Get A Handle On It.

After our post on this chandelier, we hesitated posting this doorknob by British artist James R Ford. People might begin to think we are the go-to blog for “member” products.However, we pride ourselves on not being prudish here at MUL and we try to post what we find interesting regardless if some might find it offensive. So we decided the Door Appendage X gets it’s 15 minutes of MUL fame! Again we have to wonder who would have the cojones (no pun intended) to actually own one of these handles? The description on the Kith Kin website where this product can be found gives a long spiel on the loss of innocence and nostalgic pubs-blah, blah,blah but c’mon guys…it’s a wiener!

Vine Like Wine.

Whether or not decanters can improve the taste of wine is controversial amongst wine experts however none can debate the aesthetic value of presenting wine in an elegantly designed vessel. Most carafes have a bulbous bottom and a slender top but French artist Etienne Menueau’s Strange Decanters challenge that notion taking inspiration from the roots of the grape vine. Some of the decanters look as if they just sprouted legs and are about to run away, while other’s resemble a model of the circulatory system.

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Exploding Pendant Lamp.

Designed by Hans Bleken Rud for Norwegian company Northern Lighting, this large pendant lamp looks like an exploding incandescent bulb but it’s not. Rather, the Scheisse pendant lamp is a tribute to the one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. Environmental concerns have made the old stand by ineffective and quite soon unprocurable. Full Story »

Paint-By-Numbers Wallpaper.

Remember the paint-by-number kits you used to do as a kid? A little watercolor and the ability to stay within the lines and you were miraculously transformed into a pre-teen Pablo Picasso. Designer Jenny Wilkinson applies the same concept to her Wallpaper-By-Numbers. The interactive wallpaper can be colored or painted to reflect the owners personal taste. Color in as little or as much as you want. The paper is hung like ordinary wallpaper and comes with it’s own set of coloring suggestions. However, we think  you should toss those out straight away and let creativity be your guide! Full Story »

The King’s Throne.

 If The King weren’t munchin’ on fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches up on that big stage in the sky, he’d probably be holding court on this bad boy. The Throne melds classic furniture design with urban street art to create a hard edged chair fit for rock-n-roll royalty. The rolled steel piece features customizable graffiti by NYC street artist BLKINK and hand-tooled leather pads. We’re sure The King would have rather been sitting on this throne rather than the one he was reportedly on when he made his final exit. Thank you, thank you very much.

The Flip-Flop Bean Bag.

While perusing greenUPGRADER  today we found this super colorful ottoman by DWR. It’s unique, fun and would you believe made out of recycled flip-flops?! The Miss Rio Ottoman designed by Karin Wittman uses industrial leftovers from flip-flop factories (try saying that 10 times) to make this fanciful footrest. The design is manufactured by social organizations that provide work for unemployed craftspeople from local communities. Keeping production local instead of using cheap foreign labor. It’s as durable as the flip flops you may be wearing, making it waterproof, perfect for use outdoors on the deck.  We think it looks more like a flip-flop bean bag than an ottoman though. Full Story »

Urban Composting Made Easy.

Modern Urban Living’s editor Tracy Fay is featured as a guest blogger this week on Green Air. Check out her helpful hints for making composting in the city simple and rewarding. Read all about it here.

Handpainted Keyboards.

Our work warrior friends over at Office Blog turned us onto these fabulous Nishi hand painted  keyboards. We love the delicate little flowers and butterflies. It’s colorfully fun and dare we say tranquil? However, if you’re kind of a half-ass typer, you might want to brush up on your typing skills cuz there’s a lot going on here. But we’re sure it would be well worth the effort to be the only one in the office with this beautiful board.

Urban Gnome.

In Sweden gnomes are known as Tomten and they are notorious for their immense strength, mischievous behavior and retributions towards unappreciative farmers. In general gnomes or tomten are known to be easily offended and reluctant to change, so it’s refreshing to see the Urban Gnome by designer Vitamin for Generate looking so modern and bad ass. His pointy hat and long beard have been replaced with sleek bone china, graphic designs and skull tattoos.  While this gnome may not be good at performing chores, we still think he would fit quite nicely in a small flower bed or herb garden. But fair warning, if you do choose to let your Urban Gnome live in your garden keep a close eye on him. The Gnome Liberation Party, an organization dedicated to liberating gnomes everywhere from oppressive gardening, just might help him make his escape!

Posh Patchwork.

Former sculptor and painter Lisa Whatmough, creates colorful furniture pieces by fusing antique textiles and period furniture together. Having amassed a substantial amount of textiles over the years, Lisa was looking for a way to showcase her collection of fabrics when the inspiration for her patchwork furniture was born. Her company, Squint located in East London, now makes one of a kind pieces using high quality vintage fabrics and old school upholstery techniques to order. 

Vibrant odds and ends make this sofa the centerpiece of the room.

The iconic Egg chair gets a motely makeover from the good folks at Squint.

5 Unique Rock-N-Royal Chandeliers.

Design Group Rock and Royal are well known for their custom chandeliers and mosaics. Grand in scale and outlandish in design, Artist Hans van Bentem makes these sparkling beauties for some of his wealthiest and dare we say, eccentric clients.  Who do we know that could possibly pull off an enormous prick in their entrance?

A good way to deter break-ins.

Nice lipstick.

We actually kind of dig this one. It’s very Rock-n-Roll. Can you dig it? We knew you could.

May not suit Arachnophobes.

Idyllic Table Garden.

Dreaming of your own rooftop garden oasis but lacking the space or funds to make it a reality? Start small with the Idyllic Table Garden available from online store Kikkerland.com. The kit comes with smal bricks and miniature urns so you can start designing your own little slice of outdoor heaven.

Graffiti Lighting

Re-Surface, the folks who brought us Solo: the microphone light, have put their own tag on the boring lamp shade. The More- Light collection brings the color of the streets indoors with these five urban inspired lights.  A photographic print on transparency gives the pendant light shade an inner-city makeover. Check out all five pieces in the collection on Re-surface’s website. Full Story »

Sofa on the Sauce.

We normally like to keep our vices hidden but The Sofa Garden’s mischievous pillows are so tempting it makes us want to tie one on!

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