wide and there are three different styles of dogs (terrier, poodle and dachshund) in three different Christmas-y colors. Note: you don't get to choose which ornament specifically, they do (kind of like blind-boxed), but any of them would be a wonderful addition to a contemporary Christmas.

Buy the Balloon Dog Ornaments

*these ornaments are not affiliated with or endorsed by Jeff Koons in any way

New Tragically Hip Products From Atypyk

above: The Forest Fire air freshener

I have long been a fan and customer of Atypyk's witty and irreverent products. They constantly churn out items that really are the definition of "clever". Sometimes prototypes, sometimes produced.

Here's a look at a bunch of their latest fabulous products that make me giggle (and are actually available for purchase).

Coffin-shaped mousetrap:

Diamond Ring Plaster (bandage):

Pencils featuring the famous moustaches of Salvador, Zorro, Burt, Django and Clark:

Pycho Diagnostic Rorscach blot coasters:

Game Trophy Cutting Board:

Angel Wings cushion:

Recycled laser cut wood slabs (great for placemats):

and although not new, I've always loved this Brand icon puzzle:

Buy all these hip products - and more - here.

Quiltsrÿche. Edgy Quilts By Boo Davis.

above: Cock Rock quilt from Quiltsrÿche

You gotta love a crafter who labels her textile designs with the sign-off "Made With Hate." At least I do. On her own site she describes herself as follows: "Boo Davis is a designer, illustrator and quiltmaker living in Seattle. She spent much of her youth cozied up under her grandmother's quilt listening to Ozzy. As a grown-up metalhead and design geek, the intersection of cute and evil is what she finds most compelling."




This is apparent in her hip quilts. No grandma patchwork for this gal, instead Quiltsrÿche blends rock n' roll imagery, attitude and a smart sense of color and design. Her graphic and edgy quilts are reminiscent of another modern quilter, Denyse Schmidt, only on acid.

Skullfucked1:

Skullfucked3:

Basketcase:

Does Not Compute:

Bangover:

Beastie:

Beastie Prototype:

Love It or Leaf it:

Quilt In the Headlights:

I'm A Wiener:

Damaged:

Primer:


Quiltsrÿche uses 100% cotton fabrics, though some of the vintage fabrics are blends. All fabrics are pre-washed. A Quiltsrÿche quilt is made with straightforward linear quilting that is durable and adds, in Boo's words, "that totally killer juxtaposition of handmade and industrial."

Your Quiltsrÿche quilt can live on your bed or on your wall. Request a rod pocket to be sewn on the back if you'd like it to hang. Quilt backs feature three stripes in coordinating or complementary colors. Let Boo know your color preferences for the binding and back of your quilt.

Order your Quiltsrÿche quilt directly from Boo here.

She also has a book available for purchase, Dare to Be Square Quilting: A Block-by-Block Guide to Making Patchwork and Quilts



•Check out her illustration and graphic design here.

•Here's a nice New York Times Q & A with the edgy quilter.

special thanks to Boo Davis and Stuart Isett for The New York Times for the above images.

Eternal Helium Balloons By Clémentine Henrion Immortalize Childhood.

As a child, ever wanted your helium balloon to last forever? Never to be accidentally whisked away by the wind or to deflate sadly over time?

Well, 30 year old Paris-based stylist, illustrator and set designer Clémentine Henrion did and that's why she designed the Eternal Helium Balloon, a sculpture that looks just like a helium balloon, but will last forever.



As Clémentine describes them:

"Helium Eternal balloons are proposed as interior design furniture, but also as set design collections for photo shootings, stores windows, showrooms, etc. 
This “illusion” of an helium balloon is entirely made of precious or fancy fabric.

The balloon is stuffed with kapok, like a soft pillow. 
A tiny flap fixed at the top of the balloon helps hanging it to your interior’s ceiling, hook it to a curtain rod, the top of a wall etc.


The key thing is to hang it up as high as possible, in order to recreate the magic illusion of a real flying helium balloon!
The most beautiful effect is obtained in setting a bunch of several balloons together, forming a “balloons bouquet”.


All these pieces are delicately handmade in my own workshop in Paris, in limited edition. Special custom shapes can also be created on request."

Shark:

Icebergs:

Candy:

Cloud:

Rainbow:

Hearts:



If you want a special request, you can contact her here

Otherwise, you can find these charming Eternal Helium Balloons at the following places:
•Her Etsy store
•CITE nyc (New York)
•Lilooka (France)
•Madame LaMarchande (France)
•Mercredi (Belgium)
•Third Drawer Down (Australia)
•KolKid (Canada)