We like to kick our feet up in style with the lovely new Flora from Los Angles based studio Orange22. The mix and match design is as flexible as their use (bench, coffee table, end table, etc). They come in a variety of colors and are also available with cushions and knocked out floral forms.

Designed by Flemming Bo Hansen for Rosendahl, this watch comes in two designs, each with a men’s and women’s version. One design displays the time using hands. The other design displays four large digits, the top two indicating hour and the bottom indicating minutes. The Watch II is made of polished, hypo-allergenic stainless steel, toughened mineral glass and plastic. The watch is water resistant and the band is adjustable. Available for $185 here.

These hybrid ashtrays by Vitamin double as either a vase (Tab A model) or pot (Tab B model). The design keeps the contents concealed both visually and aromatically. They sell for around $100 from the Vitamin website.

We are still fans of rock and roll and don’t care who knows it. When we heard The Black Keys new album “Magic Potion” it made us want to put our fist in the air and sell our souls once more. We know it’s Bad Company and the first two White Stripes albums all over again and we’re all kinds of o.k. with that. There’s something about the sound of a Gibson SG and a fender amp that sounds like someone dropped it down a well. It that makes us remember why we love music in the first place. Click on the play button below for a taste of their new single “Your Touch.”

Justin Wood has been climbing the ranks of our favorite illustrators for a few years now. He combines traditional paint and brush methods with computer generated 3-d images, pushing the envelope of modern illustration. Check out his upcoming show with Oksana Badrak at Junc Gallery in Los Angeles November 11, 2006.

Hiroshima based Suppose Design Office has a nice portfolio consisting mostly of open spaced residencies. This steel-framed, two story house with loft was especially compelling. In addition to a nice palette of materials, the Mosonou House creates spaces with interesting ambiguity between interior and exterior as seen in the room above. More pictures of the Mosonou House can be accessed directly here.

Tired of wall paper? Is paint just not enough? Blik makes a series of vinyl decal graphics to decorate your space. This is a very quick and easy way to refresh your surroundings, so we’re not surprised this is catching on. Blik will also design custom graphics to your specification. Check out their blog for a few nice examples of both out of the box and custom projects.

Vessel has produced these portable lights which deliver the soft glow of candlelight with some added benefits. They are reusable, windproof, and safe to touch (fire-safe). These are great for adding some atmosphere to a room. They turn on when removed from their base and glow for eight hours between charges. Color covers are also available. A set of two candles and an attractive charging base sells for $49. A version with four candles and base goes for $89. You can order it from the Vessel website.

Photographer Joan Sinclair explores the world of Japan’s underground in her new book Pink Box. Named after the private room in an Osaka Strip club, Pink Box provides a glimpse of Japan’s most elaborate gentleman’s clubs: the fake train, the fake classroom, the almost extinct no-panty lounge. Check out the Pink Box events section for book signings if you live in the Los Angeles or San Franciso areas.

In his new book, Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky explores Chinese industry and its relationship to society and environment. In these large format landscapes, we are confronted with what is destroyed in the name of progress. Samples of Burtynsky’s work can be seen at the Charles Cowles Gallery’s website. His work is part of the collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among others. You can purchase the book here.