It's been a while since I have checked in with Unison home to see what is new. I'm always surprised at their solid selection of affordable duvet covers. The one that caught my eye today is the Sailor + Regatta Navy Duvet. It jumps on the whole parisian bandwagon that seems to be extra hot this summer. Also, I couldn't help but notice the Harbor Throw Blanket, but that is probably just because they had it sitting on an Eames Lounger. Still I'm always a sucker for a good throw blanket, and the white with contrasting red stitching is fantastic.

Unison Home

This self described "color nerdery" quilt strikes a core with my inner color nerd. All the colors were hand mixed for just the right effect, and then the quilts are machine quilted. The flip side is a nice light gray that accents the quilting thread (detail pic after the jump).  Having worked on a couple quilting projects over the years, I know how much work goes into these things. With that in mind, I'm going to call this thing a bargain at $400.

CMYK Quilt by kim e-m

Earlier this month I went to a fantastic textile themed art installation called Press Plush at GARFO Art Center (show runs through June 3rd) and ever since I have been really inspired by all things fabric. Along that same line, NYC based Carrie Strine happens to be doing some fantastic quilts right now, that I absolutely love. They are simple handmade quilts with a modern flair. They are being billed as everything from "Luxury Moving Blanket Throws" to "Linen Crib Quilt". To me they are all works of art.

Handmade Modern Quilts by Carrie Strine $150 - $350.

I love Unison's bedding and pillows and I was completely amazed at some of the sale prices that they have on their website. Some of their duvets are 70% off of the original price. The pinstripe duvet shown above for example is only $42 for a queen. That's seems like a great deal for a 220 thread count 100% cotton duvet. Their pillows are 30% off and are on sale for $36.

Check out all the sale goodies at Unison.

My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw these felt throws from Modern Fiber Lab. Just look at those textures!! Reading about how they're made is even more mind blowing. These are truly art pieces and worth every penny, in my opinion.

About:
This "felt pelt" is wet felted by hand using traditional ancient techniques. This is made with natural colored cotswold, lincoln longwool, merino wool and mohair. I source the fleece from shepherds which I receive raw right after shearing. I clean, comb, and card the wool and then using hot water and organic soaps, felt by hand the wool fibers into one large piece.

These felt pieces are inspired by actual hides from a trip to Scandinavia where I saw sheep and animal skins everywhere. The technique or "recipes" to make them are drawn from Mongolian felt traditions. Mongolians stomp on the wool and roll the soft felt around tree trunks that they drag from horses to strengthen and finish the felt. I felt outside using my hands and bare feet and then roll the wool around poles to finish the felting process.

This pelt has been further embellished with pom poms that are made from kid mohair and lace weight wool yarn from a co-op in Uruguay. I whip stitched a boiled wool fabric to the back of the pelt to further strengthen and finish it.

This pelt would make a wonderful wall hanging or could be used as a throw or even a rug. A truly sustainable and renewable resourced piece!

Available in several natural colors.

Felt throws from Modern Fiber Lab: $295 - $600

Modern bedding for babies/cribs is relatively easy to come by. But once that baby becomes a kid? That's another story. Not much exists in the form of modern bedding for "big kids", a dilemma a lot of mod-minded parents eventually have to face. Enter Boodalee. Boodalee began in 2005 when Jeanice Skvaril, a mom and graphic designer, suddenly realized that her "little man" was doomed to a life of licensed characters unless something was done. With an entrepreneurial spirit and a few industry connections, Jeanice started Boodalee: designs that embrace your style and also resonate with your little dreamers and their big imaginations. Boodalee has grown to include bedding, pillows, wall graphics, blankets, and (soon) hooded towels.

Pictured: Space Collection

Duvet and Sheet Sets from Boodalee: $80 - $240

I was first tipped off about GIlt a month or so ago when they had some Jonathan Adler home stuff on their site. Eager to get some goodies at 50% off I signed up only to find all the good stuff was gone. Since then it has been a little hit and miss especially when it comes to the "home" category (lots of men's and women's fashion). Today however they have Dwell studio and Dwell kids items for around 50% off or retail. You better act quick though, the good deals go fast. I already got my Dwell finger puppets for $18!

Dwell Studio on sale at Gilt.com

If you've had your eye on the super simple steel pipe bed frame from MUJI, now is the time to buy it. Until Sept 6th they are 50% off, making them an extremely affordable $59. Of course when you see a good deal like this there is always a catch. In this case it's that you can only purchase it from one of their three New York stores. If you are looking for a deal online though their amazing wall mounted CD player is 30% off.

Available from MUJI.

This one if for the locals only....

Modern Materials Design has been having a blowout warehouse sale for the last couple of weeks. They are forced to move out of their current location so absolutely everything must go. Today is the last day of the sale, and prices are guaranteed to be crazy low. Here are some details.

HURRY IN AS THIS IS OUR LAST DAY BEFORE WE START MOVING OUR WAREHOUSE.

some of our very stylish PILLOWS are $7-8 on markdown
pendant LIGHTS for $19
table LAMPS at $12
VASES as low as $3.95
fun, colorful artwork as low as $15-20 (80% off)
metal trough outdoor PLANTERS
BEDDING all at 50% off

PLUS SEVERAL TV STANDS,COFFEE TABLES, END TABLES, KITCHEN DINING TABLES, ....PLUS MUCH MORE.

HOURS: 10-6

LOCATION: 350 WEST 800 NORTH, rear side of building. Hard to find but definately worth the search.
the sale you should not miss!!!

We have dining tables, coffee tables, end tables, pillows, artwork, mirrors, lamps, light fixtures, vases, doormats, outdoor planters......

If you do happen to miss the sale today don't kick yourself too hard. Rumor on the block is that Modern Materials Design will be opening a brick and mortar in a few months. Stay tuned for an early look at what it will have to offer.

Love this eco-friendly bedding from Unison. Curl up in one of their organic blankets and celebrate Earth Day all year long! Be sure to check out their pillows and table linens as well.

Happy Earth Day!

More about Unison:
Unison was formed by Robert Segal + Alicia Rosauer with the vision that modern design can be a livable, breathable, everyday part of life. After four years of designingliving in Finland, they decided to bring their design sensibilities back to America. Robert and Alicia combine their extensive background of textile design and photography to creaand te products that offer a minimalist style with emphasis on color and innovative print design.

Bedding and Linens from Unison available from Design Public: $24 - $220

Vintage telephones, singing and dancing and a home full of vintage 50's furniture, could it get any better. Actually the intereiors start out pretty lousy but get much better as she starts to "wish" for new things. I'm loving the living room at 8:25.

Besides all the new summer products that Ikea has come out with, they also have introduced some other great new stuff. While the products run the gamut from baking goods to sandbox toys I was most impressed by all the new textiles like the CECILIA fabric shown above. Other textile favorites include the MYSKMALVA twin duvet cover set that sells for an amazing $7.99. The KAJSA TRAD cushion cover is also pretty sweet with it's bold black and white scandinavian abstract patterns.

Check out the rest of the highlights after the jump. What's your favorite?

More CECILIA designs $2.99/yd

SARALISA fabric $8.99/yd

BESTA in white and walnut, is that new?

LUSY BLOM rug for $39. Not quite doing it for me.

LUSY duvet cover, really not doing it for me.

Loving the new melamine and silicon kitchen goods!

You can always count on DwellStudio to deliver bold, graphic home furnishings and their new "Abstractions" collection does not disappoint! I am especially fond of the "Collage" pattern, which features abstracted, hand drawn geometric forms. If you're a lover of mid-century art, this new collection will definitely be up your alley.

More on the new collection: Designed for comfort, but beautiful enough to hang on the wall: DwellStudio's Abstractions collection draws inspiration from the world of modern art. Abstract motifs, simple lines, and bold colors predominate on styles that will appeal to the most discerning palates.

Available from DesinPublic from $75 - $350.

As we get closer to having our second kid (May is coming quick) I guess it's time to start looking at all the cute modern kids stuff out there. The good news is that there is a ton more than there was even two years ago. My favorite of the day is Olli & Lime. Their line has a nice retro feel while still managing to come off as fresh. They also have a surprisingly wide array of things, everything from wallpaper and wall prints to bedding and burp cloths. The pricing seems about par for the course for modern kids goods.

Ollie & Lime available from 2 Modern

We've mentioned Undrgrnd before, it's a modern design store that offers deep discounts on discontinued items. Only problem was that they only listed one item at a time, and when it was gone, it was gone. Most likely unless you checked the site obsessively, or followed them on twitter, you missed out on some deals. To make things easier for the holidays, they have a top secret shop available only to members. That pretty much means you just need to create an account to get access. The good news is the secret shop has way more than one item, and they are all the same rock bottom prices. The group of merchandise changes every monday, so it cuts down on the amount of checking you need to do to get a deal. Check out the Undrgrnd Secret Shop for great deals.

It's been a while since I have looked at Amenity's collection, mostly because we are pretty pleased with our budget Ikea duvet. This week however I was browsing the Amenity line over at Design Public, and I was surprised to see that Amenity is a lot more than bedding these days. Sure they still have their gorgeous (and somewhat expensive) duvets and sheets, but they also have a whole slew of other cloth goodies. The line includes everything from bedding, to wall hangings and prints to table runners, place mats, and even modern Christmas decorations. Pricing ranges from $9 for modern ornaments to $400 for a duvet. Available from Design Public.

I love it when things have some sort of dual functionality, especially kids furniture that eventually gets outgrown. I found this great bed over at Swissmiss that does just that. The P'kolino bed starts out it's life as a normal toddler bed, but as soon as your kid starts to outgrow it, it converts into a nicely styled little chair. The bed will fit any standard sized toddler mattress, and comes with an additional pad for when it is in chair mode. Perhaps one of the best things of all is the $190 price, which is quite reasonable for a "designer" kids bed. The main bed is a birch veneer, and the side rails come in orange or white. Available from Moderntots for $190. Via Swissmiss.

I'm always on the lookout for good affordable modern duvets. Last year my wife and I bought an orange and white one (ANDREA KAKEL) from Ikea for $20. While I will be the first to admit that the quality wasn't the highest (low thread count) we have been quite satisfied with it. Apparently we aren't the only ones that don't mind sacrificing a little quality for affordable design too, we have seen the same duvet on quite a few friends beds over the last year. Ikea has a new budget duvet that might not be quite as bold as our old one, but I love the looks of it. The JORUN FORM quilt cover and pillowcases will only set you back $20 for a queen. It's only 104 thread count, so don't expect anything too special, but for $20 you really can't go wrong.

Available from Ikea for $20.

This may be old news to some, but it looks like Dwell Studio is releasing a complete line of bedding, kitchen accessories and baby goods at Target soon. While I was excited about all of these different lines, I was most impressed with the pricing on the baby stuff. I'm not sure if the crib shown is Dwell or not, but Apartment Therapy lists pricing for the Soho Crib ($290), Olivia Crib Set ($80), and Olivia Blanket ($15). That gives you that whole set up for well under $400 including the crib! That seems like a great value for any new parent looking for a crib. The should be available on Target online by the 28th, but some people are reporting that their local target already has some items. More pics of the other lines after the jump.Check out AT and sister sites for the full scoop: Baby Collection Bedding Kitchen and Tabletop

We have bought and received many blankets since our son was born, and I have learned to be a bit of a blanket snob. The ones that we like the best are nice and big, so it's easy to swaddle him, and not too thick, so he doesn't have a heat stroke. This Modern Blue Bunny Blanket (say that ten times fast) measures 30" x 36", which is a nice big size. It's made of a super soft cotton flannel, and double stitched to hold up to all the abuse a good blanket gets. Available in pink, or blue. Matching bib and burp cloth is also available. Available from Tadpolecreation's Etsy Shop for $26.