This new Kickstarter made my week. Hangbird is a hanging drying rack that frees your living space by drying your clothes beneath the ceiling. A godsend for a small apartment. The product was born out of necessity. After several dialogues with his wife, Hangbird creator Samuel Kutter found a functional solution for drying his family’s laundry: a hanging drying rack. Interest soon spread for this unusual design among friends and family. Many wanted one too. He therefore decided to develop a real product inspired by an old Victorian model and started his own venture. Practical, appealing, and sustainably produced. I especially love the fact that you can choose the piece in different sizes to fit whatever crazy space you have. Pledge here to get buy.
This product will delight anyone who has ever been frustrated with the traditional thin cork bulletin boards. Designers John Harrington and Noel Batt teamed up with the well established Portugal-based cork manufacturer to create an ultimate cork bulletin board experience, called CorkFrame. Thick and well adjusted to the wall, this board allows you to pin your important items in style. It even has a small shelf for organizing your pushpins and other small items. CorkFrame comes in three sizes, all of which are currently Kickstarting. Attractive and well-made, as a cork board should be. Pledge to get yours.
Here is a clever and simple recycling solution for eco- and design conscious – RE.BIN. If you use paper bags for recycling and want to make this habit a little more aesthetically pleasing, this might be a good idea for you. Made in the US from 100% recycled plastic, RE.BIN is designed to be used with standard paper grocery bags for an easy, clean, sustainable recycling experience. Currently Kickstarting.
These magnetic hooks and holders by Danish brand Reenbergs made me look. So simple and so useful. I especially like the bendable inside the sink cloth holder. It is easy to install, requires zero drilling, and you can move it around as you perform different tasks around the sink. Perfect for rental apartments. Available for purchase here.
Japanese studio Moku Woodware created the Desktop Stool. The piece is a laptop stand that can do several things: it holds your portable computer in style, frees extra space on your desk, and allows you to have a better posture while working. All and all, an impressive attempt at a more holistic workspace. The piece is especially useful if you are working with several items of tech at the same time. The Desktop Stool comes in two finishes, white basswood and brown walnut. Available for purchase here.
Little things, if they are designed right, can make big impact. The Exclamation cup holder by CKIE is a soaring example. It is good for your home, office, desk, or even a baby high chair. It fits various-sized containers such as a standard cup with handle, juice boxes and cans, coffee cups, etc. Just clip it on, and the function is achieved. Great for holding small planters too. Or keys. You get the point. See the video after the break. Available for purchase here.
https://youtu.be/FlkKLXiCaQg
This is another painful “why haven’t I thought of this” item, Instant Dry Umbrella. Made from water-repellant material, it allows you to easily shake off the water and move on with your day. Watch the video to marvel at this fit of convenience. Available for purchase here.
The Uzu vacuum cleaner by Japanese studio Metaphys is a thing of aesthetic beauty. It is also functionally intuitive. To start the piece, simply pull the hose away from the body. The rechargeable battery eliminates annoying cordage, and all the elements seamlessly interlock for compactness. In fact, Uzu is so inconspicuous and easy on the eye, you don’t have to hide it in a cabinet. That’s one way to approach the storage problem. A very, very clever way.
Displaying a toothbrush is an unavoidable evil, which gets especially annoying in a minimalist space. So, why let a little utilitarian object cramp your style? Designers at Bruzzoni Global answered this question with an elegant product: possibly the handsomest toothbrush I have seen to date. Just as advanced in doing its thing as you would expect, but much more aesthetically pleasing. Comes in black and white. Available for preorder here.
I am very excited about this Kickstarter (which is already fully funded, which comes as no surprise). Prept Pack is a clever lunch system, comprised of a lunch box and an app. The box holds your meals in a series of modular leak-proof containers, and the app provides recipes measured ideally for these containers, plus it tracks your eating habits. The attractive wooden box, complete with the silicon mat and magnetic utensils, make up the last touch to the lunching experience. They seem to have thought this through. Check out the video after the break to see the product in action.
