FRIDAY FINDS: UNDER $30

Happy Friday! Here’s some quality stuff for under $30.

The ‘original striped taper since 1994’ from Five Stripes come in a variety of colors. This classic black and white combo happens to be our favorite.

Ana Candles Ivory-Black, $24

The possibilities are endless with this paper vase. Construct the thing yourself and hand color it if you wish.

Kami No Tsubo - Paper Vase $15

Impress your guests with these party cups, a step up from the traditional beer cups at those other lame parties.

Keep Calm and Carry On Plastic Party Cups, $15 for set of 10

This heat resistant cutting board will make the most stubborn non-cook want to whip something up.

Joseph Joseph Worktop Saver, Kitchen Tools Design, $27.99

How about these bird magnet/alligator clip things that are ‘so realistic looking you can almost hear them chirp.’

Woodland Birds Magnets , $13 on sale

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STORE PROFILE: FILM BIZ PROP SHOP IN GOWANUS

Bargain Prices Hot Off The Set! If you’re on the hunt for a good deal on furniture and home decor that double as great conversation pieces – then look no further than the Flim Biz Prop Shop in trendy Gowanus, Brooklyn. Opened in December 2010, Film Biz Prop Shop is a non-profit thrift boutique that fills their enormous stylish warehouse with donations from NYC’s film and TV productions.

 

During her years working in the film industry, owner Eva Radke was overwhelmed by the amount of set furniture, props, oddities and raw materials that were being considered industry “garbage”. Luckily, Radke took the initiative and proposed a  “green” solution and soon after Film Biz Recycling was born. Sustainability, repurposing, fair market prices and job creation – well, what a novel concept in this day and age! Politicians take note. The rest of you head on over to the Prop Shop to score some of these fab deals:

Globular lamp: $65

Brown pleather chair: $175

Wooden desk: $100. Items on desk: Throw pillows -  $10 and up, Lamp: $95, Bookend $3

Typewriter: $100

Pair black “leather” chairs: $185 a piece.

Mod plastic & “chrome” chairs: $12 each.

Desk with marble top and brass metal inlay: $275

And perhaps the Pièce de résistance – a fake electric chair! That should definitely “spark” some conversation. $500

Film Biz Prop Shop is located at  540 President Street, Basement, in Brooklyn NY and is open 7 days a week. http://www.filmbizpropshop.org/

 

story by Mary Battaglia, photos by Steve Thompson

 

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FUN AND FRUGAL BOOKENDS

The Kindle may be convenient, but it can never replace the look and feel of the real deal. So, as long as books line our shelves, we’re going to need something to contain them. Here are some fun and entirely affordable bookends for your consideration:

 

For animal lovers: hand-carved elephants from Thailand. $44.99.

Pair of Hand-carved Elephant Bookends, $44.99

 

For record lovers: vinyl bookends from The Conran Shop. $36.

 

VINYL BOOKENDS, $36

 

For the minimalist: CB2’s cube bookends. $24.99.

cube bookends set of two, $24.95

 

For Jeff Koons fans: The Big Top Balloon Animal bookend. $36.

Big Top Balloon Animal Bookend- Orange , $36

 

For the overly literal: wooden A to Z bookends. $36.50.

Wood A To Z Bookend Pair, $36.50

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LOOKALIKES: THE EAMES EIFFEL CHAIR

Charles and Ray Eames were an amazing design duo and I’d give my right arm to spend a week with them in their studio.  The Eiffel Tower Chair is just one of their many iconic designs - it literally looks good in any setting.  This chair has been cool since 1948, it’s a classic so you really can’t go wrong with this purchase.
We can’t all afford the original and most of us can’t get the Herman Miller reproduction either.  I did a little hunting and found a replica for under $50 bucks!

Steel Wire Based Molded Side Chair, $43.96

Buy the Herman Miller Reproduction at Hive Modern for $249.00 – This one is an exact replica and is made from eco-friendly materials.

eames plastic side chair, $249

Below, we see the chairs (both real and fake) in action. The original chairs with a Danish Modern table…

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…and the reproduced chair juxtaposed by a farm table. Which do you prefer?
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BEST OF THE MoMA STORE: FURNITURE AND DECOR

The best thing about the MoMA store is that, like the museum itself, its content is exquisitely curated. No filler or riff raff lurking here, thank you very much. And while some pieces do cross the line into pricey, a number are stylishly affordable. We highlight some of our favorites, and remind readers that a $75 annual MoMA membership also gets you 10% off store purchases—including big-ticket items!

The eye-popping Modern Classic Thermal Carafe will keep your beverages hot or cold for 12-14 hours. $36.00 (members: $28.80).

Modern Classic Thermal Carafe

The Master Chair, co-designed by Philippe Starck and Eugenie Quitlett, could pass as a sculpture. Getting a whole set will put a big dent in your wallet, but buying just one and displaying it in a corner or next to a desk makes a big impact. $244 (members: $219.60)

Masters Chair

The Garland Shade light is perfect for lovers of whimsy. Stick one in an otherwise lackluster room and voila—the space suddenly oozes character. $100 (members: $90).

Garland Shade Light

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The Tube Top Table Lamp is strikingly modern and minimalistic. It would look great on a utilitarian desk or side table. $120 (members: $108)

Tube Top Table Lamp

This is, in my humble opinion, the cutest tray table on the market these days. The Porter’s C shape makes it perfect for saddling up next to a couch or bed and the red plastic top is removable. Don’t even get me started on that adorable handle! $75 (members $67.5).

Porter Tray Table

The Plywood Clock flies in the face of the notion that plywood is unsightly, for this little number is anything but. $80 (members: $72)

Plywood Clock

The ‘Wrong Day, Go Back’ sign sums it up pretty well. $16.00 (members: $12.80)

You might also like this MOMA nightlight we featured back in January.

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