Cool Sputnik-Style Floor Lamp

Get the fun retro style of a classic Sputnik style lamp without calling an electrician, with the Cham-Plain Supernova Floor Lamp you can just plug and play. To me, there is a single lamp that represents the fun, retro, mid-century style of the 1950′s better than all the rest and that is the old classic Sputnik lamps. They have a great atomic-age style based on that infamous Soviet satellite launched in low earth orbit in October 4, 1957. Not only did it kick of the space age, it also had a huge influence on the modern design aesthetic of that era.

A vintage Sputnik suspension lamp can cost a small fortune and even the more contemporary versions of this classic light is not exactly cheap. Not to mention having a professional come out to install it. But what if you want that fun and funky look in your home, loft or apartment without breaking the bank or tearing out existing lighting? Well, the Cham-Plain Supernova Floor Lamp is perfect for you.

This cool contemporary version of the cosmic classic has eighteen sockets ready for you to put mini-globe bulbs but keep in mind, this is not the type of bulb you can just pop down to the grocery store and find, you will need to go to a lighting specialty store to find them or even order them online.

The Cham-Plain Supernova Floor Lamp stands about 54 inches high and is topped with the sockets sticking out from the spherical center. It comes in a nice, neutral, minimalist white that fits in with almost any color pallet. It stands on a ten inch diameter base with an easy to use foot petal for turning it off and on.

The Cham-plain Supernova Floor Lamp is available for only $189.00 from ModCloth, a great retailer of retro style clothes and home decor with lots of outrageous vintage style stuff. So if you want a cool dash of retro, atomic-age style in your home, room or apartment with out dropping some major cash, this may be the light for you.

Amazing Retracting Modern Ceiling Fan

It may seem silly, but I like a ceiling fan that does something, and I don’t just mean move the air around. Well the Air Shadow Mechanical Ceiling Fan by Fanimation exceeded even my expectations. Having grown up in the family lighting store, I am pretty jaded. It is rare when a ceiling  fan makes me say “wow”, but that is literally the first words that came out of my mouth when I saw this cool, modern and industrial fan.

When I first saw Fanimation’s Air Shadow Ceiling Fan, I wasn’t exactly sure what it was. It vaguely looked fan like but the blades looks so small that I looked all but useless for circulating air. Then I thought that it must be some other type of mechanical device which had a purpose I couldn’t quite fathom. When I asked about it the owner just gave me a knowing smile and clicked on his remote control.

The device began to turn, slowly increasing its speed until centrifugal force smoothly unfurled the curved blades and it looked just like a really cool, contemporary style ceiling fan. The maple blades looked like some sort of experimental aircraft and the crisp and shiny chrome body looked every bit as hip as most other contemporary fans on the market.

As I said above, all I could do is say “wow”, the Air Shadow quietly and efficiently created a cool breeze even though it was mounted high up on a sloped, vaulted ceiling. When I asked what it did when you turn it off, i quickly got my answer. As this amazing modern fan slowed down the blades slowly tucked themselves away into a compact little package that didn’t obstruct his view of the ocean from his upstairs loft nearly as much as a regular fan would.

You really have to see this fan in action to believe it so I have included this short video by Fanimation so you can see for yourself.

Fanimation is well known for their fan designs that do something like the tropically chic, belt-driven Palmetto with bamboo blades or the unique single bladed Enigma. True to its name, the Air Shadow Mechanical Ceiling Fan doesn’t use power to open and close, it operates mechanically with perfectly balanced springs and centrifugal force to achieve this maneuver so when not in motion, the fan remains closed.

If you are interested in this amazing wonder of fan design for your contemporary home, the Air Shadow Mechanical Ceiling Fan by Fanimation is available for a fantastic price from Lumens Light + Living. It is sure to make your friends say “wow”!

Art Is In Your DNA!

As humans, we all have the capacity to create art. It is part of the human species, literally ingrained in our DNA. Now, Ottowa-Based company DNA 11 has cross-bred genetic science and art to help unleash the artwork in all of us…literally!

With locations in countries around the world, DNA 11 can take a simple to create sample of your DNA, and turn those varied bands and bars of DNA into your own absolutely unique, one of a kind work of abstract art. And because each persons DNA is different, no two of these stunningly creative and colorful portraits are exactly the same. To make it even more personal, you can choose the size, color options that reflect your taste or home decor.

I think DNA Portraits are a cool and interesting piece of modern abstract artwork on their own, but the fact that it represents my own individual DNA in a beautiful and meaningful way makes it even more amazing. Imagine what a great personalized gift this would make for a family member or loved one. A real snapshot of what it is inside them that makes them…them.  I have a science geek son in college with bare walls in his apartment and I am ordering on of these for him as a birthday gift.

DNA 11 was started by a couple of guys, one, a Molecular Geneticist with a background in digital biological imaging, the other specializing in high-tech marketing and design, came together with an incredible idea to show the world the beauty and wonder of an image many people never see of themselves. They offer a whole bunch of different portraits to choose from, ranging from a small mini portrait to a DNA SplitScreen for two people  or even a family portrait for up to four people.

You choose the size, color scheme, and several additional options like a high-resolution image you can download or a DNA Ancestry Signature, a small QR code that when scanned with a smartphone takes you to personalized ancestry webpage tracing your origins back thousands of years.

Or if you want some personal artwork that is a bit less high-tech, DNA 11 also offers bold and graphic custom Fingerprint Portraits and cute and sexy KISS Portraits. Head over to www.dna11.com for pricing, sizes and more information on how to send them your own personal DNA sample. They can, quite literally release the inner artist in all of us.

DNA 11 contacted us after we published this article and generously offered a 15% discount for our readers on the purchase of any DNA, Fingerprint, Kiss and Ancestry Portraits. To redeem, visit www.dna11.com, choose your products and enter the following code in the cart before checkout: B2Modern15
The code cannot be combined with any other offers, discounts or promotions and excludes shipping. Expires May 31, 2012.

Multi-Use Lighted Cube

Incorporating lighting into furniture is a hot new trend in contemporary design that can look very cool if used correctly but the trick is not to over do it. You may not want to have a whole living room done in different colored, flashing and color shifting furniture but a few interesting and well placed pieces can be ambient while adding ambiance. The Lux-Us Lighted Cube designed by Max Kistner for Ameico is subtle, interesting and versatile enough to used in a number of different ways to add some life to any room.

Imported from Germany, the Lux-Us Lighted Cube is made from a tough polyethylene cube with a hollow, illuminated interior that is suitable for use either indoors or outdoors. Each cube has an open top, a slightly smaller base and four side. tow of the sides are slightly curved inward, while the other two are curved slightly outward. This slight curve is just enough to allow them to be stacked snugly together so multiple cubes can be used together.

There are so many possible uses that there are far to many to name here because no matter how many I mention people always seem to come up with a few more. Let me name a few of the more obvious ones like seating, storage, and when used together, illuminated display shelves as shown in the image above. They make a great stool for additional seating when used on the concave side or combined with one of the optional cushions (available in orange or black). Use them outdoors on inside for a unique lighted planter like no other. The soft, indirect glow is a perfect way to light up an outdoor path or patio and creates a warm, inviting glow in your foyer.

The convex and concave sides allow you to stack two, three, four or more into any configuration and use them as book or display cases. Use a single Lux-Us Lighted Cube as a fun toy box, magazine holder or fill it with ice and fill it with wine or beer at your next get-together. I am sure that with a little imagination, you can picture a use for this versatile cube of illumination in your home, yard or garden.

A word of warning though, this is not one of those rechargeable units lit by LEDs, this lighted cube is illuminated with a 30W fluorescent bulb and needs to be plugged into the wall. The advantage to that is it is always available when you need it and it won’t lose it’s charge before your last party guests say goodbye. The Lux-Us Lighted Cube by Ameico is available from YLighting for $350.00

Sophisticated Yet Energy-Efficient Ceiling Fan!

As contemporary styled homes get larger and interior spaces get more open, cool modern ceiling fans are a great way to improve the airflow and help make a room feel cooler and more comfortable while keeping the cost of running your air conditioner down. In an open floor plan, you may need to turn your a/c down even lower than normal to feel its cooling effects, but a ceiling fan helps move the cool air around and makes the air in your home feel even cooler that an a/c alone. But you don’t want to ruin the sleek, streamlined, contemporary feel of you home with a clunky, chunky old style ceiling fan. You want something that will fit with the decor, be energy-efficient and look sharp as well.

Well, one modern style ceiling fan that achieves all these things is the Midway Eco from Emerson Fan Company. Billed as the “Most Efficient Fan On The Market”, the specially designed, five-bladed Midway Eco has a high-efficiency motor that has a top Energy Star rating yet still moves up to 40% more air than standard blades. The secret is in the blades, each of the 5 aerodynamically designed  airfoil blades are set at a steep 29° angle at the center of the fan. You can see in the photo above that they are at a much sharper angle than regular ceiling fans. Each blade then slowly straightens out towards the tips creating a total blade span of 54″. This allows the Midway Eco to push much more air around without needing as much power to do it.

But enough of that technical mumbo jumbo, the Midway Eco just plain looks cool. It has a sleek, modern look that is handsome and sophisticated. There is an integrated light fixture uses four 13-watt fluorescent bulbs that is nice and bright but still just as energy-efficient. The included remote control operates the light, the three speed settings and even reverse or if you prefer you can buy a wall control separately. Personally I prefer to have both because if I misplace the remote (which I tend to do a lot) I can still operate the fan.

The Brushed Steel version is my favorite with blades finished in what Emerson calls “Midnight Bordeaux” but I just call dark brown wood. It comes in two single colored versions, one is a dark and attractive Oil Rubbed Bronze and the other is a clean and contemporary minimalist Appliance White. The Midway Eco Ceiling Fan by Emerson is available at Lighting By Gregory for a pretty reasonable $469.00 (when you consider the manufacturer suggests over $700.00) and you might even save that much on cooling costs over a few years.

Modular Furniture Is About To Evolve!

Modular furniture is a staple in the world of modern design, that is a given, but just how modular is modular furniture? Presently, modular mainly refers to a set of furniture like a sofa, chaise lounge, chair and ottoman that all fits together in a variety of ways to suit a number of room layouts. They often do this with varying degrees of success. At the most, you can usually bang out three or even four different configurations at the most. Not too bad, I guess.

What if I told you that a new modular system is just on the horizon, a system that will revolutionize the way we all think about the word modular. A system that won’t just build three or four different living rooms, but thousands. This system will not just give you the freedom to assemble a few pieces of furniture together to form a living room, it will allow you to create any space; living room, bedroom, office, kitchen, bathroom or create your own multipurpose room from the ground up. The as-of-yet-unreleased TETRAN Infinite Furniture System will do all this and more!

A new start-up company, TETRAN Infinite Living Systems, has created what I can only think of as LEGOS for adults. Except with this building system you create real stuff…not only that, real COOL stuff. Easily create any number of furniture components like; a wall shelving unit, a sofa, an office workcenter, an island for your kitchen, an amazing kids bunk bed or anything else that fertile imagination of yours can cook up.

The TETRAN Infinite Living Systems

It is simple to create a cube, the MDF sides are pre-drilled and assembled with only one size screw. The cubes then lock together with a simple nut and bolt and a hex key to form whatever shape you want. Use pre-formed cushion modules to create comfortable seating areas. Each five inch cushion has a three inch memory foam layer for added comfort.

Finishing panels can be used to face the MDF core allowing it to fit into virtually any decor. These acrylic panels will be available in any color, shade, tone or tint you can think of. Maybe you would rather have panels made from stone, metal, glass, fabric, leather or even real wood, well those are on the way as well!

The E1 MDF structure is made from 100% recycled and recyclable eco-friendly materials. But even better than that, the TETRAN Infinite Furniture System is environmentally friendly in many much more subtle ways. Let’s say your armchair is somehow damaged, with ordinary furniture, you would have to replace the whole thing but the modular system will allow you to simply replace the damaged area. Want a new look, don’t toss that old sofa, take it apart and create a brand new design. That alone is going to save loads of landfill space but TETRAN Infinite has reduced the amount of packaging they use as well by flat packing their products for shipping making the entire system extremely friendly for the environment.

A New Era of Scalability

One of the things that I see the most potential with is the scalability of the TETRAN system. Imagine getting married and rather that buying a larger bed, you just increase the size of your existing bed or doubling the size of your desk instead of buying a bigger one. Want a shelving unit that grows with you the number of books you read? Maybe you need more storage in your basement. I think you are starting to see the possibilities.

I would think that this system would be a dream for interior designers for its flexibility, creativity and the repeat business you get as you scale up to a clients ever evolving needs.

TETRAN Infinite Furniture System Is Coming Soon!

If you are anything like me, you are asking “But where can I get this?”. Well the countdown for this evolution of modular modern furniture has already started. TETRAN Infinite Living Systems will begin taking pre-orders through Kickstarter.com on June 1st, 2012. Until then, go to their website for much more details on this new revolution in modern modular furniture at TetranLiving.com. While you are there, enter to win $500.00 in free custom modern furniture!

Check out this cool video from TETRAN Infinite to see just a few of the thousands of things you can do with this cool system.

Check out this very short but very cool commercial by our Featured Retailer of the month: Hive Modern. I think that it really portrays the casual nature if the store and the Hive Modern philosophy. Scoot over to their Vimeo Channel so see more cool commercials from Hive.

One of our favorite retailers of modern furniture, accessories and lighting is the Portland-based Hive Modern, however, unlike their name might suggest, they do everything but follow the crowd. Founded in 2002,  Hive has flourished into a powerhouse in the industry both at its beautiful location in Portland’s upscale Pearl District as well as it strong online presence at hivemodern.com.

You can just tell that the people behind the Hive name really love modern design by their enthusiasm and understanding of what people really want in their home furnishings…good design. The selection of products is just brimming with cool stuff. They have an uncanny ability to blend those rare and unusual pieces with those iconic old modern furniture and lighting designs we all love.

Here is a great example of something that is rare and unusual, Hive Modern carries vintage World War II era molded plywood leg splints designed by Charles Eames in 1942 for the United States Navy. Manufactured by the Evans Products Company, they were inexpensive and lightweight and highly functional yet they are just as the sculptural and dare I say, even as beautiful as the bent plywood furniture designed by Eames. These Eames Leg Splints are a fine example of his molded plywood technique and are not found just anywhere, but you can find them at Hive.

Hive Modern has a huge choice of wonderful products from the top manufactures in modern design, heavy hitters like; Alessi, Artemide, Artifort, Fritz Hansen, Cassina, Flos, Kartell, Knoll & Vitra. They feature the coolest designs by creative designers like Patrick Norguet, Marcel Wanders, Karim Rashid, Ron Arad and Niels Bendtsen. There are really many more than I can name in one blog post but that gives you an idea of the scope of their selection.

Hive is the place to go to find those iconic pieces that you may not find from other retailers like the contemporary and highly functional Globus Desk designed by Michiel van der Kley for Artifort. When closed, the Globus Desk takes up very little space and looks like some sort of sci-fi movie prop but this innovative workstation  opens into a very functional personal workspace complete with a rotating chair and a drop down work surface that is the perfect size for a notebook computer or just a fun place to sit and write a letter.

Best of all, I always visit Hive for the hippest and coolest new stuff that is causing buzz in the modern furniture world. When you like what you do, it shows and you can really tell that Hive loves modern and contemporary furniture, fun and funky lighting and the coolest and hippest home accessories. If you have live in the Portland area, make sure you visit their store at 820 NW Glisan Street or for the rest of us, go check out the Hive Modern Design Website.

You Will Filipp Over This Coffee Table!

I like modern furniture with a clean design where there are no wasted lines, just pure form, That is why I love the Filipp Coffee Table designed by Red Living. But this hip and cool low coffee isn’t just form, there is a huge amount of function packed into its pleasing contemporary design as well.

If you are anything like me, your coffee table is rarely used for coffee, my family does homework, plays board games, eats food and occasionally even rests their feet on our coffee table. It is the first place I look when I am trying to find the remote control and is a great place to spread out the Sunday paper. But this versatile piece of furniture inevitable becomes something of a dumping ground for books, toys, magazines and everything else a family accumulates in the average day of living in the living room.

That is where the function of the Filipp Coffee Table really shines because hidden away in the table’s sides are two concealed drawers that are just perfect for tucking away all that clutter to maintain a clean and linear look to your coffee table. It is perfect for those times your Mother-in-Law drops by unexpectedly or when you have a sudden unannounced guest arrive.

The sturdily built, easy-glide drawers are wide enough to hide a full board game plus books, magazines, newspapers and the remote control as well. When closed, the drawers fit flush into the table to keep up that sleek and clean contemporary style. And what a cool style it is, with a recessed base, low profile and beautiful walnut veneer finish, this hip modern coffee table would be outstanding without that extra little trick up it’s sleeve.

The Filipp Coffee Table by Red Living is made with economical MDF with a very handsome walnut veneer. It is also available in a clean, minimalist white but I prefer the look of the natural walnut myself. It is available from Fashion For Home for a very reasonable $599.00.

Cool Chair, Strange Name, Great Price!

The Sassy Sofa by New Spec is a bit of a misnomer. Although you might call this a one-seater sofa, to me it is actually just a really cool retro chair. There is no doubt that this is a funky chair from the first glance, it has a cool 1950′s atomic age shape and it comes in some wild and bold colors.

It has a hip, low slung look that puts you at an angle that is perfect for lounging. The base is covered with a high quality vinyl and has an interesting tear drop shape that is propped up on four funky metal legs. The back is a bit smaller than the seat adding to the retro look of this crazy chair, as if the modern amoeba pattern or wild animal prints aren’t enough.

The Sassy Sofa is not for the timid or those looking for a tastefully modern accent chair for their living room. This whimsical chair is for someone looking to make a statement or complete the retro look of an already wild decor.

Best of all, this fun and funky chair, or sassy single seat sofa, if out there for a super affordable price! At only $219.00 each you can get one of each of these and deck out you atomic age home in full on 50′s style. Choose from three funky upholstery options, purple vinyl with a passionate purple fabric pattern, shocking bright red vinyl with a wild cheetah print fabric or chocolate-brown vinyl with a bold leopard print.

Each one comes with its own matching ottoman that completes the retro look and makes this cool accent chair even more loungable. If you have the guts, check out the Sassy Sofa at Stacks & Stacks, it may be called a sofa but it is really a fun and crazy lounge chair with a personality all its own.