Fire pit for the city dweller

If you have your own house with a backyard and grill and chiminea, good on you. But for those of use that like to live in places that don’t allow so much space – or a yard of one’s own, we love these little pots of fire. No gas hookups needed. No wood needed. They burn alcohol, so there’s not lots of nasty bits getting imparted into the air.

Heck, even if you do have space, these are pretty cool.

So you can have a nice little party out on your tiny patio, deck, fire escape or <ahem> yard/pool. All with the toasty light of fire.

Set of 4: $90

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Will it save the world? No. But it's a nice thought.

Bamboo. Good stuff: grows fast, absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere, at least as strong as most woods, looks great. Tradtional keyboard and mouse: plastic from petroleum, ugly, non-renewable.

Bamboo meet keyboard and mouse.

People, meet the Bamboo Keyboard and Mouse Combo from Micro Innovations.

$40

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Old Jars, New Light

OK. Technically, they’re re-used. Old asparagus jars made to withstand heat make the perfect vehicle for lights in these lights by Etsy producer tbDsf.

Somewhere between the modern and the steampunk aesthetic.

I think they speak for themselves.

$185

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Yes, this thing is a fan

I was looking at these the other day – they’ve made it to the mainstream (though the price is still a bit high). This is a fan. No blades. From the makers of the giant suck: Dyson. Basically, there is a small fan in the base, that when blown into the circular blade will seriously get the air moving.

The beauty is no blades. Which means better safety (you can stick your head in the circle if you want). And from the reviews all over the Web, it seems this thing really delivers the air. Not just in pure power, but in a natural breeze. It works on a dimmer so it’s fully adjustable.

If you’re hot and have the dough, it seems like it’s worth a spin to us.

$300

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A shade of Euro

Need some shade on your patio? Try this one-of-a-kind parasol from Sywawa (Belgium). You can’t find them in the U.S., but Encompass in the UK will ship them to you – just send them an email for an estimate.

Worth it for how chillaxed you’re going to feel with one of these lightly flapping above you.

£2131 (I don’t know what that is in $$)

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Old boxes: new lights

These pendants from graypants are handmade in Seattle, WA of repurposed cardboard boxes. They are unique looking and cast a really cool light. They are coated with a No-Burn spray (it’s green, don’t worry – no VOCs, Class A Fire Rating) so you won’t burn your house down.

We like the “Jupiter” series because they look like flashy planetary lights up in the mooniverse of any loft, apartment or office space. But they also come in bell shapes, stars, bean(ish) and discs.

You can get this whole set (the “galilean moon set”) together for $680 or you can get them individually from $130 to $280.

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Put Banksy on your laptop

Apple does a good job of making a good looking computer. But sometimes it’s kind of fun to spice things up a bit. If you’re a young skatepunk, you can plaster it with decals of truck manufacturers and whatnot, but for us grown ups (who still feel a need to assert our individuality), we want something with a little more subtlety.

Fortunately, the Etsy people have really upped their game and offered some sweet options. We like this one from Banksy. Why? Because Banksy is the real article. But there’s a ton of others out there. Honestly, many are very Banksyesque.

Also, check out Hu2′s selections. And Vinylville’s. You won’t be sorry.

Prices range from $10 – $30.

ETSY SEARCH

Handy grill wok + vertical roaster

We don’t prescribe buying kitchen tools that do only one task. Like an  apple corer. They end up  just clogging up your kitchen feng shui, going unused and ending up at a garage sale then the landfill.

That’s one reason we like this tool for grilling: it’s basically a wok, so you can stir fry up stuff when you’re car camping or at the park or even in your backyard. But it also has an insert you can slide a bird (or crown roast…) onto and cook up a juicy meal.

Smart. Easy. Tasty. Reusable.

$30

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the gutterball dining table: old bowling alley becomes new table

Remember that old bowling alley on the main street of your hometown that closed a while back? Well, imagine if those old alleys didn’t hit the landfill, but instead ended up IN your kitchen table. Or desk. Or coffee table.

That’s what’s going on at Counter Evolution – they are taking back those old alleys and putting them in furniture.

No surprise: a Brooklyn-based company. Their furniture has been featured in Starbucks and highlighted in modern design publications like Dwell.

I’d say they’re bowling a perfect 300.

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Unique, textural all-weather planter

This one-of-a-kind planter can house a great variety of plants to green up any part of your patio, yard or house. Sturdy enough to withstand the elements and classy enough to bring inside. Handformed and signed by an artisan in Switzerland.

It’s somewhat large: 37″ x 27″ and 13″ high.

Right now, get free shipping on this and other containers at terrain – just enter promo code: CONTAINER when you check out (ends June 30,2010).

$300

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