Brian Paul Nelson – Branding / Design / Illustration">Brian Paul Nelson

Hundreds of timeless mid century modern advertisements are collected over at this flickr set. Most of this work could still be relevant today which really speaks for itself it terms of when something is done right, it can last a long time. It would be great to see some of these companies go back and pull designs like this for some of their ads today.

MCM Ads flickr

I really enjoy the aesthetic behind Anchor Division. The sites showcases many inspirations for me including men’s wear, vintage commodities, architecture, automobiles, motorcycles and of course art and design. Some definite manly inspiration going on in there…especially for fashion.

For all the serious photographers out there who really enjoy coffee or for all the serious coffee drinkers who really enjoy photography the Camera Lens Mug was recently released in both Canon and Nikon formats. Fully equipped with a lens-cap lid, rubber grip focus and zoom rings, as well as an auto-focus switch you will undoubtedly turn heads with this one.

The Canon runs for $24 and the Nikon for $30. Both can be purchased here.

A Collection a Day is the year long project of Lisa Congdon where each day she photographs or draws (and occasionally paints) one collection of items that either exist in her home or studio, or are otherwise imagined. After the year is over she is releasing a book that archives each collection of 2010. Most of her series are of vintage objects which makes it even cooler knowing she has multiple items with similar characteristics. It is interesting to see just how much stuff she has accumulated since she was young. I wonder where she keeps all of it?

One of the best places on the net to shop for true vintage goodness is Three Potato Four. Sure some of the stuff is expensive, but most of the items are one of a kind and completely worth it. I spend hours on this site wishing I had a random stack of Benjamins I could throw down at some of my favorite pieces which I posted above.

• PK31, designed by Poul Kjaerholm

• The Ant, designed by Arne Jacobsen

Lately I have been drooling over furniture design and planning my long journey in acquiring more and more of it to complete my place with. This past weekend I made my first trip to Ikea with a good friend and was blown away by the 2 story, gigantic warehouse and the amount of stuff they carried. I have a pretty refined, modern taste when it comes down to the look of things, but never sacrifice form over function.

One period of furniture design that has always been intriguing to me is mid-20th century Scandinavian for its polished style using simple yet compelling shapes. Modernity is a site dedicated around this period of design and showcases originals that can be purchased for a hefty price of course. Though everything is well over budget, they are still nice to look at. Maybe one day…

“Good design is as little design as possible.” Truer words have never been spoken and by quite possibly my favorite industrial designer, Dieter Rams. To me, Braun produced some of the best industrial product and print design for nearly the last half of the 20th century, which was backed by the brilliance of Rams for more than 40 years. All of these products are perfect in their own right and don’t require anything more to make them functional or aesthetically pleasing, which is why they still look just as great today as when they were produced. Wonder why Apple products look so nice? Jonathan Ive, Senior Vice President of Industrial Design has stated before that he is heavily influenced by Rams and his work. Nonetheless, Ram’s work gets me so freakin’ excited about design each time I see it. Be sure to check out the flickr pages and short documentary below.

Dieter Rams flickr
Braun flickr

via AisleOne

Give me anything with a nice woodgrain texture, real or not, and I am sure to love it. Here are a few cool gift ideas just in time for the holidays that revolve around the organic beauty that wood provides. My never-ending wish list continues.

Woodgrain Memo Block

Who doesn’t use sticky notes? If you don’t, you will want to after seeing this. A really cool take on the ordinary, the Woodgrain Memo Block will add some extra style to your desk. It may be a little on the pricey side, but it’s imported from Japan. Purchase at Dijitalfix.

Incase HunterGatherer Protectors

Keep your Macbook Pro and iPhone safe, scratch-free, and in-sync with each other with these cool HunterGatherer protectors provided by the NY studio under the same name. Purchase at Incase.

Tree Stump Side Table

A set of these will definitely end up at my place eventually. Not only could they be used as side tables but also as extra seats. I love how it looks like you could done the work by yourself in your backyard as part of a weekend project. Purchase at West Elm.

Notch Office Chair

I’ve been looking for a new office chair lately and I think I may have found the one. The Notch Office Chair has the sleek modern style that I love, but at a more affordable price than the Herman Miller chairs I drool over. Now all I have to do is find out if it is comfortable enough…fingers crossed. Purchase at Crate & Barrel.

Herman Miller Airia Desk

Seeing how I just mentioned Herman Miller, I’ll post what I’ve had my eye on for awhile now from them. The Airia Desk definitely has the form and function you expect from HM and not to mention the wood frame crafted alongside the off-white top and legs is just so alluring. This is definitely a timeless piece. It would look good in a vintage style house or a completely modern house…or better yet in my office. View at Herman Miller.

Taylor Acoustic Guitar

Quite possibly the best thing made out of wood ever is a guitar. In my opinion Taylor makes some of the best guitars in the world and the 814ce Grand Auditorium Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar is beyond words amazing. I have only played it twice, but I was sold after striking the first note. The sound is unbeatable from any other acoustic-electric guitar I have played. It produces a rich, deep sound with the perfect mix of bass, mids and treble. It truly sounds like you are playing in an auditorium sonically constructed for guitars. One day I will hopefully own this beauty. Purchase at Musician’s Friend.