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.
Are there students in your life heading back to school? Or perhaps you are a student yourself? We've got some great ideas to make the transition back to campus a smooth one.
Dorm rooms nearly always lack sufficient storage. It's tricky to cram an entire wardrobe into that teensy closet. Rather than encroaching on your roommate's space, add a little extra with these clever storage hooks from Design House Stockholm. Mounted on the wall, these are perfect for coats, hats, bags, umbrellas, even hangers. They look great empty, as well.
Wave Hanger by Nanni Holen, $60
Arrow Hanger by Gustav Hallen, $40
Fall brings rain showers in the Pacific Northwest. How to keep your precious cargo dry as you trek across campus? Alchemy Goods makes waterproof bags that are as stylish as they are practical. Based in Seattle, Alchemy Goods practices upcycling when making their products. Using discarded bicycle inner tubes and seatbelts, they make bags and accessories that are built to last.
Haversack Bag by Alchemy Goods, $100
Struck by inspiration for the perfect essay? Sitting on the bus thinking about groceries? Needing to capture the song lyrics stuck in your head? Field Notes can help. Made in Portland, Oregon, these are the perfect notebook to always have on-hand for jotting down notes or making inspired doodles. Packs of three notebooks are $10. Pair with a Field Notes Sleeve in selvedge denim from MS&Co. to protect those important musings.
Field Notes 3-Pack, $10; MS&Co Denim Sleeve, $32
Shred unwanted papers at all hours without disturbing your roommate! Simply turn the hand crank on the Bye Bye Handy Shredder and destroy those pesky documents while being quiet as a mouse. Needs no electricity and tucks away neatly on a bookshelf when not in use.
Bye Bye Handy Shredder, $45
Let your roomie know where to meet you between classes with this shark-shaped chalkboard. Wipes clean with damp cloth or eraser.
Shark Chalk Board, $15
Spruce up your room by displaying your favorite photos, postcards, or drawings on this mobile. Easy to switch out images of friends and family to suit your mood.
Mobile Clip Photo Hanger, $17.95
8a.m. class? No problem waking up in a pleasant mood with this sweet Bird Alarm Clock from &Design. Forget the jarring "BEEP BEEP" of a standard alarm clock. With this beauty, your choice of two lovely bird calls will help you rise and shine.
Bird Alarm Clock by &Design, $43
Music is a big part of college life and we have some well-designed ideas for quality listening.
Make your roommate happy by sharing this beautiful radio on a bookshelf. Tivoli Audio is well-known for making the best table radios on the market. Designed by hi-fi legend Henry Kloss, the Model One Radio sounds powerful and clear as a bell. Can also function as a speaker for your MP3 player. Available with black or white cabinet and silver face or walnut cabinet with beige face.
Tivoli Audio Model One Radio, $150
While it's still nice weather, studying outside is a great option. Connect an iPod or phone to this rechargeable Yuento Speaker and enjoy several hours of music with friends while hitting the books, headphone-free.
Yuento Balloon Speaker, $45
Finally, every student needs some downtime away from studying. Here's a great way to spark creativity and clear your mind when you need a break. 642 Things to Draw is just what it sounds like: a sketchbook with hundreds of suggestions, some more challenging than others. How would you draw the Bermuda Triangle?
642 Things to Draw, $16.95
We hope this sampling of good designs brings you inspiration as fall approaches. As always, we have many more ideas and are happy to help you find the perfect piece for any occasion. Give us a call (360-752-5522) or email info@anidealshop.com with any questions. Until next time, find us on Facebookfor the latest updates on new designs for fall!
It's been another exciting week in the shop with great new designs arriving daily. Here's a taste of the latest, which coincidentally all happen to come from Denmark.
Based in Denmark, AIAIAI designs headphones and other electronics accessories. Their Tracks Headphones bring you not only great audio quality, but also the chance to sport a nice splash of color while enjoying your favorite tunes. These headphones give a nod to the classic design of the Sony Walkman headphones from the 1980s. But while they are retro-styled, the sound quality is absolutely 21st-century. Available in black, cream, or peach. Stop by the shop with your iPod to test them out.
Tracks Headphones, $60
The A-Stand uses simple plumbing-type tubes as structural elements. Designed to make your workstation more ergonomic, this stand is lightweight, portable, and easy to put together. Available in yellow and black.
A-Stand, $60
Also in from Denmark this week - the stunning Krenit Bowl, first designed in 1953 by Herbert Krenchel, is once again being produced by Normann Copenhagen. The Krenit's matte-black exterior, characteristic sharp edge and contrasting enamel interior creates a balance between material and form. For a metal object, it's surprisingly delicate.
Krenit Salad Bowl - iron w/enamel interior, $109
Krenit Salad Servers - melamine, $30
As Krenchel himself explains, “In 1953 the idea was to make a beautiful bowl, preferably so functional and delicate that it was equally suited for use in the kitchen, on the dining table and as a decoration in the sitting room. As a material researcher I really concentrated on getting the different materials to match and look good together as well as making them equally compatible to use together. Enamel is a fantastic material, and even today my heart yearns for an enamel bowl. It is fantastic that the Krenit bowl is coming into production once more.” Pair it with Krenchel's complimentary melamine salad servers for a lovely set. We love the way the white interior contrasts visually with a bright green salad.
The beautiful True Feelings votives are designed by the Claydies, a Danish duo working in clay with often conceptual results. They designed True Feelings while blindfolded, focusing their attention on touch rather than visual stimulation. As they put it, "True Feelings is designed by our fingers and our fingers only. Often the looks of our designs are thoroughly thought through. The idea of True Feelings is to do the opposite and let the hands take control – while being blindfolded. This allows us to lose the sense of proportion and our focus is transferred from our sight to the fingers.”
True Feelings porcelain votives...
...set of two, $26
And here's yet another clever object from Denmark - the Wine Breather from Menu. Need to aerate your wine but don't have hours to wait? This multi-tasking design aerates a bottle of wine in less than two minutes, which can then be served either from the elegant carafe or from the original bottle. Comes with a stopper, as well, in case you don't quite finish the bottle in one sitting.
That's it for today's update, but keep in mind that next Friday, November 5 is Downtown Art Walk, for which we will feature a special trunk show from Alchemy Goods. Enjoy 20% off all Alchemy Goods for the evening! We will be receiving a shipment of their newly released designs next week, so there will be lots to choose from.
In the meantime, stay tuned for news about new designs from Sandy Chilewich, Teroforma, and more. Marimekko is en route from Finland as I type this! We will keep you posted on new arrivals. As always, check our Facebook Page for the latest news.
