Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

When it comes to coffee tables, don’t cheap out and get a 2-dimensional version like I did just to save some money. You might think you’ve gotten a bargain, but when you get home you’ll soon realize that your magazines, coasters and even TV remotes all require that third dimension. Instead, go with something like this Stereovision concept table by John Nouanesing which is designed to look like an anaglyph image. Sure you’ll need to wear those 2-color glasses to get the full effect, but 3D is all the rage right now isn’t it?

[ Stereovision ] VIA [ TrendsNow ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Designed by Dante Bonuccelli for the 2009 UMUL Project (Use More, Use Less) the Text-ile chair is made from discarded keyboards, and might actually be just as comfortable for touch typists as it is for hunt-and-peck types. Of course the comfort level depends on the type of keyboard being used, and if this chair ever goes into production I’m sure there will be a dedicated group who refuse to sit in it unless it’s made from an old IBM buckling spring model.

[ MoCo Loco - Text-ile by Dante Bonuccelli ] VIA [ Cribcandy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While wandering the floors of a trade show like CES, the only thing more important than having a bag for stashing press kits and other assorted crap is finding a comfortable place to sit while writing. Unfortunately for me that turned out to be the floor 90% of the time, but not next year! Thanks to Hammacher Schlemmer ($129.95) I’ll always have a place to sit, and shout directions, with this Messenger Bag Director’s Chair.

The chair folds down to less than 4-inches thick and while the whole package weighs about 9lbs it can actually support weights up to 250lbs, which equates to about half of the brochures I had stuffed in my suitcase when I left Vegas. As an added bonus there’s a cup holder on one of the armrests for holding your perpetually empty water bottle, and various pockets for storing other gear.

[ Messenger Bag Director's Chair ] VIA [ The Design Blog ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Without a doubt, the biggest downside to Rock Band is the drum kit, guitars and other gear that ends up cluttering a corner of your living room when you’re not playing. But here’s an elegant solution to the mess. The Rock Box is an upholstered leather (or at least leather looking) ottoman designed to cleverly hide your Rock Band gear. It’s spacious enough to hold 2 guitars, the foot pedal and the microphone, and also features a specially designed lift that raises and lowers the drum kit with an easy one-hand motion. Now the Rock Box unfortunately isn’t cheap, it’s currently $199.99 on Amazon minus the Rock Band instruments, but it’s a neat solution that cleverly blends both form and function.

[ AK Rock Box Gaming And Storage Ottoman With Drum Lift ] VIA [ Chip Chick ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Remember that little chat we had yesterday about robots and zombies taking over the world? Well I’m still convinced that it will happen one day (sooner, rather than later) and take my preparations for the uprising very seriously. One thing that is an absolute must-have in every household is a large safe for storing gratuitous amounts of armaments. Sure, you could go with one of those little stand-up lockers, but those can only hold so much, and are a little to obvious. You need to go with something a little bigger, while still well-hidden. You need the Bed Bunker.

This big-ass safe is perfect for holding guns, ammo, explosives and even a sword or two (those never run out of ammo). It’s fireproof, which means that if there are any documents that you think might still have value after the robot/zombie uprising has settled, you can keep them safe as well. All you need to do is pick the bed safe that fits your size needs and shell out between $2700 and $5200. Oh, and you’ll need to stock up on things to fill it with.

[ Bed Gun Safe ] VIA [ Coolest Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Seibon, maker of fine carbon fiber body panels and other accessories for people who spend too much money on their cars also offers an even better use for that miracle product; a carbon fiber coffee table! Not only do you get a lightweight table that’s strong enough to support even the thickest and most pretentious of coffee table books, but you can probably also get away with placing the hottest of beverages on it (like, say… coffee?) without the need for those embarrassing coasters. The table’s a little under 2 feet by 4 feet in size, and while the carbon fiber does give it that cool woven pattern finish, it also means it will cost you about $900.

[ Seibon Carbon Fiber Coffee Table ] VIA [ Plunder Guide ]

By Chris Scott Barr

I don’t know about you, but I’m proud to show off my 42-inch HDTV in my living room. It’s a nice focal point, and I think it says “I like gaming on a big screen”. That’s perfect for me, but what about people that want a classier look for their living room? Hiding away a decent-sized screen is no easy task, that is unless you opt to go with this new bookshelf from Pottery Barn.

I kid you not, this thing is called the “Stuff-Your-Stuff Theater Set”. Man, I’d love to be the guy that got to think up crazy names like that for a living. Anyway, this bookshelf hides away a 66” x 58.5” projector screen, which you can use to watch your movies or play games on. Of course style always comes at a price. This time it’s a salty $1,299. You’re in luck though, it used to be $1,999.

[ PotteryBarn ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Evan Ackerman

Here it is, a can (okay, package) of insta-chair. The ‘pack chair’ by designer François Azambourg is made of cloth and comes rolled up in a little pack. When a chair becomes necessary, you simply unroll it and flick a switch on the side. The switch activates a polyurethane mixture inside the cloth which expands into foam in seconds, and presto, you’ve got a full size, completely solid chair.

The chair is designed to be sold via mail order, and the designer claims it could be far cheaper to make than other furniture. So far, though, only 5 prototypes exist and I have no idea how you’d go about getting one.

VIA [ Designboom ]

By Evan Ackerman

The Venus chair, designed by Tokujin Yoshioka, is made almost entirely of crystals. The chair was grown in a tank over an unspecified period of time and represents something about the juxtaposition between man and nature. Or something. It’s not all quite as magical as it sounds, since the crystals are grown on a chair-shaped fiber substrate and don’t just spontaneously precipitate a chair out of solution (how cool would that be).

The chair is up for a 2009 Brit Insurance Furniture Award, most likely because you’ll need serious medical attention if you spend much time sitting on it. You can’t buy one of these, but I’m totally looking forward to the day when I can go to the store and get myself a can of chair.

[ Tokujin Yoshioka ] VIA [ io9 ]