The stuff you decorate your home (or office) with doesn't have to be so plain-Jane. Add some personality to your space with the items below.
Umbra "Conceal" floating bookshelf. ($15)
Umbra "Conceal" Floating Bookshelf »
The Umbra "Conceal" Floating Bookshelf is a clever (and invisible!) way to add some literary flair to your walls, making them appear to stick there with no support.
Once you’ve mounted the shelf to a wall (all you need to provide is a screwdriver), you insert a hardcover’s back cover edge into the little hooks underneath, then close the book over the panel to conceal it from sight. Then, just stack a few more books on top of that. Easy peasy.
Multiple floating bookshelves creates a cool effect in any space.
The shelf comes in small and large versions.
Glitch Textiles throws, pillows, and scarves. (prices vary)
Glitch Textiles »
Glitch Textiles is a cool studio run by Brooklyn-based artist and designer Phillip David Stearns, where he designs various woven items with “glitchy” digital effect patterns, which are then manufactured using computerized Jacquard looms in the US (for cotton items) and in Holland (for merino items).
He sells woven blankets/throws ($275 each) and throw pillows ($125 each, marked down from $150 as of Sep. 28th, 2017). He also makes woven scarves in the same style, if that's your thing.
These items are a great way to add an eye-popping splash of tech-y color to your home, workspace, and/or wardrobe.
*Harry Potter* “Lumos/Nox” light switch cover. ($19)
Harry Potter “Lumos/Nox” Light Switch Cover »
This Harry Potter-inspired “Lumos/Nox” light switch cover — designed by Derrick Kendall of Sci-Collectables — is an easy way to add a little magic to any home or office. Fans of the series will know that the wizard spell Lumos creates a bright light at the tip of one’s wand (much like a flashlight), while the counter-spell Nox extinguishes it. This light switch cover takes that idea and runs with it.
The base material of the cover is actually a kind of plastic painted to look like aged copper with a patina (which the two included screws are painted to match) and with a custom raised/embossed design for the words Lumos and Nox. It fits all standard US light switches and is easy to install.
The cover comes in [single switch]() ($19), double switch ($25), triple switch ($35), and decorator switch ($19) versions.
Sparq LED arc floor lamp. ($90)
Sparq LED Arc Floor Lamp »
Brightech’s Sparq LED floor lamp is a whimsically modernist, crescent-shaped LED lamp atop a flexible, wire-thin metal stand. It’s one of those things you’ve got to see in person to fully appreciate.
The ultra-thin LED bulb/strip has a color temperature of 3,000 Kelvin, which means it gives off a pleasantly warm, orange-ish glow — about the same as you’d see from a typical incandescent bulb, but without any of the actual heat. In fact it stays cool to the touch even after hours of use, plus it keeps energy usage down to an efficient 15 watts. Perfect for working, reading, or meditating into the late-night hours.
KABB's retro-style flip-down clock. ($44)
KABB Retro-Style Flip-Down Clock »
A modern take on retro flip-down clocks. Insert a D-size battery, set the time, and let the internal gear-operated mechanism take care of the rest. Check out the video:
Floating cloud lamp by Richard Clarkson Studio. ($4,620 — no, seriously)
Floating Cloud Lamp »
And now we come to the quirkiest (and easily most expensive) item in today's guide.
This floating “cloud” lamp — designed by the Richard Clarkson Studio in Brooklyn, NYC — is a magnetically levitating LED lamp designed to look like…well, a cloud. Embedded magnetic components in both the cloud and the always-plugged-in base allow the former to float ~2.75″ above the latter. The cloud can rotate, bob up and down, and even light up in a myriad of colors or thunderstorm-like patterns, making the whole thing surreal to look at:
{Infomercial voice} And that’s not all! Check it out:
While the Cloud itself does not have a speaker, it will react to your existing sound system as well as spoken voice and loud sounds. An embedded microphone allows the Cloud to flash to the beat of the music in four different styles. The Cloud also has a range of ambient lamp modes in both white and colored versions. Each of these modes is controlled via an infrared remote.
Basically, this thing is nuts and would look amazing anywhere you put it.
The kicker? It costs $4,620. Obviously not something most individuals are going to buy. I imagine that companies with hip workspaces are the target market for this kind of thing — but hey, if you do decide to buy it for yourself alone, more power to you.
For more info, read about the lamp here, see more photos here, or (gulp) head directly to the purchase page here.
The hero image for this guide was shot by Drew Coffman, who has also written and photographed many awesome gear reviews for us. Check 'em out.