Gift Ideas for Modern Men

If Lifetime has taught us anything about men it's that we can't change them. When it comes to Christmas, that means we might as well just give them what they want, and new information shows that what they want is a "Man-Cave."

If they don't already have one, chances are their buddies do. According to a poll by ServiceMagic.com, 40 percent of the respondents say there’s now a “Man Room” or “Man Cave” in their home.  Another 13 percent said their cave is in the planning or construction phase.

If your man already has an at home Cave, think about giving him a Man-Cave accessory like upgraded speakers, a contemporary recliner, or modern ottoman. If he's sharing an entertainment space with the rest of the family, think of something that would give his personality an imprint on the space. One big idea...76 percent of poll respondents say a flat screen is a must for their Man-Cave.

Looking for ideas on Man Cave decor? Check out this over-the-top designer Man Room.

Plasma TV Display

The Prism 50 by Karim Rashid for OmniMount.

Anything can happen when one of the world's hottest and most unique designers conspires with OmniMount to create a new television display piece.

Get the specs and purchase info through the manufacturer, here.

Bringing the Outdoors In

Need a little help getting that sunny disposition year round? Fake it...

SkyCeilings are photographic illusions of real skies that fit into standard ceiling grid systems. Luminous SkyCeilings feature fluorescent or LED lighting that illuminate the translucent images from behind. Ambient SkyCeilings are made from opaque image tiles that are lit by room or cove lighting. Although they first gained popularity in healthcare and commercial settings, the realistic sky-scapes have lately been brightening up modern homes.

Available through the Sky Factory.

Trendspot : Onyx

Trendspotters that we are, PC brought you the new look of back-lit onyx as reported in the NYTimes. Today, lo and behold, we came upon yet another example of the warm and modern look.

Design stars MASH custom made an onyx clad desk for each of Century Plaza Tower's twin lobbies in NYC. The glowing stone maintains a space-age feel in a reigned in minimalist shape that's anything but overpowering - as a giant lighted desk may well be. This trend is a definite one to watch, and we'll be ready to tell you how it wiggles its way into residential settings across the land.

Curv appeal

Ceilings can be difficult to decorate. All white is standard -- but then what?

Recessed or track lighting? A dramatic chandelier or subdued pendant. The choices can be overwhelming.

But if you are looking for something a little more, check out Curv Tec.

Comprised of modules that are four feet wide, and are available in lengths of 14, 12, and 10, you can form your own custom lighted ceiling art. Choose from Concave or Convex designs in 5 colors.

--allie

Tags: modern ceiling, modern lighting, modular lighting

Mah-Jong modular

Change the seating, change the room.

Whether a trendy living room or funky basement, the Mah-Jong modular sofa from Roche-Bobois brings a feeling of modern whimsy.

The bold mix and match colors and patterns, paired with it's low to the floor design and hand-sewn-rolled edge, lend an air of comfort and creativity.

--allie

Tags: modern sofa, modular sofa, mix and match seating, multi-color sofa

Lighting your space

Home theaters are becoming increasingly popular in today's homes.

When it comes to decorating this space, nothing is more crucial than the right lighting. Tim McKeough from the NY Times consulted lighting expert Randall Whitehead to help sort out the confusion.

Q.  What kind of lighting should I install in my home theater?

A. In most people’s homes, the media room is a multifunctional space used not only for watching movies and TV, but also for entertaining guests or reading in a quiet corner. Fixtures and controls that allow the levels of illumination to be adjusted in different areas of the room are essential.

Randall Whitehead, a San Francisco lighting designer and the author of “Residential Lighting: A Practical Guide”(John Wiley and Sons, 2004), identified four basic categories of lighting used in most rooms: ambient, task, accent and decorative.

Continue reading.

--allie

Tags: home theater, lighting, design advice

When bad gifts happen to good people

'Tis the season for returning!

While this year I was spared from ugly sweaters and useless tchotchkes, I'm sure many of your were not as fortunate.

Heading out to make returns? Check out Pure Contemporary's Product Guide for some great replacement gifts!

--allie

Tags: modern gifts, contemporary furniture, modern decor, modern design

A Modern Coffee Table/ Home Control Unit

Remember Rosie, the lovable robot from the Jetsons?  She has a real life counterpart these days in ROSIE, the coffee table from Savant Solutions, LLC.

This coffee table's looks wont turn heads (it's a pretty standard design available in different styles and finishes) but its capabilities definitely will. A touch of the computer screen tabletop lets homeowners play iTunes or television shows, download digital images and control any home automation devices connected to the system.

Victor Saverino, director of product management at Savant said, "The ROSIE Coffee Table brings the converged functionality of a touch panel to an interactive surface technology that is practical on the one hand, entertaining and exciting to use on the other. The ROSIE Coffee Table is truly the evolution of interactive technology—it can seamlessly download photos from digital cameras, play music, movies, and TV shows as well as accomplish complete home control all from within one elegant forty-inch interface."

This is the first Apple based product of its kind - not quite like having a 40 inch iPhone, but the closest you can get.

MUON, Giant Speakers by Ross Lovegrove

For serious audiophiles, great speakers are a necessity. For serious lovers of modern design, sophisticated style matters just as much. Rarely have the two needs come together in such size and shine as in KEF's MUON loudspeakers.

Music lovers know KEF as the British manufacturer of top-quality speakers, and they're chomping at the bit to at least get a listen to the 7 foot tall, four-way speaker system. For design snobs the allure is MUON's looks and rare pedigree. Made of high-shine aluminum, vacuum molded into deep curves, MUON was created by modern industrial design icon Ross Lovegrove. 

Only 100 pairs of these speakers will be made, and with each pair valued at $140,000, every lover of sound and design can't possibly own them. Assuming they fall into one of these categories: Esquire Magazine guests, high-profile philanthropic donor, celebrity or other VIP though, they may get a chance to sneak a peak through November. One pair will be displayed in Esquire Magazine's project bachelor pad, Esquire North: The New View, a triplex penthouse apartment in NYC's Central Park North.