A Week of Finding Great Things, EP 32
We got a smorgasbord of goods because that is the current state of my brain ✌️
As of next Tuesday, I will be settling into a new apartment in a new city (moving for work). With this new apartment, I am gaining some space, and while I am grateful to be moving out of my studio apartment, I was pretty happy with how my decor had evolved. Now, as with any new space, it needs to find its own flavour. These are some of the things I am thinking of adding from the MoMa store (one of my favourite places to go for inspiration) and other shops from around the web.
Kinoko Recycled Lamp
Currently, I only really need one lamp, but as I enter into my new space, with the addition of two extra rooms, finding a way to appropriately light the space (without using overhead lighting) is crucial to creating a space you want to be in. As I have matured, this has become more and more apparent to me, and now it is one of the first things I think of when planning out a room.
The Kinoko Lamp is inspired by pleated fabric and mushroom lamps, taking two immensely popular elements of modern design and combining them to create the LiGer of lamps (the mix between a Lion and a Tiger).
I like this specific colour scheme, as the pinkish hue of the top will soften the lamp's light and help drench the space in a warm, soft light that welcomes everyone into the space as if they are a friend from childhood.
Now the only question is whether the lamp should go in my living room or bedroom.
Cheeseburger Coaster Set
While I’m not sure if this is Vegan (which I am not), these coasters fit into my goofy aesthetic (one of my favourite home decor items is an anthropomorphized version of a Chicken Nugget). So, reasonably, the next step would be to protect your surfaces from condensation with a stackable coaster set that makes a cheeseburger.
While this is low on my priority list for immediate purchases, it is an item I will never forget about, as it truly blows my mind that someone came up with this. If you want to get them for yourself, the link to buy is here.
Hinoki Bathmat
Recently, I realized that decorating and being more selective with the items you choose to put in your bathroom can make a huge difference. By substituting the old-school bathmat with a Japanese staple, the Hinoki mat, you can add some lightness (in colour) and difference to a room that typically looks pretty homogenous.
These Hinoki mats are made with Cypress, a naturally quick-drying and antimicrobial wood. Thus, you do not need to wash the mat as frequently as you would with a traditional fabric mat. Additionally, the light ridges machined into the wood give you excellent grip as you step out of the shower.
While these are very functional features, I saved the best part for last. Every time a Hinoki Mat gets wet, the cypress wood releases a gentle and refreshing aroma (as is natural when wood gets wet), giving your bathroom a spa-like aroma.
Leave it to the Japanese (who have a huge bathing culture) to perfect something like the bathmat, an item in our homes that is rarely considered.
Hinoki Cutting Board
Sticking with Hinoki wood, we have the cutting board. While this is certainly significantly more money than is necessary to spend on a cutting board, finding a high-quality wood cutting board can last you multiple decades if you treat it right (as I have seen from my Mother and Father). In my opinion, the use of wood in modern furniture and design is far too dark, so finding something light and natural feels like finding a diamond in the rough.
Just like the bathmat, the material used is antimicrobial and antifungal. For those with expensive knives, it is delicate on the blade, making sure your knife stays sharper for longer.
At $145, it is not cheap, but from what I have read online, these cutting boards will outlast you if you treat them right. So, is it that expensive in the long run? Plus, a reduction in microplastics going into your food when you compare it to their plastic counterparts sold for $10-$20 at Walmart.
IKEA SOTENÄS Chair
In recent years, Ikea has dug through its archives and re-released items that featured for the homewares giant in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The SOTENÄS chair was originally in the 1969 catalogue under the name Puck, and while the name has changed, the design is still original, as it follows the exact format that designer Gillis Lundgren envisioned. The only difference is that the sturdy underframe is now yellow, whereas the original version featured white tubing.
It seems as if, nowadays, all of the coolest living room furniture is low, slouchy and purpose-built for extreme lounging (is that an oxymoron?). When I see the SOTENÄS, all I can imagine is posting up on it with a thought-provoking book, incense burning gently in the background and the warm afternoon sun streaming in. If that description doesn’t excite you to put some reissued old-school fun furniture in your living room, I’m not sure what will.
As always, thank you for reading this far. This project has been a labour of love, and while at times it can feel like I am Sisyphus trying to write these each week, I am not sure I would have it any other way because on the weeks that it just flows, it is intoxicating.
Enjoy your space,
Benjamin.