We currently have a fairly large bedroom set, which isn’t exactly working out in our new space (it’s for sale incidentally…posted on Craigslist). Now we are inspired by the simplicity of a single mattress on legs–no headboard, no matching side tables, no problem. We actually did this for the cottage, using IKEA box springs with legs and a foam topper. We’d like something similar but want to invest more in quality, as it will be used nightly for a very long time!

We recently read in Style at Home about how beds are the leaders of off gassing in the home so we are definitely searching for alternatives. So far our experience has been Sealy/Serta brands, but I highly doubt they are the most eco friendly. Mattresses are not fun purchases but they certainly are important!

We’ve started our search with Hastens as we had a solid week experience at our Stockholm hotel back in June. However, after reading countless reviews (on Apartment Therapy) about issues with horse hair and what not we wanted to find something a bit more safe.

We found out about another Swedish company called Carpe Diem which was started by a chiropractor who felt he could make some improvements to his Hastens bed. I still have no clue what the prices are like but we really liked the simplicity of this model. Hopefully the showroom here has one on the floor we can try out.

If all else fails, I would be happy with a well made Japanese futon like this mat designed by Matali Crasset called “When Jim went to Paris”. I don’t know if there is a place in Toronto to get a well made futon…

Any mattress recommendations???

On to the fun stuff! The actual design…

We really love the idea of these baby rocket stools by Eero Aarnio being used as bedside tables.

The pill carafe by Charlotte Hargreave would be the perfect companion.

We were really inspired by this beautiful wardrobe, but we need a temporary solution for now…

Maybe a pair of these snow cabinets?

And black and white loop stand wardrobes for our clothes.

via Remodelista

A black blind for the weird awkward window in our room? Better than the dusty mini-blinds currently holding court.

Still thinking….

What in the world is going on with small appliances? We need a coffee maker for the store, and one for home too and it turns out our two favourite coffee makers–both unavailable in Canada–seem to be extinct in America too.

Jasper Morrison for Rowenta. We bought this one for the cottage, and desperately wanted to sell it at mjölk, but Rowenta Canada and US refused to accommodate us. Now even the MOMA no longer carries it, which tells me it’s on its way out. What a shame. Beautiful to look at, simple and clean, and easy to use–it even has a scoop and a place to put filters in the top.

BRAUN Then – we were reminded of BRAUN’s awesomeness while watching Objectified the other night.

What the what the? BRAUN Now. How does a company go from the slick white coffee maker above to this thing? I don’t need an aerodynamic EVERYTHING.

Remember your dad’s electric shaver? Simple, elegant, easy on the eyes.

BRAUN 1970s electric shaver

BRAUN 2009 electric shaver

I went looking for a shaver for John, and the simplest I could find was the one above. The designs today give me a headache. Flashy and silly, and often er, perverted (remember that crazy commercial where the cream comes out of the top? Geeze louise, give me a break). As a side note, we sold out of those Hantverk concrete shavings kits before Christmas. Could this mean a resurgence in analog?

Anyway, I digressed with the shaving, but are we alone in wondering what happened to well-designed small appliances? Is there not a market for it in North America? Are we all really THAT into stainless steel mixed with random colour, aerodynamics and mega-sizing? Sigh.

If anyone sees the above coffee makers for sale somewhere (besides ebay), please do let us know!!!

Any suggestions for worthy replacements?

Some parting notes (via Objectified):

Good design is innovative.
Good design makes a product useful.
Good design is aesthetic.
Good design makes a product understandable.
Good design is unobtrusive.
Good design is honest.
Good design is long-lasting.
Good design is thorough down to the last detail.
Good design is environmentally friendly.
Good design is as little design as possible.

Copyright Dieter Rams, amended March 2003 and October 2009.

Ok, weird to do this back to back but my good friend Sarah from local/indie clothing and accessory shop The Rage called last night and told us we were a part of the NOW Toronto’s Best of 2009 guide, which completely blew our minds!

Krazy for Kitka

TheSelby.com, a website that photo-fetishizes creative-type homes around the world, became the star of the style blogosphere, but our must-click of 2009 was KitkaDesignToronto.com. Juli Daoust and John Baker document their DIY home projects, Scandinavian furniture finds and, most recently, the opening of their Junction shop, Mjölk.

Merry Christmas to us! AND Merry Christmas/Happy Hannukah to all of you!

(the ubiquitous Santa photo, circa 1981)

Oh lookie! It’s Apartment Therapy‘s awarding of the best shelter blogs around. We had no idea we were nominated, until someone emailed us and told us! Can I just say, that it IS an honor just to be mentioned? And already there are some lovely comments about us–thanks so much! It means the world to us!

This year you can nominate as many blogs as you like, so click away! There’s so much to choose from!

Click here if you want to vote for us (shameless plug).

Click here if you want to check out all the nominees.

Ok, you are probably sick of gift guides on the interweb by now, but last minute gift shopping can be intense and frustrating so we just want to make your lives a touch simpler.

Just arrived! Tea/Coffee Set from Finland $175 for gift set, also available separately

Anything Design Scissors, $39 each

Just arrived! Hand-printed ULLA bears, $45

Plus Pepper/Salt Mill by Norway Says, $89

Cake Tray for the sweet tooth on your list, $148

Oji Masanori Wooden Shot Glass, $40

Colourful Tea Towels from Sweden, $24

Norwegian Wood, by Elizabeth Tostrup, $58.50

Wooden yo-yo, $12

Stocking Stuffer! Småkompisar (Small Friends), $5.50 each

Made by Japanese Grandmothers for centuries, these feel-good bean bags are filled with linseed, and are safe for baby to hold onto, but also act as a nice companion for any age due to their pleasant weight, which feels much like holding hands does. For more active types, they are great for juggling, game-playing, stabilizing shaky hands and easing stress.

mjölk
2959 Dundas Street West

Holiday Hours:

Tues-Wed 10-6
Thurs 10-5

If you can’t make it during these hours, give us a call – we can easily accommodate you at a later or earlier time!
416-551-9853 or email info[at]mjolk[dot]ca

Busy days here in the shop, so I am going to pass it over to Daniel Springer with a late summer find (and winter project)!

In the summer I was walking near the corner of Coxwell and Upper Gerrard when I spotted these bowling alley sectionals on someone’s front porch. I saw what the were and thought they were pretty cool and walked away thinking they were just neat… about 2 blocks away I stopped and went back and asked if they were for sale. The woman who answered said they had just moved in and those were in the basement and I could have them if I wanted… what luck. With a  little help from my girlfriend we carried them back to my house one section at a time.

A little cleaning and some planned hardware restoration this winter they should be the showpiece of the back yard.

If you have any Toronto stories to share, or renovations to reveal, we would love to see them!

Just send them to info{at}kitkadesigntoronto{.com}.