What is Ideal?

Ideal is a carefully curated shop composed of unique, design-conscious gifts and accessories. The objects we choose are creative, authentic, and refined. They are inspired by the vision of talented artists and designers from around the world.

Our store was formed with our own ideal in mind: that shopping should always be a personal and thoughtful experience.

Enjoy our blog and please come visit our shop in beautiful, downtown Bellingham. If you can't make it in, we take orders over the phone - just call (360-752-5522) or e-mail info@anidealshop.com.


Showing posts with label Museum of Modern Art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Museum of Modern Art. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

New Treasures Arriving Weekly

This is an exciting time of the year for us! Every week from now until mid-November new shipments will arrive from far-flung places (Japan, Finland, Portugal, and Honduras to just name a few) as well as closer to home (Bainbridge Island, Seattle, and Mt. Vernon).


Many of these are pieces from wonderful new designers we found while in New York. Some are new creations from our current designers.


Last week saw the arrival of new objects from Neo Utility and Saikai. We love the iStand from IDEA International. This great little gadget suctions to the back of your iPhone and props it up so you can enjoy a video or browse the internet. 


iStand, $8.00

We also now have IDEA's fantastic Yuento Balloon Speaker in black and lime green.


Yuento Speaker, $45


Miller Goodman PlayShapes ($150) are also back in stock, so come and see this beautiful set of wooden blocks for yourself. 
MillerGoodman PlayShapes, $150

Over the past few weeks we've also received some lovely pieces in from Saikai. If you are a fan of Japanese design, this group represents some of the superstars, such as Mori Masahiro. We have all five colors of his iconic Soy Bottle back in stock, so consider adding this drip-free container for soy sauce to your table. At $22, it makes a really unique gift.

G Type Soy Bottle, $22



























Also, Toyo Sasaki HS "Hard Strong" stacking glasses. First produced in 1967, the reinforced lip on these glasses makes them extra durable and they remain the leading brand in Japanese food service. At $4.50 apiece, it's a great way to introduce a bit of Japanese design to your kitchen.
 
HS "Hard Strong" Glasses, $4.50 apiece





















Newly arrived and wonderful - these Pocket Vases in white, yellow, or green. They work beautifully for flowers, but serve as handy catch-alls as well for things like pencils and paintbrushes.

 
Pocket Vase, $24



Finally, these wooden tops. They are miniature sculptures - lovely!
 
Koma Wooden Tops, $6.50 apiece

























We also just received a beautiful assortment of glass jewelry from Julie and Jess at verre newyork. It is challenging to find glass jewelry that is elegant and understated and these two glassblowers seem to hit the mark every time. If you see a design you like but would prefer a different color, we can always order you exactly what you want. They have over one hundred colors in their palette.


Three Drop Necklace, $102


Piet Burst Necklace, $106




Piet Stud, $33




Ulala Hoop, $50




















































Finally, the latest addition to our selection from Museum of Modern Art - the Chalkboard Vase.


MoMA Chalkboard Vase, $4

















Draw your own vase, contraption, or creature to hold the flowers. Also works for love notes and to-do lists. The vase includes hardware for wall mounting, as well as a chalk-holder.




That's just a taste of what's new in the shop. We will update you again next week on the latest arrivals! You can also check our Facebook Page for more frequent updates. Until then, enjoy this drawing of the Yuento Balloon Speaker in use. Who wouldn't want to be this happy walking down the street?  





Tuesday, July 13, 2010

MoMA Modern Kids

Wonderful new playthings from the Museum of Modern Art are now in the shop...here's the MoMA Modern Playhouse.  Fun for kids and grownups, alike! Create a delightfully modern house with this innovative set of modular nesting boxes. Aspiring architects and designers of all ages can create modern spaces, arrange furniture and accessories, and pack it all up to go.

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Includes: 6 nesting boxes, 8 mix-and-match furniture pieces, 12 removable vinyl clings, and endless possibilities. 
Price: $19.99
















Modern Play Family

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Dimensions: 4-11/16 x 4-11/16 x 3/4 in; 4 punch-out cards, 12 vinyl stickers, full-color throughout, ages 3 and up 
Price: $12.99

This stylish press-out family includes 5 people, a cat, a dog, a doghouse, and over 150 mix-and-match vinyl cling clothes! Use this set to populate your MoMA Modern Play House.



 

Lacing Shapes

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Dimensions: 6-3/4 x 8-1/2 x 1-3/16 in; 10 cards: 5-1/4 x 6-1/2 in; 11 laces, shrink-wrapped, full-color throughout, ages 3 and up
Price: $14.99

These unique lacing cards teach shapes, colors, and textures and develop hand-eye coordination with striking design and photography. Bright, colorful cards with die-cut shapes can be laced alone or laced together into a book or a piece of hanging art. 






 String-Along Books

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Dimensions: 3-1/4 x 3-1/4 x 8-3/4 in; 10 books, each book: 2-1/4 x 2-1/4 in, 10 pages, full-color throughout, ages 3 and up
Price: $18.99

Inspired by classic stringing bead toys, this innovative collection of 10 books in various shapes develops motor skills while introducing color, shape, and pattern in a wonderfully playful way. Children will have hours of fun reading this set as books, playing with them as blocks, or stringing them as beads.