Awesome Modern

Classic arcade machines have a big cabinet necessitated by a CRT monitor and multiple circuit boards. Jody Del Bianco’s Plycade embraces modern tech like a flat screen and a compact PC and sets them into a 28mm-thick plywood cabinet for a small footprint and a light, airy design. A wall-mounted version is also in the works.

This sleek modern lamp from Mantar adds a splash light wherever you need it. Its LED light source works well as a night light or an accent light. It offers three color temperatures, and its battery runs for up to 20 hours per charge. Made from acrylic with a weighted base. Choose from gold, silver, or rose gold metallic finishes.

This modern clamp-on desk lamp has two flexible gooseneck sections, letting you bend it to your whim and aim light just where you need it. Its skinny LED light has a built-in diffuser for smooth illumination and four selectable brightness levels. Made from brushed aluminum.

Yuan Design’s unique modern pen has an aluminum body that combines a hexagon with a triangle. Its unique shape provides a comfortable grip, keeps it from rolling, and provides a straight edge. The refillable pen holds in place with magnets, and an optional stand turns the pen into a leaning tower. The TP2 adds a mechanical pencil.

Nathan Myhrvold and his team expand their fantastic Modernist Cuisine series with a 3-volume encyclopedia all about pizza. The books break down the history of pizza, ingredients and techniques, and include more than 1000 recipes and 3700 photos of creative and delicious pizzas inspired by pizzerias around the globe.

Sandgrain Studio creates minimal posters inspired by classic motion pictures and TV shows. Using a clean and contained color palette of muted greens and oranges, they bring a quiet sophistication to everything from Robocop to The Big Lebowski to Back to the Future. They also make Star Wars, Avengers, and Lord of the Rings sets.

The Lumipod offers a modern take on the cabin in the woods. The compact dwelling’s most notable feature is its curved glass picture windows which can be retracted into its walls, so its main space can transform from an indoor space to an outdoor one in seconds. It’s available in three sizes, ranging from 18m² to 42m².

This clever modern take on vintage digital clocks replaces the Nixie tubes with tiny 16:9 LCD screens inside of glass tubes. The screens can display the time in a multitude of fonts as well as custom image uploads via Windows. The clock offers an intuitive configuration process that shows its settings on its individual screens.

Automaker Kia is showing off the design for its first all-electric vehicle, and a bold new look for the brand. Riding on the company’s modular EV platform, the EV6 has a sleek and aerodynamic shape, complemented by a modern and capacious interior. Kia will reveal its specs and more details later in March 2021.

Designed by artist Panisa Khunprasert, this reversible chess and checkers set features a bold color scheme and modern, minimal iconography. Both the playing pieces and board are made from sustainably-grown rubberwood, and the board slides open to provide storage. Measures 8.75″w x 8.75″d x 1.75″h.

This modern desk lamp offers two modes of operation – an indirect light shaped like a triangle or an adjustable task light in its open position. It has a built-in USB and Qi-compatible wireless charger in its base as well. It provides both warm and cool light settings in five brightness levels. Bostitch sells a cheaper version made from plastic.

Level up your style and mise en place skills with these sleek and sharp ceramic kitchen knives. The set includes a blue-handled 4″ paring knife, 5″ utility knife, 5″ serrated knife, 6″ chef knife, and 7″ large chef knife, along with a black geometric knife block, designed by Christian Bird. Save 58% in The Awesomer Shop.

Yusong Zhang wanted to make a functional LEGO project that still echoed the toy’s playful side, so he made this modern and minimalist coffee table. It’s made of over 10,000 bricks arranged in four colored layers. It’s not for sale, but he’s open to commissions.

There’s something strangely compelling about the way that the classic cello of Yo-Yo Ma perfectly complements the smooth moves of Los Angeles based dancer Charles “Lil Buck” Riley.

The Kameha Grand Hotel in Bonn features stylish avant-garde public spaces and rooms by Dutch designer Marcel Wanders, a glittering glass façade and stunning views of the Rhine.

Experience the cozy warmth of a tiny bonfire on your desk or dining table with Gido Wahrmann’s Slate Tabletop Fireplace, two 7.5-inch stainless steel oil lamps anchored to a slate base.

Nonlinear Studio created this unique square-faced watch which slides onto its band at a 20-degree angle. The edge of the band passed beneath the watch at 9 and 12 hours, making it easier to read.

From the the whole-is-much-greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts file: Craighton Berman’s Coil Lamp, made from a 100′ extension cord that’s wrapped around a laser-cut clear acrylic form.