Cool Hunting

Bholu Housewares and Toys
With a mission to help impoverished women in India, Australian designer Jodie Fried's line of designer housewares and children's toys has finally reached the United States. The whimsical designs are embroidered by underprivileged skilled artisans, keeping alive their traditional technique and simultaneously offering them a sustainable income. All of the handmade wool products are Fair Trade and range from kids toys to rugs. Fried's...

Straight Line Designs
Straight Line Designs is a custom furniture design and manufacturing company whose designs are always quirky and whimsical. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the company is owned and operated by Judson Beaumont, who finds much of his inspiration in childlike imagery, and many of his designs have been greatly influenced by his kids and their liberal acceptance of the bizarre. In his world of...

Ooba Conversion Kit
Chicago-based furniture company Ooba (makers of the decidedly un-precious conversion kit ($250) which extends the usefulness of the bassinet by transforming it into a play table and toy bin. In keeping with their mission to "create a simpler and more insightful experience for modern living," they balance form, materials and function with sustainability. Also recently debuted, Ooba's Nest Crib converts into a day bed...

SAT Shower Curtain
For multi-taskers who eschew the idea of showers as a time for quiet contemplation and would rather cram in a study session while lathering up, The Intuitive Learning Company's (TILCO) line of educational shower curtains brings learning to every room of the home. Striving to "educate by observation through the process of combining a stylistic display of simple educational topics on common products found...