historia. naturalis.

This starfish looking piece is from the Historia Naturalis collection by Edra. And the only information I have on the Historia is "new creatures by Fernando and Humberto Campana." Hm, thanks Edra Web site, very helpful. From what I can gather by (briefly) Googling, this is part a traveling exhibit, which means you can't buy it. I don't suppose too many people are in the market for a giant

knock. off.

This is a ridiculously fun lamp for big little kids. The Knock Off not only looks like a bowling pin, it's a lamp that's actually made to be knocked down. In fact, you have to knock it down to turn it off. Naturally setting it up straight turns it on. Brilliant. And only $22.

blow. table. lamp.

This is another one of those lamps that blurs the line between "lamp" and "art" for me. I mean sure, Blow lights up stuff and whatnot, but it's really more fun to look at than use. Basically it's a lamp encased in a globe, and the absolute coolest part is that you move the lamp around using a magnet on the outside of the globe! Okay, I take it back, maybe it's more fun to play with then to

thanks. apartment. therapy. mocoloco. curbed. tree. hugger. design*sponge.

Special thanks to Apartment Therapy, Mocoloco, Tree Hugger, Curbed and Design*Sponge for hosting a great event at the DWR store in New York. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to meet everyone, but to everyone I did meet, it was a true pleasure! And if you're reading this and have not checked out those blogs, I highly recommend all of them.

sarah. clock.

If you're looking for something as far away from a grandfather clock (or the Grandpa Clock below) as possible, check out Sarah by Esby. It's an "abstracted botanical form" inspired by both the shape and the movement of plants -- the flexible graphite stem lets Sarah sway gently in the breeze. Maybe not so good for reading the time, but it does make the clock look cool. Sarah is 5 feet tall and

grandpa. clock.

Putting inexpensive clock hands and guts into a picture of a clock isn't quite the newest or most elegant thing I've seen, but Jansen + Co. found a way to really make this work with their Grandpa Clock. What I like here is the combination of size (this sucker is a little over 5 feet tall) and the nice retro feel of the clock image, which lends this piece some gravitas. Plus it's functional art,

dog. sofa.

If you love your dog and you love furniture, consider getting yourself and your mutt a Dog Sofa. Inspired by the larger Le Corbusier seating for dog owners (and other humans), this piece comes with all sorts of options including size, color and construction materials. The cover is both removable and washable, which is a must for dog furniture in my opinion. These are made in Italy and cost $248

cuckoo. clock.

I have a strange "thing" for modern cuckoo clocks and umbrella stands. Don't really need or want either of them...and yet I do want them! If I did buy a Cuckoo Clock, I wouldn't want this one from EQ3 because, well, it's pink. But as modern cuckoo clocks go, it's somewhat funk-elicious. Just $49.99. Also comes in silver, but that's also not my bag. The search continues...

polder.

The Polder is a sofa from Hella Jongerius inspired by the artificial land reclaimed from the sea in Holland (that's what "polder" means in Holland). According to the description, the Polder is as flat and low-lying as polder, with "just as much emphasis on the horizontal as does the Dutch landscape." It comes in five combinations of color, including red, green, cream, anthracite and dark brown.

chester.

No, this is not some random lump of gloss polyester foam construction (because I know that's what you were thinking, right?). It's a sofa, and its name is Chester. Chester comes from Future Systems and will cost you ... deep breath ...$10,400. I'm really not sure why, but there you have it. Enjoy!

big. easy. chair.

When Ron Arad created the original Big Easy chair it was made out of steel, which looked cool but wasn't so great for actually sitting and such. The Big Easy is now available in plastic, which makes it a bit of a warmer seat and also gives you some nice color options: white, black, red and blue. The plastic version is both waterproof and light resistant, meaning you can use it outside. Yay!

po/9311. disc.

If you've got a spare $496 and need a place to store your keys that looks like a keyhole and sounds like PO/9311 Disc, check out this bargain! Oddly enough, this item has been discontinued (perhaps they are not selling like pancakes?), but you can still find it in stock. Comes in aluminum or bright yellow lacquer. I like the aluminum myself.

dead. fred. pen. holder. (happy. halloween.)

Here is your obligatory Halloween-time post: Dead Fred. Stab him in the heart and he'll hold your pen for you. Don't worry, it won't hurt him...he's made of silicone rubber.

3 minus 1 desk.

Richard Hutten's 3 Minus 1 Desk is definitely a looker and pretty convenient if you're always going into and out of your drawers. It's laminated so you can choose a lot of different wood grains and color, but if I read the text correctly there are also solid wood versions. Nice! Will run you from $2,250 to $3,500 with free shipping.

birth.

I'd like to tell you what Birth is, but frankly it's a littler hard to figure out (although I like it!). It's some kind of reconfigurable chair/bench/table/sideboard thingie that can be arranged in a variety of pretty shapes. The only descriptive text I found for it is "price shown for individual piece in matte lacquer finish. also available in wood, polished lacquer, or macroter." Each piece

urinal. sculptures.

Clark Sorenson is a genius when it comes to creating his Urinal Sculptures but the guy really needs a new name for these things because "urinal" and "sculpture" are not words that really go together. On the other hand the words "urinal" and "spectacular" don't often go together, but here they do. His site says "They are made of the same material as a commercial toilet but the similarity stops

laundry. rug.

I'd like to think I don't need the oh-so-clever Laundry Rug but I have to be honest with you, I'd get a lot of use out of it. Instead of throwing your dirty clothes in a hamper, you chuck them on the Laundry Rug, which then magically turns into a laundry bag. Well, okay, not magically...it uses cords. Just £30, although it's not currently in stock. (If I actually threw my clothes in my hamper

tapisofa.

Olivier Gregoire created this amazing semi-formless piece of furniture called Tapisofa that can be a couch, chair, lounge or whatever else you can think up...as long as it's in a corner. It's actually "a carpet with an unpredictable natural shape" and it "can be modulated thanks to it's [sic] soft frame." Brilliant. Unfortunately it's only a concept at this stage.

lasa. chair.

The Lasa Chair is just a concept from Brad Ascalon, but what a concept, eh? This bad boy (or girl?) is made of polished steel, or at least it would be if it was a real product. You get the idea. Since I don't have much more to say about the chair, here's a snippet from the bio of its designer: "While Ascalon enjoys designing a wide array of products, he finds the greatest pleasure in

space. invaders. wrapping. paper!

Oh my god oh my god oh my god Space Invaders wrapping paper! Does. It. Get. Any. Better. Than. That? Nope! Will run you $4.50 for a 24" by 36" sheet. Sadly, it only seems to come in that weird brown color. Icky, but not icky enough to ruin the fact that this is SPACE INVADERS WRAPPING PAPER! Somebody buy me a present, quick, just so you can use this wrapping paper!

softpipe.

The folks at Sand & Birch sent me a note about their Softpipe chaise, which is kinda cool in a lipstick/high heels sort of way. Highlights are that it's " totally realised in iron pipe covered with compact polyurethane" and features "soft leather in various colours and metallic parts." It's not my cup of tea (pink leather?) but does seem seriously cool in the right environment.

libellule.

This libellule pendant light has translucent polypropylene wings that give it the look of a butterfly, which also explains its nickname "butterfly light" (even though "libellule" is French for dragonfly...hmmm). The chromed bulb means the light is directed upwards, casting "wing shadows" just in case the other winged bits weren't enough for you. Although its pictured with blue or yellow wings,

genie. chair.

I don't go in for wicker plastic weave much myself, but if you do, the Genie Chair may interest you. Designed for outdoor use, this cozy little honey comes in white and dark weaves in addition to this, um, wicker-colored version. You can get yours for $4,442.40.

captain. lovetray.

A simple and (relatively) inexpensive funky tray that comes in some interesting colors, except for the orange-ish one which looks kinda gross to me. The lime green, sky blue and white versions are pretty sweet though. But the real draw here is being able to own something called "Captain Lovetray" becuase, you know, nobody else probably will! For just $18 too.

harp. chair.

Can't say how comfortable this one is, but the Harp Chair from twentytwentyone looks amazing. "Simple but elegant" is an overused phrase but totally applicable here, where the chair is made from just two pieces of wood (and quite a lot of string.) Designed by Jorgen Hoveltskov, it comes in natural ash, black stained ash, American cherry or natural oak. (Not sure what the strings are made out

fandango.

The Fandango is the perfect sectional for you if you have one of those nice round conversation pits...or you just have a lot of room and want a cool bit of furniture. As you can see from the inset images, this baby is reconfigurable and even comes with an ottoman that can turn the whole affair into a giant eye-like thing. Not sure how useful that is, but it looks pretty cool, no? Fandango is a

jelly. friends. lights.

Looks like a jellyfish, doesn't it? Nope...it's a "quietly pulsating light amature that interacts with the user and reacts when someone comes near." Kinda cool, with maybe a hint of oogy. Oh, and the tentacle looking things are actually adjustable cord legs. The idea behind this creation is to "explore the boundaries between artefact (sic) and man and advocates a living, dynamic environment."

ducduc. collins. rocker.

This wicked rocker not only looks amazing, better still it's built with 100% sustainable hardwood. It's inspired by "the shapes and colors of the art deco movement." (If you're curious about ducduc that's the link to it.) It comes in eight fabric options although all but the orange are a little dull for the style of this piece in my opinion. The fabrics are 100% recycled polyester, though, and

alexandria. sat. here.

The Alexandria chair from Urbana is "inspired" by the classic architecture of Greek ionic columns. If the funky factor is too high for you, don't worry...you can get it in a single fabric to unify the look. This is a big, comfortable chair. So big that Urbana also offers a smaller "condo" version that will fit in homes where space is at a premium. You can get this in all of the fabrics that

fresh. fat. easy. chair.

Extruded plastic sounds kinda gross, but when it's hand woven by Tom Dixon into the Fresh Fat Easy Chair it looks pretty good. It's only available in clear plastic and will run you $2,275. Not sure how comfy extruded plastic is to sit on, but I'm guessing it's something you'd want to avoid on a hot summer's day.

oh. hey. i'm. two. years. old. now.

I managed to to miss the fact that Funfurde turned 2 years old in June. For those keeping score, the first post was on June 4, 2004.

chairbag.

The guys at PS Lab guys sent me a note about their newest creation, the Chairbag (or ch-AIRBAG). It's something of a cross between a beanbag and a regular chair, but "inspired by the roughness of a good-looking buoy." It's waterproof and thus suitable for indoor or outdoor use. And since it's filled with air, it's also portable.

ballistic. rose.

Nothing says love like a rose-shaped brooch made out of ballistic nylon that's meant to be worn over your heart to protect you from bullets. Tobias Wong created the Ballistic Rose -- also called the bulletproof bloom -- as "a high tech talisman for the tender hearted and wry fashion statement." It's a whopping 5" in diameter (for maximum protection?) and costs $175. I'm doubtful it would

flowerpower. fan.

It's summer here at Funfurde HQ and the heat is projected to hit the 90s soon, so fans are very much on my mind. Most fans are so ugly that I don't even bother using them (plus I have central air), but the Flowerpower is so purty that I want to get one (even though I have central air). It actually makes fans look like something you might want to decorate your home with, not just ugly but

uno. line.

The Uno Line bookshelf from Yedidia Blonder is a simple but elegant way to display your (you guessed it) books. It's so simple that there's really not much more to say about it. So I won't. Other than, it costs £180. And I like it. But I wish it came in more color choices, as matt black is your only option here. I suppose you could paint it...

take. out.

Take Out is a prototype storage center from the designers at Sauma (who I came across thanks to Mocoloco and Core 77). It looks like a somewhat standard chest of drawers, but in this case the drawers are individual briefcases. It's the perfect solution for storing tools, which is exactly why designer Klaus Aalto created it. He also suggests tots might want to store their toys there.

fatboy.

Anything billed as a "lounge bag" sounds cool to me, so I'm a fan of the Fatboy. Uses range from "a relaxing chair for the office" to "a body pillow or even a spare bed." I'm not sold on the office thing but the other stuff is all good. It's made from a "nylon material" that comes in a 14 colors and 4 patterns. Will cost you $229.

cube.

It's a rolling coffee table. No, it's a rolling ottoman. No, it's a rolling stool. Actually, it's any of those three things...or all of them. Just call it the Cube, a jaunty little piece that comes in six colors and three sizes. Oddly enough, the XL size (24" x 24" x 24") is the most expensive but the only one without wheels. Oh, and when I say expensive, I mean it. The XL version will run

vin-eau. carafe.

The guys at Mint who created the ever fun Hug salt & pepper shakers are back at it with the Vin-Eau Carafe. It looks like a piece of modern art but it can also hold 1.5 liters of whatever liquid you so desire. Made of red and white porcelain, it comes with two cups that integrate beautifully into the overall design. Vin-Eau will set you back $50. If I did not have a particular aversion to red

art. plasma. ii.

Instead of turning your plasma TV off when you're done watching it, you can turn it into a work of art with the Art Plasma II - Masters of Impressionism DVD. Fire it up and it will cycle through masterpieces by Degas, Cezanne, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Sisley, Seurat and others. The montage plays out against a backdrop of classical music or "a relaxing 'chill' soundtrack" in Dolby Digital Surround

condom. pot.

Who couldn't use a banana "flavoured" condom pot? Well, I couldn't (sad for me) but you might, if you want "a cheeky bedside storage vessel for condoms (or anything else that takes your fancy) made from natural earthenware." The lid is, of course, shaped like a rolled up condom, which as we all know is the epitome of taste. As is this bit of hype: "A truly original gift and a great talking

wave. magnetic. track.

I have tons of pictures but never get around to putting them in frames, so mostly they sit around in piles. What I really need is a simple way to put photos up, take them down and change them. The Wave Magnetic Track might do the trick. It's basically a curved metal track with magnets that let you stick photos (or whatever) on it. And at the moment it's just $9.99. Bargain! Not a very

pylon. chair.

This ginormous occasional chair from Twentytwentyone is made of iron wire and comes in orange, blue or white. Perfect for any home that would look good with a cell phone tower in the backyard. Doubles as a clothing rack. Put three of them together and you've got the skeleton for a Zeppelin. According to the spec sheet it's 41/128 somethings high and costs £2,797. Becausee if they listed it at

85. lamps.

I love Droog Design, and 85 Lamps is just one of the reasons why. Or just 85 of the reasons why if you want to count it like that. This is currently THE chandelier I want hanging over my dining room table. It's also pretty much what it says it is, which is 85 bulbs strung together. So many that it requires professional installation and has to be hung from something that can support 55 pounds

maxi. mambo.

The Maxi Mambo is the most fun chair in the world because it's made out of Gummi Bear jelly! Well, the jelly is really polypropylene and probably not all that safe to eat, but still it gives the Maxi a look that screams "CANDY!" It comes in three flavors: cherry (red), blueberry (blue) and, er, whatever flavor "clear" candy is (pineapple?) Suggested uses are for your reception area, lounge,

milky. way. chandelier. $112,000.

If you have $112,000 and you'd like a one-of-a-kind chandelier, check out the Milky Way by Andree Putman. This 450-pound monster features six halogen bulbs that illuminate a fiberglass dome covered by a crystal studded fabric, thus achieving its night sky effect. Those are Swarovski crystals it's covered in by the way, including one big fat one that dangles below the main body, which I'm

ladrillos. shelving.

Magis created the Ladrillos Shelving system for kids, but they must mean "kids of all ages" because I would dearly love some. I'm not so crazy about the four white laminate shelves, it's the "shelf support in polyethylene" that catches my eye. They're basically little fun, foam creatures that brighten your day and help hold up your stuff. Further evidence Ladrillos isn't meant for kids: the

match. light.

Nothing very practical about this "museum piece" but Match Light is just fun to look at. It's your basic giant match leaning up against a wall that lights up. It's made of wood and plastic, comes with a red and white tip, and costs a shockingly low $189 (shockingly for funky furniture, that is). But wait, there's a catch...it's listed as "out of stock indefinitely." Oh well, can't imagine

podium.

If you worship your iPod so much that you literally want to put it on a pedestal, check out the Podium from pARTicular (yeah, they cap the "ART" part). This over-engineered wonder gives you "easy accessibility to iPod functions in standing or sitting heights" along with an aluminum column to hide your cables in, hand-selected Brazilian cherry hardwood that's been "CNC-machined" to fit the cradle

royalton.

The Royalton is a bit of an older design (1991) from Philippe Starck but it's got two things going for it: 1) It looks great. 2) It's actually comfortable. If you've shopped for unusual high end furniture before, you know those two things can be hard to come by! This piece has a steel frame fleshed out with polyurethane foam, with polished aluminum front feet and pearwood back feet. You can

zigzag.

The ZIGZAG from LYX is made from what looks like one continuous piece of aluminum. A little foam and a spray on velvet finish (done via "Swiss deep flocking" -- sounds, um, interesting) complete the look. Michael Malmborg's inspiration for this piece: "The design concept is the same as when you write a complete sentence without lifting the pen in a circle!"

nude. chaise. lounge.

I don't usually go in for white fiberglass furniture but I'll make an exception for this racy little number from Twentieth Art & Design. At $3,000 the price tag seems a little much for what you get, but you can use it indoor or out so that adds a bit of value. It comes in other colors too. I don't know why it's called "nude" unless the designers are referring to the lack of any cushions or

archipel.

Archipel is a series of asymmetrical "elements" that can be joined in many ways: stools can be armrests or storage centers, some pieces can be slid over others, etc. You can even get it with gas springs" so the backs can be raised another 3" or so. The modular design lets you build "an island kingdom that can be assembled to taste and used at will." Sweet! The pieces range in price from

oscar.

Oscar is billed as an outlet protector/multiplier to keep dangerous cords under cover and away from curious kids. It's such an awesome design though that the kid in me immediately wants to play with it, so not sure how safe it will keep the children, but I think it's far more attractive than the PowerSquid everyone has been ooing and ahing over. So far there is only a European version but Nony

morning. glory.

This amazing lamp by Diana Harrison is made out of cast Unryu Japanese paper to look like a blossoming Morning Glory. It takes a 75-watt bulb and stands just under 6 feet tall (okay, it's 5' 11" if you really want to know). Will cost you $510 and another $45 in shipping. Money well spent I say.

saab. roadster.

I'm not a huge fan of Saab cars, but this wooden Roadster for "kids" has me drooling and wishing Santa would come back and give me one. It's based on the design for the original Saab, Sixten Sason's prototype 92001. The steering wheel is made of wood, Saab says, "just like the old sports car steering wheels." The rest of it is ABS plastic and metal. (I thought I read somewhere that the wheels