moma

Harman Kardon SoundSticks III review: Bright lights, big sound

The first version of the Harman Kardon SoundSticks came out around the same time as the translucent iMac G3, and there's a reason why they look so similar: both were designed by Apple's lead designer, Jonathan Ive.

There are three parts to this PC speaker system: dual 10-watt satellite speakers and a 20-watt subwoofer that sits on the floor.

But even though Apple has since moved away from the see-through design, Harman Kardon retains the clear plastic transparency across the board, this time lowering the intensity of the internal blue lights so they aren't quite as distracting … Read more

Muttering hat, murmuring tree at MoMA 'Talk' show

If the nine Poor Clare Sisters living in an insular York, England, monastery ever feel cut off from the outside world, they need only turn to their Prayer Companion.

The photopolymer resin dot-matrix display sits on a table in a frequently trafficked monastery hallway subtly scrolling a news ticker. This way, the sisters--who have only limited access to newspapers, phones, and computers--can not only keep up with current events, but stay alert to the issues and people they wish to pray for.

In addition to displaying the news, "Goldie," as the nuns call the Prayer Companion, broadcasts the thoughts and feelings of anonymous strangers whose blog entries are aggregated by the Web site We Feel Fine.

While design these days considers utility and aesthetics, increasingly, as Goldie demonstrates, objects are also designed to communicate with people or help them communicate with one another, nature, the city, and more. … Read more

Natural odor-eater that won't make you nauseous

If there's one thing I dislike more than a nasty-smelling room, it's a room that smells nasty but covered in potpourri. Though they are installed with the best of intentions, most air fresheners that I've encountered have a way of adding to the sickening stenches in the rooms they're meant to make more comfortable.

Maybe that's why I find this Bamboo Charcoal Deodorizer appealing. Created by Kiyoshi Nishio, its charcoal and clay mineral powder construction is designed to absorb odors instead of mask them. Because the surface area exposed to the air is critical to … Read more

Babyboop bowl adds style to predinner snacks

It wasn't until I began to peruse the MoMA Store's Web site last year that I learned a valuable lesson about hors d'oeuvre: presentation is everything!

I'm no stranger to creating pretty presentations. In fact, many of my friends for whom I've cooked a meal will tell you that I care almost as much about how a plate looks as how it tastes. What I don't do, however, is spend much time thinking about how to serve predinner snacks, and so most of these end up gracing the coffee table in the same bowls … Read more

Shaken, stirred, and inside out

Father's Day is right around the bend, so you can bet on seeing a lot of gift ideas in the coming days on store shelves, like fancy ties, coffee mugs, and classy bar-inspired dishes such as these Inside Out Martini Glasses.

When your dad pulls the glasses out of the box, he might give you the kind of eyebrow raise and forced, "Oooooh, nice," that accompanies the gifts that end up collecting dust in a storage shed, because they look like ordinary drinking glasses from the outside. But pick your favorite hard liquor to pour into them … Read more

A cool conversion for your drinking glasses

I love to have flowers on my table during spring, but I rarely decorate my table with large bouquets. Especially for something that ceases to flourish after only a few days, I have a hard time spending the $20 or $30 on the number of flowers required to fill large vases.

The flowers that come prearranged in vases are no better, often costing twice as much for half the flora. What's the solution? How about these spring-inspired bird and leaf vase-makers?

Not only do the festive gadgets eliminate the need for vases by transforming ordinary drinking glasses, but they … Read more

Brazilian bowl goes creepy crawly

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...a bowl?

No, this beautiful piece of artwork isn't meant to be used as a weapon to threaten your enemies--it's a bowl created for the MoMA Store's Destination: Brazil collection. The collection celebrates designs, culture, and lifestyle elements from Brazil, which explains the centipede design that inspired this bowl.

The bowl is constructed from 44 independently moving pieces that are each made from a composite of coconut fibers, sugar cane, and wood. Since each piece moves separately, you can rearrange the bowl in a huge variety of … Read more

This bowl might make you famous

My friends would tell you that I'm an entertainer. And they'd be right: one of my favorite things to do is cook a nice meal and serve it to people, even if it's not a special occasion. Whether it's for a quiet dinner for me or a dinner party over the holidays, I like to make sure my food is presented nicely on my plate before I eat it. They do say "you eat with your eyes first," right?

Maybe that's why I like the MoMA Design Store and their pretty selection of … Read more

Spice up your serving dish

Leave it up to the MoMA Design Store to bring beauty to even the simplest sort of dish. This beautiful wooden spice block makes a perfect serving dish for nuts, spices, candy, or even decorative marbles.

The spice block was designed in 2008 by Nick Foley and Diane Ruengsorn, and each one is hand carved in Brooklyn, N.Y., out of mahogany that's been repurposed from a window factory. The blocks are finished in beeswax and oil and are food-safe.

These unique wooden spice blocks are available at the MoMA Design Store for $50.00.