First spotted at the Areaware booth at ICFF, then again at the Designboom Local show ~ how adorable are these nesting "Step Stools" tables by Paul Loebach? The design is so perfectly cute, and the color palette really makes it pop! ... in a refreshingly green playful minimal sort of way. "Hard Maple, Birch Plywood - Inspired by the simple versatility of American Shaker furniture, these nesting stools pull out to make a set of steps." See more images of it from both shows on the next page!

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Tags: furniture - gifts - green - icff - shopping - table

Been doing a lot of moving lately, and one of my pet peeves is being stuck with piles of boxed up stuff that isn't unpacked, there's something so unsettling about living amongst a pile of boxes, as if ready to bolt again... but more often than not, those boxes during transitory times serve as places to sit, makeshift tables and more... so i couldn't help but smile when i ran across this new piece at PID ~ the Wannabe by Llotllov which is a powder coated steel table that comes with a box... so when you moving, or if you never want to unpack, that box becomes a functional piece of furniture, and the box nearly disappears! See more pics on the next page!

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Tags: box - cardboard - furniture - gifts - shopping - steel - table

*Phew* Merry Boxing Day ~ what a season it's been!!! Apologies for the slow down in posts, just been trying to catch up with my life a little after the gift guides, giveaways, and more the last month or so! As a result you'll be seeing a few more playful posts from my everyday life (like the ZOO posts!) I just spent most of today hanging out at the new house/NOTCOT HQ which is nearly ready, and luckily ready enough for me to move my first conference/dining/pool table into!!! I somehow ended up hanging out there from about 10am till 9pm... delivery didn't happen until closer to 3pm, but luckily Dan was there to keep me company! And then we naturally had to play a few games both before and after grabbing dinner with a friend! And now i couldn't resist sharing some pics with you! But first, these are overview/snapshots of the building of the table, because once i got home i realized that in the excitement of PLAYING, we forgot to take more pics... so more pictures of the awesome design details to come.

So, remember Fusion Tables by Aramith? Wayyyy back as .org post #8996 that Laura Sweet posted? Basically its one of the first unique designs for pool tables that leans super sleek minimalist modern, and quickly hides in plain site as a dining table or conference table. To achieve this, Aramith (Belgian maker of incredible pool balls... "Without being familiar with the industry, very few would guess that nearly 80% of the billiard balls used worldwide come from a small village in the countryside of Belgium. For over half a century, the company SALUC SA has produced in the secrecy of its premises in Callenelle the unique and well-known Aramith phenolic balls, making this miniscule village the world's capital of billiard ball production." from their history), has designed the Fusion Tables, with a special lift system to adjust the table from dining height to pool table height easily, spandex pockets solve the problem of needing pockets that show when viewing the table from the side, and it still has a single slate, and incredibly high quality felting! Really with the table top on, you'd never guess there was a pool table hidden within! Anyhow, with the new house/office nearly ready, and the need for a dining/conference table ~ i couldn't resist once i saw one in person! So take a peek at the set up of the table on the next page... and more pics to come!

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Tags: furniture - gifts - home - pool - shopping - table - technology

I was just floored when I saw WASARA over on Swissmiss' blog. WASARA is a line of the prettiest disposable paper tableware that you've ever seen - I would throw a party just so I could use these. It's not just paper plates either, it's bowls, mugs, sushi plates, serving platters...With the desire to be as sustainable as possible, WASARA is made from reed pulp and bagasse (sugarcane waste).

From WASARA's website: "Underlying the concept of WASARA is the legacy of Japanese aesthetic and value sense. Japan has a tradition of good manufacturing backed by excellent skills and techniques, one of the most refined food cultures in the world, and a spirit of hospitality and courtesy. These are essential for days of spiritual fulfillment. While a WASARA is a paper dish good for one-time use, we would like it to represent those quintessences of our tradition."

WASARA will be available for purchase at the end of August 2008.

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Tags: food - gifts - home - paper - shopping - sub-studio - table

NOTCOT Note: Here's the latest discovery from Anna (Sub-Studio) ~ these cheese/cutting boards would be SO perfect for fourth of july picnics and bbqs!

I saw Lotte van Laatum's work on Bloesem recently and fell in love with it. Lotte is a designer and recent graduate from the Design Academy Eindhoven. In her graduate program she specialized in the social-cultural and ecological aspects of design, an interest you can see permeate through her design collection. Much of her work references other cultures, and even employs craftsmen from those cultures, such as her Bloei! sofa, Tulipa vases (after the jump), and the Made in Peru cushions. Lotte's Dutch Wood project attempts to create awareness about the sustainable use of local resources by keying the shape of each cutting board back to the geographical region it was harvested from. The cutting boards come from the regions of Veluwe, Noordoostpolder and Salland, and are made of three different types of wood - beech, ash and maple.

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Tags: accessories - furniture - kitchen - lighting - sub-studio - table

Browsing IKEA's latest today... they've jumped on a few trends i've been liking for a while... so naturally much like the laptop station that they made 10% of the original price... funny to see that they have taken to the vinyl stickering (i had kind of expected them to get on this one sooner since its so cheap/easy to produce)... and one trend i've been loving for apt dwellers that move frequently and don't want to worry about damaging the walls, yet want to mount that flat panel tv - the floating wall tv shelves, i'm kind of liking this Stiby one above that is $500... and there is also the Benno after the jump that is a mere$120. Now for the one piece i'm really really wanting - the Trollsta Sideboard... granted the whole series feels like a cheap jaime hayon knockoff... i'm still tempted. It looks really fun to add some subtle vinyl stickers to also.... few more pieces that grabbed me after the jump!

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Tags: furniture - gifts - ikea - shopping - table - tv

Swedish, I Do Design, and their gorgeous Union Benches... i showed you their Outdoor Union Bench and renderings of the indoor one previously, you remember, the gorgeously sleek concrete/wood outdoor benches that were shaped like three hemispheres molded together? Well Salone time is upon us, and they've shared the two new glossy red and black indoor versions (perfect for lounges, clubs, waiting areas) and a DESK! which looks like a very fun place to work closely together yet still have quite a bit of your own space to take over! I'm very tempted by both. Get a first look at all of these new pieces after the jump!

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Tags: bench - furniture - shopping - table

Ding3000 is gearing up for this year's salone in milan, and their theme is Animal Tales!

"Mother Nature is still the best designer in the world." That's why we started copying her most fascinating creations. Visit our petting zoo during the Milano Design Week 2008 and admire floating afghan hounds, shy giraffes, greedy chicks, and not-at-all-stubborn mules."

Just as interesting as their concept and products... the sneak peek they've sent over (images below of the collection!) show some creative use of shadowing to bring out that animal nature in the pieces...

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Tags: art - chair - furniture - table