Millimeter/Milligram

by Ami Kealoha

For the past eight years Seoul-based design studio Millimeter/Milligram (Mmmg) has been making stationery and accessories that get attention for their fresh color combos and pop art design. Their Capsule Letters were the first of their products to make an appearance on CH and we recently spotted a few other items that are worth a mention too. If you can't find them at your local stationer, Mmmg does ship internationally.

Their ballpoint click pens feature cartoon illustrations and the charm of transliterated phrases. Our favorite, from their ver. 2 group of pens, is "Be the hippie" with the accompanying figure sporting a headband. The pens are 2,500 won each from Mmmg or for $7 from Inhabit.

Lucky Week is a weekly desk calender, so named for the simple rounded numerals that decorate the cover. Divided into daily sections, each page provides an at-a-glance reminder of your week. Available in red or blue, the spiral bound planner is 3,500 yon from Mmmg.

The Smile Mask Card is an all-purpose card that's sure to delight the recipient with its clever design. It also features more slightly askew text on the inside, this time reading "If you laugh, blessings will come your way." It's 1,900 won from Mmmmg.

In addition to shops around the world that carry Mmmg (including Greenwich Letterpress if you're in NYC), Mmmg recently opened their own shop and cafe in Seoul, which from the looks of it is every bit as cute as their designs. We particularly love the bag and cups, pictured above right.

Shaklee Home and Health Products

by Jacob Resneck

Eliminating multiple bottles of nasty cleansers from under the sink, Shaklee's line of cleaning products uses natural, non-toxic and often organic ingredients to rid your home of bacteria and dirt as well as toxins.

Founded on the principals of its founder, the late Dr. Forrest C. Shaklee Sr. (1894-1985) with Iowa farm boy roots, today his legacy is a multi-million dollar operation that for us is a great resource for environmentally-friendly products designed to maintain hygiene in the healthiest conceivable way.

A prime example, the basic cleanser is an organic concentrate cleaner for anything from insect innards to spilled borscht. By varying the amount of water used with the concentrate, the one cleaner works for multiple surfaces. We think these products jive nicely with the Lotus' non-toxic sanitizing system featured last month.

There's a lot to explore on the site including laundry products, kitchen accessories and plenty more.

Recycled Wood Tree House

by Phuong-Cac Nguyen

If remembering the fun and simple learning experience from playing with Lincoln Logs as a kid brings back good memories, then the Recycled Wood Tree House—a modern update to those brown stacking pieces of our generation—will likely bring the same to any easily bored rugrat over age three in your life.

This 22-inch-tall, recycled cherry and elder wood tree house made with removable parts like retractable stairs, blocks, pegs, crane and load and other pieces is built to be assembled and reassembled by children's hands while pushing the limits of their imagination in the exercise. It's a beautiful toy that will stand the test of time.

Reform School has it for $170.

Vintage Tools

by Evan Orensten

A well-made tool can last a lifetime, and it's often true that they just don't make them like they used to these days. The cleverly named Mantiques carries quality antique tools from well-known brands like Stanley, Bailey and Millers Falls.

Levelers (left), bone handle knives (right), vintage flashlights, old-school binoculars (center) and even some fishing tackle are available for purchase. As functional designer objects they make great gifts for use or for show. Inventory is always changing so be sure to check back at Mantiques often.

Also on Cool Hunting: Stanley Wristwatch Tools

Carmody Groarke: Osnaburgh Street Pavilion

by Lost At E Minor

Carmody Groarke, a young British firm, just won an Architecture Foundation competition to design a new pavilion in Regent's Place, London. The firm is a finalist in BD's Young Architect Practice of the Year, and designed the pavilion to be made of a series of vertical rods that reflect light during the day and emit light at night. The design is further enhanced by the ability to move the rods within the building and thus change and utilize different spaces.