The Modern Materialist : customization

It's Got Legs, It Knows How To Use Them

Alex Zalben — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:03:00 GMT

This cabinet is like legos for adults. Not only can you customize the color. Not only can you customize the glass top color. Not only can you choose how many modules you want. But you get a virtually unlimited supply of legs you can snap in and out of the cabinet, so it never looks the same twice.

Also, it comes with a build-your-own Hoth playset.

Kidding.

[$4950, The Future Perfect]

[Via BLTD]

Tom Ford, You've Done It Again

Shaun Seneviratne — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:42:00 GMT

We all want to be individuals, and nowadays, you can pretty much customize anything! Engrave your iPod, pick colors for custom Nikes, make a shirt on Cafe Press--the list goes on. Dress shoes, however, have always come pretty standard. Even high-end designers only give you a few options to choose from.

Tom Ford, award-winning fashion designer and the man who made it okay to wear cropped suits, is revolutionizing the dress shoe, putting the power of design in your hands:

Tom Ford's "Made-to-Measure" Collection. With 18 styles to choose from and a ridic number of materials (14 types of calf leather alone!), Tom Ford will make these to your exact foot size. It takes about three-months and each pair is given six layers of polish and guaranteed to fit perfect. This is available in his flagship New York and Milan stores.

[$3,500, Tom Ford]

[Via GQ and Selectism]

Related: Boat Shoes Designed By You

Your Name Here

Steph Auteri — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:03:00 GMT

[Photo via]

5 Signs That You May Be a Bit Too Self-Absorbed:

You have 27 photo albums spanning the course of your life, and enjoy flipping through them often.
You have your wedding photo — with requisite signatures — hanging in the living room.
You blog and tweet.
You go out to buy one gift for yourself, and come home with five gifts for yourself.
You have a nude portrait of yourself hanging in your bedroom.

Lord. At least I don't have vanity plates.

If you're a bit more tasteful then I am, you have something like this instead:

[$50-$65, MadeByGirl]

Subtle, right? These ABC name prints are available in a variety of color combinations.

Boat Shoes Designed By You

Shaun Seneviratne — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:19:00 GMT

The boat shoe above is pretty dull, but it doesn't have to be (unless you want it to be):

You can now customize your own Timberland Boat Shoes! This has been done for awhile by the likes of Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Vans, etc. but never for non-sneakers! So head on over here and get your wacky colors on!

This is the pair I designed. I'm personally a fan of just regular brown boat shoes, but if I wanted to do something a little wackier I'd do this.

Here is another men's option that is available as an inspirational template.

And here's the women's shoe! I really love that extra piece of leather in the back.

[£95 - £110 (approx. $140 - $163), Timberland]

[Via Hypebeast]

Keep Your Loved Ones Close (To Your Cleavage)

Steph Auteri — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:26:00 GMT

[Photo via]

Steps for Keeping Loved Ones Close (To Your Cleavage):

Purchase a good push-up bra.
Put it on.
Pull on a v-neck sweater.
Locate a loved one.
Hug them to your bosom.

OR, you could just...

[$153-$820, sweet tooth designs]

Yes, a bit pricey. But...cute? Creepy? Overmuch? You tell me.

Shirt of the Day: I <3 ::Insert Here::

Shaun Seneviratne — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:02:00 GMT

Whether you're fickle or just love too many things to buy a shirt for each one, Marker Tees is the adlibs of shirts!

Marker Tees comes with a washable marker. Just write your message or picture on the shirt and wash it when you want to write/draw a new message.

Available in many different colors and word bubbles.

[$29, MARKERTEES]

[Via Fashionably Geek]

Related: Shirt and Again

Half of a Conversation

Laureen Mahler — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:43:00 GMT

I'm a sucker for anything with a good story behind it, which is why I'm so smitten with these custom t-shirts from UK company Half a Conversation. Here's how it works: customers send in their story and what they want their shirt to say, Half a Conversation chooses the very best, prints them up typewriter-style, and sells them to whoever wants to buy. The Half a Conversation site is a little like PostSecret; click on a shirt, and the background story will pop up, occasionally with personal photos included. More shirt designs and stories after the jump:

Maybe it's that I know far too many people in bands, but this hairbear totally cracked me up.

Ah, the jobless child of a revolutionary. To be honest, getting fired from every job you've ever had might indicate a problem that goes beyond family history.

Many, many more shirts can be found at Half a Conversation, though be warned: once you start clicking on background stories, you'll never go back...

[$32 - $44, Half a Conversation]

[via Holycool]

A Tweeter in the Rye

Shaun Seneviratne — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:27:00 GMT

A few weeks ago I was joking with a co-worker about how novels will soon be written in short form/twitter speak. It looks like that moment has finally come:

Using some Adobe InDesign Scripts and his twitter account, James Bridle turned two years worth of Twitter posts into a book using Lulu.com. But you don't need to buy his, go make your own!

If I made a book using my Twitter it'd be comprised of links to MM articles and post-hardcore songs that nobody cares about anymore.

Also, on a somewhat unrelated social networking note, I was at this event for work yesterday where this mom blogger was talking about the power of social media. Once she was done talking, she went off to the side and was recording herself with a Flip camera talking about social media. Old people ruin everything.

[Booktwo.org]

[Via The Awesomer]

A Bright Idea For Your Old Toys

Alex Zalben — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:27:00 GMT

What to do with all your childhood toys? Donate them to a worthy cause? Throw them out? Or maybe you should just jam them all together, cover them in gold, and make a lamp out of them? Yeah, that's the ticket:

Each piece is made to order with recycled toys. No price marked, but with the six week lead time, it's not going to be cheap.

[Ryan McElhinney]

[Via Kostas Voyatzis]

Custom Fixie/Single Speed For Cheap!

Shaun Seneviratne — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:02:00 GMT

Though I'm not a fan of fixed gear bikes, I do like single speeds and the the clean, minimal design of these bikes. If I didn't just drop $250 on pimping out my current bike I would totally consider these custom bikes:

Republic Bike lets you choose from a variety of colors to create a custom bike! Perfect for people that aren't super bike savvy and don't want to try building their own.

[$344, Republic Bike]

[Via Por Homme]

PediaPress

Shaun Seneviratne — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:02:00 GMT

Have you ever went to Wikipedia to find one thing and then, before you know it, it's two hours later and you're completely immersed in something else? It can't just be me, right?

PediaPress lets you export your favorite wiki pages to a book (or downloadable PDF) for bringing Wikipedia's worldy knowledge on the go in a tangible form (no, your iPhone is not a substitute for a book). The prices start at $9 for a 100 page book.

Sweet, now I can compile all the things I dabble in into one handy guide!

[PediaPress]

[Via Make Zine]

Take This, Kashi!: Custom Organic Cereal

Shaun Seneviratne — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:01:00 GMT

[photo via Michael Slatoff's Flickr]

Did you ever walk down the healthy cereal aisle and think to yourself, "Yo, I can totally come up with better flavor combos than that!" Now you can give it your best shot with [me] & goji's custom artisanal cereal!

At [me] & goji, you choose a base, secondary base, fruit, and nuts/seeds to create a full-bodied cereal. Everything is organic and your cereal is mixed by real people (don't worry, I'm sure they wear gloves), making this a very eco-friendly option. It also comes in a bigger container than the competitors:

My friend Mikey Boy's co-worker bought this and said it's off the hook (not quite in those words though).

Here's the container for my custom artisanal cereal. . .

The Clusterfuck of Oats (you get to name your cereal)! Containing a flaxed and flaked base, choco granola, rasberry, pumpkin seeds, amaranth, and walnuts. This will run me $11.25, but the price varies based on the ingredients you input.

Thanks to Mikey for the tip!

[[me] & goji]

The Nike is Your Canvas

Shaun Seneviratne — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:01:00 GMT

Turn boring old Nikes into this:

And all it'll cost you is a pair of white Nikes and this custom paint kit:

The JGoods Shoe Customization Kit comes with a fully-illustrated guide to painting your shoe and the special sneaker paint to begin creating your definitive shoe! I mean, what's cooler than having your own totally custom shoe? Pharrell and Jay-Z have a pair, why not join the bandwagon? The kit itself is only $45, but it'll cost you a little bit more if you want one made for you. . .

These were made for Pharrell. They'll only run you $1,100.

As per special request from Jay-Z.

Even Cam'Ron's got a pair. These'll run you $750.

My favorite of the bunch. These are a cool $1,200.

[$45, JGoods]

When Your Table Pisses On Your Rug (+ More Trippy Furniture)

Shaun Seneviratne — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:22:00 GMT

That's a Bad Table! No, really--that's what it's called. Straight Line Designs makes custom furniture based on your wildest imagination.

Alice in Wonderland? Try Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey!

Click for more trippy furniture pieces:

[Straight Line Designs]

[Via Curbly]

You Look Like A Million Dollars

Alex Zalben — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:02:00 GMT

Want to wake up, look in the mirror, and say, "Hey, I look like a million dollars!" Well, this might help:

Granted, it's just a solid gold rendition of your face; and it doesn't cost a million dollars (customized busts start at $71050); and sure, the economy is busted so you really can't afford solid gold versions of yourself anymore; but come on, it's awesome, right? I mean, this one has a crystal iPod in it. If that doesn't say classy, I don't know what does.

[You Look Like a Million Dollars]

[Via Born Rich]

Peeling Lights

Shaun Seneviratne — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:31:00 GMT

[photo via]

Neat peeling light (though you're pretty much stuck with oddly shapped polygons)!

[Via Yanko Design]

Quick Tip of the Day: Free, Personalized Calendar for 2009

Steph Auteri — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:19:00 GMT

Ohnoes! It's that time of year when everyone suddenly remembers that they forgot to buy a new calendar!

One of the best Christmas gifts I received last year? A tiny, purse-friendly 2008 agenda from my sister-in-law. She received bonus points for the superadorable kitten on the front cover.

If you don't receive something similar in your stocking, you can always go the quick-and-cheap route.

And by cheap, I mean free.

Over at Bags of Love, You can personalize and download this calendar.

Holiday Tip: Tell Someone Just How (Blank) They Are

Steph Auteri — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT

[Photo via]

Finding it difficult to tell someone how you feel? There's no better time than the holidays to express your love to the ones in your life. Need some help? I have a tip for you after the jump and, amazingly, it's freeee!!!

[Creature Comforts]

Creature Comforts has a ton of free downloadable and printable goodies, but I'm especially smitten with this customizable card, on which you can write in the adjective of your choice. On the back of the card are some adjectives — A to Z — to get you started. Here's what the finished product looks like:

Pretty!

[Via misosouper]

The Pets Are Climbing the Walls

Steph Auteri — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:41:00 GMT

We've already posted about wall decals all over the damn place, but something about these, in particular caught my eye. Bonus cool points if you can figure out why!

[dezign with a z]

Because that could be my cat looming over me as I lounge on the couch! That's right. You can send in your photos and get back a custom wall decal.

Is this terrifying?

Hey, I Didn't Know You Were On The Muppet Show?!

Shaun Seneviratne — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:41:00 GMT

Random person on the street: Hey, weren't you on The Muppet Show?

Me: Umm, pardon?

Random person on the street: Yeah! I saw a Muppet toy just like you somewhere. . .

Me: Oh, that's because you can make your own Muppet Whatnot online, ya turkey!

The Muppet Show was fantastic and it's nice to see that people still know and respect it. I managed to make one in my image before the customizer went down, but you can still order a gift kit.

[$90, FAO Schwarz]

[Via Uncrate]

Make Your Monsters Come to Life

Alex Zalben — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:32:00 GMT

You know how when you were a kid you would draw ridiculous looking pictures of monsters? Well, now someone will make 'em for you:

I can't tell if this is totally awesome, or totally punishing children for having no design sense.

[$249, FAO Schwartz]

[Via Neatorama]

DIY: Custom Fabrics

Steph Auteri — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:02:00 GMT

5 Reasons I Hate the Mall:

the crowds
the perfume spritzers
the hovering saleswomen
the endless lure of the Cinnabon (also a reason I love the mall)
I can never ever ever find what I'm envisioning

If you have problems with no. 5 as well, you can now take matters into your own hands.

Over at Spoonflower, you can design your own fabrics. Designs can be created in Photoshop or any other design software, and then uploaded to the site. 8-by-8-inch swatches cost $5. 21-by-18-inch fat quarters cost $11. It's $18 by the yard. Check out the beta site and get more of your questions answered here.

In The Tiki-Tiki-Tiki Room

Alex Zalben — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:30:00 GMT

I have a friend who's a Tiki maniac. He love Tiki cups, Tiki Torches, and Tiki drinks. He's amassed quite a collection of mugs int he past few years, and as they are Tiki mugs, they tend to be a little wacky; but even he was surprised by the one-of-a-kind mugs made by VanTiki.

The above, Iron Tiki Number One, sold for $415, and is actually one of the most straightforward in the collection. Here's a few more choice bits:

Be sure to head on over to VanTiki to check out the rest. And most prices are in the $300-$400 range, so just realize you're not just buying a Tiki mug: you're making a commitment to the gods.

[VanTiki]

Thanks to Stefan for the tip!

Lego Me, Lego You

Alex Zalben — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:38:00 GMT

Want yourself reproduced in Legos by a certified Lego Master? Here's how:

Spend $60,000 at Neiman Marcus.

[$60000, Neiman Marcus]

[Via Gizmodo]

Related: Lego Mp3 Players

Strip Pool

Alex Zalben — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:34:00 GMT

Want to play a little Strip Pool? Sure you do. Only problem, of course, is how to bring it up in mixed company, which is why I might suggest grabbing one of these:

There's no way it WON'T come up in conversation then... This unit is customized, and you can grab one for yourself, but it ain't gonna be cheap: custom tables start at $37500, and go up from there...

[Baller Toys]

[Via Baller House]

Steve Jobs Can't Hold Phil Knight's Jock

Brian Marabello — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:15:00 GMT

Nike's can now come in any color you can photograph and text.

(Now if I only had one of them new iPhones, only available in black or white.)

Short video after jump explains Nike's voodoo.

Pretty chic-y, sis.

Unfortunately, only available in Europe. Which has better (and sexier sounding) colors anyway. Mauve and chartreuse Dunks anyone?

[Nike's UK PhotoID site]

Related: Do-It-Yourself: Nike I