Museum stores have always been good for stocking art prints, exhibit catalogs, artist biographies, and presents for your mom. But the MoMA Design Store (the Museum of Modern Art’s retail arm) isn’t like other museum stores. Yes, you’ll find these standard museum wares there, but you’ll also discover a whole lot of delightful finds, like an ice shaver in the shape of a bear or an old-school boombox that plays cassette tapes and has Bluetooth speakers for streaming music.
What is it about these items that caught the eye of the store’s buyers and passed muster with the museum’s curatorial staff (every product has to be approved by them)? Chay Costello, MoMA retail’s associate director of merchandise, revealed the secret to Fast Company: “It’s design that is so scrupulously made to do something well,” she said, adding “and for utility.”
We recently checked out the store’s Organization & Tools department and found some really fun, “scrupulously made” storage and organization items for your home, all for under $100. Here are our 10 favorites (note: prices shown are for nonmembers; MoMA members receive a discounted price).
Above: Imagine serving lasagna in this Multi Swirl Enamel Baking Dish! Made in Turkey using traditional 15th-century marbling techniques, the baking dish can go from the oven straight to the table, but we would use it as a tray for corralling cooking oils, spices, and more; $34. (It’s also available in a smaller square size and a bowl form.) Above: We’ve been admiring the Scala Storage Jars, which feature airtight silicone seals, since they were introduced last year; $30 to $40. (See 7 Favorites: Classic Glass Pantry Storage Jars for more ideas.) Above: Perfect for Kondo-ing your home, the sturdy cardboard Hay Box Box Square Set comes with four boxes in multiple sizes (the largest box is a 9-inch cube); $55. (See Marie Kondo’s boxes in New & Noteworthy: Marie Kondo’s Hikidashi Boxes.) Above: The Arne Jacobsen Message Board comes in black, pink, and light gray (shown) and two sizes (shown is the small). The MDF board is perforated with holes for attaching letters and numbers (all in the Danish designer’s clean typography). The boards are $30 and $60; the letters and numbers are sold separately. Above: A whimsical touch for the kid’s room (it’s perfect for storing soft toys) or the bath (use it as a hamper), the Pear Basket is made by artisans in Indonesia; $109. Above: This isn’t your average label maker. The House Label Maker features 4 text sizes, 7 fonts, 36 decorative frames, and more than 650 symbols and icons; $50.
Above: The Turkish-made Collapsible Storage Bins fold flat when not in use. They come in six colors and two sizes (10.5 inches wide and 15.7 inches wide); $10 and $15. (For wood crates, see 10 Easy Pieces: Wooden Crates.) Above: If you use brown paper supermarket bags to hold your recycling, consider upgrading with the Rebin, which is made in Vermont from 100 percent recycled plastic; $48. (Speaking of recycling, Are You Recycling Wrong? Probably! 6 Common Recycling Mistakes to Avoid.) Above: The small-but-mighty steel Compact Toolbox is made at a family-owned factory in Italy. Closed, it measures just 10.25 inches wide. Opened, it reveals an assortment of storage compartments. Above: The Element Hanging Shelf, handcrafted in Finland from ash veneer and birch plywood, does double duty as both a clothes hanger and a shelf (the bottom of the hanger is a pocket for holding your wallet, keys, and other small items); $85. (See 8 Favorites: Metal Wall Shelf and Hooks for Small Entryways for more streamlined entryway solutions.)
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