The Home Crowd

Looks like someone’s really gonna earn that “Father of the year” coffee mug this year.

How did they do this?!?  Simple.. well not really simple due to the expansive background of mushroom kingdom rolling hills and clouds mural.  That might take some practice I’m thinking.  But if you can find someone who can do this well, then leave it to Blik to fill in the characters from this scene with movable wall decals.

For 75$ you can get these details from Blik – here.

I’m not feeling very confident about my ability to paint a beautiful background mural, so I’d opt of Blik’s Asteroids instead..

For a little north of 400$ US, you too can have the classiest item of geeky self-adoration you may have ever come across.  I know I want one, and I know where I’m gonna put it… Right above my desk upon which rests a statue that tilts back to reveal the switch to my secret passageway.

From Katz, by way of Cool Material.

Two years ago, we came across the ‘Doc’, a couch which transformed into bunk beds – Link.

Resource Furniture, a NYC store has brought the ‘Doc’ and many other transformative pieces of furniture here to the U.S.  Some of the pieces seem to be much more than traditional murphy beds.  Instead of simplified hideaway beds, many of their pieces are transformed into couches, seating, desks…

Oh sure, this seems perfect for small, cramped, new york city apartments.  But is it worthwhile for the average suburban home?  Depends on the way you use your space I suppose.  Maybe you have a den or office which would be better suited as a guest bedroom around the holidays.  Certainly, you can pop up an aerobed in a few minutes, and wedge out a little space amongst the clutter, or plan your space around a permanent guest bed, taking up precious floor space like the giant elephant in the room it is.  Or you can have both, I suppose.

Check out the space saving furniture, as well as other “non-transforming” pieces at their website – Link

Although, technically, flipping a mattress is kind of like transforming.

I need to call in a price this “Ares” desk set they have.

At First, I was ready to chalk this up to the most ridiculous item of the day.  The Eames Lounge chair, with accompanying ottoman…. for kids!?!  Kids won’t get it, they won’t understand that this piece of furniture is one of modern design’s greatest of all time.  Little Nest offers this up along with a fine assortment of children’s modern furniture.  This pint size re-creation sells for $900 – Link.

That’s crazy, right?  900 bucks for a kid’s chair?  They’ll likely spend more time building a fort out of the box it ships in.

Depends…  I don’t have any clue of what furniture I want to be surrounded by for the rest of my days.  I do know however, I would like the Eames Lounge chair to be in there somewhere.  Nowadays, a full size replica plus ottoman goes for about $3900 from Design Within Reach in an assortment of colors and finishes – Link.

When my budget allows for it, it’ll become part of the family.  Also, the most carefully wrapped piece of furniture I’ll ever move I suppose.  That is, unless the miniature Eames Lounge isn’t sufficiently bubble wrapped.

Ahh, yes, more desktop ornament than functional setpiece, the MoMA store has it for $670 – Link.  At six inches tall, it might be the most expensive cellphone stand you ever buy…

But back to the kids.

The good thing is, for a considerable price, their formative years can be spent coloring while sitting in their favorite chair.

The bad news is… each of the chairs shown above only come in white, so your children will also be coloring ON the chairs.

The Flux Chair, available only in the Netherlands right now, is hands down the coolest folding chair I’ve seen in a long time.

As the unfolding begins, you start to believe you’re about to see the largest chinese food take-out container ever assembled, but the end result is much more pleasant, and curvy.

But with the portablility that this provides, I could certainly see these chairs stored like giant record sleeves in a closet, waiting to provide needed seating at your next dinner party.

I’m not sure, however, that these chairs would fit in so well on the family camping trip or tailgating at your favorite sporting event.  That market’s been cornered by another type of folding chairs in recent years by a less expensive option.  (The Flux Chair – 129 Euros, approximately a hair above 200$ as the currency exchange is currently)

The less expensive option even comes with it’s own cup holder!

Flux Chair, spotted at Apartment Therapy

I think they’re called weebles right, the self-uprighting toddler toys, right?

Most likely european, possibly strange,… definitely awesome.

I’m assuming these should be introduced to your labor day barbeque after all of your guests have had their third helping of homemade sangria, and then recorded for youtube posterity.

They kind of look like giant shuttlecocks (‘ya know, badminton), or the equivalent to a european pilates inflatable exercise ball

Here’s the page at QED’s site – Link

Also noteworthy, from QED, furniture-wise is their “Cosy” chair, a super comfy looking rocking chair which resembles the packing balloons which comfort all my Amazon purchases.  Why the model is sporting the “Hey, do the least lady-like pose you can think of” pose…. I don’t know.  Once again… European.  – Link