The Home Crowd

The appropriately named “Sha-Do” lighting fixtures by designer Peter Buning create intricate and impressive patterns along your walls and ceilings with a clear/opaque or clear/solid differentiation of the Sconce-screen.. (Sconce-shade?, Lamp shade?)

Okay, I’m not sure how to define it, I just know it looks awesome.

How appropriate would the flame-themed wall sconce be for the auto afficianado in your life?

Now, I know what you’re thinking?  Can I get one to match my wife/girlfriend’s tramp stamp?  Well, check out the Sha-do site, as well as a few additional product lines.  However, they seem to have focused in on more geometric patterns, as well as a traditional labyrinth.  So you might wanna hold your breath on the dragonfly-inspired shaded sconce.

Check out these, and many more great designs at the Sha-do site – Link

Price: 299 Euros, so expect about 500$ each.  The ordering site here lists the U.S. distributors as Design Within Reach in most of the cities I looked at, but the Sha-do fixtures aren’t listed on their website, so you might want to give them a call if you’re serious about tracking these down.

Spotted at Curbly.

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

Fast Wrap, a Reno, Nevada company started up as a company protecting boats and recreational vehicles from the off-season winter elements by encasing them in shrink wrap.  Recently, they’ve been expanding their product base and taking on franchises nationwide.  Outdoor furniture receives seemingly the same weatherproofing that construction projects  and equipment that sits idle for a long time.

The new idea however, is wrapping unsold and/or foreclosed homes almost entirely in shrink wrap, protecting them from the elements without the care of a tenant, and possibly deterring vandalism.  Any vandals that want to get past the shrink wrap would likely only need a pocketknife or scissors, but nonetheless, it’s a nice deterrent from vandals out to strip a foreclosed home of the copper wiring…or worse.

Here’s a link to FastWrap’s site, in case you’re looking to ‘hole up’ for the winter, or possibly get in on the franchise action. – Link

Spotted at CNN Money – Link

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

Bedroom just too boring and stagnant?

Maybe it just needs a computer-based, ball dropping screensaver being shot up against the wall from a projector…

Really cool art installation “Disturb me” by Thepopcornmakers.  – Link

I think I’d rather have the projector facing opposite the bed… you know, for watching movies and HGTV and all.

For the gun afficianado, the overbearing father, or general Tony Montana types, I give you the Bedbunker.  A gun safe for those who wish ‘Guns and ammo’ was carried at the register of your local Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Seem crazy?  Maybe… Maybe not.  Households with guns have few options for their safekeeping.  There’s trigger locking mechanisms, and there are gun safes, which vary from small fireproof safes like you’d find at a office supply store, to full size, monolithic steel cabinets which are more than able to house an assortment of hunting rifles, shotguns, handguns..

Of course under your bed mattress is a strange place to think of as gun storage.  What’s the alternative?  A giant cabinet taking up valuable closet space, or possibly just an eyesore in your den.

If you’re an overprotective father of a teenage girl however, the going standard is still the glass case within a ten foot radius of your front door.

Besides, the only use that box spring was providing was support the mattress so that it didn’t sag into an 80 pound hammock.  Plus it’s not powder coated with gas springs that support it’s 140 pound doors.  (but moving… call movers, ’cause your friends will never forgive you for that one.)

But if you’re in a quick bind, it’s best to have a traditional mattress disguising your bedsafe, because the memory foam mattresses are a big spongy pain in the ass to slide aside.

However, if you’re really planning on being in a quick bind…

1. Might wanna quit the drug game
2. May wanna call an exterminator about the ‘rat problem’ instead of waking the neighbors
3. Might wanna follow up on the following informercial..

Bedbunker website – Link