Instant Artwork – Posterazor

Posterazor your world. Pic from ApartmentTherapy

You’ve heard me say this a few times – personalize your space with art. The thing is, art is subjective and it doesn’t have to be something expensive. Quite honestly, you can do a white wall with a blue square and call it art. Grant it, this would be a lame installation in my opinion, but I think you get the idea. From our friends at ApartmentTherapy, here is a great option for a quick, easy and cheap custom art wall. Posterazor is a free download software that will take a single image and explode it to any size you want for a homemade poster. Even better, as shown above, print it and hang it like a modern day grid for a very contemporary look. What’s great about this example is the contrast of the dark background and the white paper.

All you need is a digital image and a printer and voila! Instant art. Try it.

Out in the Field – Field Notes products

Field Notes products made in the USA

I’m taking a moment before I have to get ready for dinner to write a few posts for The Desctop. My absence from the blog is due to an overwhelming amount of tasks with my real job (yes, I finally have one) and I’m eager to share some great new finds for your home and/or corporate office.

I’ve been subscribing to more blogs and web sites that promote great products, design and merchandise. One such rare find is A Continuous Lean – a self proclaimed site that is about “American things, good looking things, well designed things and all sorts of other things.” I love it! The man behind the genius is Michael Williams, the savvy PR mind behind the small shop Paul+Williams. He’s a curator of great design and you can now buy his choices directly at his web site A Continuous Lean.

Among the small collection of hand-picked brands, Williams is supporting Field Notes, the flashback inspired stationers of old-fashioned memo books and classic pens and pencils.  The Draplin Design Company of Portland, Oregon and Coudal Partners of Chicago, Illinois bring you a small collection of simple products that complement any desk, modern or traditional. I bought my first memo book while out shopping at J.Crew one day. Funny how the small little accessory fit perfectly with the spring awakening of the store’s new collection of new American classic menswear. As a sidenote, I’ve fallen in love again with J.Crew for both casual and office clothes.

The 18-month calendar, the set of six pens, old school No. 2 pencils, and the three-pack pocket notebooks are all available at ACL. Be sure to check them out. It’s amazing how the little things on a desk will make a great impact. It’s a quick way to add your POV to a rather simple worksurface.

NY travel? Check out the new Surrey Hotel

The lobby at the renovated Surrey hotel in New York.

Not your traditional post today about items for your desk or office, but considering the possible business travels by my readers, I’m taking some liberties. You may have seen me write about her once or twice, but today is the birthday of Lauren Rottet, the acclaimed interior architect who designed the $60 million renovation of The Surrey, a boutique hotel from The Denihan Group located in the upper East Side of NYC. The project was just published last month in Interior Design magazine and it was my first look at the completed work. Lauren and her amazing team are leaders in the corporate environment world of dream offices you would kill to work. And trust me, I know how crazy it sounds to say “kill to work.” Now, her exquisite sensibilities can be experienced by those staying at the newly opened hotel.

If ever wanting to experience how big companies work and play, then check out Rottet’s portfolio on her company web site, Rottet Studio. You’ll get a glimpse of the beautiful clean lines and modern aesthetics that spark a romance to working in corporate America.

Happy birthday Lauren.

At The Podium, My iPhone

Podium's carbon iPhone/iPod stand

Projectgadget.com is one of those cool review sites that is perfect for guys like me…with money burning a hole in their pockets for the latest gizmo and trends. Beware, you’ll find plenty to buy and more to ponder. Point in case, this carbon stand made especially for your iPhone or iPod Touch. The sturdy accessory only weighs in at 16 oz., has a height of 5.5″; Width: 3.25″; Depth: 3.0″ It allows for a swivel of your iPhone for either landscape or vertical orientation. You might be asking yourself, why do I need a dedicated stand for my iPhone? Well, consider a few things. It provides a streamline look to fully appreciate the innovation of your phone. Not to be too preachy about Apple, but seriously, the design and mechanism of the iPhone never gets old. Here’s another reason – my blog is about finding ways to improve your workplace and you can do just that with a dedicated display for your phone. By using the stand, you can effectively use your iPhone as a work companion for applications that you might not want to clutter on your computer desktop. Use your iPhone side-by-side to your computer for checking new tweets, calculating simple equations, or just getting through the work day by YouTubing Miss S. Carolina Caite Upton’s Miss Teen USA pageant flubber.

Podium’s iPhone stand sells for $29 +shipping at podiumrevolution.com.

The stand swivels and pivots for full enjoyment of your iPhone.

The Perpetual Calendar

Despite our digital age, I find the need to have some type of calendar available for a quick glance when dating a letter, writing a check or just trying to convince myself that the week is moving forward. Here’s a great solution for your desk. This  system is simple, polished and the perfect companion for your office. The calendar that will last a lifetime is designed by legendary Italian designer Enzo Mari. Looking at it reminds me when I was five years old and going to the Security Pacific bank with my grandfather for his weekly deposits. The transaction counters had a system similar to this, except it was bronze framed with white letters on charcoal gray blocks. I vividly remembering wanting to play with the individual cards for the month and dates. Some thirty years later, the wait is over.

Here’s some background about Enzo Mari and his prolific career. Click here for the NYT article.

The Perpetual Calendar is available for $90 at the great L.A. gift shop, OK. Thanks to the creative minds at Remodelista.com for mentioning it.

Tick Tock – Idea for your Computer Screen

19 minutes to save the world?

This image is from Door Sixteen, a blog by a very creative designer posting about her Victorian row home in Newburgh, NY. Her recent entry about her home office is quite remarkable. I love the original style and clean sensibility. She took some risks that I truly love and appreciate. The wallpaper is subtle yet intriguing. The kelly green lamp is the perfect object in the foreground. The desk is fantastic, especially with the weathered drawers below the contemporary worksurface. And pulling it all together, the screen saver on her computer. Be sure to add some unique flair for your computer. Have it truly work for you…in this case, operating as a digital clock that adds a great graphic backdrop for this particular picture. I hope the simplicity inspires you.

Clip Art – Clipboards for the wall

Clipboards for your office with added flair.

Here’s a great way to stay organized. As instructed by Martha Stewart, take generic clipboards and cover them with bold graphic prints. You can get the details on her site, but use this idea to organize your paperwork in a stylish way. I have to admit, I’m impressed by the simple idea and the interesting look it can create on a wall. This DIY is a great way to personalize your wall and make it work for you.

In Hidding – Another Home Office Idea

Hidding your work with these two ideas.

Here’s an idea for tight spaces. Looking for a way to hide paperwork? Try these ideas that were recently presented by Design*Sponge. Take an unused closet and add some sturdy shelving for a home office. Accessorize with a bold color and keep things simple. Another great idea came from Martha Stewart. Convert a chest into a filing cabinet. It offers great storage and extra seating when needed. Keep these ideas around for inspiration.

Small Packages – Dell’s Vostro V13 Laptop

The thinnest and lightest laptop by Dell...and its cheap.

I love my MacBook Pro, but I’m quite intrigued by the vast improvements made by PC giant Dell. Their latest breakthrough is a 13.3″ LED screen laptop (not netbook) computer packaged in a slim, thin, aluminum lightweight shell. The best news about it –the Vostro V13 starts at $450. A full size laptop that is light yet solid for a great price…hmmm, maybe I’ll jump back to the Windows world. Think of this solution for a clutter free desk or cramped quarters. Find it at Dell.

Writing In Space – Fisher Moss Space Pen

Fisher Space Pen for Moss

Originally created for NASA by Paul Fisher, the Fisher Space Pen promises to work upside down, under water, in the cold and even in space. Now with a twist, the uber design shop in NY, Moss, has curated a series of these pens with their infamous slogan, “please, do not touch.” How appropriate for your office pens that seem to vanish whenever you host a brainstorm session with colleagues. Now you can keep this small stylo on your desk without sacrificing style. $35 at Moss.