We here at Basis would like to direct your attention to a great website for perusal and weekly reading: Letterheady. Run by the same fellow who runs the equally excellent time-suck Letters of Note, Letterheady is a collection of extraordinary letterheads from actors, writers, companies, artists, etc. The detailing, the design, the charming pre-email tactile pleasure of the physical letter is worshipped there, and that’s as it should be. Some of our favorites (and please go visit the site):
Jules Seltzer Associates, in combination with the Vitra Design Museum, does a whole line of miniaturized classic furniture. Measuring about 5 inches high on average, and costing you in the neighborhood of $350, it’s a lot of art and design for not as much money and zero practical use. However, they’re great for looking at, and art and design students can use them to study and learn. And, you know, they’re pretty cool.
All of these products are made with the same materials and the same proportions and craftsmanship as the originals. They’re a neat and kind-of-sort-of cheaper way to get closer to some of your favorite industrial designs, chairs, and designers.
What we liked, and to hell with Joan Rivers:
Vera Farmiga - Up In The Air
Anna Kendrick - Up In The Air
Zoe Kravitz - Precious
These are images from the world famous Alinea restaurant in Chicago, owned and operated by Grant Achatz, pioneer of the molecular gastronomy movement. If you’ve got $300 bucks weighing you down, Alinea is a good place to unload it. The presentation is gorgeous.
Just because I love her.
O at Reading.
O at tea.
O at Lollapalooza.
If you don’t know, Karen O is the charismatic lead singer for art-punk/disc0-junk noise band the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, bringers of good tidings of great joy and primal screams of feminist ilk. They’re a handful, but you won’t mind.
The clothes are generally made by O friend/fan Christian Joy, whose work can be found here: http://www.christianjoy.us/.
And now, the video for Basis Design’s most-favored YYY jam:
Do you like shelving? Do you also love a good mp3 player? Odds are you’re German. Here’s the latest from the country that brought you Hegel, Kant, and Nietzsche (you’re welcome), the Hohrizontal 51:
It’s a shelf, it’s an mp3 player, it’s a hi-fi stereo system!
Seriously, this is pretty cool. An elegant, slim little stereo system, very high quality, that adapts to your mp3 player and doubles as a convenient, stylish shelf.
Fits in the bathroom!
Looks great in the living room!
What a product. I have a feeling it could try and take over the world someday.
(also, somewhat unfortunately, only plays Kraftwerk)
So, uh… Frank Gehry, world famous architect, designed a hat. It wasn’t magical.
That hat was designed for Lady Gaga, the unfortunately named but daringly attired pop superstar to wear at a benefit for the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. He designed it on his iPhone, which is just too much.
Apropos of nothing, really, here is the mythical Barcelona Chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Mies van der Rohe was possibly the greatest designer of furniture ever to live, if that’s enough for you. Florence Knoll, having left the office of a somewhat dunder-headed executive, joked to her companion: “Where would they be without us?” “My dear,” he said, “Where would we be without Mies?”
Pictured with the Barcelona Table, Couch, and Ottoman
All Mies did was school sucka punks what thought they knew.
These are some excellent bedroom sets from Presotto Italia, gleaned from the completely absorbing blog of Kanye West.
Members of Broke Phi Broke need not apply.
Some Marvin Gaye, some Luther Vandross, a little Anita...
For when your degrees aren't keeping you warm.
Some Frank Lloyd Wright furniture and interior design from his “prairie style” homes:
A 100 year old design recently uncovered.
Not bad.