Modern Covered Butter Dish

I'm in the market for a covered butter dish. Not something that seems too difficult to find, but I have requirements. It has to go with my set of Eva Zeisel Classic Century dinnerware. It's the Crate and Barrel "re-edition" not the original, and there isn't one in the collection.

So I search high and low for modern covered butter dishes, and what do I find? Slim pickings.

Michael Graves has one with a dome of glass covered in stainless steel lattice. It's a bit busy for my taste, but unmistakably a Graves design. Available for $119 with free shipping at designstore.com.

There's Stefano Giovannoi's Ship Shape butter dish, also for Alessi. I love the unpretentious design and bright colors, but would be more likely to use it for outdoor parties or the beach house than at my normal dinner table. A good find nonetheless, for $32 at modlivin.com.

And a stainless steel number from Blomus that's available in two sizes at puremodern.com. For me this design kind of stark and square, but a possibility. $34 - $40.

I want to avoid a porcelain one because what are the chances that the colors would actually match? Stainless steel is a good option. And I think I found my butter dish, maybe. It's this rounded version from Danesco, just $13 at Shop.com.

10 Grain Log Rocker

Disgusted by the "pink is for girls, blue is for boys" theme at Toys 'R' Us, I've explored every alternative toy aisle in town. My goal is to find gender-neutral toys that teach something or are so amazingly fun it doesn't even matter. 

The 10 Grain Log Rocker does both. It teaches balance and the concept that sharing is fun. There's more than enough room for two tykes on this toy, and it's low enough to the ground that falling off is just funny.

Available through Design Public, but it's a new item and the store is currently only taking pre-orders for early December delivery.

Tags: modern design, modern toys, log+rocker, teeter totter

3 Years, Over 1 Million Readers & Now Search!

We launched PURE CONTEMPORARY in October of 2004, and in those three years, wow! we have grown. Nearly 120,000 unique visitors come to our pages every month. That's way more than a million readers a year! But as much as we want to be the only resource for all you lovers of modern, we have to concede that there are thousands of sites that offer snippets of what you may be looking for.

That's why, this month, Pure Contemporary launched Pure Contemporary Search. This is the only search engine that  indexes sites from around the world that offer, talk about or feature modern and contemporary design. The list of sites out there will continue to grow -- please feel free to send your suggestions to search(at)purecontemporary(dot)com.

We've even created a special widget that you can put on your blog, website, or personal homepage, that will let you, your readers or clients, search for modern and contemporary -- whenever you want.

Code to put on your site:

Follow this link to find the code. Copy and paste it onto your site for easy access to Pure Contemporary Search.

Sit back and relax

This time of year is stressful -- take a break and relax!

Unconventional in appearance, the LONG Y Modern Chaise's head rest moves up or down to provide just the right support. Available in a two tone leather combination or solid.

Shop now and save!

 

--allie

Tags: modern dog, modern dog bed, modern dog bowls, gifts for pets

Gift idea alert!

Multi-purpose modern at its best.

The Fjords Magazine Rack, constructed from bent plywood, doubles as a sleek laptop table or writing desk.

See more from Fjords.

--allie

Tags: modern magazine rack, modern decor bed, bent wood, Fjords

Modern Decanter from Bordeaux

I know moderate wine drinking is supposed to be healthy, but I don't want to be reminded of that in graphic terms while I enjoy a glass or two. That's why I'll steer clear of the new Etienne Meneau decanting sculptures. Fill these carafes with red wine and you've got a giant scale model of spider veins stepping across the table. A bit unsettling to me, but perhaps the perfect gift for an MD.

Available through Etienne Meneau and soon though Dean and Deluca.

Tags: modern design, modern decanter, wine accessories

Don't forget the dogs

They're a part of the family too! Don't forget Fido this holiday season.

Check out a few of my faves (WOWO dog bed, Stockholm dog bed from Jonathan Adler, Doggie Dinnerware from Clodagh).

--allie

Tags: modern dog, modern dog bed, modern dog bowls, gifts for pets

Shop Now!

Urban kitchens

Our readers are used to my home remodeling rants -- so this should come as no surprise! I am currently seeking a new kitchen -- floor to ceiling new.

While this is simply a starter home for my husband and I, and our goal is to find cost-effective methods to our redesigning madness, I just can't resist seeking out the crème de la crème.

NY Loft, a company that designs for trendy, modern urbanites, focuses on creating styles that reflect personal taste. And their numerous kitchen systems do not fail to impress.

Check out a few...

 

--allie

Tags: modern kitchen, modern cabinets, contemporary kitchen, urban design

Chocolate Coasters

I'm loving Animi Causa! It's modern with a hint of whimsy!

I usually find coasters pretentious -- an awkward beverage accessory that hostesses provide to shame guests into keeping their end tables squeaky clean. And they're typically unattractive to boot!

On the other hand, the Chocolate Coasters from Animi Coasters are fun and inviting. Who wouldn't want to slip one beneath their mug of coco or spiked coffee?

And according to their site, the coasters will engage your senses. The mere sight of chocolates causes certain endocrine glands to secrete hormons that affect your feelings and behavior by making you happy.

They're a steal at $12.95 for a set of 4 (milk or white chocolate). Check out some discounts.

--allie

Tags: modern holiday, modern coasters, chocolate accessories, contemporary gifts