A lot of the new design coming out of Stockholm right now has to do with either craft or cleverness, which is why I'm really into these lamps by Mattias Stahlbom for the Swedish lighting company Zero. They're cool without trying too hard. His Last tripod lamp--love the burnt orange--sits on spindly legs but is so durable it's virtually impossible to break. My favorite, though, is the Foto lamp. Reminds me of those black faux-Hollywood spotlights everyone had in their living rooms in the '80s, but these are much cleaner and more playful.

How's this for a coincidence: Two young studios out of Berlin, qed and Baumann Hoof, have both introduced new and brilliant ideas for flexible clothes hangers. Michael Neubauer and Matthias Wieser from qed have made theirs out of translucent plastic and aluminum in four different color combinations, and their site features a nifty video demonstrating how easily it navigates tricky shirt collars. (See photo above.)

Crafted from two strips of rolled bendable steel, the Spring (below) by Fabian Baumann and Sönke Hoof unfolds automatically once it's inside your sweater; it was inspired by the way tape measures snap back into place.

No word yet on where or when they'll be for sale, but you'd think there would be plenty of interest in stylish little objects like these that solve everyday problems.

You've got to hand it to Moroso. It's gotten amazingly good at creating beautiful, cohesive collections out of a motley crue of established and emerging designers. This year it introduced Ross Lovegrove's plastic Supernatural chair and Marcel Wanders' little mushroom-shaped side tables.

Moroso also introduced a set of hand-embroidered, Indian-style daybeds and pillows from Doshi Levien, a British duo that nobody's heard of until now but everybody's talking about.  The patterns on the beds are taken from an ancient Indian board game, but with the checkerboard motif and the rainbow colors, they look weirdly '80s, don't they?  What do you think?

What would your $20,000 living room look like? Blog colleague (blogleague?) Scrappy Girl reminds us of the $20,000 living room makeover sweepstakes domino is currently running.  It sure inspires some serious daydreaming, doesn't it? 

Let's see... what about this Maarten Baas Smoke Dining Chair?

And then of course you need the coordinating chandelier:

The perfect decorative touch for the clumsy, it's Jason Miller's Beautifully Broken Vase.

Or you could always just blow the whole wad on this super-sleek, incredibly chic sofa from Future Systems:

Choices, choices.

My spies at Milan Design Week 2007 sent these...

"Winter Arrives" stools by Out of Stock, new design collective out of Singapore, Barcelona and Buenos Aires:

Sebastian Wrong Font Clock for Established & Sons in 2 sizes:

Jason Miller Container Tiles based on shipping containers:

What do you think?

Stay tuned...more to come!

Spring cleaning can be a real bore--but this natural bristle brush and flexible polypropylene dustpan make it a little more fun. Right? Available at Matter.

Remember when you were young-people born in the 60s or 70s-and that brand was introduced that was sort of a non-brand? A can of soda just had the word 'cola' printed on the can and nothing more. Well these two things sort of remind me of that same sentiment only with todays smarter consumer in mind. These cookies by interdisciplinary creative duo AndrewAndrew are all about full disclosure so you can learn all about your snack before eating it.. that is if you can wait long enough to read the nutritional facts before taking a bite. Then there's the T-shirt from TS Designs out of North Carolina who are on a mission to spread the green gospel right on the front of their Ts which disclose all clothing facts. No sweatshops, no harsh chemical dyes, just the good stuff. Thinking of making your own Ts, these folks co-brand too.  [Tshirt from inhabitat]

UK designer Karen Ryan graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2001 and has since been building constructs made from unwanted and discarded funriture. Her "custom made" collection, much more than just chairs and tables reborn, are a commentary on waste and ask us to see the "unconventional beauty in the everyday essential". See more on her website, which is a meditation on her work... and a bit of a lesson in patience.

OK, it's not really meant to be eaten, it's part of a series of gummi sculptures by Ya Ya Chow. The colors look amazing and while I might not hang this particular fixture in my home, I think there's something quite beautiful about the way light shines through the gummi bears. Imagine if they had these hanging in movie theaters.

Ok, so I'm (almost) totally non-violent, anti-war (please no political debates here) and can't really get into the shoot-em-up video games, but I think this is a pretty amazing feat to make with only Lego parts. Ummm, maybe Pacino in Scarface was enjoyable violence.. what do you think of my little friend Brickgun?

If you're in Montreal this week check out the latest exhibition at Commissaires, Montreal's newest design gallery. It's an exhibition of Brooklyn design featuring the work of Hivemindesign, Rob Teeters, David Weeks, Matt Gagnon, Nicholas Furrow and others. The stool below is the latest piece of work from Hivemindesign... it's a little bit Eames, a little bit recycled and so very cool, no?[from mocoloco]

Are you ready for this? This is possibly the coolest looking storage system for the price ever made. Brought to you by a couple of Danish designers, Lillian Adler and Soren Berg, Pure Nomade "Hotel" boxes come flat packed and then pop up to create little storage pods for... well pretty much anything you can fit in them. And you can stack them 10 feet high, so you can even make them in to a room divider. At around $27 each you can probably build a whole room or a even fort with them.These just landed this side of the pond and are available at Matter (any day now) and other fine establishments internationally. What would you use these for? Shoe storage perhaps?

What do you think of these -- playful, or in poor taste? These handmade Tank U Vases are designed by Jerome Fischbach and Thierry Galloni D'istria of the Paris-based collective La Tete Au Cube. The website claims that they "spread just a little cheer in these troubled times." Do they remind anyone else of, oh, say, this golden grenade lamp? Might make a fetching set, no?

Brooklyn in the house!  Another unique, cool product from Rose and Radish's Urban series.  (Last one, I swear.)  These pillar candles are each named after a different Williamsburg, Brooklyn street--Kent, Wythe, Bedford, and South 3rd--and supposedly each is covered with a film transparency, so that as the wick burns down the street-scapes are illuminated further.  They reflect the shapes and energy of urban graffiti, without that subway-pee smell. You like?

Ridiculously cool San Francisco-based store/gallery/flower shop/website Rose and Radish is honoring their love for city life with their new Urban series, and so I am too.  Quaint, warm, and homey.  I’m thinking the hand-drawn look of this would be charming as shelf paper or for a small room or large closet.  But there's also something a little odd about the scratchy, shadowy little houses.  What do you think -- cute, or creepy?

Nick recently wrote about being green by using a tote to do your shopping and I couldn't agree more. I have just one more tote to add to the mix that I think will become a future classic and in the event you get lost this is the tote you want on your shoulder. Designed by Rachel Rheingold, fashion stylist and Michael Berick, cartographer, these totes will keep you heading in the right direction and looking cool simultaneously. Available online at Maptote and select stores.

For all you Portalnd folks in the house, here's a great exhibition for you to check out. And I suppose you folks in Seattle should make the drive down for this one too, it will be well worth it. Casey Watson is one of my favorite young artists. I've exhibited her work at Matter and I collect it as well, so you know I mean business when I say get over there now, see it.. and bring your wallet because her shows sell out fast. A little fact.. long before I was the Material Guy one of Domino's editors, Tori Melott, happened into a Casey Watson exhibition at Matter and bought a piece that has since graced the pages of this very magazine and still graces a wall in her very well curated home. Current exhibition is at Motel from 3/1 to 3/31.

...and if your reading this Casey, add me to your mailing list please, because I read about your current exhibtion on design*sponge. What's up with that?

I think these are cool little leather bowls with beautifully dyed interiors. They're made by London based designer Katherine Pogson and I think they would look great on a  really modern dresser as a catchall for jewelry or keys or on a dining table to hold some matches (for lighting candles of course, because who smokes anymore?). I like that they're not totally clean and have a rough edge, it's sort of a nice contrast to the modern lines one would normally find in my home. I showed them to Olivia early this morning and she absolutely did NOT like them. Huhhh!???? While we usually agree on all things aesthetic, this is one of those times that we have to go to our separate corners of the ring. Am I way off on these? Help me decide if these should find their way into a certain design store in NY or if they should be left in London where they were born. I'm asking you, the people, what do you think?

I haven't seen the new issue of Domino yet because they refuse to give me a free subscription, but I heard through the grapevine from one of the editors (who wishes to remain anonymous) that the current issue is all about green. So I thought I would offer up a little something green myself. The next time you're thinking about sending a lovely bouquet to your lovely someone, check out these folks, organicbouquet.com, and with each purchase they'll give a portion of the proceeds to benefit non-profits dedicated to social justice, wildlife conservation and environmental protection. On top of that, all of thier bouquets are made with flowers grown using sustainable practices and they're all certified organic. That's like what.. three gifts in one?

...ok, I was just kidding about the whole free subscription thing. But don't you think maybe I should get one?

No, not the most famous Nordberg of all whos real name we don't even like to mention anymore in casual conversation, but a new breed of Nordberg, Jenny Nordberg of Sweden, who will bring good associations back to the good name she was born with. She's an industrial designer and apparently has a sense of humor and has.. well.. proven me wrong. And I am not afraid to admit when I'm wrong. If you've been keeping up with Daily Dose you'll remember recently I said something to the effect of 'Antlers Are The New Over' and now I'm going to amend that and say that they are just on the way to a better place. See for yourself...

I generally have a pretty full schedule these days and the multitude of things that I need to take care of on a daily basis sometimes leaves my head spinning, so much so that I forget a thing or two on the list (Fridays blog for example.. Sorry!) even with the aid of my iCal, my cell phone alarm, my moleskin datebook and a note to self on the back of my hand.In an effort to be more effective and more efficient in my day to day I've implemented yet another weapon to combat this problem and do it with high style. The Imbroglio Desk Calendar designed by French industrial designer Jean Pierre Vitrac in 1972 looks as good today as it did 35 years ago and the simple perpetual design with a magnetic cursor will help us all remember the date every day for many years to come.

I know I'm supposed to leave the deal huntin' to Nick but every once in a while I find an awesome sale and I've just got to pass this one on to you ladies as a little Valentines Day gift. And if any of you guys are looking for a little something extra to buy your sweetheart to make up for just getting her the 1/4 pound heart box of See's Candy, well this is the place to do it. Creatures of Comfort online store is blowing out the last of the fall/winter 2006 collections at unbelievable savings (a very affordable up to 75% off) on great designers like Imitation of Christ, Rachel Comey, Karen Walker, Grey Ant, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Eley Kishimoto, etc, etc etc.. If you happen to live in LA then head down to the shop on Melrose with a big empty bag. If you happen to be in NY, there are deals to be had on finer men's apparel at Odin. Sorry, no online store yet, but I thought I'd try to be fair to the guys too. Thanks to Michelle for the Creatures tip. Hearts....

I watched the Grammy Awards last night and had no idea what was in store when I turned on the TV. I mean I expected that Justin Timberlake would be there bringing sexy back but was in shock when I thought I heard that The Police were playing and bringing the 80's back, you see I only sort of half heard it the first time and so I waited for someone to repeat what I thought I had heard to confirm the very very good news. And since The Police were and are one of my favorite bands and it's been more than 20 years since they've played a big show and since I haven't seen them play for more than that 20 plus years I couldn't help but get a little excited by the news. It turns out that the performance is the kick-off to the beginning of a tour by the old boys.. and speaking of old boys, when Olivia (my prettier smells like rose petals half) heard they were playing she kind of sighed and shrugged it off because she really doesn't like Sting's bland brand of adult contemporary music, but when they started to play she remarked that Sting's voice sounded really great and also took note of his perfectly toned arms which look like they've been doing a lot of yoga for the past 20 years and it all made me think that maybe I should get tickets for us to go to one of their shows when they come through NY and it also made me think that I should maybe really start considering doing a little yoga myself. And what on earth does the fact that The Police are reuniting have to do with design and why isn't this blog entry somewhere else like I Guess I'm Floating? Well, I've long been talking about how the 80's will come back into design (and of course we've already seen the influence start to appear in the work of designer Jaime Hayon) and it only seems right that fashion and/in music lead the way. Now, keep your eyes peeled for for those bold saturated (lots of primary) colors. And I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of pink and grey combinations soon too, one of my favorite 80's pairings.