K-Box Portable Speaker

by Nathan Suberi

Adding another dimension to portable music experiences, Kerchoonz's lightweight K-box speakers bring deeper bass response, making for to a spontaneous, on-the-go party-starter.

Using patented Gel Audio technology to convert any smooth, solid surface into a giant speaker, the K-box generates an actual increase in the sound—the deeper the surface, the deeper the boom. Seeing it in action proves how nicely the K-Box syncs with any portable music player.

Compatible with any 3.5 mm audio jack, most laptops, mp3 players, phones or TVs support K-box. Its petite frame, USB charging capabilities and 20-hour battery life offer near endless tunes anywhere, anytime.

Pick up a K-box for £45 from Kerchoonz.

Culture Label Online Store

by Jacob Resneck

A depot for hundreds of quirky items available from galleries and museums (mostly in the U.K.), Culture Label is a boon for those who've never been to Britain—or who didn't have the time, energy, money or foresight to plunder its gift shops at the time.

Visit the Tower of London and forget to buy your Anne Boleyn knickers ? No problem. Snooze on London's Tube and miss your stop? These handy stickers emblazoned with station names mean you'll never wake up at Heathrow again.

Alternatively, the dress-for-dinner napkins ensure you'll never be underdressed at the company picnic.

via Urban Junkies

Sticker Shield

by Evan Orensten

I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive about removing stickers, so every time I have to change one of NY's several extra-sticky windshield permits, it reminds me of how much joy Sticker Shield brings. Instead of applying the sticker to the windshield, apply it to one side of a Sticker Shield and trim to fit. The other side of the Sticker Shield is a low tack adhesive that stays very firmly in place, but easily peels off without need for a razor blade nor for a healthy application of Goo Gone.

Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest ones and that's certainly the case with Sticker Shield. Buy two 4"x6" sheets for $5.50 from the Sticker Shield site.

The Melbourne Design Guide

by CH Contributor

by Kara Macleod

A clever little book created and edited by industrial designers, The Melbourne Design Guide one-ups most guidebooks. The 450-page flip book teems with current design intelligence from Melbourne’s creative community, making the publication as attractive to design professionals as it is to savvy locals or travelers wanting a different take on the scene.

Its twofold construction simplifies what can often be the daunting task of navigating the second most populous city in Australia. Designed for reading from either end, the flip style allows one half of the book to focus on the city’s design destinations while the other profiles Melbourne’s leading designers.

Similar in concept to the Le Cool travel guides, the Melbourne Design Guide's page layouts have a pieced-together, notes-from-the-creative-insider feel, but the overall setup is clear and concise.

Disciplines—Craft and Graphic Design, Built Environment, Product Design, Fashion and Art—organize each side of the book and include a host of interviews and opinions of what makes Melbourne such a great creative hub.

Published by Alphabet Press and designed by Chase & Galley, the bi-annual guide can be purchased online for $55. (They also offer a Sydney version.)

Club Monaco Alexander Calder Jewelry Collection

by CH Contributor

by Danielle Kosann

Typically known for modern interpretations of classic styles and limited palettes, Club Monaco stands out from the mainstream retail fray. The brand embraces a neo-boho lifestyle of art, film and travel, so it comes as no surprise that the work of artist Alexander Calder inspired their new jewelry collection.

Famous for his ground-breaking kinetic art, Calder's unusual mixed media sculptures and mobiles (the very first) grace museums and public spaces worldwide. But his lesser known work as a jewelry designer captivated Club Monaco designers. Recently exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, his use of beach glass, ceramic shards, wire and bold colors make his work distinctively modernist. Club Monaco emulates the look beautifully, while still maintaining its own aesthetic.

The pieces feature custom-designed colored glass developed using the Murano technique and set on gold-plated wire. A stunning example of wearable art, the pieces retail from $79-139 and sell online or at Club Monaco stores nationwide.