The Modern Materialist : vase

Home Decor Under Wraps

Steph Auteri — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:15:00 GMT

[Photo via]

You know the satisfaction you can get from unwrapping a new piece of chocolate, unveiling its silky brownness, getting that first whiff of cocoa?

Designers are looking to bring that same aspect of excitement inherent in the big reveal to the home design market:

[coming soon, Front Projects]

The Changing Vase is a chocolate brown glass vase covered in five layers of foil. Every time you tear off a layer, a new vase appears.

[Via Modern Urban Living]

Related: New Life Blooming

Whistle If You're Ready for Spring!

Steph Auteri — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:35:00 GMT

Yeah. I'm ready too.

Especially since I'm sitting at my computer right now wishing I was wearing gloves!

Fred Flare is ready for spring, too:

[$20, Fred Flare]

I am so in love with this whistling bird bud vase, modeled after the classic bird whistle. Adorable.

New Life Blooming

Steph Auteri — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:31:00 GMT

Breathe new life into your household decor.

[£40-£152, dotmaison]

This opening vase was designed to resemble a fragile, hatching egg. Beautiful to see a bud shooting out of it...

[Via Holy Cool]

Ceramic Gun Vase

Shaun Seneviratne — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 20:31:00 GMT

If only all the guns in the world were used to hold flowers.

From the product description of the Wall Mounted Gun Vase: Inspired by peace marchers from the Vietnam War era, who placed flowers into soldiers rifles during a protest, this cream gun vase features a tiny image of a rose on the barrel.

[$30, Uncommon Goods]

[Via Product Dose]

Say It With Flowers. And The Coolest Vase Ever.

Diana Vilibert — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:18:00 GMT

Every once in a while, I like to buy myself flowers. Does that sound sad? C'mon, it's not like I'm sending them to myself and pretending they're from a secret admirer. Anyway, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to set aside a paycheck every month to keep those flowers coming, because I just found the perfect vase...

Brilliant. Now someone please tell my boyfriend to pick up some flowers on the way to dinner tonight.

[$42.36, Scandinavian Design Center]

Personalized Optical Illusions For Sale

Alex Zalben — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:30:00 GMT

What do you see in the above vase? Is it just a vase? Or maybe, just maybe… It’s your face. Which sounds rude, unless you consider this:

Designers Philippe Cramer and Caroline Vitelli have joined forces to create the famous vase/faces optical illusion in real life, customized for your own face (or faces, if it’s two people). How awesome is that?

No word on exact pricing, as each piece is customized, but you can head over to Cramer’s website for more info.

[Phillippe Cramer Limited]

[Via Design Boom]

Cheap Trick: Expandable Vases

Steph Auteri — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Spots In Your One-Bedroom That Often Become Used As Storage:

the hall closet
the bedroom closet
underneath the end table
underneathe the desk
on top of your bookcase
your kitchen chairs
the broiler
any available surface

Question: Do you have room for more decor?

Husband's Answer: I'm cutting up your credit cards now.

My Answer: Dude, we totally have space, especially if it's something like this:

[$8, Jill-Able]

These Fill Me Up Vases can be folded up for storage, yet expand when you fill them with water for use. If only everything else I owned was collapsible...

[Via Hostess with the Mostess]

You Have to Call Aunt Amy!

Alex Zalben — Wed, 14 May 2008 20:30:00 GMT

Now, be honest... When you saw the above chalkboard vase, was your first thought:

1) Oh, how pretty! I want one!
2) Wonder what that is.
3) Oh crap! I have to call my Aunt Amy!

Because I’ll tell you, I don’t have an Aunt Amy, but it still crossed my mind that maybe I need to call my Aunt.

Anyway, this comes with a recycled glass vase, which hides behind the chalkboard you see above. You can loop the flowers through the hole in the board to create a nice display for your kitchen, or, let’s be fair, restaurant.

Now go call your Aunt, for goodness sake! She misses you!

[$25, Solutions]

[Via Bookofjoe]

Confessions of a Blogashopaholic

Steph Auteri — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:00:00 GMT

[$49.95, Wrapables]

I've been doing a lot of shopping since I started working on this blog.

First it was this Threadless-designed Blik wall decal (I actually already own the t-shirt). Then, I picked up the Tord Boontje Garland chandelier from a small shop in Montclair. After that, I ordered these speakers from DLO (and I've thus far been thrilled with how well they operate). I also stepped up my search for a lower-end version of the Aeron, and got myself all sorts of giddy upon the purchase and super-quick arrival of my new travelhoop.

Life is so stylish lately.

Life has finally come to the point, however, where I am buying things with the thought of posting about them shortly thereafter.

And so it was with the vase above, which is even prettier in person. They have a bunch of other designs as well!

Please, someone tell me that I'm not the only one so quick to succumb to the wiles of the Modern Materialist.

The flower's insatiable passion turns its life into a circus of debauchery!

Steph Auteri — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:30:00 GMT

[$29, Deeply Mad Living]

Obviously, safe sex has been on my mind lately.

After all, it's hard to get excited about the miracle of childbirth when you live in a one-bedroom condo.

The miracle can wait.

Which is why I present to you these wall mounts. Designed to transform real condoms into botanic vessels (perhaps a reference to the sacred vessel that is our bod), these vases can also act as a constant reminder that safe sex is best.

Cool points (or perhaps not-cool points) for anyone who recognizes the lyrics in the title of this post!

Love Hurts

Steph Auteri — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:00:00 GMT

[$180, Show]

It's missing the other person when they're not there. It's swallowing the lump in your throat when you both go to bed angry. It's choosing what's best for both of you, and not just you. It's ordering the pepperoni pizza when you'd rather get Veggie Lovers, and sharing your Hershey's Hugs when you'd really rather be a fat pig and eat the entire bag yourself because, my god, that white chocolate just melts in your mouth. Love is hard and it hurts and these vases will remind you of that when he gets you I'm Sorry Flowers instead of Just Because Flowers.

</angst>

I Accept Gifts, But Forget Holding Hands

Steph Auteri — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:30:00 GMT

[$90, Supermarket]

Once, when me and my hubby first started dating, he kissed me in the middle of the China Club. It was our first kiss. I smiled, looked into his eyes, and said, "I don't like public displays of affection."

I've pretty much been killing the romance ever since.

But sometimes, something comes along that just reduces me — utterly, completely, and without warning — to a sappy, insufferable puddle of mush.

Like Hallmark commercials. Or fathers having a rollicking good time with their sons. Or cute, little old people holding hands as they cross the street.

Or the Love Is Blind vase, pictured above, and inscribed with a collection of love letters in braille.

I mean, I'm not a romantic, but I'm still human!