NEW: Areaware

'Designed by German artist Cordula Kehrer and commissioned by fair trade NGO Preda, this whimsical wastebasket is made by the indigenous Aeta people of the Philippines using traditional basket weaving techniques.
This basket, which combines hand-woven and sustainably harvested rattan with colorful plastic, asks us to consider larger questions about the nature of design, the role of the hand-made, and the place of craft-based cultures in a globalized economy.'
 
'Balance these ten faceted stone-size shapes to create your own sculpture. Tumbled in a water-based paint, and packaged in a cotton drawstring bag.'  
'Material: Resin and Marble. A thick, fibrous rope coiled and cast into a beautiful bowl.' 
'Cast from an 18th century Italian church key. Includes stainless steel ring to hold your keys.' 
'An industrial yet refined weighty tape dispenser.'
 
'Sophisticated in its rustic simplicity. A magnetized bottle opener that you will find indispensible. One magnet catches the bottle cap; the other allows the bottle opener to be kept on the fridge.'

'Sleek, horse-shoe shaped silicone doorstops which conveniently loop over door knobs when not in use. Sold in sets of three (one each of black, gray and green).' - winner of the Good Design award.

 
'Sturdy and secure, the set of two wedge-shaped stops props your door wide open. Alternately, use the cork wedges on your desk as an iPad rest or for note pinning. Each of the pair is painted orange on one side, with the reverse yellow and green. Designed and handcrafted by the designer in his Brooklyn studio.'

  
 
'Display your iPhone® with Hand Dock™, a wall-mounted docking station that helps alleviate desktop clutter. Cast from designer Harry Allen’s own hand, it finds further function as an object of art and an unusual conversation piece.'

 
'Unconventionally simple and eco-friendly, this flashlight belongs on your table, not hidden in a drawer. The designer's intention was to take the industrial edge off an iconic, mass produced object and to give it new life. Flashlights are typically made from plastic or Aluminum. New growth Beech wood transforms the utilitarian into something tactile and engaging. The end cap, which unscrews for easy battery replacement, houses the convenient on/off switch. With energy efficient LED bulb.' 
 
 

'Material: Organic Cotton, polyester filling' - 2 sizes available in store. 

"Areaware is a New York City based producer of everyday objects that are both functional and unusual. Our goals are to create thoughtful products that inspire an emotional response and to explore design languages as a means of creating new syncretic forms. We like to think we have a good sense of humor and that our objects are poetic. We wish to create a forum for young and local talent and together, we hope to become a strong voice for American design. We believe that appreciation for beauty is central to what it means to be alive and want to embody this principle in even the simplest things."

I love this. Feels like they sum up how we buy perfectly!

p.s. had to look up the definition of syncretic: syn·cre·tism noun \ˈsiŋ-krə-ˌti-zəm, ˈsin-\
1: the combination of different forms of belief or practice
2: the fusion of two or more originally different inflectional forms