Illustrations by Leigh Viner

Posted on January 10, 2013August 12, 2013 by Jake

Colorado based illustrator Leigh Viner is an artist that I discovered a few years ago. I can’t remember exactly how, but I think that I happened upon her blog for some reason. Anyway, I really like her work. It is a classic minimalist style using multiple mediums, including watercolor.

Being from the mountain west, myself, I guess that I am a little bit partial to Viner. I’m impressed with her presence and fashion clientele given her location. More than that, I just find her artwork very aesthetically appealing. If you also enjoy this style of illustration, her blog is definitely worth a flip through.

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Catlike Mixino helmet

Posted on January 7, 2013February 6, 2022 by Jake

Well.. I finally found a helmet that I think that I would actually wear. It is the ‘Mixino’ by Catlike. I love the murdered out flat-black. Yes, I realized that it is a less than practical way to keep one’s head cool on a hot summer day. But, for the moment we are just discussing aesthetics. Anyway, I can’t find anywhere in the US that sells this helmet. I could order from this shop in the UK, but I am a bit nervous about what the final price would be after shipping any everything.

I am actually riding again, btw. Had a lovely trek over the Wburg Bridge on Saturday morning. Thinking about firing up Trixie for commuting again, now that the days are starting to get longer again.

portable fireplace

Posted on January 4, 2013January 4, 2013 by Jake

I would love to get one of these. One of the things that I miss about living in the suburbs is being able to have a fireplace. Nothing like a blazing fire on cold nights to boost the cozy-factor. I have actually been frequenting a place in Brooklyn recently, almost solely for the fact that it has a giant fireplace (never mind the fact that I always come away smelling like camp fire).

Anyway, this model in modern design seems to be the solution. Designed by Holly & Martin, the portable fireplace runs on gel, and can be used indoor or outdoor.

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Sauna Box– portable sauna

Posted on January 2, 2013January 2, 2013 by Jake

How awesome is this self contained ‘Sauna Box’? I could totally go for one of these today. It is plenty chilly outside, and I wouldn’t mind sweating away some of the winter stress next to the coals. Designed by Castor, this sauna is built into a half length shipping container, and can theoretically be transported anywhere. Comes ready to go with all of the following:

solar panels providing the power and a wood-burning stove. Features include a red cedar interior, integrated iPod stereo, electric guitar hookup, Castor stool, a magnetic truck light, and bronze antlers

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The pottery of Kazunori Ohnaka

Posted on December 24, 2012December 24, 2012 by Jake

I came across these images of Japanese potty Kazunori Ohnaka on OEN, this week. I love the minimalist vibe that I get from his work. His stuff (at least the pieces that I saw) is all finished in a very basic earthy fashion. I absolutely love the sliced stones below. Check out the full set that OEN posted, over here.

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full moon credenza

Posted on December 22, 2012December 22, 2012 by Jake

I’m kind of obsessed with the moon. I love it so much, that I used to wake up at ungodly hours of the morning to photograph it. Anyway, I saw this fantastic piece of furniture recently and had to repost. I don’t know if I could every pull it off in my own house, But I definitely have mad respect for those who could. The moon portion of this piece actually glows in the dark. I know.

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Biblio-Mat

Posted on December 21, 2012December 21, 2012 by Jake

I love this kind of stuff. The brainchild of Craig Small, this throw-back styled vending machine sells random books. Watch the vid below.

The BIBLIO-MAT from Craig Small on Vimeo.

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Domino Sugar Factory

Posted on December 12, 2012December 10, 2012 by Jake

The defunct Domino Sugar factory in Williamsburg, has been a source of amazement and mystery to me since the first time that I ever ventured over the W-Burg Bridge. As recently as the weekend after Hurricane Sandy I was riding my bike past the factory (when I snapped the crappy iPhone image above), thinking how cool it would be wander around the abandoned space and document it. So glad that someone else was able to do it before it becomes converted into residential lofts. Stylistically, I feel like this vid is a bit on the corny side (especially the last minute). Still definitely worth the watch. Check out the video below by 2e (Domino Sugar Rush – exploring Williamsburg’s sweetest decay from 2e. on Vimeo)

corrugated cardboard bike helmet

Posted on December 7, 2012December 6, 2012 by Jake

In an apparent effort to get as fat as possible between now and March, I have virtually ceased all cycling activities. I seriously think that I have only ridden 3 or 4 times since the hurricane. That doesn’t stop me from perving on cool biking gear that I see online. I came across this awesome helmet by Ani Surabhi earlier this week. He calls it “Kranium.”

Surabhi developed the helmet as a student at the Royal College of Art. The guts of the helmet are made from corrugated cardboard. In addition to looking ridiculously cool, the helmet can absorb up to three times the the impact as traditional styrofoam helmets.

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) helmets are proven to protect your head only 20% of the time. The Kranium liner has proven to absorb 3 times the amount of impact energy during collision. At the same time, it is 15% lighter than Polystyrene helmets. EPS helmets are made from petroleum based products where are the Kranium liner is made from recycled paper. They have been tested at several test labs across the globe, including TUV in Germany and HPE in the UK. They have been developed for mass production and will be available in the market in December 2012.

Check out the full article on Core77 to learn about how Surabhi initially got the idea from studying woodpeckers. If you are as nerdy as me, you will find it fascinating.

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If you aren’t into the cardboard look, there is always this option.