These bright baskets from Kartell come in batch-dyed or painted polyproplyene, batch-dyed SAN, or batch-dyed or painted ABS. Great for anywhere in the house, from bathrooms to playrooms to home workspaces, it serves a functional need while making a strong design statement.  $60.00

An optical square as well as a circle form the essence of the Square Waste Basket, designed by Konstantin Grcic. An oval-shaped grip hole on one side of this waste basket allows it to be hung up. Available in two sizes and in your choice of black or white-grey, this waste basket will be a great addition to your home or office.  $40.00

These paper baskets were originally designed about 30 years ago as export merchandise for American market. The light brown basket looks like teak wood but this material is plywood of a kind of natural wood which is stained in 6 tones of brown and laid out to look like teak.  $60.00

This sculptural beauty is Jasper Morrison's take on the traditional wastebasket. It's made of polypropylene and is available in 5 standard colors: orange, sky blue, beige black and off-white. It's a complete system with removable lid and inner liner holder included. $36.00

The profile step can features a convenient step pedal and durable plastic lid. A slim profile shape makes this trash can a great fit under a desk or in a bathroom. The 10L model is designed for use with plastic grocery bags with custom handles on the inner bucket to hold the bag securely in place.  $29.99

This iconic and eco-friendly can was designed by noted style maker Karim Rashid and has received numerous design awards. They're designed with sustainability in mind. It's the least expensive and arguably most beautiful of all of our choices.  $6.99 

This aluminum can is the ultimate in stripped-down simplicity. Nothing fancy about it, just nicely proportioned and well-made. $13.25

No, it’s not inexpensive. But Vipp still manufactures its pedal bins in Denmark, just as it did back in 1939. The materials are also the same: stainless steel and rubber. Most of the bin’s components are manufactured at Vipp’s own factory, which guarantees a high quality product that’s a joy to use on a daily basis.  $249.00

Ah, the carefree days of summer, 50's - 60's style. No SPF numbers to think about, just one version of Sea and Ski, a towel, a transistor radio and a trashy novel (that in retrospect was as clean as the water in the neighborhood's most fastidious pool). While we can't bring those times back, we offer you a collection of items designed to evoke a bit of nostalgia, a bit of modernism and a large dose of fun-in-the sunism.

This rubberized AM/FM radio from Tykho is designed by Marc Bertiher. It’s part of the MoMA permanent collection, and would be a nice addition to yours. $67.25   

This unique robotic shark has a full-range of motion to replicate the smooth, sleek swimming of one of nature's most efficient predators. It is able to gracefully maneuver up, down, left, right, and even backwards through water, in depths up to 9'. The shark can swim up to 40' from its handheld remote unit which is also submersible, allowing you to swim with your shark. $59.95  

Lunch by the pool just got much easier. These compartmentalized plastic boxes are the perfect way to bring it all out at once and keep it nice, organized and out of the heat. $38.00

In other words, a good, solid, basic thermos. Don’t be fooled by a cool pool - drinks lots of water, especially while in the water on hot days. $22.99

The Mid-Century Sunshade, developed by Brown Jordan for the Case Study houses, is not only more functional than the standard umbrella, it makes a sculptural statement around any pool. The sun moves, the shade moves, but you can stay put. Shade, $799.20. Stand, $400.00

This Waterproof iPod Stereo Case lets your iPod float safely alongside you in the pool, lake, ocean, or even in the shower. Just slip your MP3 player or iPod into the tightly sealed compartment and snap the case shut for crystal-clear enjoyment of your favorite music, videos, and movies. $99.50 

These Bose environmental speakers feature enhanced performance and durability for full stereo sound in a wide listening area. Sleek styling and rugged construction make these perfect for music around the pool. Adjustable mounting brackets allow you to hang them vertically or horizontally, so they blend easily into your environment. $278.95

This piece was originally going to be about building and outfitting your own home gym. After all, more people are into fitness, our schedules make it harder and harder to get to the gym and there is some beautifully designed home equipment available. 

In light of the current economic situation, we've decided to re-focus. Because while building your own gym does allow you to save on those costly memberships, spending $20,000 to do so hardly makes sense for most of us right now.

Instead, you'll find below our handpicked ( and hand-lifted) selections to create a home workout regimen for under $200.00.

Everything we've chosen is unisexual, and best of all, they fit neatly into a standard size file box.

Having worked out with these very things for the past month, we can state from personal experience that we are actually getting a BETTER workout than we were at our beloved gym.  

Although they do make nice smoothies.

Dumbbells can be used in an almost infinite number of ways. Chest, shoulders, biceps, triceps, and even lats. (latissimus dorsi, for all of you doctors, trainers or .pre-med students). For home use, these are particularly good because of the rubber coating. They won’t dent your wood floors when you put them down, can easily be wiped off and cleaned, and won’t rust. We recommend buying at least two. If you buy the 20lb. size, they will cost you:  $25.80 each.

We tend to overlook how important it is for our hands and wrists to remain strong and supple. These Pilates Sand Balls can be easily used during your workout or while watching TV afterward. $12.95 each.

These resistance bands are one of the most versatile pieces of equipment you can buy. Triceps, biceps, legs, stretching – you can do it all. They come with a handy little guide book that will have you tired in no time.  $15.00

Treadmills, stair machines, etc. are nice – but expensive, high maintenance and require a lot of space. They can also be mind numbing. Jumping rope is not only good cardio, it builds coordination as well. Make sure your ceilings are high enough, or just do it outside.  $20.00

Keeping track of your workouts is always a good idea. it doesn't have to be detailed information - what you did, how many you did and what day you did them will suffice. This nice little datebook from Moleskine is perfect. Hint: Pick a number of workouts you'd like to do during the course of the year, divide it by 12 and try to make your number each month. Warning: There are only 31 days in December. If your reach that point and still need 60 workouts to reach your goal, you've got a problem.  $10.17

Small exercise equipment has a way of getting dispersed/misplaced throughout the house, which provides an all too convenient excuse to watch tv instead. All of the elements above, except for the yoga mat, will fit comfortably into one of these sturdy, nondescript, black file boxes. The box can easily be slid under a counter, desk or shelf in the closet. $17.49

A big, old house that could use more than a little re-invigorating? A budget that’s far less than what’s probably needed? Two people with demanding, high-stress positions that entail lots of travel? Two young children who they’d rather be playing with than dragging around to look at paint chips and furniture? No wonder so many people are anxiously waiting to see what the Obamas will do with their new home. They’re a lot like most of us – but with 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 6 levels, 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators – on a slightly grander scale.

They’ve chosen an excellent designer in Michael S. Smith, who’ll no doubt put his talent blending European traditionalism and American modernism to work. But like most other humans, deep down, they’ll want their personal space to be a source of comfort and a reflection of who they are. And if the campaign was any indication, the new president will want to establish a certain style that is in sync with the substance of his core message.

After scanning countless speeches and transcripts from the past year, we’ve put together a short list of a few choice objects for them to consider that could send the right signals. If you find others, please feel free to submit them, with your rationale, to our blog, the building blog, for inclusion.  

The massive wooden desk in the oval office is an icon that we’ve grown up associating with solidity, power and permanence. Which is exactly why, if you really wanted to signify major change, you’d start here. Why not replace it with the Icon desk designed by Michiel van der Kley?  Airy, clean and well-suited to our more paperless, high-tech president, it is available with one or two drawers that are the perfect hideaways for those new blackberrys and cell phones.

contact M2L for current pricing

We’ve heard a lot about transparency in the past few days. What better place to begin than with a clear glass coffee table? The clean, elegant lines of the Mercurio table are hard to beat.

around $1,000.00

There are times in every administration when transparency simply will not be an option. For those times, we recommend translucency. These handmade Roller Shades are an easy, economical way to add style and function to any area and come in a collection of innovative weaves, prints and designs.

pricing determined by size and fabric choice, but very affordable

During the campaign there was a lot of debate about whether or not to sit down with certain less-than-friendly leaders. But there wasn’t nearly enough discussion about what to sit in. We’d like to propose the Capitello chair, created by Design Studio 65 and made in the USA by Heller. It’s comfortable enough to lounge in yet whimsical and ironic enough to lighten up even the most diabolical despot. Maybe.

$1,000.00

Endless photo-ops, long walks back and forth to helicopters, a big house to roam in the middle of the night. So many reasons to suggest this comfy doggie fatboy for the future most powerful dog in the world.

$99.00

in this noble quest, it’s quite possible President Obama will rightly choose to knock down a few walls. It’s also possible, after a little while, that he might, well, choose to put them back up. Especially with his mother-in-law living in the same dwelling. This Designers Eye Wall divider is a flexible, sound absorbing screen system covered with 100% felted wool.             

$599.00-$699.00

Which is why a lot of thought, time and energy go into the vetting and selection process. Good news, Mr. President, we’ve done it all for you. This cabinet designed by Matthew Hilton will do you proud. Just click below to begin the confirmation process.

$3,000.00 

Art in the White House has always tended to run along the traditional lines, and there is certainly a place for that. But why not spice it up with a few things that are a little more conceptual than a ye-olde Delaware landscape or portrait of a long-deceased dignitary?

This piece from artist Chris Caccamise would be an appropriate place to start. It’s meaning is clear, and it will serve as a reminder to current and future generations of exactly what the pressing issue of our day is. 

Contact gallery for information

What could be a more dramatic household gesture than throwing a little dinner party and serving it on these bowls made of re-used scooter tires and natural wicker? It would serve as a not-so-subtle reminder to some less-than-green guests that we need to find more inventive ways of using the resources we have, as well as focus on utilizing more eco-friendly forms of transportation.

price based on options

There has to be times, like after listening to 7 hours of partisan pontificating from members of the House and Senate or trying to persuade one hostile world leader not to drop heavy exploding objects on other hostile world leaders, that you’d just like to crawl away and have a few moments of peace and comfort. And what could be more peaceful than crawling back into the womb. The womb chair, of course, a classic from Knoll designed by Eero Saarinen.

around $3,600.00, including ottoman

For Malia and Sasha, the quickest and most impactful antidote to the subtle and restrained tones of their new home would be to introduce some bold color and pattern in the form of bedding.  There's already a Blue Room, a Green Room and a Red Room. Why not a Fuscia Dots Room?

$182.60