Sep 17

Sitting Pretty: Chic And Comfortable Tufted Furniture

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imageUnlike many of my friends, I actually like firm furniture and beds. If I sleep on a soft and mushy bed, I wake up with a sore back. Guess I could blame it on my semester abroad in Taiwan where I slept on a bamboo mat for four months. Hard as a rock beds and wooden furniture are now my priorities when shopping for my home. That’s when I discovered the beauty of tufted furniture! I know tufted pieces can seem really old fashioned and taken right out of Versailles, but I can imagine just getting one or two and having it look super chic with my minimalist (read: IKEA) furniture. Best of all, it’s a nice balance between firm and soft. I really like the convertible couch found over at PB Teen which doubles as a sofa and a full size bed, and this velvet ottoman from Brocade Home which does triple duty as an ottoman, coffee table, and extra seating. I can imagine Goldilocks finding tufted furniture “just right.” Take a look at my slideshow for more!

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Sep 15

Furnish Your Flat With The Help Of Cliff Spencer Furniture

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imageFurniture maker mavens Cliff and Leigh Spencer design with our future in mind and sustainability is the key. The husband and wife duo, based in scenic seaside Marina Del Rey, California, live and work by a single philosophy: live simply. But that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality or style. By bringing an eco-aware flair to their custom cabinetry and furniture pieces, the natural beauty of the wood takes center stage. Working with traditional (walnut, cherry, maple) and non-traditional (mesquite, eucalyptus, sycamore) woods, they create luxury items out of something you use every day. Click “See Video” for a preview of the brand, then check them out at the Modern Luxury site!
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Sep 15

Hot In The Hive: Umbra Biblioteca Bookshelf

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imageSometimes, you never know when a serious case of design inspiration will hit you. Umbra Design Director Matt Carr is a great example of finding inspiration in an unlikely way. He found two vintage coffee tables, sawed them in half and stacked them on top of each other to make a bookshelf for his home. Luckily for us, we don’t have to break out the band saw and carve through grandma’s antique furniture to get the same look. (Well, you technically could, but the thought of possibly losing a limb is too terrifying). The Biblioteca Bookshelf reminds me a bit of something Salvador Dali would like. Though it is whimsical, it definitely has its uses. Now all your fashion books, guilty pleasure novels, and other knickknacks can all live in one place!

Price: $520
Who Found It: facadeindreams was first to add the Umbra Biblioteca Bookshelf to the Hive.

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Sep 11

Hot In The Hive: Fire Design Fire Extinguishers

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imageIf you read up on the latest design blogs, you’ll quickly discover that no object or apparatus is safe from a design makeover- fire extinguishers included! A European company called Fire Design sells a totally unique line of- you guessed it- artsy fire extinguishers, proving that items once thought to serve strictly functional purposes can have some flair of their own. For about $138 apiece, you can have your choice of anything from a spotted cow print (my favorite!) to a taxicab yellow NYC theme. Don’t see one that strikes your fancy? Design your own here. If you’re simply looking for a way around the standard red extinguisher, or prefer one to compliment (and possibly save) your decor, you’ll find sleek chrome options too. We can’t guarantee that these fancy fire putter-outers are any more exciting (if that’s the word) to use than their more standard counterparts, but they’ll at least enhance your surroundings during their downtime!

Price: 65 EUR, or about $138 each
Who Found It: lisannebee was first to add the Fire Design fire extinguishers to the Hive.

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Sep 08

Go Wild With Animal Prints For Your Home!

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imageFor my fall wardrobe, I’ve been looking to include animal prints whether it’s a luxurious leopard print jacket or zebra print flats. However, these sultry prints can’t stay confined to your closet! Your home can always use some animal prints. Thankfully, you don’t need to go to a safari or harm any poor creatures to put some animal prints in your home. From your living room to the bathroom, you can easily add a touch of the wild side to every room. Take a look at these animal print chenille toss pillows. They’re super soft, less than $20, and sure to liven up a plain sofa. Serve up a meal on zebra printed plates which are bound to make your regular meat and potatoes meal seem a bit more exciting than usual. Like a lot of other decadent things in life, animal prints should always be used in moderation. If not, then you run the risk of looking like Austin Powers decorated your pad. Take a peek at my slideshow to see how you can bring the animal kingdom into your home!

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Sep 06

Not Your Average Floor Lamps!

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imageWe all cracked up during Anchorman when Brick stated “I love lamp,” but really, a cool floor lamp can actually bring excitement to a room! The lamps we’re talking about, however, aren’t your standard, prototype floor lamps– these lamps are designed to make you “ooh” and “ahh.” If you’re looking to give your room the unconventional edge that your standard floor lamp isn’t, these light fixtures are more like a work of art with purpose. With twists of metal and an array of different-looking shades, your new lamp can be so much more than a night-time reading accessory. A look at these lamps will make you appreciate light in a whole new way, so take a peek at a slideshow of some of the coolest lamps you can get your hands on!

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Sep 04

Hot In The Hive: Grass Charging Valet

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imageDoes this scenario sound familiar? You rush out the door after frantically looking for your iPod and Blackberry every morning only to find out you forgot to charge them the night before so they both die halfway through your commute. Yup, I’m totally guilty of this and I’ve finally found a solution. The grass charging valet is less than $10 and keeps my electronic devices charging all in one place. Plus the “grass” looks super cute on my hallway bureau and much more useful than my other fake plants! It’s also a great addition to your office desk for a little bit of greenery and function if your devices ever run out of juice. Now you’ll always be connected so you can stalk your Facebook friends and listen to your favorite tunes. Your mornings are going to be a lot less frantic hunting for your phone, though I can’t say the same about your keys or finding that matching sock.

Price: $9.99
Who Found It: chelly was the first to add the Grass Charging Valet to the Hive.

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Sep 02

Hot In The Hive: Bodum Bistro Toaster

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imageI don’t know if they’re just too busy browning our bagels to perfection to be concerned with looks, but it seems exceedingly rare to find aesthetically pleasing toasters. It’s even more unlikely that I’d spot a toaster I felt I just had to have based on cuteness alone! Until now, toasters seem to have been strictly business — pop in your toast, grab it when it pops back out, get on with your day — but the Bodum Bistro 2-slice Toaster isn’t only functional… it’s pretty darn spiffy too! With eight fun colors to choose from and a modern heat-resistant rubber exterior, it doesn’t just look pretty, either! The adjustable-width slots can fit all sorts of slices (no more cramming or jamming your huge slabs of bread) and the pull-out crumb tray makes for easy clean-up. I think I already have about 4 free toasters from various other appliance purchases, but this one is just so cute, it might be worth the splurge!

Price: $79.95
Who Found It: xgalexy was the first to add the Bodum Bistro Toaster to the Hive.

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Aug 27

Make The Most Of Your Closet Space!

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imageLuckily my apartment came with two closets, because I’ll tell you one thing about living with a guy– they’re messy. And the closet is the worst. What I’ve discovered after having my own closet at my disposal over the past two months was something that surprised me: I, in fact, am a bit messy as well. My well-organized shoes rack turned out to be too much of a hassle, and I’ve started just dumping my shoes into any old spot in the closet as soon as I get home. My special skirt hangers have become more decoration than anything else, because they are over-crowded and shoved somewhere in the back half of the closet where it’s tough to reach. Something had to change. So I did a little research. I chose an over-the-door shoe rack which saves floor space and discourages me from throwing my stuff on the floor. I got a great revolving belt hanger that doubles as a tie rack, and some hanging shelf organizers took care of the stray winter clothes and I don’t wear during the summer, but don’t have room to store. Now maybe I can get around to doing the same thing for the hall closet€¦
For more closet space-saving ideas, click on over to our friends at The Find!
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Aug 25

Recycle Your Electronics (And Get Paid!) With YouRenew.com

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imageWant to get paid to recycle your electronics? It’s so much easier to do the right thing when there’s a cash bonus being dangled in front of you! You may not know it, but electronics like cell phones and laptops leak lead, mercury, and other icky stuff into our trash and water systems. That’s where YouRenew comes in! Started by college buddies out of their dorm room, YouRenew coaxes you into going the extra step to recycle old electronics for some cash money. Search through their site and find the electronics you’re trying to ditch by answering a few quick questions about the basics for your item (Does it turn on? Do you have the charger?). It then analyzes the data and tells you how much they’ll pay for it. Print out the pre-paid shipping label and send it away (aka: make room for that fancy new iPhone!) and they’ll pay you via PayPal! YouRenew will then either fix them up and resell them, or send them to their recycling partner. Some examples of what you can get back: a working 32GB iPhone can get you up to $396, and up to $20 for your Harry Potter box set of DVDs. Log on the YouRenew.com and see what you can get for those old electronics you have lying around!
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